Planning row erupts as Spice Girls' Geri Horner is accused of disrupting Northamptonshire villagers' phone signals by building new stables

Former Spice Girl Geri Horner has been accused of disrupting phone signals in her Northamptonshire village — with a barn she built to house 14 horses.

The pop star has knocked out mobile reception by building the “hideous” barn at her country estate near Brackley, according to her angry neighbours. Other objections included claims public footpaths were re-routed public and accusations the horses are “a menace” to the public.

Villagers from Marston St Lawrence also blamed West Northamptonshire Council for "caving in" to the rich for allowing the scheme to go ahead and ignoring the strength of feeling . Despite the objections, Ginger Spice Geri, 50, and her husband, F1 boss Christian Horner have now been granted part-retrospective planning permission for the scheme, that was already underway in the rural home.

One letter of objection said: “The barn has affected mobile phone signals in the village without a doubt. The barn is hideous, totally destroys the landscape and views. Excess floodlights all night long causing light trespass to all neighbours.

“What is it with this council? Do they cave into the rich because they don’t have money to fight them in court?”

“Many people in the village not happy at all laws being allowed to be flouted. They have even re-routed public footpaths and installed their own style gates, how on earth is being allowed? Their horses are also a menace on the footpaths to the public.”

Another neighbour added: “The barn affects mobile signals in the village, is a hideous blight on the landscape and does not conform.

“If this build is retrospective, why is it still being built? There is now a huge glass construction being built — don't the council care of the favouritism being shown to the wealthy here? Unacceptable. This is a breach of fairness to all. Favouritism is being shown here."

Other said the proposal should be refused due to the strength of local opposition.

Planning documents say the old barn is being “replaced with a new barn of the same form and scale with stone plinth walls, timber cladding (cedar) and a corrugated metal roof.”

Ms Horner, who married the boss of the Red Bull F1 team in 2015, has often showcased on social media the many animals on the country estate including donkeys and chickens. Her current image is a far cry from her 90s persona when the Spice Girls were at the height of her fame as she wore short Union Jack dress.

A keen horsewoman she celebrated her first winner as an owner, with a horse named after her hit solo single Lift Me Up, in May.

The council said permission was granted on the condition it was used for “private equestrian and land management uses only” and “no commercial use, including riding lessons, tuition, livery or competitions shall take place at any time.” Restrictions around external lighting was also imposed.

The council officer said: “West Northamptonshire Council always seeks to look for solutions rather than problems so that applications for sustainable development can be approved, thereby resulting in improvements to the economic, social and environmental conditions of the area.”