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Camden News - by DAN CARRIER
Published: 1 May 2008

Hundreds of protesters gathered on Saturday to object to the planned redevelopment of Fitzroy Farm

Heath set to become a ‘billionaires’ estate’

Hundreds sign petition to stop Fitzroy Farm scheme

A MANSION being planned on the fringes of Hampstead Heath will lead to at least two years of traffic chaos and could put walkers at risk, protesters have claimed.
The owners of Fitzroy Farm, in Millfield Lane, Highgate, plan to demolish a mock-Elizabethan home and replace it with a neo-classical mansion.
The Town Hall gave permission for the work last year but now the planning committee must decide whether to OK the architects’ construction statement.
Neighbours, who gathered to vent their anger over the scheme on Saturday, say it will lead to hundreds of heavy lorries using two small pedestrian routes and could threaten the safety of the thousands of people who use the only two access roads to get on to the Heath.
Hundreds have signed a petition against the scheme and at Saturday’s demonstration, neighbours hired a lorry similar to one that would be used by builders to demonstrate how tight a fit it would be in the lane.
Fitzroy Farm is just one of a rash of new homes planned for the fringes of the Heath, which the Highgate Society say could be breaking the council’s building blue print.
The society state that if permission is given, they will seek legal advice as to whether to take it to a judicial review – and are confident they would win, as they say it breaks the council’s own building guidelines.
The council’s Unitary Development Plan (UDP) of 2000, which gives planners and developers guidance to what the Town Hall will allow, has a chapter dedicated to the effect buildings have on the Heath, while an updated version also refers to protecting green spaces.
The 251-page document states that “...the council will not grant planning permission for development bordering public open space that would cause harm to its wholeness, appearance and setting, or is likely to intrude on the public enjoyment.”
Highgate Society’s Michael Hammerson said: “This goes against the council’s UDP and gives the planning committee every chance to turn down the Fitzroy Farm plans. The decision to give permission is disgraceful and goes against sensible planning policy.”
Mr Hammerson added that the picturesque areas around the Heath were in danger of becoming a billionaires’ estate. He added: “It is like Bishops Avenue invading our conservation area.”
Fitzroy Farm architects Quinlan and Francis Terry declined to comment.

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