Robbie Williams has hit another stumbling block in his attempts to build an underground swimming pool and gym at his £17.5million London home.
The 48-year-old singer has been hoping for six years to start work on a fitness suite at his sprawling mansion in posh Holland Park, but his neighbor, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, 79, is opposed to the plans.
The plans were initially approved by Kensington and Chelsea Council, but the former Take That star has since been told he must apply to have the deeds of his ownership legally changed in order for construction work to proceed.
According to The Sun, rocker Jimmy claims the vibrations from the works could damage the old paintings and frescoes at his listed property, where he has lived since 1972.
Robbie also previously applied for a trellis fence the size of a two-story building to be built around his home to hide it from fans’ view, but he withdrew his planning application after receiving an anonymous letter from a member of the public who appeared to support him to mock.
New blow: Robbie Williams, 48, has hit another stumbling block in his attempts to build an underground swimming pool and gym at his £17.5million London home (pictured in November)
It read: “I wholeheartedly support Robbie Williams having a fence around his house.
“An Englishman’s home is his castle, and he should be accorded his right. The general public might benefit if the fence was higher and soundproofed!’
Web has reached out to representatives from Robbie and Jimmy for comment.
In November, Robbie risked renewed tensions with his rock star neighbor Jimmy after he decided to cut down trees near their shared fence.
Several trees line the border between pop star Robbie and Jimmy, who formed his band Led Zeppelin.
Robbie planned to completely fell a severely tilted magnolia tree that was said to be in an awkward position and grind the stump to completely remove all traces of it.
He was also about to cut down a cherry tree that was leaning over a footpath when it was felled to ground level.
Robbie hoped to thin out a laurel tree in his front yard by 20 percent to allow light in, and cut back neighboring trees by up to five feet.
Speaking up: Robbie’s neighbor, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, 79, has opposed the plans, which were first tabled six years ago (pictured 2021)
A horse chestnut should also be thinned – with an overly long branch pruned back five meters and the rest of the canopy subjected to a 15% thinning while removing dead and defective wood.
Robbie also wanted to further thin a Chinese ash tree by up to 20 percent as he struggled to allow light to penetrate and maintain the tree’s shape.
A loquat, an evergreen shrub valued for its orange fruit, would also have been pruned back by up to 1.5 metres.
The Candy singer’s garden features old limestone paving overlooked by a bay window.
A circular walkway in the corner of the property is made of magma granite, matching the boundaries of the gravel walkways that circle his house and lie at the back of the property.
Mansion: Robbie, who owns real estate around the world, has lived in his 47-room home after buying it from the family of the late director and restaurant critic Michael Winner in 2013
Other sections are lined with cedagravel mats, while cut Yorkshire cobblestone steps lead to the front of the garden.
The Led Zeppelin guitarist was allowed to prune trees on his luxury pad last June – just a month after Robbie was denied permission to fell one.
Jimmy submitted plans on April 21 to remodel a laurel tree in front of his landmark block.
It was approved a month later when the council described the work as “routine maintenance”.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea said: “The Council has no objection to the proposed works.”
Expansive: Jimmy’s mansion, called The Tower House, was previously owned by poet John Betjeman and Dumbledore actor Richard Harris
Just two weeks before Jimmy submitted his application, Robbie was denied planning permission to fell a 70-foot black locust tree in his backyard.
And that’s despite the sprawling monster destroying its garden wall, obscuring a street lamp and rotting at the base.
But officials working with delegated powers dismissed his request, claiming Robbie failed to provide evidence of the extent of the forfeiture.
They even suggested Robbie rebuild and move his cracked boundary wall to allow the tree to continue growing.
Amanda Reid, the Council’s Director of Planning and Place, ruled, “If there is rot at the base of the tree, that level of rot must be quantified before removal of that TPO tree can be considered with any high level of convenience.
Fame game: Robbie rose to fame in 1991 with boy band Take That (pictured in 1992, clockwise from top left: Jason Orange, Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams)
“If the tree tears the wall, clipping the tree to a height of 1 meter will not fix this issue as the tree will regenerate.
“Also, the wall could likely be rebuilt to allow for future growth of the tree without further damage.”
Jimmy’s mansion was previously owned by poet John Betjeman and Dumbledore actor Richard Harris.
He outbid David Bowie to buy it in 1972, aged just 28.
The Tower House was designed by ‘art architect’ William Burges as his home between 1875 and 1881 – and the rooms have themes of time, love and literature.
Rocking out: Jimmy (right) can be seen on stage with his Led Zeppelin bandmate Robert Plant in 1975
To maintain the house, the star has had scaffolding installed and the walls covered with sugar soap, and he only plays acoustic guitar to avoid damage.
Robbie, who owns real estate around the world, has lived in his 47-room home after buying it from the family of the late director and restaurant critic Michael Winner in 2013.
During that time it was the subject of 46 planning decisions as he struggled to renovate it.
In 2017, former The X Factor judge Robbie submitted plans for a giant shed on stilts in his backyard so his kids could have a place to play.
This sparked anger from local residents who complained that it would block light in their gardens and spoil the environment.
He later sparked even more anger and was forced to apologize after saying Jimmy was mentally ill and had been sitting in his car outside his house for hours.
He told Italian radio DeeJay: “Jimmy sat in his car in front of our house for four hours straight.
‘He picks up the workers to see if they make too much noise.
‘The builders came in and he slept in his garden and waited.
“It’s like a mental illness.”
Wars: In 2017, former The X Factor judge Robbie submitted plans for a giant shed on stilts in his garden, which angered his neighbors (pictured in November)