Paul McCartney’s garden plans pruned by neighbour “suspicious” of his trees in council row

Paul McCartney has been told to plant a new tree in his London garden following a council dispute with a “suspicious” neighbour.

The soloist and Beatles icon submitted an application in late 2025 to remove two sycamores at his £10million townhouse in St John’s Wood, according to The Mirror.

McCartney’s legal reps reportedly claimed that the two trees were “in decline”. They reasoned that a felling would free up “more space for an adjacent hornbeam tree to grow into”.

However, the music legend’s neighbour, Reinhold Meinen – a conservative activist and investor – expressed doubt over whether the trees were in bad shape. In an objection to the council over Macca’s plans, he said he was “suspicious if those trees are fatally ill”.

“Please note my objection and keep me up to date. Thank you for the good work you do,” added Meinen, who bought his house for £14.4million in 2024.

McCartney has since amended the plans for his garden in the capital, showing that one sycamore would be cut back by 1.5 metres and the other would be felled.

Tracy Darke, director of town planning and building control at Westminster City Council, said there were “no objections” to the works, but told McCartney: “It would be appreciated if you would consider planting a replacement tree. You may wish to consider Acer davidii.

“The specification was amended by you on 3rd February 2026. Please ensure your records are updated and your operatives informed.”

The musician was also instructed to remove a diseased tree in the back garden of his London property, after he applied to fell a diseased Catalpa last month.

His reps said that “fungi decay” had been found at the base, with an investigation finding “selective delignification” in the tree trunk base and potentially on the roots.

McCartney had submitted separate plans earlier this year for work on a lime, a holm oak, a Catalpa, a Birch, a hornbeam and a sycamore tree – which was subsequently approved.

The star must get permission for any work to be undertaken on the trees in his gardenbough due to them being in a conservation area.

McCartney bought the three-storey property for £40,000 in 1965, before moving in the following year. The Beatles are said to have used the house for meetings, with it being located within a short walking distance of the legendary Abbey Road Studios.

Meanwhile, Macca is gearing up to release his new album ‘The Boys Of Dungeon Lane’ next Friday (May 29). The upcoming record is a personal reflection on his early years in Liverpool, and has been previewed with the singles ‘Days We Left Behind’ and ‘Home To Us’.

He teamed up with his former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr on the latter track, along with Texas’ Sharleen Spiteri and The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde.

In other news, McCartney has appeared among Britain’s wealthiest musicians in the Sunday Times rich list. Elsewhere, he’s explained why he doesn’t take selfies with fans and recalled his experience of watching Bob Dylan live.