Geldof and neighbour in row over garden gate

Bob Geldof has become embroiled in a row with a neighbour — over a garden gate.

The Boomtown Rats singer has refused permission for neighbour Deborah Reynolds to reinstate an old opening in the wall of his country estate in Kent.

She has claimed it will give her better access to the garden of her listed, end-of-terrace house, which stands next to Geldof’s land.

The singer has claimed that putting a gate in his wall poses a security risk.

In his letter of objection, the 61-year-old Geldof wrote: “The application is made with a view to opening a gate in the wall which encloses the Davington Priory grounds. This is in fact the boundary wall to my house and gardens. The Priory grounds abut directly hard up against Cottage Number 8. I oppose this application because permission will not be given to the applicant to undertake these changes to my property.

“In addition, I will not allow any right-of-way over my land between the gateway and the rear garden of 8 Davington Hill. Therefore the application is a specious waste of resources of the district authority and others. To open a gate in the boundary wall of my property will be a tangible security risk to it. During the three decades I have occupied the house it was only by reluctantly creating a fenced boundary onto Dark Hill and by growing hedges that I have been able to stop repeated encroachments onto my grounds.”

Ms Reynolds, 43, replied, stating: “The land is not shared — it is my land.”

She claimed the gate existed before it was bricked over in the 1930s. Her cottage was once part of the Davington Priory estate, where Geldof has lived for 30 years.

Local Jacqueline Hitchcock, 86, is backing Geldof. She said: “In the past people have jumped over the wall into Bob’s grounds. If there is a gate directly onto his land then there certainly would be a security risk for him. There is no need to put the gate in, I cannot understand why there is a problem with access to the cottage.”

A decision in the case will be made on Aug 22.