Paul McCartney ordered to plant new tree by council in bitter row with neighbour over felled sycamore
Beatles icon Sir Paul McCartney, 83, has been locked in an argument with neighbour Reinhold Meinen over plan to cut down protected trees in garden at London property
Music legend Sir Paul McCartney has been told he must plant a new tree in his garden after a dispute with a neighbour at his plush St John's Wood home.
The musician lodged an application late last year to remove two sycamores at his £10m townhouse in central London. Sir Paul's representatives argued last December that two trees were "in decline" and a felling would allow "more space for an adjacent hornbeam tree to grow into".
But his neighbour, Reinhold Meinen, a conservative activist and investor, questioned whether the trees were diseased. Mr Meinen said in an objection to the council: "As we spoke on the telephone, I am 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."
Mr Meinen purchased the property next to his for £14.4m in 2024, according to publicly available documents. Mr McCartney has since amended the plans, showing that one sycamore will be cut back by 1.5m and one will be felled.
In a report, Tracy Darke, director of town planning and building control at Westminster City Council, has approved the works but suggested planting an Acer davidii (Père David's maple tree) in the place of the felled sycamore.
She said: "The City Council raises no objections to the following works to trees within the above Conservation Area [St John's Wood] 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."
Sir Paul was also forced to chop down a diseased tree in the back garden of his London home. The musician lodged an application last month to fell a diseased Catalpa.
Representatives for the Beatles icon, 83, said "fungi decay was discovered at its base," whilst an investigation revealed "selective delignification" in the tree trunk base and "suspected on the roots."
Catalpa, or the Indian Bean Tree, is a popular tree among garden lovers across the UK. It thrives in most soil conditions but is best avoided in windy or hard-paved areas. Separately, McCartney lodged plans earlier this year to undertake work on a lime, a holm oak, a Catalpa, a Birch, a hornbeam and a sycamore tree. This was approved.
The trees in McCartney's garden are in a conservation area and require permission for any work to be undertaken on them. A resident previously said of the area: "A lot of trees here are protected because [this is a] conservation area where development is carefully controlled.
"It has been difficult to get planning consent to even prune trees in the past in this area." The music star was previously in dispute with council bosses over cutting back the crown of a birch tree, a hornbeam and two sycamores in 2019.
Mr McCartney's representatives lodged the plans on the basis that his back garden was not getting enough light. But Westminster City Council said they had not received enough detail about what McCartney intended to do, and the application was withdrawn.
Planning officer Rosalie Dobson said in a letter at the time: "I refer to your application of proposed tree works at the above location. I am writing to inform you that your application is incomplete for the following reason(s): 1 You have not provided a clear statement of reasons for the proposed work to each of the trees in your application.
"Statements such as good arboricultural practice' or 'maintenance' are too vague. Instead, try to address the specific issues with each tree."
A later application, which was approved, asked to chop an additional four trees down, which included an evergreen magnolia, a Chinese privet, a yew and a holm oak.
Sir Paul bought the three-storey home for £40,000 in 1965 and moved in the following year after installing a large gate and intercom. The property often served as a base for The Beatles for meetings, before or after recordings at the nearby Abbey Road Studios.
