POP star Boy George has launched an appeal against the Town Hall’s decision to reject his plans for building works aimed at brightening up his Hampstead home.

The Culture Club frontman, who had chart hits with Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? and Karma Chameleon, had asked for permission to build an extension and relandscape his back garden to allow “better levels of natural light” at his grade-II listed home. 

But Camden Council will now have to defend the decision its officers made in September to throw out the proposals.

The planning department said the designs for the house – part of a group of historic properties called The Logs – were an “over-dominant and incongruous addition, detrimental to the character and appearance of the host building and wider conservation area”. 

The singer and DJ has lived in the property, sometimes referred to as “Lion House”, for 30 years. Its previous owners include the Young Frankenstein comedian and actor Marty Feldman.

The building works, filed under the singer’s real name George O’Dowd, would see new floor-to-ceiling windows installed to increase light. The designs, however, were opposed by the Hampstead Conservation Area Advisory Committee (CCAC).

The garden landscaping would include the removal of three mature trees and the demolition of an existing summer house.

Following Boy George’s appeal, a planning inspector will consider written representations from both sides and is expected to make a site visit to his home before reaching a decision.

Documents filed at the Town Hall in 2013 by Soho-based Syte Architects said: “The house does not benefit from a great deal of natural light into its interior. Its frontage is orientated to the north east. The rear has a southwesterly orientation but a combination of factors mean that the interior often suffers from poor levels and quality of natural lighting.”

It added:  “The proposed extension has been designed to create living spaces with a greater sense of connection to the garden and better levels of natural light. These spaces will have a different atmosphere and character to the internal spaces in the existing house.”

A letter sent to the Town Hall from Hampstead CAAC members Mojgan Green, Esi Cakmakcioglu and John Malet-Bates insisted the scheme is an over-development and will affect neighbours.

The objectors said: “We object to the extension and the hard landscaping because of the garden take-up and potential light pollution.”