Robbie Williams in new row over £17m London home – after feud with neighbour Jimmy Page over mega-basement
ROBBIE Williams has become embroiled in yet another row at his £17m mansion following an on-going feud with long-suffering neighbour Jimmy Page.
This time it's over him wanting to chop down historic trees on his London estate, which is currently having a “mega-basement” being built.
The former Take That star has asked the council permission to fell historic magnolia and cherry trees at his posh mansion, which falls in a strict conservation area.
This is despite the council knocking back an earlier application in the summer to trim a Robinia tree, which was cracking the garden wall and leaning over into Jimmy’s garden, but the council said the tree made no difference to the cracks in the wall.
Now Robbie can cite the example of locals, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton and actor Jason Statham, as they were allowed by the same council to fell a “beautiful” sugarplum tree and cherry tree in April and May respectively.
In Robbie’s application, his tree surgeon states that his magnolia is an “unsuitable position” and should be “fell[ed] to ground level and grind stump”, while the cherry tree is leaning over the footpath and should also be chopped. Four other trees are wanting to be pruned back.
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Now the council's tree inspectors are coming to view the property before making a decision by the end of November.
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy fought unsuccessfully for years against Robbie’s plans for an iceberg basement, which will include an indoor pool, gym and underground passageway to the main Grade II listed house.
Robbie had to include a traffic management plan, which meant that trucks can only stop in a certain place, day and set temporary time by the side of the house, the furthest point from Jimmy.
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The works will last nearly a year - 46 weeks - but the sticking point for Robbie is that his team can use only “hand tools weighing no more than 9kg at any time during the works” 'to minimise the potential for vibration from building works as part of the precautionary approach to safeguarding the adjacent Grade-I listed building”.
Jimmy lives at Tower House, which was built in 1781 by architect William Bruge, and is considered one of most important houses in London.
