Comedian Russell Brand is facing opposition to his plans to create a recording studio at his 15th century pub near Henley.
Pablo Diablo's Legitimate Business Firm Ltd has applied to South Oxfordshire District Council for "change of use of garage to recording studio with minor external alterations" at the Grade II-listed The Crown in Pishill.
Planning documents state that the applicant is under extreme time pressure due to the scheduled launch of a new show on September 25.
It is believed Mr Brand, 47, plans to record his You Tube channel on the site.
The pub, a popular wedding venue, is temporarily closed and being used as accommodation for Mr Brand's freelance staff.
READ ALSO: Batman actor Barry Keoghan on location in Oxford for new movie
The property comprises outdoor seating, a car park, a detached barn, a two-bedroom cottage and a garage.
Documents say: "The entire property has recently undergone a change of ownership and the public house is temporarily closed whilst plans to refurbish the building and formulate the nature of the new establishment are put in place.
"The intention is to re-open the public house in due course. In the meantime, it is being occupied in part by staff working on a freelance basis for the applicant.
"Delivery of the new studio will mean that the production staff can be relocated to it and that plans for re-opening the public house can be driven forward."
But neighbour Caroline Dempsey has opposed the plans, citing a stand-up show Mr Brand put on in The Barn.
She wrote: "A performance by Russell Brand of his stand-up show has provided a taste of life under the new owners; there were cars left anyhow and everywhere, double and triple parked with at least eight on the proposed development site.
READ ALSO: Kidnapping investigation launched after Green Road abduction
"It is therefore our considered opinion that The Crown cannot currently sustain the business model adopted by the owners due to an insufficient number of parking spaces when all areas i.e. the offices, studios and performance venue (The Barn) are operational and that as Russell and Laura Brand continue to become more successful, as I hope and am sure they will be, the parking and road safety issues will only become worse."
The Environmental Protection team and Pishill with Stonor Parish Council have also cited concerns over the impact of noise.
The parish council added that they wanted to see some progress on the reopening of the pub before any additional uses are considered.
Mr Brand and his wife Laura, who live in Henley, bought The Crown in March 2020.
He has said the pub will reopen and be refurbished once his recording studio has been built.
A message from our Editor
Thank you for reading this story and supporting the Oxford Mail.
If you like what we do please consider getting a subscription for the Oxford Mail and in return we’ll give you unrestricted access with less adverts across our website from the latest news, investigations, features, and sport.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok for more.
You can also join the conversation in our Facebook groups: stay ahead of traffic alerts here, keep up to date with the latest from court here, share your favourite memories of Oxford here, get your daily dose of celebrity news here and take some time out with news that will make you smile.
If you’ve got a story for our reporters, send us your news here. You can also list an event for free here.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel