Rod Stewart given go ahead to build a football pitch at his Essex mansion.

Rod Stewart has been granted permission to build a football pitch at his new £5million mansion, despite the aging rock star's knee injuries stopping him from playing.

Soccer-mad Stewart, 71, wants to build a 3G artificial turf five-a-side pitch at his new home, Durrington House in Harlow, Essex.

The Celtic fan, who has played football throughout his life, was forced to give up the beautiful game in 2014 because of his knees, but still enjoys the odd light kickabout with his youngest sons Alastair, 10, and Aiden, four.

Stewart bought the palatial 10-bedroom 18th century house on the edge of Epping Forest for £4.65million in 2013 but the singer is only now set to move in.

Epping Forest District Council have now approved the five-a-side pitch on the site, which will have a car park with 20 spaces next to it and will be surrounded by fencing and trees.

He had originally wanted to put up floodlights at the 164ft by 101ft pitch to allow matches to take place at night but officials rejected that proposal, saying the lights were not appropriate next to the historic Grade II listed property.

They also ruled that evening matches could be a noise nuisance for Stewart's neighbours.

'The artificial surface is an incongruous addition within the grounds of a mid-18th century house, however, the existing screening provided and hedging trees and the proposal to supplement these with additional native species will minimise views of the pitch and diminish the harm caused to the settings of the buildings,' council officers said in their report.

'There would inevitably be some level of noise emanating from the use of the pitch especially if two teams were to play with family and friends spectating.

'However, without the floodlighting it wouldn't be able to be used late into the evening for much of the year and any noise nuisance can be dealt with under separate environmental health legislation.

'There are no objections in principle. A larger proposal was approved at the previous property that the applicant owned and the difference between the artificial turf and natural grass is not considered unacceptable.'

The football pitch is part of an extensive programme of planned renovations at Durrington House, which also boasts a rose garden, croquet lawn, ornamental pond and guest cottages.

Permission has already been granted for new entrance gates, doors, windows and a breakfast wing at the property.

Stewart already has a full-sized football pitch in the back garden of his current home, Wood House, just a few miles from his new pad.

The Celtic squad once trained at his home when Stewart's pal Gordon Strachan was the manager at Parkhead.

Speaking recently about having to give up playing his favourite sport, Stewart said: 'Towards the end I could only play 35 minutes a game, because I've had knee operations, and it was painful.

'So if I had to do a concert in the evening, in Las Vegas, I'd literally limp onto the stage. Couldn't get out of the dressing room. So, the football had to go. It's been a good innings though.

'Aw man, I miss it so much. The preparation; a good night's sleep on Saturday nights before kick-off Sunday mornings. Getting my kit all ready.'

Stewart, who also has a home in Los Angeles, has a song on his new album Another Country dedicated to his love of the beautiful game, and the Track, We Can Win, features chants from Celtic supporters group The Green Brigade.