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Jack Grealish is locked in a bitter war with his local council over plans to change his £5.6million Cheshire mansion’s woodland back yard into a garden.
The Everton star, 30, plans to extend the garden of his home near Knutsford because he ‘loves growing vegetables’ – but local bosses warned it could prompt a slew of building projects in the area.
The midfielder revealed his love of horticulture in an application for a Certificate of Lawful Existing Use or Development from the local parish council.
This would count as legal proof that the garden’s current use does not require planning permission.
But the move infuriated the local council, who claims that if the section of the star’s 9.6 acre spread was classed as a garden – rather than woodland or curtilage – it would be easier to submit future planning applications for ‘urban sprawl’.
It quoted the Oxford English Dictionary on the definition of a garden, and gave examples of other green belt spaces at the heart of fierce battles between locals and developers.
The fiery letter reads: ‘The Parish Council wish to OBJECT to this application for the following reasons.
‘The application site includes land that is not a “garden” as defined in the Oxford English Dictionary, which states it to be “a piece of ground adjoining a private house usually enclosed where flowers, fruit or vegetables are cultivated and generally used for recreation”.’
Jack Grealish (pictured on Sunday) is in a bitter war with his local council over plans to change his £5.6million Cheshire mansion’s woodland back yard into a garden
Grealish and his partner Sasha Attwood with their 14-month-old daughter Mia
It further adds that a previous application in February 2020 – before Grealish owned the property – was declined, stating that the objection was ‘rejected on the grounds of contrary to the essential characteristics of the Green Belt which is their openness and permanence and to prevent urban sprawl by maintaining their openness’.
The council adds: ‘In our opinion there is little change from the previous application and the applicant has failed to show any reasons why the same decision should not apply.’
Grealish said in the planning application how much he and girlfriend Sasha Attwood enjoy using the garden with their 14-month-old daughter Mia.
He wrote: ‘Since I purchased the property my family and I have enjoyed individual golf practice and lessons, tennis lessons and matches, and boating and fishing on the lake.
‘We have used the lawns for regular entertaining with friends and general recreation.
‘The garden spaces are used for exercising our dog and we grow vegetables in the allotment areas.’
The home’s former senior gardener of 27 years backed the footballer’s application, as did its former owner.
The parish council said that if Cheshire East Council gives the green light, then it will lead to more major developments in the area.
Their objection concludes: ‘If approved, [this] would make way for an application for residential development of the whole property.
‘Seen in the context of the proposal for a major housing proposal described as Mere Hills Farm, both demonstrate the large scale attempts being made to breach Green Belt policy in this area.’
Before Grealish purchased the property, the parish council pointed out that the previous owner wanted to build a retirement village on the estate, which was refused in February 2022.
Cheshire East Council declined to comment.
