Erm... okay.
Heather Mills tries to keep 1 million pound pool by saying fire brigade can use itHeather Mills has launched a bid to keep her 1 million pound swimming pool, which she built without planning permission, by saying the fire brigade can use it to put out blazes in her village. By Nick Allen
Last Updated: 9:01PM GMT 03 Nov 2008
The TelegraphHeather Mills has launched a desperate bid to keep her 1 million swimming pool, which she built without planning permission, by saying the fire brigade can use it to put out blazes in her village.
Sir Paul McCartney's ex-wife, 40, built the pool at her country home in Robertsbridge, East Sussex, without first getting the necessary permission from the local planning authority.
Officials from Rother District Council spotted it when they visited her house to make sure she had taken down a marquee that she had put up, also without planning permission, earlier this year. They could now force Miss Mills to fill in the 40ft by 22ft pool.
But the resourceful Miss Mills has come up with a reason to keep the pool - she says it could be used to help douse house fires in the area.
Her agent David Bailey said: "In an emergency it could be used by the fire brigade."
Miss Mills, who was awarded 24.3 million in her divorce from the ex- Beatle in March, is applying for retrospective planning permission for the pool.
She also proposes to build a three metre high wooden plant room to house the pool equipment.
She is believed to have spent 1 million on renovations at her 3 million country home since her divorce.
Mr Bailey said: "It is a large residence set in its own grounds of mainly trees surrounding its formal garden. The green houses which once served the house have through neglect fallen into disrepair.
"A place was required to accommodate a swimming pool. Other locations within the grounds were considered but from a safety view this position was chosen."
The planning authority will meet later this month to decide whether Miss Mills can keep her swimming pool or not.
Miss Mills, who represented herself during the divorce proceedings, claims her ex-husband was worth much more than the 400 million figure used in their divorce battle. The couple married in 2002 and had one daughter.
