Geri Halliwell and Christian Horner get approval for Oxfordshire pergola
Neighbours have raised objections regarding construction noise and fairy lights at the couple's £9.2 million Grade II-listed estate.
Former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell and ex-Red Bull Formula One team principal Christian Horner have received council approval to keep an oak-framed pergola at their £9.2 million Oxfordshire home. According to the Times of India, the local council granted permission on March 16, despite previous refusals for retrospective planning for the structure.
The decision follows complaints from local residents who raised concerns about construction noise, landscape changes, and the scale of developments on the estate. Some neighbours accused the couple of ignoring regulations after fairy lights were placed on the garden structure, which residents claimed interrupted views of a nearby church.
One anonymous neighbour alleged that the couple showed a lack of respect for the planning process by using the pergola and gazebo after permission was initially denied. The resident also claimed that ordinary homeowners would have been required to remove such structures and suggested an inequality exists between the wealthy and average citizens.
A representative for Halliwell and Horner stated that the pergola is a small addition designed to protect the property's character. The plans, created by Riach Architects, involve using climbing plants to blend the wooden structure into the landscape and ensure it remains secondary to the main house.
The couple's property has seen several previous planning matters, including an approved second swimming pool and a first-floor extension. A decision is still pending regarding an application to build a horse walker at their stables.