Film star faces bulldozers tearing up £9k garden at £900k home after making it 5ft too high in council row

A BOLLYWOOD actor and singer faces having the garden at his £900,000 home torn apart by bulldozers for building it 1.6m too high without planning permission. Sumeet Singh Sarao, 39, is embroiled in a bitter six year planning dispute with his local council after he raised the ground levels of his £9,000 garden at his property in Telford, Shropshire. Sumeet Singh Sarao is in a heated dispute with his local council Credit: Emma Trimble / SWNS The Bollywood actor faces having the garden at his £900,000 home pulled apart by bulldozers Credit: Emma Trimble / SWNS Telford & Wrekin Council now claims neighbouring residents are suffering an “unacceptable” loss of privacy because of the height of the garden close to the rear boundary. Mr Sarao says he raised a lower section of his garden to match the level of the rest of the plot during the landscaping works in 2020 without it overlooking any other properties. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! But planning bosses have now launched enforcement action to make him dig out a huge part of his raised back garden or face having it bulldozed by them. Mr Sarao insists he has repeatedly offered compromises such as putting up more trees and plantation to protect his neighbours‘ privacy but says planners have rejected every suggestion. Sarao raised the ground level in his garden without planning permission Credit: Emma Trimble / SWNS Neighbouring residents claim his garden is infringing on their privacy Credit: Emma Trimble / SWNS Council planners say the garden is 1.6m too high Credit: Emma Trimble / SWNS The actor says he’s spent around £8,000 to £9,000 on the garden Credit: Sumeet Singh Sarao / SWNS The commercial singer, who has lived at the house for 14 years with his mum and dad, said: “I’m being made out to be a criminal just for raising my garden. “I’m just a normal human and don’t cause any harm to anybody. It feels really unfair. “The issue relates to a section of my garden that I raised to match the level of the existing higher ground. “The council argues that the raised garden affects neighbouring privacy but you can look at the garden and see there’s no privacy issues, Most read in The Sun “There is already a thick hedge along the boundary that prevents overlooking which is much taller than me – it just doesn’t make sense. “Also both my neighbour and I would need a step-ladder to be able to see over the fence anyway. “I offered to replace the existing planting with a continuous row of conifers to create an even stronger privacy screen. “But the council rejected that proposal, saying it would appear too bulky regardless of me trying to co-operate. “I don’t understand that argument when there are already mature trees and conifers along the same boundary. “The council wants me to lower the garden by around 1.6 metres. “That would make the ground level lower than it was originally before the works were carried out. “I’ve spent around £8,000 to £9,000 on the garden and put a lot of work into it. “If I don’t comply, they could carry out the work themselves and charge me for the cost. “It’s not sensible because they would have to take out walls to get the bulldozers in. “These would be unnecessary and potentially disruptive works. It just doesn’t make sense to me. “I’ve tried repeatedly to find a constructive solution, but the council insists the garden must be dug out and returned to its previous level.” Mr Sarao says the six year dispute has caused “significant stress” for his family. He added: “The whole family has been affected by the uncertainty and the threat of enforcement action. “I feel as though I’m up against a brick wall because the council is unwilling to consider my proposals. “It feels like I’ve been pushed into a corner.” After carrying out the work himself during Covid, council planners got in touch to say he must apply for retrospective planning permission. Telford & Wrekin Council says that neighbour amenity is “unacceptably harmed” by overlooking and loss of privacy and it must act “to uphold the planning system and protect the amenity of neighbouring residents”. Mr Sarao has been told he must dig out down to 1,600mm (5.2 ft) at the end of the garden nearest a boundary and make it slope to a depth of 900mm nearest the house (2.9 ft). He said he is not ignoring a recent enforcement notice but has proposed to remove the retaining wall, introduce a sloping transition near the boundary and add substantial landscaping and screening to protect the neighbours’ privacy and amenity. He added: “The council has now contacted me to arrange a meeting, although they have not indicated whether they are willing to consider any alternatives. “We are simply asking for fair treatment, proper engagement and a reasonable opportunity to agree a solution that protects neighbouring amenity while taking account of the practical circumstances at the property.” A council spokesperson said the issue has been the subject of ongoing planning and enforcement investigations for a number of years. An enforcement notice was supported by an independent planning inspector following an appeal in September 2025. The council spokesperson said: “Since that time we have engaged with the land owner, and most recently considered a pre-application submission to explore a revised scheme for the site but were unable to support that proposal in its proposed form and that the planning harm could not be satisfactorily addressed. “The Enforcement Notice was upheld by the Planning Inspectorate in September 2025, with a further period provided for compliance. “Despite this, the required remedial works have still not been carried out and the site remains in breach of planning control. The Council has therefore advised that it is now considering further formal action to secure compliance. “This could include prosecution proceedings and/or works in default with costs recovered from the landowner. “Whilst our preference remains to secure voluntary compliance, there comes a point where the Council must act to uphold the planning system and protect the amenity of neighbouring residents. “The Council has therefore asked for a timetable for implementation of the required remedial work. “We have also offered to meet with the landowner in person to work with him to resolve this matter as soon as possible.” Comment now