EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: James Bond star Daniel Craig and wife Rachel Weisz win fight to chop down bay tree at their £6million London home as they prepare for lavish garden revamp

As James Bond he often used to take his enemies down quickly in a hail of bullets.

But when it comes to chopping down trees at his £6million London townhouse, Daniel Craig likes to take them down slowly — limb by limb.

He and his wife, the Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz, have been given the go-ahead to raze a rear garden bay tree to the ground ‘by sectional take-down’.

The Hollywood couple applied to the local council for permission for a ‘licence to kill’ to allow for a garden revamp and more tree planting. 

They needed consent because their Grade II listed terrace home, which dates back to 1840, lies in a designated conservation area.

Daniel Craig and his wife Rachel Weis  have been given the go-ahead to raze a rear garden bay tree to the ground ‘by sectional take-down’, at their £6million London home

There were no objections from neighbours but Colin Jacobson, a resident of more than 50 years, called for other trees to be protected.

In a letter to the council, neighbour Colin Jacobson wrote: ‘My concerns are to ensure that the falling of this tree and associated garden developments should not have any adverse effects on the two magnificent plane trees at the rear of the site.

‘These trees have been an integral part of my family’s life and experience as well as providing vital oxygenation in this notoriously traffic polluted area.

‘I therefore urge tree department to be extremely vigilant in ensuring the long term survival of these trees in this and any future similar applications.

‘It would also be encouraging to receive reassurances from the applicants that they too value the plane trees and will do everything they can to protect and nurture them.’

It’s not the first time that Daniel and Rachel have faced a battle over a tree.

In 2017 a neighbour claimed that the roots of an 80ft plane tree in the couple’s garden were causing cracks to his Victorian home.

But it was saved from the chainsaw after Craig and Rachel applied to the council to trim it back — instead of felling it.

Craig and Weisz bought their townhouse in the UK capital in 2008 for £3.2million but it is now believed to be worth £6million 

Daniel is planning to extend his lavish home in a Changing Rooms-style makeover.

They want to demolish a ‘poorly-constructed’ conservatory and build a bigger rear extension with a balcony above, and carry out a Ground Force-style garden revamp.

The couple want to move the kitchen from the front to the back of the property and carry out internal alterations including widening the opening in the lower ground floor rear wall.

They also want to split the ground floor double reception room into two and install a bigger first floor rear window at their five-bedroom home.

In a design statement, the couple’s planning agent said: ‘The proposed new extension would replace an existing late 20th Century conservatory which is poorly constructed, inefficient (it is very cold in the winter and overheats in the summer) and out of keeping with the original building.

‘This would mean that the least successful part of the existing building (in terms of materials, form and proportion) could be re-cast so that it is elevated to a quality equal to the rest of the property.

‘The enlarged extension allows the kitchen (the busiest room in the house) to be relocated to the rear of the property, giving it direct contact with the garden and much improved natural light.

‘On the ground floor it is proposed to reinstate the wall between the two reception rooms to create a formal sitting room and separate TV room.

‘On the ground floor closet wing, the existing study would be subdivided to allow the provision of a guest WC on the stair landing between the ground floor and lower ground floor.’

The agent added: ‘Elsewhere, the majority of the existing building fabric will be left untouched by the proposed scheme.

‘The reconfigured accommodation resulting from this proposal would improve the balance of the main living areas of the house. Overall, the impact of the subject property and its surroundings would be positive.’

Craig, 55, and Weisz, 53, bought the pad in 2008 for £3.2million but it is now believed to be worth £6million.

It has a basement kitchen, conservatory, utility room, bedroom and bathroom with a double reception room and study on the ground floor.

There is a master bedroom, dressing room and bathroom on the first floor and three further bedrooms and two bathrooms on the second floor.

In 2010, the couple were given the go-ahead for first floor internal alterations including reconfiguration of the layout and relocating two internal doors.

They were also granted planning permission to move an existing bathroom to the rear and remove a partition wall separating the master bedroom and bathroom.

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