Bollywood Star Ordered To Dig Up Garden After Privacy Dispute

A Bollywood star is staring down the barrel of having his garden completely ripped up by heavy machinery after local officials demanded he lower it back below its original height. Sumeet Singh Sarao, thirty-nine years old, found himself in a nasty six-year fight with Telford and Wrekin Council regarding his property in Shropshire. The council insists the garden sits 1.4 metres too high without proper planning permission.

Now officers have issued an order to dig it down another 20cm, meaning the final level must sit lower than where it was before any work began. This specific demand follows a claim that neighbors lost unacceptable privacy despite thick trees and bushes surrounding the boundary. Sarao argues he simply leveled the lower section of his plot to match the existing higher ground during landscaping projects in 2020.

He refused to accept accusations that his improvements harmed anyone nearby. There is already a tall hedge along the line that blocks views, yet planners rejected his offer to plant even more conifers for extra screening. They claimed such planting would look too bulky, ignoring the mature trees and plants already standing there. Sarao feels treated like a criminal just because he fixed the slope of his own land.

The singer has lived with his parents in this £900,000 home for fourteen years before facing this enforcement action. He spent roughly 8,000 to 9,000 pounds on the project and now faces having it bulldozed if he does not comply immediately. Officials say they could do the work themselves and charge him the full cost. Sarao points out that removing walls just for a machine to get in is unnecessary and would cause major disruption to his family home.

It just doesn't make sense to me. Mr Sarao says he has tried repeatedly to find a constructive solution, yet the council insists the garden must be dug out and returned to its previous level. He raised the grass section at the back of his garden to level it with his patio. The six-year dispute has caused significant stress for his family.

The whole family has been affected by the uncertainty and the threat of enforcement action. Mr Sarao feels as though he is up against a brick wall because the council is unwilling to consider his proposals. It feels like he has 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. They state they 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 at the end of the garden nearest a boundary. He was also ordered to make it slope to a depth of 900mm nearest the house.

He said he is not ignoring a recent enforcement notice but has proposed to remove the retaining wall. He wants to introduce a sloping transition near the boundary and add substantial landscaping and screening to protect the neighbours' privacy and amenity. The council has now contacted him 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.

Mr Sarao claimed his neighbours would need a step ladder to see into his garden even after the works. The council spokesperson said they have engaged with the land owner since that time. They 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. They stated 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. They have also offered to meet with the landowner in person to work with him to resolve this matter as soon as possible.