Plans for Gondar Gardens

A PROTECTED green space in West Hampstead is under threat from developers for the fifth time in 15 years.

LifeCare has asked a government inspector to overturn Camden Council’s refusal to grant planning consent for its plans to build a luxury retirement home on the former reservoir land in Gondar Gardens. It means campaigners face having to mount another defence of the site – home to several protected species of wildlife.

The council had cited 16 reasons for their decision including the damage it would do to protected land and the lack of affordable housing in the scheme.

David Yass, chairman of the Gondar and Agamemnon Residents’ Association, said: “There were multiple reasons this scheme was turned down and they are all strong. The fact they have appealed is disappointing, but not surprising as this tends to be the behaviour of greedy developers. We have to fight yet again to protect what the law acknowledges is valuable open green space.”

The site is currently home to bats, owls, slow worms and grass snakes.

Mr Yass added: “We cannot believe we have to continue to fight, fight, fight to protect something we believe is a decided proposition. We would rather get on our with our lives, get on with living in our community, rather than having to fight again a battle we won many years ago.”

Camden Council received more than 160 letters of objection before rejecting the project last year. A petition of more than 1,600 names was also received.

LifeCare bought the land from builders, Linden Wates, who themselves had been thwarted in their attempts to redevelop it. The latest scheme would include 82 flats and a 15-bed nursing centre, with LifeCare’s marketing promising a “refined community that brings together elegant retirement apartments and a wide range of hotel-inspired amenities”.

It includes a fleet of chauffeur-driven cars to ferry residents about, a restaurant, gym, beauty treatment room, bar, café, library, cinema and hairdressers.

Development director for LifeCare Residences, Daniel Perfect, said there was a need for retirement homes with high quality support and lifestyle services. “Given the lack of this type of extra care provision in Camden, it was somewhat disappointing that the council refused the application,” he said. “As a result, we are appealing and hope that the Planning Inspector approves the proposal so we can deliver for the older people of West Hampstead and surrounding areas”.