Radio 1 DJ hopes to go underground

RADIO 1 DJ Edith Bowman is hoping to go deeper underground in search of more space, after failing to persuade a neighbour to sell up. According to new planning documents, Ms Bowman is the latest homeowner bidding to expand her pad, which stands on the edg

RADIO 1 DJ Edith Bowman is hoping to go deeper underground in search of more space, after failing to persuade a neighbour to sell up.

According to new planning documents, Ms Bowman is the latest homeowner bidding to expand her pad, which stands on the edge of Hampstead Heath, by digging a new basement.

The DJ, whose partner Tom Smith fronts the band The Editors, failed to persuade her neighbour to sell up and is now hoping planners at Camden Council will be easier to convince.

Basement excavations are proving to be the chosen 'modus operandi' for homeowners around Hampstead looking to extend their houses. The underground developments have proved controversial because of their effect on surrounding foundations and the water table. Under pressure from the Heath and Hampstead Society, Camden Council recently created guidelines that should be followed by planners when considering basement plans.

But Ms Bowman, who has a young baby, should not expect too much opposition from her own neighbours who include Monty Python star Michael Palin.

One resident of the Gospel Oak street said: "I like the street and I like the people who live here and if it is a temporary irritation I would not object at all. I like them as neighbours and if they need the space and that is their way of solving it then I hope they get permission."

Another neighbour said: "I am a bit concerned about the water table but people are always altering their homes.