In 2024, James Corden and his wife, Julia Carey, purchased a brand new home in London, following their full-time return to the UK the year before. After the Gavin and Stacey star spent £11.5 million on a fancy townhouse in the coveted North London area of Belsize Park, Hampstead, they've been causing their fair share of upset with the neighbours, who have made various complaints to the authorities since the couple have moved in, including one notable noise-related rows. However, their recent change to the property might just have sparked the most outrage to date.
James and Julia have been accused by their neighbours over "illegally" paving over their front garden to allow for more room to "park his wheelie bins", according to a report in Daily Mail. It states that the comedian destroyed a large planting bed in order to do so, despite only seeking planning permission to make "minor landscaping works to the front garden to repair existing paving slabs" after having carried out the work.
© Getty Images for BFCThe comedian claimed that the aim of the project was to "increase the area of hard surface for storage of bins", but one neighbour told the publication that there had been no paving stones at the front of the house, as gravel had been used for the pavement. Another told the newspaper: "Is there a pressing requirement for an enlarged site for waste bins given this is a single family dwelling?"
As a result of the works, a planting bed measuring 11 square metres has been lost, prompting James to plan four new trees and some plants in its place – however, the residents' association has complained that they have little to no chance of surviving as they have been planted too close together.
Councillor Tom Simon, the council's leader of the opposition, responded to the controversy, told the publication: "There is no valid justification for the loss of green space in this instance, so the application should be resisted."
James Corden's controversies at £11.5 million mansion
Earlier this year, James and Julia caused some complaints from neighbours for two reasons: the noise coming from their household, and the size of their proposed extensions, which caused even more of an uproar from neighbours when they were permitted to move forward with the plans, according to The Sun.
© Scott Kirkland/ShutterstockIt's thought that the extension will serve as a separate area to the main house, including a gym, a work den and an at-home spa for the family. The publication also states that the former talk show host's team of architects put forward a proposal for a Lawful Development Certificate, meaning that if they stick to regulations regarding size and use they do not have to seek official planning permission, which is often a lengthy process.
