‘Too greedy’ Highgate mansion plans on edge of Hampstead Heath thrown out
Campaigners claim the development of the proposed mansion will do irreperable damage to the narrow Highgate lane - Credit: Archant
Campaigners against plans to demolish a Highgate mansion overlooking Hampstead Heath have won a victory as the scheme was rejected.
Members of Camden Council’s development control committee threw out the bid to replace the existing four-bedroom mansion one more than twice its size.
Committee members heard concerns about lorries driving along neighbouring Millfield Lane in order to develop The Water House.
Highgate councillor Sally Gimson, Labour, said: “It’s too big, it’s too greedy and you’ve got to use too many vehicles to get there.”
And Green Party councillor Sian Berry urged the applicant to come back with something “less ambitious, less spacious”.
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Representatives from the City of London Corporation also warned that the development would cause drainage issues on the Heath.
Owner Paul Munford said the project was proposed as a refurbishment of his family home.
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And he told committee members that a huge amount of effort had gone into mitigating the impact of the construction process - which he said was the sole reason officers had recommended it was turned down.
He said: “We’ve done everything we can to respond to comments and amended our scheme.”
He said that there would be less than one vehicle per day, which would be smaller than campaigners have claimed.
The application was first lodged in 2011.
Campaign group The Friends of Millfield Lane had campaigned hard to prevent the development, claiming it would ruin the character of their leafy road, which connects Parliament Hill to Kenwood.
