- Premier League star is battling Bracknell Forest Council over his garden fence
- West Brom striker, 28, claims it was already there when he moved in
- But authority refused permission and row has escalated to public inquiry
Welsh football star Hal Robson-Kanu has been accused of ‘land grabbing’ by his local council in a row over the garden fence that surrounds his £1.5 million home.
The West Brom player, who saved Wales from being defeated by Moldova in a 2018 World Cup qualifier yesterday, claims the fence was already there when he viewed the house in Ascot, Berkshire in 2012.
But Bracknell Forest Borough Council says the striker’s three garden fences have illegally swallowed 400 square metres of adjacent green belt land.
Welsh footballer Hal Robson-Kanu is involved in a row with his local council over the garden fence surrounding his £1.5 million house (pictured) in Ascot, Berkshire
Robson-Kanu (pictured) saved the day for Wales by scoring in last night’s 2018 World Cup Qualifier against Moldova
Robson-Kanu played for Reading from the age of 15 and signed for West Brom in 2016.
He was one of his national side’s goal-scoring heroes during their campaign at the 2016 European championship in France.
The 28-year-old bought his detached home for £1.2 million five years ago, but only realised the fences surrounding the garden were contentious in 2015.
He applied for retrospective planning permission in December that year but was forced to appeal to the Government’s planning inspectorate when he was refused.
In a statement, the council said: ‘The change of use of amenity land to residential curtilage within the green belt results in a detrimental impact on the character of the surrounding area.’
His next door neighbour James Clarke is also battling the local authority over claims his garden fence has ‘stolen’ 150 square metres of the green belt.
The pair will find out once and for all if the fences are lawful at an inquiry at the council officers on September 12.
The winger applied for retrospective planning permission to try to settle the dispute, but the council refused the application in December 2015. He appealed to the Government’s planning inspectorate and an inquiry is set for September 12