A SKYSCRAPER is set to be built in Swiss Cottage after the government overturned Camden Council’s refusal and granted permission for work on the tower to go ahead.

In a move which critics say strikes a weighty blow to the way local democracy works and how much say residents really have in the future of their neighbourhoods, Conservative local government secretary Greg Clark approved plans for the 24-storey building at the top of Avenue Road.

Ignoring warnings from people living in the area, councillors of different political stripes, constituency MP Tulip Siddiq and even his own party’s mayoral candidate, Zac Goldsmith, Mr Clark said developer Essential Living had the right to begin work on the scheme.

The company has christened the £100million project “Theatre Square”, although in the House of Commons yesterday (Wednesday) Ms Siddiq described it as a “luxury skyscraper” as she challenged Prime Minister David Cameron on where power really lies in planning decisions.

It is set to be one of the tallest residential buildings in Camden, leading to fears among people living nearby that it will tower over Swiss Cottage and Belsize Park.

In theory, opponents can still appeal against Mr Clark’s ruling, but time is short for such a counter-move and even the most optimistic challenger will see the odds stacked against anybody attempting to stop the project now.

Campaigners are reviewing the options, but the tight timetable means an appeal would have to be lodged within six weeks.

“The community said no, the council said no, but the Tory government said yes,” said Ms Siddiq.

In a saga stretching back more than two years, Camden planning officials initially recommended the scheme for approval, but locally-elected councillors voted against the plan in 2014 after a deluge of more than 900 objections. 

Amid the scores of written protest letters, neighbours said they felt the size of the scheme was out of keeping with the area behind Hampstead Theatre, while others questioned the level of genuinely affordable homes that would be created. There was a queue of demonstrators outside the town hall when the issue was debated by councillors. Their banners had a simple message: Save Swiss Cottage.

Essential Living, however, appealed, sparking a planning inquiry which led to Mr Clark’s approval of the scheme.

The secretary of state’s decision was confirmed in writing on Friday after a four-month wait for a ruling. Despite Mr Clark’s support for the project, Conservative party colleagues on the ground in Camden were among the objectors.

Conservative group leader Claire Louise Leyland, who represents the Belsize ward at the Town Hall, said: “I’m very disappointed. This tower block will completely overshadow our beautiful area and the Swiss Cottage open space that our residents value so much.”

She added that people had fought the scheme “because local people who know this area best all say that this is not right”. Her council colleague, Roger Freeman, described it as a “sad day for Swiss Cottage”.

Mr Goldsmith took up the case as he prepared to run in London’s mayoral election, going as far as writing to the planning inspector pleading for the project not to be allowed and branding it “hideous”.

He added: “This proposal is for a building that is oversized, completely out of keeping, and visually hideous.  It would be astonishing if the community hadn’t reacted in the way that it has.”

The work will mean the demolition of the 1980s buildings on the site, once home to the Hampstead and Highgate Express newspaper offices. 

Essential Living, currently working on the refurbishment of the Archway Tower,  plans a further building of up to seven storeys for the site, creating 148 privately-rented homes, 36 “affordable” homes and space for new shops and restaurants. Space has also been offered to The Winch community centre to use at a subsidised rent.

David Reed, member of Save Swiss Cottage Action Group, formed in opposition to the proposals, said: “My gut reaction is that the inspector listened to everything and then ignored it.

“Greg Clark has spoken about localism and said how local people should have more say but it has all gone completely out of the window. Local people have absolutely no influence. All they have done is go through the motions. They had a 10-day inquiry, they looked at all the arguments and dismissed them all. If an area like Belsize with all its history and heritage can’t defend themselves nowhere else in London has any chance.”

Prabhat Vaze, chairman of Belsize Residents’ Association, which campaigned against the scheme, added: “We put forward a strong case and spent a lot of time, effort and resources so it’s very disappointing. We always thought that the community’s feelings would be given much more weight because it was always a very unpopular option.”

Labour regeneration chief Councillor Phil Jones said Mr Clark would now be “held in contempt” for the way he had overruled local opinion.

“You have to question why a Tory minister felt the need to interfere in this matter when a democratic decision had been taken locally after careful consideration of all the issues,” he said. “The planning system works best when it takes into account local views and decision-making is seen as legitimate. Greg Clark’s behaviour drastically undermines these principles and will be held in contempt by many people in Swiss Cottage and beyond.”

Journalists Andrew Pierce, from the Daily Mail, and Mishal Husain from Radio 4’s Today programme, alongside her husband, were among the hundreds of  residents who wrote to planners to raise objections when it was first being considered by the council.

Amid the criticism, Essential Living says the idea that nobody will appreciate the development is mistaken, and that its plans will improve the area.

Managing director Scott Hammond said: “This has been a lengthy process but we are very pleased the secretary of state has backed the independent planning inspector’s recommendation that this important proposal for the regeneration of Swiss Cottage should proceed. This is entirely consistent with the original positive  recommendation of Camden Council planning officers and the support received from both the Greater London Authority and the Design Council.”

He added: “As we always believed it would, the extensive scrutiny of the scheme during the public inquiry has revealed the significant social benefits of the scheme in terms of new homes for rent and community space, enhancements to the street-level frontages and the recognised attractive quality of the design. 

“This is the right decision for the revitalisation of Swiss Cottage and we will now commence the work to deliver our proposals, which we will be calling Theatre Square.”

Tulip Siddiq challenges PM in House of Commons over government's Swiss Cottage decision