Dame Justine Thornton, the High Court judge married to Ed Miliband, has joined forces with actor Benedict Cumberbatch and fellow residents to block a housing development in their north London neighbourhood.
Camden Council’s planning committee voted to reject the proposed five-flat scheme in Dartmouth Park on Thursday evening.
The decision came after an overwhelming response from local residents, with 205 objections lodged against the plans and just three submissions in favour.
Councillors determined that the development would cause harm to the Dartmouth Park conservation area, where building projects face strict controls.
Teo Lasarte, representing the Chetwynd Villas Association, informed the committee that the proposed building was “entirely alien to its surroundings”.
The scheme, put forward by HGG London, a company owned by Turkish property developer Dicle Guntas, sought to demolish a two-storey 1930s property known as Lamorna and replace it with a five-storey residential block.
The development would have comprised a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom flats, each boasting private outdoor space.
A valuation report commissioned by the council from BPS Chartered Surveyors estimated the total worth of the proposed flats at more than £5million, with individual units priced between £700,000 and £1.4million.
Dame Justine Thornton, the High Court judge married to Ed Miliband, has joined forces with actor Benedict Cumberbatch and fellow residents to block a housing development in their north London neighbourhood
|
GETTY
The plans had been scaled back during the application process, having originally proposed six storeys containing six flats.
HGG London maintained in its submission that the project would “deliver new housing on a brownfield site in an accessible location in line with national and local planning policy objectives.”
Dame Justine stated in her formal objection that she had “no objection to the principle of redevelopment into flats, particularly in the context of the need for more housing.”
However, she argued “the proposed design appears to be too tall, too bulky and too dense for its plot given the context of the surrounding houses and the wider conservation area.”
She pointed to the nearby Highgate Newtown residential development as “a brilliant example of thoughtful design in harmony with neighbouring properties.”
Meanwhile, Mr Cumberbatch raised concerns that approving the application would establish a troubling precedent for the area, potentially triggering a wave of similar building projects that could damage the neighbourhood’s architectural heritage.
The Sherlock star argued the scheme was “out of keeping with the architectural style of the area” and would “disrupt the aesthetic of the street.”
The outcome presents a politically uncomfortable situation for the Energy Minister, who has publicly committed to “take on the blockers, the delayers, the obstructionists” as part of his drive to accelerate green energy and housing development.
Film star Benedict Cumberbatch and wife Sophie Hunter also opposed the plans
|
PA
The Government has pledged to construct more than 1.5 million new homes in what it describes as the largest affordable housing programme in a generation.
HGG London referenced Labour’s updated planning policy framework in its submission, which states that brownfield schemes “should be approved unless substantial harm would be caused.”
Following the committee’s decision, a company spokesman confirmed: “We are now reviewing our position, including the option to appeal the decision.”