Jimmy Page vs. Robbie Williams swimming pool battle: no winner yet

Jimmy Page at Kensington Town Hall
(Image credit: Jack Taylor / Getty Images)

Jimmy Page's ongoing battle with pop star neighbour Robbie Williams, over the latter's plans to build a swimming pool in his basement, has failed to reach a resolution. 

Kensington and Chelsea Council's planning committee decided last night to defer a decision on the matter. The decision was taken after a council meeting attended by the Led Zeppelin guitarist. 

The feud goes back to 2015, when Williams sought permission to carry out renovations at his London home. It’s next door to Page’s property, which is a Grade 1 listed building.

Page took exception to the plans, telling the local council in a letter of objection that the works could have “catastrophic consequences” for the integrity of his own home.

Later, Williams escalated the row, playing a segment of Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love at an Apple Music show in London, but changing the lyrics to: “I’m gonna dig a big hole and fill it full of shit.”

Williams also apologised after making off-air comments about Page at an Italian radio station, saying, "I would like to offer my sincere apologies to Jimmy Page, my neighbour, for my comments made before Christmas about him in relation to my recent building works, in which I likened alleged behaviour on his part to suffering from a mental illness.

"I did not intend my comments – which, so far as I am concerned, were made privately – ever to be published."

At last night's council meeting, Page told councillors, "I feel it is my duty to protect that house, I really do", before going on to comment on the outcome. "I think the deferment was a very good conclusion," he said.

Fraser Lewry
Online Editor, Classic Rock

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.