James Corden Gets Permission to Demolish House

Wokingham District Council have agreed that James Corden can demolish Templecombe House he bought in December 2020 for £8 million in Remenham and build a six-bedroom family home and new pool house.

The house was originally part of Park Place and was changed from a dwelling to a boarding school in 1948 with the current circular designed house being built in 1961 and a swimming pool house added in 1972.

James Corden announced that he was leaving the American Late Late Show last month and returning to the UK with his family for them to be nearer their grandparents this summer.

The site includes 43 acres of land with a Druid’s Temple in the grounds which was brought from Jersey in 1785 which are Grade II listed.

There were no objections from Wargrave Parish Council, residents or Historic England but an objection from Gardens Trust and the Ecology Officer.  The Planning Officer at the meeting said that “Even though the site was in the Green Belt it was concluded by the Landscape Officer that there was material increase in height, but overall there is not a material larger impact of the openness of the building it replaces.”

Planning Agent Mr Gunne-Jones acting for his client said: “This application has been the subject of fairly lengthy pre-application consultation which commenced in March 2021. The fact that the application is supported by English Heritage and now recommended for approval is in my view a testament to extensive pre-application consultations and interactive engagement processes.”

Despite the glossy property brochure marketing the house through Knight Frank and Savills in 2017, a video on YouTube published last year shows the mansion has been left to rot (see video below).