Ant McPartlin spent decades living next to his best friend, both on and off screen, Declan Donnelly.. The inseparable pair resided in the leafy London suburb of Chiswick until Ant moved Wimbledon home in South West London in 2019 in a bid to focus on family life.
However, his big life change was reportedly cut short last year when the I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here host moved out of his South West London home following a highly-publicised dispute with his neighbours.
In November, it was reported that Ant, along with his wife Anne-Marie, her daughters from a previous marriage, Daisy and Poppy, and the one-year-old son they share, Wilder, moved out after losing a planning battle to remove six trees.
In February 2024, it came to light that the couple were granted permission to cut down four cypress trees, a Weymouth pine and a yew, despite them being protected by a Tree Preservation Order – a legal order made by the local council to protect a specific tree from being cut down.
However, neighbours accused Ant and Anne-Marie of seeking permission to fell healthy trees. As per the Daily Mail, an objection letter from one of the couple’s neighbours read: “No justification is given for felling these substantial trees, other than the applicant’s wish to allow re-landscaping of part of their garden. There is no suggestion that any of the trees are dangerous or diseased.
© Kieron McCarron/ITV/Shutterstock“The personal whim of the applicant should not override the benefit to the community and the environment in retaining these trees,” it concluded.
As a result of the dispute, the former Saturday Night Takeaway hostsubmitted revised plans which involved keeping all six of the trees but instead extending the existing garden room to form a gym, a study, a games room, and a studio.
Making amends
In a new design statement, Ant’s planning agent explained: “Approval has been granted by the council for the removal of all the trees at the end of the garden bar one large yew along the northern boundary. The applicant wishes to keep all the trees in place and build around the trees with a ‘floating’ lightweight structure on the higher ground at the end of the garden.”
According to the publication, the new structure means Ant could renovate and only have to remove lower branches of the aforementioned trees, but according to an arboricultural impact assessment, it would not harm their health or stability.
The assessment confirmed that “it clearly demonstrates the property owners are going over and above to minimise ground disturbance”.
Despite the drama, a rep for the TV star confirmed to the Sun that Ant and Anne-Marie had moved out for “family reasons” rather than planning issues.
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