YouTube millionaire Zoe Sugg, widely known as Zoella, is embroiled in a contentious planning dispute in the affluent Sussex village of Hassocks over the construction of a shelter and enclosure for two donkeys. The development, located on a five-acre plot behind her approximately £2 million mansion, reportedly began without the necessary planning permission from Mid Sussex District Council.
Accusations from some residents and a local heritage group, the Hurstpierpoint Society, claim that Sugg and her fiancé, YouTuber Alfie Deyes, have installed fencing, gates, and three shepherd's huts before obtaining formal consent. Objectors argue that this retrospective application presents the council with a fait accompli and that the development harms the 'character and charm of the area.' Concerns have also been raised about the safety implications of new access points to the field on a single-track lane.
Sugg and Deyes have submitted a belated planning application seeking approval for a secure enclosure, approximately 3,000 square meters in size, intended to house the donkeys. The proposal also includes a timber stable, a tractor parking area, and a wildlife pond. According to the application, two of the shepherd's huts would be used for storage of animal feed, bedding, tools, and beekeeping equipment, while a third would serve as a resting or shelter area for the couple when tending to the animals. The couple states they have no intention of using the huts for holiday or guest accommodation.
However, some critics contend that the huts are incongruous in the rural setting and that ample space exists within the couple's existing garden for such structures, questioning the necessity of their placement in the open countryside. One objector described the project as having an 'urbanising effect on this undeveloped field.'
The dispute has divided the community, with other residents defending Sugg and Deyes. Supporters claim the couple has improved an 'unsightly' piece of land, provided a safe haven for the animals, and protected the field from potential future housing development. They also argue that the additions, including the wildlife pond, are proportionate and in keeping with the rural character of the area.
Sugg rose to fame as one of the UK's first major internet celebrities, building a significant following through her beauty and lifestyle content on blogging and YouTube. She and Deyes, who gained popularity through his channel 'PointlessBlog,' have a combined online following of over 20 million subscribers. The couple became engaged in September 2023 and have two daughters. While they have reduced their online output in recent years, they purchased their Sussex home in 2017.