Ed Sheeran’s pond has upset his neighbours again.
The 28-year-old singer previously sparked an outcry from locals near his estate in Suffolk, East England, who were worried he wanted to turn the water feature into a swimming pool, and though council officials previously ruled that wasn’t the case, he’s now dealing with fresh complaints.
The ‘Shape of You’ hitmaker erected a wooden caravan near the edge of the pond, prompting fears he’s going to use it as a changing room for his "swimming pool", and so local officials have warned him he needs to seek planning permission or it will be torn down.
A local authority report obtained by The Sun newspaper read: "The recent structure in the surrounding area of the pond is under investigation as this would require planning permission. The council is taking appropriate action."
The objection comes a month after neighbours asked planners to look into the use of the pond, which is the third of the size of an olympic pool, as they felt it was detrimental to the surroundings and local wildlife.
Tony Robinson wrote: "I believe it is more about creating an environment for a ‘wild lifestyle’ rather than actual ‘wildlife’."
Ed insisted his pond – which has a beach, a jetty and steps into the water – was purely there to attract creatures such as birds, frogs and newts.
And East Suffolk council approved the installation of the steps as they will be used "to enable access to the pond in the event of maintenance and emergency".
In 2016, when the initial planning permission application was made, Ed and his now-wife Cherry Seaborn said the new pond would help to "support nature conservation … and provide a natural habitat for breeding and wetland invertebrates such as dragonflies and water beetles, as well as providing a source of drinking water to birds and mammals."
The application was approved a few months later but it was made clear by East Suffolk council that the pond wouldn’t be used for anything else including "recreational leisure such as swimming".
Ed Sheeran in fresh pool planning row
