An £8 million house owned by TV celebrity James Corden will be demolished and replaced with an all new six-bedroom family home.
In December 2020, Mr Corden purchased Templecombe, a 1960s curved house, off Wargrave Road in Remenham, near the posh Thames village of Henley.
Now, the unique-looking house and its attached pool house will be demolished to make way for a two-storey home after being granted planning approval.
The plan was approved by Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee, as Remenham is located within the borough.
At a meeting, planning agent Alan Gunne-Jones revealed plans to replace the 1960s house first emerged in March 2021, with designs undergoing two changes before the eventual scheme was submitted.
The construction of a new swimming pool and pool house in a new location to replace the existing pool house was ultimately removed from the application.
Mr Gunne-Jones said: “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.
“Templecombe estate is located in the Green Belt and contained the listed Druids Temple and forms part of the wider Park Place registered park and garden.
“This is, in my view, a technically sound, policy-compliant proposal. It is for a new dwelling to replace an existing dwelling in the same location and is not materially larger than the dwelling and pool house to be replaced.”
The plan was unanimously approved by the council’s planning committee on Wednesday, January 11.
The new home will contain a total of six bedrooms, with five located on the first floor and an extra guest room located on the ground floor.
It is understood that the application was submitted on Mr Corden’s behalf by Atlantic Swiss Agency, which provides financial advice and management services for high profile clients in the entertainment industry.
Mr Corden grew up in Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire, is married and has three children.
Council planning officer Simon Taylor suggested a plan for a new pool house and outdoor swimming pool may be put forward in a future planning application.
The history of Templecombe house
The 1960s house set to be demolished replaced an older mansion which dated back to the 1860s.
A postcard contained in a heritage impact assessment by HCUK shows what the mansion looked like in 1907.
It was converted into a private school in 1948, until in 1961 planning permission was granted to knock it down and the curved house, known as Happy Valley, which was believed to be completed in 1966.
The council’s conservation officer noted that the approved home is “contemporary but with a nod to the now demolished 1860s mansion.”
You can view the approved application by typing reference 223108 into Wokingham Borough Council’s planning portal.
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