James Corden is reportedly facing his third dispute with neighbours in eight months over a 32ft-high leylandii hedge, which residents say is blocking light to their property.
The row adds to ongoing headaches for the comedian and TV presenter, whose local council previously threatened legal action if he did not restore his garden to its original state within two months.
Corden, 47, purchased a four-storey house in Belsize Park, near Hampstead, last year and lives there with his wife, Julia Carey, and their three children, Max, Carey, and Charlotte.
He has previously drawn criticism for paving over his front garden to create space for “wheelie bins” and removing a large planting bed in the conservation area, angering local residents and councillors.
The latest dispute involves neighbours who live at the rear of Corden’s property.
According to the Daily Mail, Corden has applied for planning permission to reduce three trees — a robinia, plum, and birch — by one to two metres and sit in a strict conservation area.
But one couple say the real issue is the leylandii hedge, which they claim has grown so tall it now overhangs their garden, creating an “oppressive wall of greenery that blocks daylight and sunlight from our garden, conservatory and rear-facing bedrooms throughout the year.”
An objecting couple argue that reducing the other trees will not solve the problem, as the hedge remains the main obstruction.
But they claim Mr Corden has ignored personal written requests to help resolve the matter, with their objection stating that “the owners have declined to engage directly and have referred us to their legal representatives.”
They added: “Their lawyers have indicated a willingness to reduce the hedge height but have provided no commitment regarding the extent or timing of such action.”
It comes just days after Mr Corden was refused retrospective planning permission to pave his front garden, with the council describing it as “unsightly” and “detrimental” to the upscale London neighbourhood.
Earlier this year, Mr Corden won a planning battle to build an extension following complaints from neighbours about drum noise, having moved back to the UK last year.
He returned to the UK following an eight-year stint in the US where he presented The Late Late Show.
A representative for James Corden has been contacted by The Standard for comment.
