'Neighbours... Everybody needs good neighbours.
With a little understanding, you can find the perfect blend.
Neighbours...should be there for one another.
That's when good neighbours become good friends.'
The Neighbours theme tune was not written by either Led Zeppelin or Robbie Williams. And it seems fairly unlikely that we'll ever hear a re-recording of the Australian soap's earworm intro music by Holland Park neighbours Jimmy Page and Robbie Williams, as entertaining as that might be.
The superstar musicians have been at loggerheads since 2015 over Williams’ plans to build a swimming pool in the basement of his west London home. Former Zeppelin leader Page has long argued that if the work went ahead, it could have “catastrophic consequences” for the integrity of his own home, The Tower House, a Grade 1-listed, late-Victorian townhouse which is situated just 13 metres away.
The long running 'Mansion Wars' feud appeared to have reached a conclusion In December 2018 when Kensington and Chelsea Council gave Williams the green light to proceed, with chairman councillor Quentin Marshall also urging the pair to put their differences aside and talk. Williams apparently agreed that his builders would have to use “19th century hand-tools" and £50,000 monitoring devices to make sure the noise levels stay at a minimum so not to disturb his 78-year-old neighbour.
However, a new planning application submitted by Williams - seeking permission to erect a 20-foot high trellis fence in his garden - risks shattering the fragile peace between the neighbours.
As reported in The Sun newspaper, the statement alongside the new application reads: “It has been noted that due to the use of existing wall elements and the significant retention of soil within the plot, wall elevations are low and allow passers-by a view of the garden.
“As part of a proposed landscaping scheme the designer has proposed the use of trellis panels as a low-impact way of increasing the privacy within the garden.
“These will be fixed to the inside of the garden wall using reversible fixings, or to posts cast into the soil in certain where there are no tree root protection zones.
“These will be installed whilst preserving existing planting, and are to be painted in dark grey.
“It is our view that said intervention will have negligible impact on the heritage value of the property…while adding a level of privacy to inhabitants whilst using the garden.”
The Sun reckons that Williams' latest application will "infuriate" Page and reignite their "bitter feud".
In 2019, The Telegraph newspaper reported a claim that Williams had been playing '70s music to annoy Page, based on a letter allegedly sent to Kensington and Chelsea Council.
According to the website, the letter said: “The committee may not have been aware that Robbie Williams has been playing loud 70s rock music on outside speakers when he views Jimmy Page outside his home.
"What's been most annoying is that Mr Williams has played rock arch rival bands Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and Deep Purple. He obviously knows this upsets Mr Jimmy Page.
"There have also been some reports that Robbie Williams has dressed up to imitate iconic Led Zeppelin frontman and lead singer Robert Plant.”
A spokesperson for Williams told The Telegraph that the allegations were “a complete fabrication and nonsense.”
