Zoe Sugg and Alfie Deyes, the YouTube power couple known for their daily vlogs and massive online following, have been largely absent from social media for months. Now, it has emerged that the couple is at the center of a local planning dispute over a proposed donkey sanctuary at their £1.7 million home in West Sussex.
Planning Application Details
According to local planning documents, Alfie Deyes, 32, has submitted an application to the parish council for a five-acre plot of land just north of their home. The plans include a tractor parking area, a donkey enclosure and stable, a wildlife pond, and three shepherd huts. The application has angered some residents who cite safety hazards from a new access point onto a private lane and potential damage to mature trees from heavy vehicles.
Alfie's planning agent has clarified that the shepherd huts are not for residential or Airbnb use. Instead, they will store beekeeping equipment, land maintenance tools, and donkey feed, and serve as a daytime rest room by the wildlife pond.
Social Media Silence
Zoe, 36, who has been absent from her platforms for nearly six months, shared her final post during the festive period after her usual Vlogmas. Alfie, who typically posts daily vlogs, last appeared online in April. The couple's disappearance from social media has puzzled fans, but the sanctuary project offers a possible explanation.
Despite the controversy, the project has received support from other neighbors who see it as a sustainable return to the land's agricultural roots and an ecological asset.
Metro has contacted representatives for Zoe and Alfie for comment.
