'Modernist rubbish' in heart of Hampstead

Tan Parsons

RESIDENTS have blasted plans to replace a 1950s house in the heart of Hampstead with what they fear will be "modernist rubbish".

Planning permission was given by Camden Council to demolish the Holly Walk house in 2005.

But critics say there has been no consultation over what will go up in its place and a modern building would disrupt the feel of the street.

Award-winning designers KSR Architects has dismissed the complaints and insisted the replacement house will be of a high standard.

Conrad Blakemore, of Church Row, said: "I note with some dismay that the house will be razed for some no doubt uber-modern glass and steel monstrosity.

"This house has been there since the late 1950s but it sort of fits in. It's a quiet little street. Nobody really knows what's going to be put in its place because nobody's been told and there's been no consultation. There needs to be a little more transparency with the process."

The demolition of the house, which lies just a stone's throw from the Church of St John at Hampstead, follows similar recent schemes in Redington Road and Willow Road.

Gordon Jefferys, of KSR Architects, said: "The reality is that there is planning permission in place and there have been subsequent amendments to that. There would have been normal consultation over the plans and party wall agreements and so on.

"I think that anyone who is objecting now is just totally out of the loop. I think it's a very high quality contemporary building - a very high design standard. It's not necessarily traditional but if you look around Hampstead there are varying styles and designs in the area.

"We did one in Frognal which is a very contemporary building and that won a design award."

Demolition work on the house has not yet started and KSR Architects were unable to comment on the timescale of redevelopment.