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Dig that! Now Chelsea boss joins the underground movement
Ruth Bloomfield and Benedict Moore-Bridger30 Apr 2009
It is the London property trend that is annoying neighbours but sailing through planning departments.
Chelsea Football Club chief executive Peter Kenyon is the latest homeowner to be given approval to build an underground extension.
The football millionaire wants to extend his £2 million Georgian townhouse in Notting Hill with a basement stretching almost the entire length of his 33ft garden.
He also hopes to add an extension to the ground floor, creating a new garden terrace. Outraged neighbours have called the plans "unacceptable" but their concerns have been overlooked by Westminster council's planning officers.
Divorced Mr Kenyon, 55, lives in the four-storey house with his new partner, Louise Quinn.
The couple hope to create an underground kitchen, dining room, study and living room and use ceiling "portholes" to let in daylight.
But residents living beside and behind his home argue the terrace will mean the privacy of their homes and gardens will be infringed and the development will block their light.
They are also worried about the noise and air pollution the work to build the basement will cause.
In a letter of objection to the council, lawyer Jacqui Nelson said the development would damage her adjoining property. She said: "The basement would be too extensive in size - it would cover up most of the garden and create a bad precedent.
"A number of light wells or roof lights are proposed.
"This would result in the rear being illuminated very brightly at night with the result that my young children, who have bedrooms at the rear of my property on the first and second floors, would have light shining into their bedrooms until late.
"This aspect of the proposal constitutes a light nuisance and is unacceptable."
Neighbours also claim underground work could cause a flood risk. One resident, who asked not to be named, said there had been friction between Mr Kenyon and some of his neighbours.
The neighbour said: "We have to stop him but unfortunately the council feels it doesn't have the power. Once planning permission has been granted you are on the back foot.
"Mr Kenyon does not spend a lot of time here, so people who live in the street all the time have fairly strong views about it." Morag Beattie, 86, said: "Nobody wants the noise."
Angela Harvey, chairman of Westminster council's planning applications sub-committee, said the proposals complied with council planning policies.
She said: "The committee looked at the plans carefully and is confident it will not affect the amenity of surrounding residents."
Mr Kenyon was unavailable for comment. Underground extensions are increasingly popular with wealthy homeowners. Broadcaster Matthew Wright managed to prevent one of his neighbours in Primrose Hill building a subterranean extension after suffering stress caused by the disruption from a neighbour's basement project.
Foxtons estate agency founder Jon Hunt is creating a five-storey extension beneath his Kensington home.
Reader views (2)
I would be interested to know what the long term structural impact of these basements is likely to be on adjacent properties. And what insurance do those who own the basements have to hold in case of damage to neighbouring properties manifesting in the future. It is only just now that we are beginning to learn that the removal of walls and replacement with steel joists in terraces is beginning to impact adverseley on some adjoining properties and on the tensile strenght of some terraces as a whole.
- Helen, norwich, 30/04/2009 14:17
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Josef Fritzl started this fad.
- Bloke, London, 30/04/2009 12:03
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