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Chelsea mews extension will put us in a bad light, say artists
Ruth Bloomfield10 Aug 2009
Painters and sculptors in a historic complex of studios are locked in a planning battle over a development they claim will block their light.
Artists have worked in Sydney Mews, Chelsea, for 130 years, and some of London's most famous monuments have been created there.
But a bitter row has erupted over plans to create a three-storey modern house with roof garden.
They are objecting to property developer Mike Crowther's intention to add to his Sixties property in the mews, which stands by the studios built there in the 1870s.
Several occupants have instructed lawyers to fight the proposals.
Painter Emma Sargeant is leading the campaign against the development. She said: "If the applicant wishes to have a bigger house perhaps he should sell it and move, instead of causing more crowding and disruption in Sydney Mews."
Leading graphic designer Pat Schleger, who is also fighting the plans, said it was vital to leave the character of the street intact: "There are so few studios left in London where they have a very interesting and outstanding history."
The studios, which are Grade-II listed, have been home to some of Britain's most talented artists. Alfred Gilbert created the Piccadilly Circus statue of Eros in the mews and Sir Joseph Boehm, who designed the sculpture of the Duke of Wellington at Hyde Park Corner, also had a studio there. So did Sir Edwin Landseer, who made the Trafalgar Square lions.
Resident painters have included portrait artist John Singer Sargent.
Mr Crowther, who uses the house as his London home, said he would appeal if permission was refused. He claimed some residents were determined that only working artists should be allowed to live in the mews.
"I am very upset by this," he said. "Anyone can see that the house is completely out of keeping with the rest of the mews. To put it bluntly, it is ugly. It sticks out like a sore thumb. Yes, I want an extra floor, but I also want to build something that is more in keeping."
Resident Paul Harlow said: "The studios whose light, outlook and history will be directly affected by this proposal include those of national, historical significance. Many significant 19th and 20th-century artists worked in these studios - Isadora Duncan first danced in London at theses studios and the suffragettes printed their material in a secret cellar at number five."
Kensington and Chelsea planners are expected to refuse the proposals at a meeting this week on the grounds that it will harm the architectural and historic character of the mews.
Reader views (4)
Dear Angela of Devon:
Yes, until about a year ago when the managing agents Cluttons for and on behalf of The Wellcome Trust started to redevelop properties peripheral to Avenue Studios, it has been "a wonderful place to be creative" in due to its quintessential peace and quiet have inspired similarly like-minded and spirited neighbours.
Our late father was the playwright and screenwriter Anthony Shaffer (of "Sleuth", "The Wicker Man" and "Death on the Nile" repute) and he adored living here when not at his principal residence Karnak Playhouse in Australia during which time my sister and I would share the space with his friends who he considered family, sculpting and photographing .
It is a glorious legacy that will be protected to the enth.
- Claudia Shaffer, C Shaffer, Avenue Studios, London, England, 15/08/2009 11:32
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I appreciate Angela's sentiment and hold a similar one myself. The whole site is covered by a restrictive deed of covenant which dictates artistic use for the whole site. This is upheld by the Council and we seek to exercise it. Unfortunately Angela has misquoted the property developer's voice as mine. Avenue Studios is a very special place and we who are working artists seek to preserve this as part of Chelsea's heritage.
The building of a residential home which will be attached and deface a listed structure is important in terms of conservation and would be a detriment to this monument. Furthermore, attaching a ritzy Chelsea home onto two sculptor's studios is inviting a conflict between residents who expect peace and quiet and artists who expect to be left to earn their money and may make noise in so doing. This could lead to human rights issues. The Victorians knew what they were doing in setting up a dedicated working artists' space.
- P. Harlow-Guidi, Avenue Studios, London, England, 13/08/2009 22:08
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It is highly unlikely that permission for an extra storey, above ground, would be forthcoming. RBKC and WCC have been resisting (read: declining) these types of applications in mews for years, and rightly so.
The roof garden is a different issue and really depends on what view of the development can be seen at the furthest view of it at street level which, in a mews, as you might expect, is not a lot so may be acceptable.
The issue of the suitability of the house within the environment is slightly different. Local authorities are keen to lose such buildings in favour of replacing them with something more "mewsy", but that can be a double edged sword as very often the new development always looks out of place regardless of any misguided attepmts to make it look more "mewsy".
With this application it looks like, again, the client and/or client's agent failing to work with the council and their neighbours to come to a satisfactory resolution and all affected parties getting un-necessarily wound-up.
All of this has happened before and will happen again.
- Escobar-Alop-Lop, Camden County, 11/08/2009 10:19
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Presumably Mr Harlow chose to live there in the first place. Did he not notice then that it was, as he says himself, "To put it bluntly, it is ugly. It sticks out like a sore thumb" He wishes to do this purely for his own reason's, I think there are many who would say selfish reasons. I hope his plans get turned down and the artists are left in peace to carry on working in the footsteps of those who came before them. I am sure it is a wonderful place to be creative.
- Angela, Devon, S. Devon, 10/08/2009 21:36
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