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Wright wins fight to stop basement dig
Mira Bar-Hillel and Peter Dominiczak20 Mar 2009
TELEVISION presenter Matthew Wright has won his battle against a neighbour's plan for a basement extension.
The host of daytime chat show The Wright Stuff objected to a planning application after suffering stress from noise and disruption caused by another neighbour's extension.
Camden councillors backed the complaints and threw out plans for the extension in the Primrose Hill mews.
Councillors voted against the scheme by banker Patrik Zeigherman to demolish a four-bedroom home he bought for £1.4million in 2005 and dig a two-storey basement under the house and garden.
Neighbours, including Wright, claimed the excavation would be intolerably noisy and said the council had failed to act. Wright also said noise and stress caused by another nearby basement extension had been a year-long "nightmare" and forced him to quit his Radio 2 show.
The latest application was found to breach many of the council's policies and was contrary to a guidance note by the council's deputy leader Andrew Marshall only months ago.
The note said extensions must be no more than three metres deep and should take up no more than half the garden.
Mr Zeigherman's basement is 6.9metres deep and takes up the entire garden. Wright said he was relieved by the decision but criticised the council. He said: "It's a victory, and hopefully I will not have to live through another basement nightmare. But I can't believe the shambles this has revealed in the planning department.
"What they were saying was in effect that the guidance note, fanfared by the deputy leader himself in January, was not worth the paper it was printed on."
Retired lawyer Robert Seward, whose house is next to Mr Zeigherman's, represented the neighbours at last night's council meeting. Quoting the council's own website, he said: 'Anyone wanting to excavate under their property will need to clearly explain how they propose to deal with the various environmental concerns, legal requirements and relevant civil law responsibilities.
"Applicants will also be expected to consult neighbours'. None of the above happened in this case, yet [council] officers recommended approval," he said.
A second basement application, in Hampstead, was also turned down against the officers' recommendation last night.
Reader views (6)
In Cloncurry Street, Fulham a house was bought for 1.7 million and wholly demolished except for the fascide. The next door house attached has been left exposed for more than a year. The whole site has been boarded up with a hut left in the road at a road junction where there has been an accident. Rubbish has also been left on several occasions. This is a conservation area. Another example of a local authority in action Hammersmith and Fulham.
- Jonathan Norton, London, Fulham, 16/10/2009 10:44
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I imagain that this is another one of those cases where when the Council have a planning application which has received complaints, they refuse it, knowing full well that it will be passed on appeal.
- Jim@Sea, Offshore, 16/10/2009 09:44
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Interesting. You don't actually need planning permission for a basement (so long as the basement, including its structure stay within the demise of your property). Yes a method statement is required to deal with excavations, demolitions etc, but this is handed off to structural engineers to decide on the feasibility of the work and wont have an impact on the final decision if they confirm its suitability. This is a professional action, not a policy one.
The council must have refused consent for the development for other reasons (the "Guidance Note" would easily be overturned on appeal, and the quote from the website is meaningless drivel), so I doubt Matthew Wright's pleasure will remain for long.
Neil M, of course no-one needs a cinema or gym in their house, but if they want one, whose business is it other than theirs?
- Escobar A-Lop-Lop, Camden County, 16/10/2009 09:44
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Why does'nt Camden Council focus on more meaningfull blights like the flood of satellite dishes on the side of buildings and force them on to the roof. Why, too difficult, no why not just target a few easy targets on the bandwagon tidal ;politics of envy theme. That is what the anti 4x4 is really about, jealousy plain and simple. Note I have a small flat and just an ordinary family car. Until this country and its people gets a grip on the real issue and vears off the politicaly correct steamroller we are going no where other than into French style squabbling. all the best
- Peter, LOndon Camden, 16/10/2009 09:44
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This is excellent news. Local authorities are usually passive about disruptive work. This time they've got it right: no one "needs" a cinema or gym in their own house.
- Neil M., london uk,, 16/10/2009 09:44
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Can we start an appeal to ban Wrighy from daytime TV ?
- Keith Price, Luton, England, 16/10/2009 09:44
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