Geri Halliwell and Christian Horner can claim victory after the couple’s lengthy battle.
A row broke out between the couple and some of their neighbours over an “illegal” pizza oven installed in the back garden of their £9.2m Oxfordshire mansion.
Found in the village of Marston St Lawrence, not far from Banbury, the couple built the oven before plans were approved and had to get retrospective planning permission.
The full application was for “an oak-framed gazebo with lead roof and a brick-built pizza oven” which the report states isn’t fully built.
Grade II listed former vicarage, home to Geri and Christian Horner in the Oxfordshire village of (Image: Tom Maddick / SWNS)
But now they are victories, with the district council now giving them planning permission.
Granting permission, planning officer Forrest Childs said in a report: “Due to its siting, scale and design it is considered that the proposed development would be sympathetic to the context of the dwelling and would be compatible with the appearance, character, layout, scale and design of existing dwellings in the area.
“It is also considered that the proposal would provide adequate standards of amenity and privacy for existing and proposed residents.
“The proposal therefore accords with the policies.”
The Horner’s house is a 18th-century Grade II listed building, of which the significance derives from its age, Georgian form, historic fabric, and its important relationship with the adjacent Grade I listed church.
A heritage officer at the council had raised concerns regarding the impact of the development on St. Lawrences Church, stating that the structures would remain visible in certain views between the church and their house.
Mr Childs added: “Officers acknowledge that whilst the proposal would introduce additional built form within the historic garden setting, the gazebo and pizza oven have been amended to reduce their visual impact, including a reduction in roof height and pitch of the gazebo, a lower flue and the use of a traditional lead roof.
“As aforementioned, the structures are modest in scale, positioned adjacent to the boundary and remain subordinate, ancillary features within the garden.
“Their contained location within the garden would not interrupt or obscure key views of the church itself.
“As such, on balance, officers do not consider that the structures would result in harm to the setting of St. Lawrence Church.”
Mr and Mrs Horner had been waiting since January to get a verdict on their pizza oven, a decision that had been delayed.
An initial application for the oak framed gazebo, pizza oven and pergola was refused last year after several neighbours submitted objections.
“This has already been built, along with a sauna block higher than the wall, which in a conservation area is unacceptable,” one neighbour complained at the time.
