He may be tipped to be the next Bond but Aaron Taylor-Johnson is hoping to dig himself out of a hole over a lake on his country estate.
Actor Aaron and director wife Sam upset villagers when they began work on rewilding the grounds of their Leigh upon Mendip home in Somerset.
The centre-piece of the project is a huge lake that has already been dug. But the Grade II-listed home, Great House Farm, is in a Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Taylor-Johnsons should have sought planning permission first.
When the local council found out about the work, officials visited the property and ordered the operation to be shut down. Mrs Taylor-Johnson, 57, who directed the erotic 2015 movie Fifty Shades Of Grey, and her husband, 33, have submitted a retrospective planning application.
They claim the lake is necessary to protect their 16th century farmhouse from flooding and a new wetland feature will boost wildlife.
Some villagers have backed the advantages to the area.
Amy Fukuyama said: “I live to the west of the fields belonging to Great House Farm and I am overjoyed at the prospect of the increase to biodiversity.”
But Jackie Inch, an ex-counsellor, called the project an “eyesore” that she can see from her bedroom. A Somerset Council ruling is pending.