NEIGHBOUR ROW ERUPTS: Jɑmes Corden in Fresh Fight Over ‘Illegɑl’ Chɑnges Outside £11.5m Mɑnsion
The comedian is butting heads with Camden Council over the front of his £11.5million mansion in Belsize Park, Hampstead, which he bought in 2024 after quitting the USA.
Since then, the Gavin and Stacey creator has repeatedly clashed with neighbours over his ambitions for the four-storey property.
After successfully overriding objections to his plan for a spa and gym complex in his back garden, Mr Corden paved over the gravel at the front of his house to create a new bin storage area sometime last year.
Shrubs were torn out and about 18 square metres of his front drive has been repaved with concrete slabs to ‘increase the area… for storage of bins’.
But he did so without getting permission first – a must in the protected conservation area of Belsize Park – and wiped out seven square metres of flowerbed.
His subsequent retrospective application was refused in November: Planning officers told him to rip up the slabs by the start of January or face formal enforcement action.
But the Daily Mail can reveal Mr Corden is standing his freshly re-paved ground, lodging an appeal in a bid to keep his bin storage area intact.
James Corden has lodged an appeal with his local council in a bid to keep a paved bin storage area outside his house in north London
Concrete paving stones (pictured) were placed on top of the existing gravel without seeking council permission first
Local residents objected, claiming that the reduction in the flowerbed (pictured) was harmful to the local area
Whether he will succeed remains to be seen: planning officers were firm that existing policy effectively banned paving over front gardens and said the changes had ‘no public benefits’.
Mr Corden’s house – home to the star, wife Julia Carey and their children – is well-known in the area, and regarded by locals as a standout property on the street.
But they say its ‘positive contribution’ to Belsize Park, however, has being outweighed by the detrimental works carried out in the front garden last year.
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Documents submitted to the council on behalf of the former Late Late Show presenter claimed the changes were being made to ‘repair existing paving slabs’ and to create more space for his wheelie bins.
Agents acting for Mr Corden sought to stave off concerns about the loss of the flowerbed by planting four new trees – but several of the six objectors claimed they would be unlikely to thrive in the area of soil left over.
The Belsize Society, which seeks to protect the leafy ambiance of the upmarket north London neighbourhood, said: ‘The removal of natural habitat reduces biodiversity… and the use of mass-produced industrial materials is inappropriate.’
And councillor Tom Simon, leader of the local Liberal Democrat group, thundered in his own objection: ‘There is no valid justification for the loss of green space in this instance.’
Another local lamented that, if approved retrospectively, Mr Corden’s works ‘would set a terrible precedent’.
Camden Council ultimately deemed the works ‘unacceptable’ and harmful to the local area – ordering the Lesbian Vampire Killers actor to rip them up.
That order, along with the threat of formal enforcement, has been paused while the appeal is heard. There is no timeline for how long it may take to be considered.
A spokesperson for Camden Council confirmed to the Daily Mail that the appeal had been received. Representatives for Mr Corden have been contacted for comment.
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James Corden lives in the upmarket Belsize Park area of north London (pictured: the local high street)
This is not the first time locals in Belsize Park have been rankled by their new neighbour as he makes himself at home.
Last year, Mr Corden’s plans to build a garden outhouse containing a gym, spa and a den in his back garden were met with 18 objections.
Locals were concerned by existing noisy music and drumming coming from the house. One even commissioned their own arboricultural expert to consider the impact the outbuilding could have on neighbouring trees.
The council ultimately issued Mr Corden with a certificate of lawful development – a formal confirmation that he could build it without needing council permission.
Mr Corden has also constructed a new balcony, spiral staircase and privacy screen at the back of the house, where he has also been given permission to cut back trees.
But neighbours Alison and Simon Parry-Wingfield, who live at the back of his property, complained at the end of last year about the 32ft-tall leylandii hedge at the back of his garden – which did not form part of his topiary maintenance plan.
They said of the Cordens: ‘Despite our efforts, including written requests this summer, the owners have declined to engage directly and have referred us to their legal representatives.’
