Court battle over Murdoch renovations comes to an end

It's the long-running dispute over a six bedroom, five bathroom estate owned by Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch.

Today there was an end to the three-year court battle between the eastern suburbs power couple and their neighbours, with a compromise over alterations to their mansion.

The Bellevue Hill property, which comes with a touch of European culture, was built in the 1920s and served as the French consulate.

The Murdochs bought Le Manoir for $23 million about five years ago, with a multi-million dollar view to match. They haven't exactly been popular with the neighbours.

The latest rules for alterations were handed down in the Land and Environment today, mainly focussing on the row over the height of large trees at the property: the Murdochs want their privacy, neighbours want their panoramic views of the eastern suburbs.

A compromise was reached, with the ruling that the trees of concern on the Murdochs' property must be pruned regularly, at their expense and that the gap between their garage and a fence is 87.5cm.

Woollahra Council wanted a 1.5m setback, the Murdochs wanted zero.

In the past, their fellow residents have been opposed to everything from the pool, the fence line and the very dimensions of the extensions.

A battle no stranger to Sydney. This one just happens to come with an expensive price-tag.