James Corden finally given go-ahead to demolish abandoned house and build mega mansion

James Corden has finally received permission to demolish his long-abandoned mansion. After leaving his role as the Late Late Show host in the United States last year, the Gavin and Stacey star has now returned to the UK.

James was seen house hunting in Hampstead, London, last summer, but he also owns an £8 million mansion in Berkshire that has been vacant for years. The TV star reportedly has plans to tear down the vast property and transform it into a more traditional home, complete with an outdoor pool, sauna, and steam room.

Whilst living in the US, James installed round-the-clock security for the house and even allowed the local police force to use the plot to train their Alsatian dogs. His security team recorded 70 incidents at the property last year as potential break-ins to the empty house, reports the Mirror.

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This followed a YouTube video from an urban explorer who filmed inside the property, revealing what remained inside the home.

Last January, James found himself in a planning dispute when Wokingham District Council halted some of his plans for the property. A planning meeting resulted in James only being given permission to proceed with his plans if he removed the leisure facilities from the proposal.

James Corden and his wife Julia Carey, along with their three children, made the move back to the UK last year following the sale of their Los Angeles home. The property was snapped up by a Hong Kong billionaire's daughter for a hefty $17.1 million.

Their Berkshire residence has been under the spotlight due to their initial application to the local council, which included ambitious plans for an 11.5m indoor swimming pool, a yoga studio, gym, and bathroom that would lead out to a grand 20m outdoor pool.

However, their proposal hit a snag when English Heritage stepped in, raising concerns that the planned pool house would encroach on a historic collection of 45 granite megalithic stones, akin to a Stonehenge formation, situated on their land.

Locals have also requested that James hand over the stonehenge style large stones in the garden, but they still remain within the confines of the Corden family estate.

In a candid conversation with Drew Barrymore on her show, James opened up about his decision to leave his successful stint in America and return to the UK. "Look it's not easy in any way to walk away from something that is so... I mean I'll never work in a better environment than the one I work in now. Nothing about leaving the show was to do with not enjoying it," he expressed.

"I love it, but the truth is it became a very easy decision because I always knew it was an adventure and I never ever considered it to be the final destination."

The father of three shared a touching family moment that influenced his decision: "I was filming on a Sunday and I came downstairs, it was about 6am and my son, who was 10 at the time, was sat on the stairs and he said, 'Are you working today?.

"And I said, 'I am,' and he said, 'I thought, well it's Sunday,' and I said, 'I know buddy but this schedule's just all over the place. We just got to get it done because we only have a tiny amount of time before we have to go back and do the show,' and his face just kind of dropped. So, really the choice was to go, 'Well if I really want to do this other work, that cannot be at the expense of our children, our family,' and that is really all it comes down to."

In recent news, James has excited fans with the announcement that he and co-writer Ruth Jones are working on a new episode of the much-loved series Gavin and Stacey. Despite the swirling rumours and speculation among the cast, James kept mum while Ruth appeared to dismiss the gossip as untrue.

However, in a surprising turn of events, the pair posted a selfie on social media holding a script for a new Christmas special. James captioned the post: "Some news... It's official! ! ! We have finished writing the last ever episode of Gavin and Stacey. See you on Christmas Day, BBC One. Love Ruth and James."

James found himself in the spotlight this week after he was photographed having a discussion with a British Airways staff member when a flight from Portugal descended into chaos. The journey, which was supposed to take him from Faro to London Heathrow, was delayed, affecting James and other passengers.

However, his fellow travellers were quick to dismiss any suggestions of diva-like behaviour, instead commending the former Late, Late Show host for defending his fellow passengers and maintaining a positive atmosphere throughout the difficult situation.

After an extended delay, the flight was eventually rescheduled for the following day and successfully returned to the UK without further complications. Throughout the incident, James demonstrated his considerate nature by allowing women and children to board before him.