A-list film stars have triumphed in their battle to stop a house they said would be better suited to Malibu - or an industrial estate - than their neighbourhood.

Developer Scenario Architecture's plan to demolish a single-storey building in Crediton Hill, West Hampstead, and build a two-storey aluminium-clad house with a basement was refused planning permission by Camden Council planning officers on December 5.

Celebrities including Dame Emma Thompson and husband Greg Wise, Jim Broadbent and Imelda Staunton were among neighbours arguing the plans were out of keeping with the area.

The 1960s single-storey block next to Hampstead Cricket Club sits within the West End Green conservation area, centred on West End Lane, West End Green and adjoining streets.

Scenario's application called for a complete rebuild in a modern style with a new basement, ground floor and a mezzanine level.

The firm said it was "conscious" of the Arts and Crafts style  prominent in the area and that its dwelling "does not try and compete with this but rather offers a modern building that is lightweight yet durable, and clearly of its time".

Ham & High: How the new development would have looked in West Hampstead's conservation areaHow the new development would have looked in West Hampstead's conservation area (Image: Scenario Architecture)

Many objections followed. 

Greg Wise and Emma Thompson said:  "This is the wrong design in the wrong place - an aluminium-clad, heavily fenestrated, block. It would fit in perfectly in Malibu but not in our conservation area."

Actor Jim Broadbent said it would "set a dangerous precedent" for future applications that could radically alter the unique character of the area.

Actor and producer Richard Clifford said: "This application would due to its extraordinary design be completely out of character and would be more appropriate in a very modern industrial estate."

He said that with its "oppressing and industrial" facade it would "completely overlook" the cricket pitch.

Actors Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton said it was "totally inappropriate" in terms of the site at the end of a narrow driveway, its location in a conservation area, and the design.

Among its reasons for refusing the application, Camden Council officers said the proposed house would be "harmful to the open nature of the site".

They said it would be "harmful to the character and appearance of the street scene and the wider area, including the setting of Hampstead Cricket Club as a designated open space", and would also "fail to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the West End Green Conservation Area".

A Scenario Architecture spokesperson had previously expressed surprise that "people involved in a creative industry are so conservative when it comes to another field".

They said: "The house was designed to be lightweight and have minimal impact on the conservation area. In reality it can barely be seen from the street."

Plans were approved in 2018 for a basement below the existing single-storey building, together with a new patio garden and landscaping, with 2022 plans to make the building a standalone house approved in April 2023.