Council launches probe into security fencing erected outside Russell Brand’s village pub that was put up without planning permission in wake of sex assault and rape allegations
- South Oxfordshire District Council slammed the comic’s ‘unauthorised fencing’
- Locals claim the barriers were put up around the listed pub on Sunday morning
Russell Brand has been hit with another investigation after sealing off his village pub with security fencing in breach of planning regulations.
South Oxfordshire District Council slammed the under-fire comic’s ‘unauthorised fencing’ after he put up the hessian-coated barriers in front of the Grade II listed pub on Sunday morning.
And they confirmed that a planning enforcement investigation is currently in progress against Brand, 48.
The afternoon before accusations published in The Sunday Times and on Channel 4’s Dispatches saw multiple women accusing him of abusive and predatory behaviour, including rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse, between 2006 and 2013.
He has vehemently denied the allegations – but the BBC, Channel 4 and production firm Banijay have launched investigations into his behaviour, while the Met Police says it is investigating a complaint received at the weekend.
South Oxfordshire District Council slammed the under-fire comic’s ‘unauthorised fencing’ after he put up the hessian-coated barriers in front of the Grade II listed pub on Sunday morning
Locals claim the hessian-coated barriers were put up around the grade-II listed pub this morning, with three security guards outside and as many as six men inside
It comes after accusations published in The Sunday Times and on Channel 4 ‘s Dispatches saw multiple women accusing him of abusive and predatory behaviour, including rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse, between 2006 and 2013
Planning permission is needed if you wish to erect a new fence if it is next to a highway used by vehicles and exceeds one metre in height or if part of the site is within the curtilage of a listed building.
And the council have confirmed that they have not yet received a planning application for the fencing.
A spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Permission is required for the fencing that has been erected at The Crown Inn, Pishill.
‘We have an open planning enforcement investigation which includes the unauthorised fencing.
‘In accordance with our Planning Enforcement Statement, we cannot provide any further information at this stage of our investigation.’
The last time Brand applied for planning permission for the pub was in 2022 – when he appealed to change the use of the garage to a recording studio.
The application – submitted by Pablo Diablo’s Legitimate Business Firm, of which he is sole director – was withdrawn in the November of the same year.
The property consultants who aided Brand with this application have confirmed they are not working on any projects for the Crown Inn.
Brand bought the Crown Inn in Pishill, near to his plush home in Henley-on-Thames, in December 2021 – where it has been temporarily closed ever since. Pictured: Sign in the door of the Crown Inn reading: ‘Pub Temporarily Closed’
The 15th-Century former coaching inn includes a pub garden, outdoor seating area, car park, detached barn, stable building, two-bed cottage and garage
Planning permission is needed if you wish to erect a new fence if it is next to a highway used by vehicles and exceeds one metre in height or if part of the site is within the curtilage of a listed building
The 15th century former coaching inn includes a pub garden, outdoor seating area, car park, detached barn, stable building, two-bed cottage and garage.
READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Russell Brand’s friends DEFEND him in the wake of ‘shocking’ rape allegations – and insist wife Laura WILL stand by him
The application stated that the pub would remain temporarily closed ‘whilst plans to refurbish the building and formulate the nature of the new establishment are put in place.
‘The intention is to re-open the public house in due course.’
While waiting for it to be re-opened they added that the pub would be: ‘occupied in part by staff working on a freelance basis for the applicant.’
They added: ‘The applicant is under extreme time pressure to start work due to the scheduled launch of a new show on 25th September that will be recorded in the proposed studio.’
Brand launched his daily show Stay Free with Russell Brand on September 28, 2022 – just three days after it was said the recording studio would be needed by.
Brand’s pub came under fire shortly after he bought it as rumours spread that he planned to turn it into a vegan diner.
The teetotal comic angered locals – although these claims were refuted by the council.
The last time Brand applied for planning permission for the pub was in 2022 – when he appealed to change the use of the garage to a recording studio
Brand’s pub came under fire shortly after he bought it as rumours spread that he planned to turn it into a vegan diner
‘We’ve heard he’s planning to turn the pub into a vegan restaurant. Why would anybody want that?’ one local told The Sun.
‘He clearly never had any intention of using the pub as a pub.
‘He doesn’t even drink alcohol. Why buy a pub if you don’t like drink?’
It comes as the Metropolitan Police has said it will speak to the media outlets following their investigation, but added that at this time the force has ‘not received any reports in relation’ to the allegations of sexual assault detailed in the article or documentary.
Banijay UK, which produced Big Brother’s EForum and Big Brother’s Big Mouth in the early 2000s, revealed it had also ‘launched an urgent investigation’ into the alleged behaviour of the 48-year-old comedian who hosted the programmes between 2004 and 2006.
Former staff members who worked on the shows have claimed that Brand got them to ‘act like pimps’ by getting the numbers of women in the audience and passing notes to them from the presenter.
Russell Brand’s comments in full:
Hello there you awakening wonders. Now this is not the usual type of video we make on this channel where we critique, attack and undermine the news in all its corruption because in this story I am the news.
I have received two extremely disturbing letters – or a letter and an email – one from a mainstream media TV company, one from a newspaper listing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, as well as some pretty stupid stuff, like my community festival should be stopped and I shouldn’t be able to attack mainstream media narratives on this channel.
But amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute. These allegations pertain to a time when I was in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies, and as I’ve written about extensively in my books I was very, very promiscuous.
During that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well.
And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question is there another agenda at play.
Particularly when we have seen coordinated media attacks before, like Joe Rogan where he dared to take a medicine the mainstream media didn’t approve of and we saw a spate of headlines of media outlets around the world using the same language.
I am aware that you guys in the comments have been for a while saying ‘watch out Russell, they’re coming for you,’ ‘you are getting too close to the truth’, ‘Russell Brand did not kill himself’.’
I know a year ago there was a spate of articles: Russell Brand is a conspiracy theorists; Russell Brand is right wing.
I am aware of newspapers making phone calls, sending letters to people I know. For ages and ages, it’s been clear to me or at least feels to be there’s a serious and consorted agenda to control these kinds of spaces and these kind of voices.
I need my voice along with your voice. I don’t mind them using my books and my stand up to talk about my promiscuous sexual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very, very serious, criminal allegations.
Also its worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently in what seems to be to me a coordinated attack.
Now, I don’t want to get into this any further because of the serious nature of the allegations but I feel like I’m being attacked and plainly they are working very closely together.
We are obviously going to look into this matter because it is very, very serious.
In the meantime, I want you to stay close, stay awake but more importantly than any of that, if you can stay free.
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