Vinnie Jones wins planning battle to create guests units at his telly farm despite 5,000 objections
ACTOR Vinnie Jones has won a planning battle at his telly farm despite almost 5,000 objections.
The former footballer, starring in Guy Ritchie’s Netflix hit The Gentlemen, will be allowed to turn redundant buildings into seven guest units.
Campaigners argued he wanted to host shooting parties and raised fears over gunfire, traffic and protected wildlife.
Blackwool Farm in the South Downs National Park, West Sussex, features in the Discovery+ reality show Vinnie Jones in the Country.
Protect the Wild said: “National parks are . . . not for commercialised bloodsports or luxury shooting retreats.”
But Jones’s planning team hit back, accusing opponents of making “false assumptions and inaccuracies”.
Planners sided with Jones, 61, saying: “The application is not for a shooting use, simply visitor accommodation that may or may not include shooting.”
Jones has made no secret of his love of country sports. He plays Geoff Seacombe, the loyal gamekeeper on the sprawling Halstead estate at the centre of the show.
After the recent streaming success, Netflix has already confirmed The Gentlemen will return for a third series.
And Jones could reportedly be joined by Meghan Markle, who has been linked with a possible role in the next series.