Ex-England star Fabian Delph locked in battle with council over plans for his £3M mansion that could pose ‘serious risk’ | The Sun

EX-ENGLAND ace Fabian Delph is locked in a battle with his council over plans for his £3million mansion that could be a "serious" flood risk.

The former England star quit the beautiful game in September last year and three months later submitted plans for the plush new grounds at his home in Alderley Edge.

But he has now been warned that the proposed works are too near several water courses and the Environment Agency say the idea puts one brook “at risk.”

The former Man City left back and his wife Natalie are clearly trying to fill their time following his retirement from professional football.

They want to overhaul the large garden of their detached mansion in the village of Alderley Edge, Cheshire.

Plans – which were submitted by his wife Natalie, 32 – are set to include hard and soft landscaping works, including fences and walls made of brick with stone copings and vertical metal bars painted black.

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The couple, who have three daughters, are also set to switch the location of their driveway.

Throughout the garden, they have also proposed planting trees and shrubs for “seasonal interest” alongside others to screen the property from neighbouring homes.

Further proposed hedging, topiary, box hedging, and railings will be added alongside a new entrance arrangement, with a drive of loose gravel.

The development is set to occur adjacent to a Public Right of Way, and officers say it is unlikely it will affect this.

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However the idea has already sparked the wrath of the Environment Agency who say it is too close to several historic nearby brooks, for which access should not be impeded.

Experts say the plans could cause flooding, affect the stability of the watercourses and restrict essential maintenance and emergency access.

They also warned that new building work within eight metres of a brook could affect flooding, erosion and other water processes.

A letter shared by planning advisors at the Environment Agency posted on Cheshire East Council’s planning site says: “We object to this application as it involves building over/works within eight metres of a watercourse.

“As submitted, it is unlikely that we would grant a flood risk activity permit for this application.

“The proposed development would restrict essential maintenance and emergency access to the watercourse.

“The permanent retention of a continuous unobstructed area is an essential requirement for future maintenance and/or improvement works.

“The proposed development is likely to adversely affect the construction and stability of the embankment which will compromise its function.

“The building/structure may interfere with natural geomorphological processes and could be placed at risk of damage arising from channel migration/erosion.”

To overcome these protests the star will now have to submit a flood risk assessment showing how he plans to carry out building works without increasing risk elsewhere – or reduce the overall flood risk to the area.

Delph’s house sits alongside two brooks – both of which appear next to his proposed building site.

To prepare for the works, Delph will remove rubbish, concrete, metal, glass, decayed vegetation, rubble, fuel and lubricants from the garden and dispose of them off site.

He will also spread a general purpose mulch over all ornamental planted areas.

Bare root and rootballed stock will be planted within the winter planting season, with seeding to be undertaken in spring.

Trees, hedges and large stock plants will be planted first.

Any trees or shrubs that are planed or retained within Delph’s plans that are later removed, uprooted, destroyed or become severely damaged or diseased within five years will be replaced in the next planting season.

Fabian Delph married Natalie in 2013, just months after their relationship began.

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The pair have three daughters, Sophia, Aleya and a third, who was born while Delph was playing for England at the 2018 World Cup.

He formerly played for Bradford City, Leeds United, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Everton.

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