Pupil power! Children from three schools join forces with neighbours to help block plan for £7m luxury homes
Thursday, 5th December 2013
Published: 5 December, 2013
by DAN CARRIER
A DEVELOPER’S controversial bid to pull down a block of former nurses’ homes in Hampstead Village has been thrown out by Town Hall planning chiefs.
After a two-hour meeting on Thursday, attended by about 150 opponents of the plans, Camden Council’s planning committee unanimously rejected developer Karawana’s proposals to build 17 luxury homes. It is understood the flats would have been sold for more than £7 million each. Town Hall planning officers had recommended acceptance of the development.
Among protesters were children from neighbouring New End, Heathside and Christ Church primary schools.
The New End nursing home, built in the 1930s, housed staff at the Royal Free Hospital. It was sold in 2007 and has been empty since.
This is the second attempt by Karawana – a company registered in tax haven the British Virgin Islands – to demolish the red-brick building, which architectural historians describe as a classic of its period.
The plans attracted hundreds of objections, including letters from Christ Church vicar the Rev Paul Conrad.
Concern was voiced over the hundreds of lorry loads of rubble that would have to be removed to build a three-storey basement car park. It was estimated that six large lorries would need to access narrow New End from Heath Street every hour in daytime over a three-month period. Objectors claimed building work would lead to gridlock around the tight streets of Hampstead Village.
A deputation to the committee meeting was led by QC Martin Hicks, who lives in New End. The committee also heard two forceful speeches from Hampstead councillors Lib Dem Linda Chung and Conservative Chris Knight.
Cllr Chung said the scheme was no better than the proposal thrown out by the Town Hall three years ago. “The developers have been at it for five years and contrary to what they say there have been no improvements in the proposal they have put forward,” she said.
“The developers cannot get round the clear planning guidelines on conservation, environment, sustainability and heritage.
“They should not ignore something that Camden is crying out for – affordable housing. They say they cannot afford to provide affordable housing. In buying that property, they took the risk of overriding its provision as affordable housing and now they say they cannot make a profit on it. Such a shame.”
She called on the developer to hand over the site to someone who could refurbish the building and use it for a mixed housing scheme.
Cllr Knight said: “I am delighted the case against was listened to by councillors. It is clear from the unanimous decision this was the most atrocious planning application for many a good year.”
He added that the battle against the project had galvanised people in the area and brought the community closer together.
“The developers will go to appeal,” he said. “They must have spent £100,000s to get this far. The inspector will see that Camden’s development policies give it justifiable reasons to refuse and we hope the inspector will uphold this.”
He added that the ideal outcome would be for the developer to accept it had to refurbish the building and offer it as a mixed development with some affordable and some private housing.
Swiss Cottage Conservative councillor Roger Freeman, who sits on the committee, asked how the building work would affect schools nearby. “I would like to know more about the level of noise that would take place during school hours,” he said.
“We need to know to what extent disturbances from construction activities during school hours is a planning consideration.”
The plan met with cross-party opposition from committee members. Councillors who voted against the proposals included Labour’s Meric Apak, Lazzaro Pietragnoli and Phil Jones, Lib Dems Paul Braithwaite, Chris Naylor and Flick Rea and Conservatives Roger Freeman and Andrew Marshall.
A spokesman for developer Karawana said it was waiting for the reasons for refusal to be sent in writing before it would comment.
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