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Radio DJ Edith to swap homes after dropping basement bid
Felix Allen20.11.09
Radio 1 DJ Edith Bowman has given up her fight to build a basement beneath her home after strong opposition from neighbours.
Instead the 34-year-old and partner Tom Smith have arranged to swap homes with their next-door neighbour. Then, to create the additional space they need, they aim to buy the next home along the terrace and join the two houses together.
Camden planning chiefs gave the Scottish-born presenter full planning permission to create a basement this year. But other residents of her terrace street in Gospel Oak near Kentish Town complained that her move would set a precedent and there were fears of flooding from excavation work.
Bowman, whose boyfriend Smith is lead singer with The Editors, has dropped the scheme - saying it was "incompatible" and "uneconomic".
She has planning consent from Camden to turn neighbour Susan Wright's house and the next house along into one large family home.
