English actor and presenter James Corden is at loggerheads with his local council over the beauty of his $22m mansion in London.
Carpool Karaoke’s minds have been hit by an allegedly illegal notice about the problem with his central London buzzing garden, or what’s left of it.
James Corden hosted “The Late Late Show” for eight years. Photo: Provided/Ten
The story is about a 47-year-old comedian adding concrete slabs to his front garden.
According to reports in the Sun, Corden is locked in a row with Camden Council over timber, allegedly placed “illegally” in the front garden of his £11.5m ($21.86m) mansion in North London, which is a conservation area.
Months after receiving noise complaints, Corden was in hot water with neighbors after paving part of his front garden so he could store his wheelie bins.
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Corden’s concrete steps have sparked controversy from neighbors and the local council. Image: Camden Council
Only retrospective planning permission was submitted for the works, which were carried out in a strong conservation area.
Conservation groups and neighbors say the “unsightly” slabs were put down without planning permission and reduce biodiversity in the conservation area, according to the Sun.
Corden said four new trees were planted as compensation, but local residents complained that they were too close together to grow properly, according to reports.
Camden Council said the compensation was insufficient, saying “the proposal fails to demonstrate that it will not have a negative impact on local biodiversity.”
![People and shops on Camden High Street in Camden Town London](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1024 768"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Corden lives in Camden in central London.
According to the Daily Mail, Corden disputed the Council’s threat of an enforcement notice, writing a 26-page letter in which he argued that “there has been no visible change to the appearance of this part of the front garden”.
This actor called it “absurd” to stop this council, saying that it did not properly explain the damage caused by blocking the roads.
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Corden lives at home with wife Julia Carey and their three children. Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
According to UK law, penalties for failing to comply with legal notices regarding conservation areas can reach a fine of up to £20,000 ($38,000) for breaches that do not involve listed properties.
If a conviction is recorded in a magistrate’s court, it can lead to a criminal record.
In other Australian councils, Corden will face fines of up to $3,000 as an unauthorized building on conservation land.
In serious cases, fines for willful land removal can rise to $1m for an individual and $5m for a corporation.
People who ignore Australian heritage building laws can face fines of up to $1m Photo: Jonathan Ng
Corden came to prominence in the late 2000s as the writer and star of the British comedy series Gavin & Stacey.
From 2015 to 2023 he hosted the US talk show The Late Late Show, where his Carpool Karaoke sketches went viral on YouTube.
Corden bought the multi-million dollar property in 2025 and lives there with his wife Julia Carey and three children.
Along with writer Ruth Jones, Corden signed a multi-million dollar deal with Apple TV last year for a Gavin & Stacey sequel, according to The Daily Mail.
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