A Bollywood actor faces having the garden of his £900,000 home torn apart by bulldozers after council staff claimed it was raised too high without permission.
Sumeet Singh Sarao, 39, has become embroiled in a bitter six-year planning dispute with his local council after he spent thousands raising the ground levels of his garden at the property in Telford, Shropshire, by 1.4m.
Now council officers have ordered him to lower by 1.6m – so 20cm below its level before the works were carried out.
Telford and Wrekin Council say his neighbours have suffered an ‘unacceptable’ loss of privacy due to the height of the garden, despite its boundary being surrounded by trees and bushes.
Mr Sarao said he raised the 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.
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 said he offered compromises such as putting up more trees and plants to protect his neighbours’ privacy, but said planners have rejected every suggestion.
Sumeet Singh Sarao, a Bollywood singer from Telford, has been told to lower his garden by his local council
The council claims his neighbours have suffered a loss of privacy by his levelling works
The commercial singer, who has lived at the house for 14 years with his mother and father, said he is being ‘made out to be a criminal’ just for raising the garden.
‘I’m just a normal human and don’t cause any harm to anybody. It feels really unfair,’ he said.
Mr Sarao said he raised the section of the garden to match the level of the existing higher ground, effectively levelling it out.
He refuted the council’s claim that the raised garden affected his neighbours’ privacy.
‘There is already a thick hedge along the boundary that prevents overlooking which is much taller than me – it just doesn’t make sense,’ he said.
‘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.’
Mr Sarao said the council has told him to lower the garden by 1.6metres, making it lower than it was before the actor had the work done.
He added: ‘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 raised the grass section at the back of his garden to level it with his patio
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 (5.2ft) at the end of the garden nearest a boundary and make it slope to a depth of 900mm nearest the house (2.9ft).
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.
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Mr Sarao claimed his neighbours would need a ‘step ladder’ to see into his garden even after the works
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.’
