Middle Eastern royals to build second basement for staff at Lakshmi Mittal’s former £35m mansion

Lakshmi Mittal. Picture: PA Archive/Ian Nicholson. (Image: PA Archive/Press Association Images)

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.

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.

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.”