Sir Bob Geldof wants a Monet-inspired pond built on his land in Kent.
Sir Bob Geldof
The Live Aid founder has submitted plans to the council to ask for permission to build the water feature at his Davington Priory home in Faversham, which is inspired by the Giverny pond in Monet's painting.
Planning documents submitted to Swale Borough Council read: "The design inspiration for the pond has come from Monet's pond at Giverny, with a mix of fresh-water plants and trees to maximise the biodiversity value. The environmental benefits are considered to outweigh any perceived 'less than substantial' harm to the setting of the listed buildings nearby, however the buildings are well distanced to be physically unaffected by the development. A critical element of the project is that these new ponds will have clean water. This is important because most countryside ponds are now badly damaged by pollution, and evidence shows that pond wildlife is declining across the UK."
Whilst neighbour Jennifer Pout was happy with the plans.
She said: "The priory already has a thriving wildlife population which we benefit from seeing, bats, owls, squirrels, birds, and stag beetles. It's great news that this area will benefit from another type of wildlife haven. Let's hope it'll not get swamped with the mozzies we're already plagued with."
Meanwhile, Bob previously admitted his "greatest fear" was he'd end up homeless and destitute, and so he was just 15 when he began volunteering in a shelter to help those on the streets of Dublin.
He said: "At 15, I volunteered at the Simon Community. My greatest fear was that I'd become one of the people I was working with, gathering around the big fire we had in Smithfield, taking the soup we were making. That was my image, at 60, sleeping on a park bench in the cold, so I had to keep running, keep running. And I can't stop."
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