TV Host's Garden Dispute Escalates to Legal Threats
Television presenter James Corden has become embroiled in his third significant dispute with neighbours in just eight months, with local council authorities now threatening legal action. The central issue revolves around a towering 32ft-high leylandii hedge at his £11.5 million London mansion, which nearby residents claim is severely blocking their light.
Hedge Creates 'Oppressive Wall of Greenery'
The most recent conflict involves neighbours Alison and Simon Parry-Wingfield, whose property sits behind Corden's. They have formally objected to his application for planning permission to reduce three other trees—a robinia, plum, and birch—by one to two metres. The Parry-Wingfields argue this is missing the real problem.
In their objection, they state the massive leylandii hedge has grown into an 'oppressive wall of greenery' that blocks daylight and sunlight from their garden, conservatory, and rear-facing bedrooms all year round. They contend that reducing the other trees would actually diminish a natural 'screening' between the properties, while the problematic hedge remains untouched.
The couple further claim that 'nearly half of the branches' from the trees are overhanging into their garden. They also report that Corden has snubbed personal written requests to address the situation, with the matter being referred directly to his legal representatives.
A History of Planning Disagreements
This is not an isolated incident for the TV host. Just days prior, Corden was denied retrospective planning permission for having 'illegally' paved over the front garden of the same property. The local council demanded he completely remove the 'unsightly' hard landscaping, which was reportedly created to provide more room for his wheelie bins.
Earlier in the year, Corden faced significant local opposition to the construction of a large outbuilding in his garden, which houses a gym, office, 'den', spa, and shower room. The project sparked 17 objections, with the local residents' society branding the structure an 'eyesore' and one neighbour comparing its scale to an 'industrial' building larger than a typical one-bedroom flat.
The construction of this outbuilding is directly linked to the current hedge dispute. The Parry-Wingfields allege that lower branches were removed from the leylandii during its construction, creating a direct view into the new building and compromising their privacy. They state they are unable to plant their own screening hedge because the leylandii canopy prevents sufficient light and rainfall from reaching the ground.
The local council has now issued an ultimatum, threatening legal action if Corden does not return his garden to its former state within a strict two-month deadline.
