Hollywood Star Neighbour Caught in Outrageous Feud Over £6M Mansion Fence!

A HOLLYWOOD star is locked in a legal battle with a jobsworth council over the fence and gates to his £6million mansion.

The actor has been told to tear down the new boundary he installed at his three-storey Grade II-listed mansion in West , leaving his adoring neighbours stunned.

Idris Elbas’s house in West London, where the local council has ordered him to remove his gatesCredit: David Dyson The Luther and Wire star lives at the property with his wifeCredit: Getty

, 52, swapped his old, battered iron railings for sleek timber sliding gates and fresh fencing, giving the property a celeb-worthy glow-up.

But the makeover sparked a storm, with uptight planning officials twice rejecting the retrospective application, branding it “unsympathetic, visually prominent, and an incongruous feature in the streetscape”.

The and Wire star’s latest appeal insisted: “Whilst ‘different’ to the previous boundary treatment it does not affect the building’s special interest and is of a scale, colour and quality that would appear to be commensurate with that of the conservation area.”

It was first rejected in September last year – with an appeal then made to the Planning Inspectorate, a government body who reviews planning disputes.

The actor has now been told by the council to begin work to remove the fence and gate and reinstate it to its previous form by December 11.

However, a spokesperson for the Planning Inspectorate has said the enforcement action “should be put on hold” with its own appeal hearing on the application due four days later on December 15.

Baffled have pledged their support for the star and his wife Sabrina, 36, who are well-liked in the community.

Florist Anastasia May told The Sun: “I think the fence doesn’t interfere with anybody’s life. It’s very clean and nicely presented. I cannot understand the council’s decision.

“He and his wife are lovely people, they shop locally, and are very highly thought of in the community.

“He is a lovely man and a treasure to the community, so it is unfair to cause any problems for him and his family.

“The fence is not in the way whatsoever, it looks very nice, it is not that overpowering in the slightest, so it’s ridiculous in my view.”

Anastasia added: “I think, in fairness to him and his family, because he is so famous, they deserve to have a bigger fence and that extra privacy from the busy road and it is unfair of the council to not consider that.”

Boutique clothes shop owner Lucy Murphy, who has lived in the area all her life, was equally baffled.

She said: “I walk past the property a lot and the work he has had done doesn’t bother me in the slightest. It’s just absurd.”

And fellow florist Lesley Farrow blasted the council’s stance.

She said: “Let people live, I don’t have any issues with what anyone does with their property as long as there isn’t rubbish tipped around, we all want to live free and be left alone.”

‘I cannot understand the council’s decision’

However, a council spokesperson said: “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their , and we recognise that some people want additional privacy.

“We encourage residents to speak to us before carrying out changes so they can understand what they can and can’t do.

“Across the UK, listed buildings are protected for their architectural and historic importance.

“In this case, retrospective consent was refused because it was deemed the works would impact the preservation of the listed building.

“As the planning authority, it’s our role to protect and preserve these buildings for the future.”

The Planning Inspectorate told The Sun: “An enforcement notice was issued on 11/9/2025 with an effective date of 11/10/2025.

“An appeal was submitted by Mr Bryan Staff, the agent acting on behalf of Mr Joel Cohen on 8/10/2025.

“It was confirmed as a valid appeal on the same day and the appellant and the LPA were notified on the same day.

“The appeal process started on 3/11/2025 and the hearing will be determined by written representations and statements and interested party representations are due on 15/12/2025.

“The next stage will be a site visit but a date for this has not been confirmed as yet.

“The enforcement action should be put on hold while the appeal is heard although the council will be able to confirm this.

“Similarly, we do not distribute appeal documents. It is the responsibility of the council to make such documents available whether that be online or from their offices.”

The Sun has reached out to Elba’s representatives for comment.

Do you have a similar story? Email bruno.brown@thesun.co.uk

Florist Anastasia May said: ‘I cannot understand the council’s decision’Credit: David Dyson – Commissioned by The Sun Shop owner Lucy Murphy called the council’s issues with the fence ‘absurd’Credit: David Dyson Elba and his wife Sabrina Dhowre Elba have recently been targeted by a stalkerCredit: Getty