Bob Geldof might not like Mondays – but he’s a big fan of Monets.
The Boomtown Rats singer has been granted permission to build a huge wildlife pond at his Kent home based on the impressionist artist’s series of Water Lilies paintings.
Planning officers approved the feature at Davington Priory (12th century) in Faversham (Kent) last week.
Sir Bob, pictured here, is now free to continue with the pond that measures 8ft in depth, following a Covid-delayed process of 15 months.
After two trenches in which deposits of medieval materials and building materials were discovered, he will need to appoint archaeologists as his monitors.
A planning document listed Claude Monet’s water lily pond at Giverny in France as a ‘design inspiration’.
Planning documents submitted to Swale Borough Council show the water lily pond at Claude Monet’s home in Giverny, northern France – which the artist captured more than 250 times on canvas – was the ‘design inspiration’.
Sir Bob’s homage to the scene will be set between a walnut and chestnut tree in a paddock formerly used for grazing sheep 120ft from his Grade II listed house, which was built in 1153.
The pond will be filled with plants including yellow flag iris, purple loosestrife, meadowsweet and ‘Charles de Meurville’ water lilies and will be home to frogs, insects, birds and other wildlife.
Sir Bob’s (pictured) homage to the scene will be set between a walnut and chestnut tree in a paddock
Last week, Faversham planning officers approved the 130ft x 65ft feature at 12th Century Davington Priory in Faversham (Kent).
It will be used to support the One Million Ponds Project, which seeks to increase freshwater wildlife habitats throughout the country.
Live Aid founder Jeanne Marine, 70, is married to Davington Priory. She has lived there since the 1980s.
His spokesman said: ‘I’m afraid he won’t comment on this kind of thing.’