Sussex-based YouTubers Zoella and Alfie Deyes get approval for Hassocks donkey sanctuary

The couple have a combined following of more than 23 million fans and have been in the limelight across social media since 2009.

Alfie had applied to Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) via Just Plans Ltd in May to create the donkey sanctuary on the 2.05 hectare site.

The application form said the proposed works include: a tractor parking area, a donkey enclosure, a donkey stable, three shepherd huts and a wildlife pond.

The planning statement said: “It is considered that the proposal represents a sensitive and proportionate use of agricultural land for the private keeping of livestock. It provides essential welfare facilities for two donkeys while maintaining the rural character of the Hurstpierpoint area.”

MSDC approved the application in a planning meeting on Friday, August 7, under several conditions, including: that development begins within three years of the permission, and that external materials and colour finishes for the walls and roof of the stable are agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority before it is built.

The decision notice also said the stables, donkey field, wildlife pond, land and all the structures on it should not be used for commercial purposes.

One of the conditions said no development or preliminary groundworks should take place until ‘a programme of archaeological monitoring has been secured in accordance with a Written Scheme of Investigation, which has been submitted by the applicant, for approval by the Local Planning Authority’. This came after MSDC found the proposed development lies in an area with the potential for significant archaeological remains, primarily those of Roman heritage dating back to historic Roman roads.

Some residents objected to the plan due to concerns about the development’s potential impact on views and highway safety, with one objection calling the plan an ‘inappropriate development in the countryside and local gap’.

But other nearby residents sent in letters of support, with one saying: "I believe the proposed plans are a positive, sustainable use of the land that respects the existing agricultural character of the area.”

Another said the ‘gap’ between Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint should be protected from more residential development and said: "This application is contributing greatly to achieving that.”

Zoe, 36, and Alfie, 32, got engaged in 2023. The pair are widely successful, having launched an array of books, clothing lines, brands and partnerships throughout their career. Their most recent was ‘Dear Sunday’, a comfort-focused clothing, goods, and lifestyle item brand, which launched in November 2025.

However, since the start of 2026, the couple have lacked online presence and the ‘girl online’ turned offline, leaving many fans wondering what is happening in their lives.

So their viewers were shocked to find out that the pair placed an application in May this year to build a donkey sanctuary.

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