Singer Ed Sheeran has reportedly been ordered by the local council to remove a newly installed toilet and its associated waste pipe from his Grade II listed property in West London.
The enforcement notice was issued after the fixture was fitted without the necessary planning permission. Sheeran's representatives are said to have applied for retrospective permission, and if it is not granted, the singer will have to dismantle the pipe.
According to reports, Sheeran's team has stated that the work undertaken is "minor in nature and have not affected historic fabric." The renovations at the £3.3 million flat also included knocking down a partition wall to create an open-plan kitchen and living space. The alleged breach is said to have occurred during the creation of two en-suite bedrooms.
Sheeran purchased the two-bedroom property nine years ago as part of his wider property portfolio. A source told The Sun that the unauthorized toilet installation went unnoticed until it was reported.
In separate property news, Sheeran has also received permission to convert a 19th-century piggery and barn into music studios at his £1.1 million farm in Suffolk. He is also planning to convert six historic barns on the same property, dating back to the 17th century, into storage space for a "music archive."
Documents submitted for the Suffolk barn conversions indicate the space would be for owner/family storage and archive use only, with no anticipated increase in vehicle traffic or external lighting.
Work on other renovations at the Suffolk farm has been proceeding slowly, partly due to the need for special measures and licenses related to the presence of protected Great Crested Newts. Sheeran has committed to repairing the barns, retaining original fabric where possible, and incorporating ecological enhancements such as bat and bird boxes and hedgehog-friendly fencing.