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Neighbours John Alderton and Pauline Collins |
Actors’ objections ensure house row runs and runs
Neighbours protest that latest plans still have one storey too many
RELATIONS between actor couple Pauline Collins and John Alderton and their Hampstead neighbours have deteriorated to a new low with the two sides unable to agree on how a house should be redeveloped.
For two years Jeremy and Jessica Sokel have been trying to convince planners and planning inspectors to allow them to demolish their current home in Redington Road and build a larger replacement.
On each occasion, their proposals have been spiked, often following objections from next-door neighbours Ms Collins, the star of the hit film Shirley Valentine, and her husband Mr Alderton, best known for his role in the BBC school comedy Please Sir!
At one stage, Mr Alderton, whose own home is listed and protected against redevelopment, described Mr Sokel’s plans as a “pastiche” and suggested that the dispute could end up in the High Court.
The two parties are now squaring up again after Mrs Sokel claimed that the actors would complain whatever plans her architect came up with.
She said the “extreme lengths” which they had gone to to water down their designs had failed to stop objections.
New plans submitted by Mrs Sokel – which involve demolition and the construction of a three-storey house – are due to be discussed at the Town Hall at the start of next month.
They have the provisional support of Camden’s planning officials but need councillors’ consent.
In his letter of objection, Mr Alderton said: “If the planning department recommends this application, then I would strongly object at the council meeting and urge the established previous council and inspector’s clear views on sensitive size and height to be upheld by the members.”
Mr Alderton and Ms Collins appeared at a planning meeting last year as councillors narrowly voted 4-3 to reject Mrs Sokel’s plans. Mr Alderton added: “This new proposal is again four storeys and has the same mass as the rejected previous proposal. The developers clearly seem determined to build the biggest structure they can get away with.”
He said he would only withdraw his objection if Mrs Sokel agreed to remove the top storey.
Mrs Sokel is angry that her neighbour is still referring to the proposal as a four-storey building when her architects say that one floor will be underground.
She said: “We have met with them with our architect. We have addressed their concerns in every way we could and have gone to extreme lengths to reduce the bulk, mass and height of the building.”
She has gone so far as to take Mr Alderton’s letter of objection and respond to each of his points in italic and bold on her application papers.
Mrs Sokel said: “Demolition of the existing building was not contested by the planning inspector. The inspector does want to see a new building on the site and does not say it should not be larger than the current building.”
Councillors are due to make a decision on the project on March 1. |
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