BRIGHTON & Hove Albion star Lewis Dunk has been shown the red card by neighbours over plans to chop down a tree outside his home – so he can park his cars more easily.
The Seagulls captain, 34, already has one pavement crossover and parking for up to FOUR cars on his driveway including a £50,000 Land Rover Defender.
But he kicked off a row with locals after applying for a second dropped kerb outside his £2.3million seaside pad in a posh tree-lined road in East Sussex.
Almost 30 residents objected to the proposed tree felling, calling it “wholly unforgivable” and “environmental vandalism” with one accusing the footballer of ‘unnecessary and violent disregard’ for his neighbours.
He also wanted to knock down part of his front wall to make way for the crossover – at the expense of two on-street parking spaces.
In a letter to the local council, one objector wrote: “The trees are beautiful, healthy and add much to the environment of the lovely tree-lined road.
“It is still one of the most beautiful roads in Hove and cutting them down to make way for car parking access is bad planning.
“Possession of large sums of money should not dictate making changes that impact on others detrimentally.”
Another wrote: “The proposed removal of part of the wall and the tree destroys the architectural harmony of the street furniture. The street has already lost trees through disease.
“There is no reason to damage further the harmony of the road through unnecessary and violent disregard for the fabric of the street. The [applicants] need to appreciate what exists in the road and not try to change it.”
Dunk’s four-bedroom double-fronted pad lies in a designated conservation area and just a stone’s throw from the seafront where fed-up homeowners face a waiting list for parking permits.
He splashed out on it last year and was given the go-ahead by planners for ground and first floor extensions, new dormers and rooflights.
The property boasts period features including ornate cornicing and has three reception rooms.
Another objector said: “It would establish an undesirable precedent whereby healthy trees could progressively be sacrificed to facilitate wider private driveways.
“This proposal would remove two valuable on-street parking spaces in a street where parking is already under significant pressure and with care homes, flats and houses of multiple occupation generating additional demand.
“The loss of these public spaces provides no corresponding public benefit and would adversely affect residents, visitors, carers and essential local services.
“It is particularly unreasonable where the property already has adequate off-street parking.”
Another added: “Parking is already a nightmare on the street and if we lose two spaces this will be even worse.”
Dunk has now withdrawn his application after highways bosses slated the “unjustified” and “unacceptable” plans.
The local council’s parking policy states that no on-street parking spaces can be removed for dropped kerbs “due to the nature of these vehicle-dense zones, permit waiting lists and near-capacity permit uptake”.
Transport bosses said: “The local highway authority notes that the site is already served by an existing vehicular access and that the applicant has created parking provision for up to four vehicles within the site.”
