Sir Paul McCartney has been told by Westminster City Council to plant a replacement tree after a dispute with a neighbour over plans to remove two sycamores at his London home. The Beatles legend, 83, lodged an application late last year to fell the trees at his £10 million townhouse in St John's Wood, arguing they were 'in decline' and that removal would allow 'more space for an adjacent hornbeam tree to grow into'.
However, neighbour Reinhold Meinen, a conservative activist and investor who bought the adjoining property for £14.4 million in 2024, objected, questioning whether the trees were genuinely diseased. In a submission to the council, Meinen wrote: 'As we spoke on the telephone, I am suspicious if those trees are fatally ill. Please note my objection and keep me up to date.'
McCartney subsequently amended the plans, proposing to cut back one sycamore by 1.5 metres and fell the other. In a report, Tracy Darke, director of town planning and building control at Westminster City Council, approved the works but recommended planting an Acer davidii (Père David's maple) as a replacement. Darke stated: 'The City Council raises no objections to the following works... It would be appreciated if you would consider planting a replacement tree. You may wish to consider Acer davidii.'
Separately, McCartney was forced to chop down a diseased Catalpa (Indian Bean Tree) in his back garden after representatives said 'fungi decay was discovered at its base' and investigations revealed 'selective delignification' in the trunk and suspected root damage. The musician also lodged plans earlier this year for work on a lime, holm oak, birch, hornbeam and another sycamore, which were approved.
The trees are in a conservation area, requiring council permission for any work. This is not the first dispute involving McCartney and tree management; in 2019, he withdrew an application to cut back a birch, hornbeam and two sycamores after the council said it lacked sufficient detail. McCartney bought the three-storey home for £40,000 in 1965 and it served as a base for The Beatles during Abbey Road sessions.
