James Corden Faces Neighbour Backlash Over Retrospective Paving in London Conservation Area

James Corden has angered his neighbours by paving over part of the front garden at his £11.5 million north London mansion to create more space for storing wheelie bins. The work involved removing an 11 square meter planting bed in a strict conservation area, replacing it with impermeable concrete slabs repurposed from his back garden, and planting four new trees, although local residents' associations argue the trees are too close together to survive. Neighbours and conservation groups criticized the project for reducing green space and biodiversity, with concerns that the new paving and loss of natural habitat negatively impact wildlife and the area's character. Corden submitted a retrospective planning application describing the work as "minor landscaping" to repair existing paving slabs, but residents dispute that there were any existing slabs before, noting the surface appeared gravel-covered. Local councillors and residents have called for the application to be resisted, emphasizing the environmental impact and questioning the necessity of expanding bin storage space for a single-family home. Overall, the controversy highlights tensions between private property modifications and conservation priorities in the neighborhood.