Rock icon David Gilmour has found himself at the centre of a planning dispute over his garden shed. The 79-year-old Pink Floyd guitarist recently lodged a retrospective planning application with Camden Council after he dismantled a summerhouse and shed on his Hampstead property in North London, replacing them with a new structure.
His application states that the new green shed is “of modest size”, “of traditional construction”, and crafted to ensure there is “no adverse impact on neighbouring amenity, such as loss of privacy or overshadowing”.
However, local residents have hit back at these claims, arguing that the new shed is “obtrusive, overbearing, and significantly more visually and physically intrusive than what stood there before”.
Hampstead Hill Gardens Residents’ Association (HHGRA) has submitted a detailed objection online, pressing Camden Council to dismiss Mr Gilmour’s application and demanding the removal of the shed “as soon as possible” to “stop the continued harm to neighbourhood amenity”.
They contend that the application is “deliberately misleading”, alleging that what Mr Gilmour has erected “no longer complies with” the pre-existing planning permission for the site.
HHGR chair, Audrey Mandela, said: “Permission was granted to rebuild a shed on its original footprint, approximately two metres from the boundary. However, what has actually been built is abutting the boundary fence, in a substantively different and more intrusive location. The application should be rejected as the structure now in place is obtrusive, overbearing, and significantly more visually and physically intrusive than what was originally approved or what stood there before.”
She added: “The matter was raised with the applicant by residents of our road, who hoped to avoid the need for formal action. The applicant has reacted by submitting this retrospective application to pre-empt enforcement action.”
Her statement continued: “Although we understand that formal enforcement action may now be difficult due to the applicant having approached the Council pre-emptively, that does not remove the fact that the current structure is materially different from what was permitted and is too harmful to amenity given that it provides no benefit other than to the applicant. We urge the Council to send a strong rebuttal here to the applicant.”
Other neighbours have also lodged complaints – one pointing out that the new shed is against the rear fence and therefore cannot be hidden with vegetation, unlike the old structure. Another neighbour suggests that the building should be modified to allow a two-metre gap behind the shed – to “provide space for planting and wildlife”.
Meanwhile, Whiteacre Planning, supporting Mr Gilmour’s application, stated: “The shed is of a similar design to the previously approved summerhouse. [It] is painted green to minimise its visual impact and has a cedar shingle roof which will quickly silver down. It is of high quality design and build and is appropriate in this location.”
The statement refutes any suggestion that the shed might negatively influence local living conditions. It continued: “Although the roof of the shed is above the height of the boundary fence, it will not lead to any overlooking, loss of privacy, or overshadowing.”
Ending on a definitive note, the letter insists Mr Gilmour’s application ought to be “granted without delay” as it adheres to “complies with all relevant local and national planning policy”.
Camden Council is yet to schedule a date for making their decision. Mr Gilmour was approached by SWNS for comment.
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