Plan to demolish unique 1960s Berkshire house owned by James Corden approved

James Corden purchased Templecombe in December 2020. Credit: PA/HCUK Group

An £8 million house in Berkshire that TV celebrity James Corden owns will be demolished and replaced with an all new six-bedroom family home.

In December 2020, Mr Corden purchased Templecombe, a 1960s curved shaped house off Wargrave Road in Remenham, near Henley-on-Thames.

Now, the 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 last week.

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.

Furthermore, 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.

The new home will contain a total of six bedrooms, with five located on the first floor. Credit: HCUK Group

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.

A postcard contained in a heritage impact assessment by HCUK shows what the mansion looked like in 1907. Credit: HCUK Group

The new home will contain a total of six bedrooms, with five located on the first floor and an extra guest room being located on the ground floor.

The 1960s house that will be demolished itself 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 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.