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Friday 14th October, 2005

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Anger at plans for the Vale of Health

Conservation groups outraged at plan to redevelop site

CONCEALED on the fringes of Hampstead Heath with superb views across the Pond, the Garden House, in the Vale of Health is a prime site by any standards.
But proposals to demolish the three-storey family home and replace it with a mansion around three times larger than the original would go against the council’s own planning guidelines, according to outraged conservation groups.
At present, the area is designated as Metropolitan Open Land – the equivalent of a protected urban green belt – in the council’s Unitary Development Plan (UDP).
But James Gorst Architects, hired by the owners to redevelop the site, have submitted a second application to demolish the old house and build another after the initial scheme was withdrawn last year.
Now the Heath and Hampstead Society, the Hampstead conservation area advisory committee (Caac) and the Vale of Health Society have joined forces to attack the plans – which are due to be considered by planners within the next six weeks.
Gordon Maclean from the Heath and Hampstead Society said: “We are extremely concerned that the council will give these plans the go-ahead. They seem to be terrified of making any decision that might go to appeal.
“These guidelines are there to protect important areas in Camden and they don’t come more important than this. We are outraged that they are considering it at all. They should be refusing it outright.”
Martin Humphery, chairman of the Hampstead Caac said: “It is unsuitable for the site, it is on Metropolitan Open Land and is going to be harmful to the views across the ponds.
“The current house is no architectural gem but at least it is unobtrusive. What we would be faced with is a very obtrusive new building.”
Ian Harrison, chairman of the Vale of Health society told the New Journal that the plans should be considered by the full council before a decision was made. He said: “Our strongest concern is the suggestion that the principle of Metropolitan Open Land being kept open may be breached. This would set a very dangerous precedent for other open spaces in the borough.”
But in a statement to the council, architect James Gorst said that architects had met with council officers to discuss concerns over the loss of the land.
He added: “We are confident that this scheme will be seen as a sophisticated and restrained architectural response to an important site.”
A Town Hall spokewoman said she was unable to comment on the proposals until a report had been written and signed by the Director of Culture and Environment.
She said: “To do so would be prejudicial to that decision and impact on any consultation that takes place with interested parties about the planning application.”

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