Zoella and Alfie Deyes face donkey sanctuary planning issues

male and female stood in party with balloons behind them — (Image credit: David M. Benett/Getty Images)

Plans for a donkey sanctuary, submitted by Zoella and Alfie Deyes, may not be able to go ahead due to a nearby Anglo Saxon burial ground and Roman road.

The YouTube couple, who have more than 22 million subscribers to their lifestyle channels, live in a £1,700,000 house in Hassocks, West Sussex, with their two children Ottie, four, and Novie, two.

After a five-month absence from social media by 36-year-old Zoella Sugg earlier this year, planning permission was submitted in May for a donkey sanctuary.

What is in the planning documents?

An aerial view of Hassocks in West Sussex — *The couple live in a £1,700,000 house in Hassocks, West Sussex* (Image credit: Google Map)

Planning documents submitted to Mid Sussex District Council show the couple want to install a 2,985 sqm donkey enclosure, with a 1.2m high chestnut fencing including wire mesh and rails.

Plans also include a wildlife pond to the north-east corner of the five-acre parcel of land, and one donkey stable with tack room and a concrete cleaning area.

Three separate traditional shepherd huts are also proposed for the site, reportedly to house bee-keeping equipment, donkey feed and as a daytime rest area, rather than being used as accommodation or holiday rentals.

A tractor parking area is also in the plans, with weed membrane and type 1 aggregate to stop mud tracking onto the nearby road.

Comments from neighbours are mixed, with some praising the "community-focused plans" and "positive ecological impact", while others raised concerns about disruption during construction. Another said they were worried about "donkey traffic" on roads.

Where have Roman and Anglo Saxon ruins been found?

An Anglo Saxon Burial Ground in Suffolk — *An Anglo Saxon burial site, similar to this one in Suffolk, was discovered near the YouTubers land* (Image credit: Getty Images)

Archeological monitoring and recording has been recommended due to the land being near the sites of multiple Roman Roads running through Mid Sussex.

Some of the Roman roads have been excavated nearby, with the trajectory appearing to continue through the land owned by the YouTubers. Roman buildings have also been found to the south, along with a cemetery with Bronze Age artefacts and an Anglo Saxon burial site.

"Given the proposed development’s proximity to the sites detailed above, there is a likelihood that significant archaeological remains may survive on the site and be negatively impacted by the groundworks associated with the proposals," Mark Baister, a historic environment consultant, stated.

"Accordingly, I recommend a programme of archaeological monitoring and recording is carried out on the groundworks associated with the proposals, to record any archaeological remains impacted."

He further recommended that no work should go ahead on the donkey sanctuary until the conclusion of the monitoring.

What does this mean for their plans?

While potentially needing to undergo archeological monitoring might be a setback for the couple's donkey sanctuary, the proposals are still in the consultation stage.

What it does mean is that a decision on whether the donkey sanctuary can go ahead is likely to be delayed until further investigations are complete.

Amy spent over a decade in London editing and writing for The Daily Telegraph, MailOnline, and Metro.co.uk before moving to East Anglia where she began renovating a period property in rural Suffolk. During this time she also did some TV work at ITV Anglia and CBS as well as freelancing for Yahoo, AOL, ESPN and The Mirror. When the pandemic hit she switched to full-time building work on her renovation and spent nearly two years focusing solely on that. She's taken a hands-on DIY approach to the project, knocking down walls, restoring oak beams and laying slabs with the help of family members to save costs. She has largely focused on using natural materials, such as limestone, oak and sisal carpet, to put character back into the property that was largely removed during the eighties. The project has extended into the garden too, with the cottage's exterior completely re-landscaped with a digger and a new driveway added. She has dealt with de-listing a property as well as handling land disputes and conveyancing administration.