Middle Eastern royals to build second basement for staff at Lakshmi Mittal’s former £35m mansion
Summer Palace in The Bishops Avenue. Picture: Polly Hancock. - Credit: Archant
Plans to extend a £35million mansion formerly owned by one of the UK’s richest men to accommodate more house staff have been unveiled.
Architects firm Interiors with Art have applied to build a second basement underneath Summer Palace, in The Bishops Avenue, Hampstead, which was sold by billionaire steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal in 2011.
The 11-bedroom house, thought to be inhabited by members of a Middle Eastern royal family, was bought by off-shore company Kerner Limited, based in Jersey, for £35.7m in July 2011.
The luxury home already has a large underground level housing a swimming pool, gym, sauna and treatment room.
A proposed second basement would be used as a “relaxation area for staff” and as an underground storage space, according to plans submitted to Barnet Council.
You may also want to watch:
The plans state: “Such a large house generates a large storage requirement and putting it in a basement is an effective means to ‘get it out of the way’.”
In addition to storage rooms, a driver’s officer, site manager’s officer and CCTV monitoring room are also proposed for the basement.
Most Read
- 1 Camden's Levertons to arrange the funeral of Prince Philip on April 17
- 2 Royal Free ITU nurse who swapped the Caribbean for a Covid ward
- 3 Lockdown easing April 12 live updates: North London shops and pubs reopen
- 4 'It's a godsend': Hampstead pubs and shops back serving the community
- 5 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: Wait for second verdict could last 'until Easter'
- 6 Hampstead, Highgate and Primrose Hill beer gardens reopening on April 12
- 7 Primrose Hill to close at night this weekend after antisocial behaviour
- 8 Locals celebrate as the Carlton Tavern finally re-opens
- 9 The questions council 'must answer' after spending £23m on £10m office
- 10 Hampstead to trial unobtrusive electric vehicle charging points
The house has two staff wings, which each house three bedrooms on the first floor. These living quarters are separated from the main house by balconies.
The plans state staff numbers at the house are due to increase from six permanent staff members to seven, covering roles such as “driving, event planning, cooking, serving meals and security”.
There will also be a new driver’s bedroom on the ground floor of one of the staff wings.
The basement will be accessible from two spiral staircases located in the garden area beside each of the staff wings.
The documents add: “The way in which the house will be used, with many functions and social events occurring, also means that there will be a number of extra chauffeurs, as well as permanent staff.
“All of this needs careful planning and it must be provided before the house can be occupied to its full potential.”