Blur frontman Damon Albarn has upset his parish council

Blur frontman Damon Albarn upsets his parish council with a ‘noisy eyesore’ at his huge farmhouse in Devon

Having sung about a ‘Successful fella’ with ‘a lot of money’ who ‘lives in a very big house in the country’ in his 1995 hit Country House, Damon Albarn went on to buy a huge farmhouse in South Devon.

Now, however, the Blur frontman has upset his parish council by installing a ‘noisy eyesore’ heat pump without planning permission next to a public footpath in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in South Hams.

He also landed in hot water with planners after putting up wooden rather than approved metal cladding on a refurbished workshop and studio.

And Albarn, 55, who recently announced the release of Blur’s first album in almost a decade, The Ballad Of Darren, now wants to add glazed doors to the ground floor with sliding shutters to boost his privacy and weather protection.

But in a letter to planners, Albarn’s parish council said: ‘The officer had previously felt on the original application that the introduction of charred larch cladding would have an historic and environmental impact. 

Damon Albarn, 55, recently announced the release of Blur’s first album in almost a decade, The Ballad Of Darren (pictured in 2015)

The Blur frontman has upset his parish council by installing a ‘noisy eyesore’ heat pump without planning permission next to a public footpath in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in South Hams (file image)

‘The applicant had however gone ahead and done these works and this application was noted as being retrospective.

‘Retrospective applications were never well received, so the parish council were disappointed with this siting as the purpose of the pump was to heat additional commercial not residential premises. 

‘The setting of a second heat pump outside the red line on the application, located next to the footpath, was intrusive visually and acoustically when it was felt it could have been located away from the footpath and still keep noise away from the main property.’

Officials at South Hams District Council granted retrospective consent for the heat pump and cladding at the property (file image) 

Albarn now wants to add glazed doors to the ground floor with sliding shutters to boost his privacy and weather protection (file image) 

Officials at South Hams District Council granted retrospective consent for the heat pump and cladding at the property, thought to be worth almost £1.5million.

Planning officer Harriet Fuller said: ‘Overall, the proposals are considered to be acceptable in terms of design and not considered to have any significant adverse impacts on the unspoilt character, appearance or tranquility of the landscape.

‘The change in openings is not considered to harm the historic fabric of the building due to the loss of only small areas of historic masonry.

‘The proposal would not have any additional impact on neighbouring properties.’

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