Jools Holland's wait for Cooling Castle wall permission

The 14th Century Cooling Castle is a scheduled ancient monument

Musician and TV presenter Jools Holland has had to apply for retrospective planning permission for a wall built in the grounds of a scheduled ancient monument.

The 55-year-old had the castle-style wall built around his swimming pool in the grounds of Cooling Castle, Kent.

Mr Holland lives in the 18th Century manor house next the castle in the village of Cooling near Rochester.

A decision by Medway Council is expected to be made by 9 September.

The application is a "retrospective application for extension to existing garden wall together with raised beds".

A heritage statement included in the application said that while the castle ruin is a scheduled monument, the manor house is not listed.

It reads: "The wall and planters that have been built are directly to the north of the house in an area of garden adjoining the walled swimming pool courtyard where it has little impact on the setting of the scheduled ancient monument.

"Trial holes were dug that confirm that there is no significant archaeology below this garden area."

A design statement submitted as part of the planning application said the new structures could only be seen from the house and not from the wider landscape due to the "existing mature foliage that surrounds the castle".

A Medway Council spokesman said: "The works that were carried out were undertaken by the owner on the assumption that planning permission was not required.

"He was subsequently advised that this was not correct and submitted a planning application."