The 27-year-old singer-songwriter, who announced his engagement to long-time girlfriend Cherry Seaborn in January, has submitted a planning application for the Saxon-style structure to Suffolk Coastal District Council.
But a string of concerns have been raised, including from Suffolk Wildlife Trust which said there were records of great crested newts in the area in 2015 and it is possible that ponds within the site boundaries “could be breeding sites for this species”.
Great crested newts, Britain’s largest newt species, have declined over recent years and are now legally protected.
It is illegal to disturb the animals or obstruct access to areas where they live and breed, with the protected area extending up to 500m from their breeding ponds, the wildlife trust said.
Paul Smith, of Apex Planning Consultants, said: “The applicant has responded promptly to this matter and has also commissioned an appropriate survey that will identify the presence of great crested newts or otherwise, propose mitigation measures as appropriate and recommend measures to enhance biodiversity.”
These could include bat boxes, swift nesting boxes and native planting, he said.
“We were not aware of the historical presence of great crested newts nearby and certainly believe that none exist in the pond nearby to the application site,” he added.
Mr Smith also addressed concerns from people who…
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