James’s Cubism square-up

WHEN James Middleton and his new wife Alizee moved to a tiny hamlet last year, they planned to ‘escape city life for good’.

But the couple, right, have become embroiled in a planning row with neighbours who want to build a ‘modern Cubist building’ in the heart of the Berkshire countryside.

David Alderton and his wife

Karen, who live close to James and Alizee’s £1.5million Grade II listed farmhouse near Bucklebury, want to demolish their bungalow and replace it with a Grand Designs-style home.

The proposal has divided the village, and the Middletons, who married in the South of France in September, say it is not compatible with the surroundings. They have employed a planning consultant to object on their behalf. The Aldertons have made three applications to rebuild their home, which have all been rejected.