A drawing of how the new Swain’s Lane could look after planning permission was granted for eight new retail units, 12 flats, and five car parking spaces

Published: 7 August, 2014
by PAVAN AMARA

A DECADE-long battle to save a Highgate shopping parade from the wrecker’s ball came to an end on Thursday night after planning chiefs approved the demolition of a row of independent businesses.

The shops in Swain’s Lane are owned by cross-bench peer the Earl of Listowel who attended the Camden Council meeting to plead for permission.

He first tried to rebuild the parade in 2003 and has submitted various schemes. The latest is a mixture of two and three-storey buildings with small ground-floor units.

Planning permission has been granted for eight new retail units, 12 flats, and five car parking spaces.

Councillors heard that more than 150 objectors had written to the council and heard claims that the scheme could potentially “harm the village feel” of the lane, block views of the Grade-II listed St Anne’s Church, cause traffic problems and spell the end for longstanding shops.

Swain's Lane as it currently stands

Dartmouth Park Conservation Area Committee chairman Patrick Lefevre told the planning committee: “This is not a scheme which anyone in our community can say, ‘yes, this is what I pictured for Swain’s Lane’. Worst of all, it won’t deliver a vibrant shopping centre. A key reason it won’t deliver this is because the developer is entrenched about, and actually pulled back on the original offer, in relation to use of the yard. The yard is now to be an exclusive residential car parking area. . . It pains us that we can’t support this proposal but it doesn’t pass muster.” 

Highgate ward Green councillor Sian Berry recommended that the committee should refuse the plans, arguing it did not preserve or enhance the Dartmouth Park conservation area, or reinforce local distinctiveness. 

Her views were echoed by Highgate ward Labour councillor Oliver Lewis who attacked the scheme for only having homes for private sale. 

He added: “I have serious concerns that plans like these, if unamended, lead to an area like Highgate becoming places only the very wealthy can live.”

But the Earl of Listowel insisted the new development would provide new housing and small retail units that independent shops could use to “reflect the character of this highly regarded parade”.

He added that, after talks with residents, he had asked his architects to make a number of changes. These included cutting the height of the original buildings, cutting the number of flats and changing the look of the building from neo-classical to a more contemporary design. 

The Earl said: “I was born and grew up in the area, so I understand the concerns to maintain the beauty of it.”

Six councillors out of seven approved the plans.