Go-ahead for big basement at Downshire Hill home

Published: 20th January, 2011
by DAN CARRIER

THE semi-derelict home of a murdered writer is set to be razed to the ground and rebuilt with a two-storey basement after a planning inspector overruled Camden Council’s decision to block the scheme.

Developers Ringline Properties won permission after a nine-day public hearing to go ahead with the proposals for the Grade II-listed property in Downshire Hill, Hampstead, where reclusive pensioner Alan Chappelow lived – and died.

They admitted that the work may cause some damage to neighbouring homes but not of a structural nature and have pledged to put right any problems. It was estimated up to £400,000 damage may be caused.

Ringline’s directors include Anthony Joseph, a resident in the same street.

Mr Chappelow carried out little repair work to the ramshackle house before his death five years ago. He was bludgeoned to death and left under a hoard of rubbish by Wang Yam, a Chinese dissident and bankrupt businessman currently serving a life sentence for the killing. 

The house was later hit by fire and demolition is considered the only practical way forward.

But opponents to the new development say a compromise should have been reached where the new house only had a single-level basement, reducing the impact on the street.

Conservative ward councillor Chris Knight said: “I’m really annoyed after being there for every day of the evidence. It is a disaster for Downshire Hill, which will see 600 trucks of earth taken away, up and down the street. 

“This is a scheme that starts on the basis where the developers know some damage will be done to the neighbours’ homes. What kind of place is that to start and what will it do to people’s insurance in the street? I will be seeing if there is anything else we can do here and taking the issue up with ministers.”

Neighbour Stephen Ainger and the Downshire Hill Residents Association had backed Camden Council’s planning committee who rejected the original proposals. 

“We always had two objectives,” said Mr Ainger. 

“We wanted to force developers to do the engineering work, pre-planning, to check they could do the building safely, which they have now had to do. 

“Hopefully this may set a precedent for other developers. Secondly, we thought the damage to our homes would be too high for this to go ahead. The inspector thought otherwise.”

Mr Ainger also warned that the decision could have serious knock-on effects for others in Hampstead. He said it could mean that when  properties come on the market in historic streets such as Downshire Hill, with a plethora of listed buildings, developers would circle knowing they could put in a planning application and then sell them on for a healthy profit. 

Mr Ainger said: “The engineers have said the work must be done quickly – within six months. There are 6,000 tonnes of clay to be removed and concrete to be poured in. The amount of heavy traffic in the street and then up East Heath Road to complete this project will be very large indeed.”

The appeal found that the house – and potentially those either side of it – had been badly built back in the 1800s. Bricks had been cheaply made, and when surveyors looked at the home they found them mixed with waste, including workman’s clay pipes, and often not fired properly.

A spokesman for Ringline said: “We welcome the inspector’s decision following his rigorous and painstaking examination of all the technical evidence. 

“The new building, designed by Stephen Levrant of Heritage Architecture, will be an excellent addition to the Downshire Hill street scene and will be make a major contribution to enhancing to the conservation area.”