A renowned Urbanist, Vanessa Redgrave and success in Hammersmith
When I received a call from a long-standing client asking me to help a friend of his object to a planning application, little did I know that it would lead to such fascinating connections and a great outcome. The friend turned out to be the partner of renowned Architect and Urbanist - John Thompson - Founder Chairman of JTP and the Academy of Urbanism and a pioneer of community planning in the UK. John is now sadly bed-ridden with Multiple Sensory Atrophy (MSA) and receiving 24/7 care. If this was not terrible enough, the application - the fifth in under four years - was for a two-storey office development just 3 metres from the south-facing garden of their house in a beautiful part of Hammersmith. Not only would it be oppressive and block out daylight/sunlight it would also have blighted the outlook and aspect from John’s bedroom window, now sadly his only contact with and view of the outside world. The bedroom has celebrity connections since the room was slept in by Vanessa Redgrave CBE, English actress and political activist, when she owned the property and brought up her daughters - Joely and the late Natasha Richardson - there before John and his partner Nova acquired it.
There was a grave risk the application would be approved under delegated powers despite a similar proposal having been refused by Hammersmith & Fulham Council and dismissed on appeal just 6 months earlier on residential amenity, loss of aspect/outlook and daylight/sunlight grounds amongst others. However, after pleading with senior officers at the Council it was agreed that it should be determined by the Planning & Development Control Committee, at their first “in-person” meeting in early June after the local elections. After much lobbying, local Councillor support, assistance from neighbours, impassioned speeches at Committee and an hour’s debate, the application was refused against Officer recommendation by 5 votes to 1. There was a tangible and emotional feeling that this was an important victory. For my clients. For John. For local residents. For community-based planning approaches that John had developed in the 1980’s, had practiced and been internationally recognised for in his career.
It was a real success, a battle won. But the war is not over. We anxiously await the next proposal but are ready for the fight.