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Historic £2million lodge is Britain's costliest council house
Benedict Moore-Bridger13 Oct 2008
A MOTHER from Camden is living in Britain's most expensive council house worth £2million, it emerged today.
Ruth Ben-Adir, 44, is being housed in the historic Victorian lodge which sits on the edge of a 29-acre estate in Highgate Village.
The mother-of-one moved into the Grade II-listed building while repairs are being carried out on her council home in Kentish Town.
The lodge is situated in Waterlow Park and is close to homes belonging to personalities such as George Michael and Sting, as well as Government minister Tessa Jowell.
The decision, by Camden council, has been labelled "extraordinary" by officials and comes days after housing chiefs at Ealing council were criticised for paying £12,000-a-month rent for an Afghan family to live in a £1.2million, seven-bedroom house in Acton. Ms Ben-Adir has been living in the three-bedroom house with her 22-year-old son for a number of weeks. The property, designed by architect James Pennethorne, was home to the park's gardeners, but more recently has been used for storage despite extensive renovation work.
A local authority source said the decision to hand the property over to a council tenant was unbelievable.
The source said: "This must be the most expensive council house in Britain. The place is dripping with history and there are a lot of wealthy people who would give their eye teeth to live there.
"To hand it over to a council tenant is extraordinary. It's like they made her lady of the manor overnight."
The house is owned by Camden council, who also run the park, after London's Lord Mayor gave them to the public in 1889 as a "garden for the gardenless". Local historian Pam Coopers said the building was beautifully designed.
She said: "This is a wonderful building. It is very typical of the architect's Tudor-esque, gothic style with beautiful chimneys.
"It has so many nice touches such as the original gun cupboards used by hunting parties on the estate. There's also a mysterious bust by the side entrance, which English Heritage say is a statue of the god Hercules."
Camden Council spokesperson said: “Camden Council owns this property - we are not paying rent for it on the private market. The Council used the space for offices until recently.
"The lodge is not a council house but the Council chose to temporarily house a tenant in the lodge because the tenant's council house is directly affected by a major building project in Camden.
"The work would cause considerable distress and disruption to the tenant if they remained in their current house. The tenant will be returning to their home once the work has been completed.”
Ms Ben-Adir refused to comment.
Reader views (10)
Be careful Neil, you may be in indulging in terrorism by suggesting we with hold our taxes.
- Richard, colchester, 27/10/2008 11:13
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The best formula would be to rent this house out to a "Toff" for £20,000 per month and then use this money to house at least 10 families. It is the waste of this asset that I have a problem with.
- Steve, Nw11, UK/CH, 24/10/2008 14:53
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If everyone just withheld their taxes we could stop these outrages.
- Neil, london uk, Airstrip ONE ., 14/10/2008 09:04
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Shouldn't we be more worried about the fact it is taking the council weeks to carry out the repairs in the poor woman's home? Or does it not matter because she's a council tenant?
- Ruth, London, UK, 13/10/2008 23:35
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Interesting to note that the papers are carrying reports of patients who have paid their tax and NIC their whole lives, but who are dying because the NHS won't pay for their drugs. Good to see that the money is being diverted to worthy causes like this. Well done people of Britain, you really will put up with anything.
- Peter Dempsey, London, UK, 13/10/2008 22:49
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Chaz, A council tenant is no less deserving than a toff, TOFF when were you born? But if this house was sold how many jobs could be created building houses for those that need them.
- Dave, Bristol England, 13/10/2008 21:04
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Chaz, yes, exactly, a council tenant isn't deserving of such a home subsidised by tax payers. If you want to live in a home like this then you must be able to pay for it yourself. The whole concept is called reward, you get out what you put in!
Over the next few years the scroungers who live off the state will soon learn that relying on it was a big mistake, and good riddance.
- Andy, London, UK, 13/10/2008 20:14
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Isn't it the cheapest council house in Britain? Given that the council already owned it and were givne it in the first place. Surely much better than going out and renting a private slum.
- Chris, London, 13/10/2008 12:53
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Eventually it will be realised that all of our woes can be placed squarely on the shoulders of this incompetent Government. Who encourage waste and needless excess.
People talk about the end of Thatcherism, when what we need now is another Thatcher to get us out of this socialist inspired mess.
- Harry H, London UK, 13/10/2008 12:50
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"To hand it over to a council tenant is extraordinary". So a council tenant is less deserving a toff? How extraordinary!
- Chaz, London, UK, 13/10/2008 11:44
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