Plans for extra floor above Ricky Gervais’s Hampstead office are thrown out

Plans to build an extra floor above comedian Ricky Gervais’s office – formerly the home of the Ham&High – have been thrown out by Camden Council.

The scheme to add two flats above the building in Perrin’s Court, Hampstead, which also houses Savills estate agents, was refused planning permission on Tuesday.

The application had sparked widespread opposition from residents, traders and councillors who felt that the “tranquillity” of the pedestrianised lane was at risk. It was feared that the extra storey would block out light and transform it into a gloomy “tunnel”.

In the refusal notice, Rachel Stopard, director of culture and environment, said the extension “would appear overdominant and inharmonious” due to its “design, height, bulk, mass and position”.

She also said no study had been done to examine the potential for loss of light.

Cllr Linda Chung, Lib Dem member for Hampstead Town, said it was “a time for celebration”, but added: “Let’s hope that the developers take heed and don’t come back with another unsuitable design or go to appeal.

“If they do, objectors I’m sure will fight all the way again.”