The property on Hungerford Road in Islington, north London. (Image: SWNS)
A dispute has erupted on a sought-after street in north London, as locals liken the renovation of a townhouse to the Love Island villa. Residents of Hungerford Road in Islington are up in arms, accusing their neighbour of flouting planning regulations that mandate uniformity among the Victorian properties.
The homeowners, residing in a conservation area, claim they have always faced difficulties making even minor modifications to their homes. They now complain about the “shockingly bright” lights illuminating the front of the contentious property, giving it a resemblance to the Love Island villa or “Las Vegas”.
Islington Council acknowledged the issues and confirmed an investigation into the planning concerns is underway. The homeowner declined to comment.
One long-term resident, who has lived on Hungerford Road with her husband for nearly two decades, said: “We don’t want to come across as Nimbys.”
She added, “I think we are all quite willing to accept that if your neighbour wants to dress up their house like Love Island, you should let them.”
However, she expressed frustration over the perceived double standards, stating, “But the thing that has raised everyone’s ire is that this row of houses is identical and this is a conservation area. They are really, really strict.”
Locals living in a row of Victorian terraced houses are up in arms over a development on their road (Image: SWNS)
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The woman recalled how she and her husband had previously applied to replace a window in their hallway landing, highlighting the stringent rules they had to follow.
Despite the new window aligning with the aesthetic of neighbouring houses, the residents faced initial rejection and were compelled to appeal before finally obtaining approval.
One frustrated homeowner lamented, “Even the simplest thing we have not been able to do,” adding, “It’s not my business how people’s houses look.”
The real bone of contention, however, stems from their belief that “they seem to be contravening the planning policy and the council are defending it.”
Controversy has surrounded the recent refurbishments on a Hungferford Road property, leading locals to suspect Islington Council might be giving the homeowner preferential treatment.
An aggrieved neighbour wrote: “[Residents are] disappointed and dismayed with the general renovation of [house number], and are minded to draw the conclusion that the Developer has received favourable treatment compared to other homeowners in houses which are identical in design.”
Homeowners say they have always struggled to make even minor changes to their homes (Image: SWNS)
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Further criticism emerged as the house, located in a conservation area, appears strikingly discordant with others: “This house is in a conservation area and is totally out of keeping with the appearance of the other properties on Hungerford Road, due to the developer riding roughshod.”
The sentiment continues, expressing the feelings of powerlessness among neighbours: “As neighbours, we have not been afforded the opportunity to develop with impunity.”
Long-time local and artist Andrew Pegram voices his agreement, pointing out the excessive illumination of the controversial development: “[The lights] are shockingly bright. A lot of us have a light, but nothing like that. There is a great deal of lighting on the back of the house as well.”
When questioned about the comparison to the Love Island villa, Mr Pegram responded: “I have never seen Love Island, so I couldn’t say.”
He added, “But I have been to Reno and Las Vegas and it is something like that.”
He described the situation as a row of houses all built to a specific design, with this particular house standing out due to its distinct lack of similarity to the others. “It has nothing of the character of the rest of the street,” he said.
Mr Pegram, who has resided in his home since 1980, expressed his understanding of what constitutes loudness. He also revealed his own struggles with home alterations in the past.
He further emphasised the uniformity of the houses in the row, describing the controversial house as a “This is a row of houses which has a general appearance which is uniform, and now there is one sore thumb.”
He voiced the community’s displeasure at being disregarded in this manner, stating, “We are a real community, so we are kind of offended when somebody rides roughshod over us like this.”
Despite this, Mr Pegram acknowledged the significant changes in the area since he and his family first moved in, noting, “It was a little undiscovered when we first came here.”
He added, “Now, we are within walking distance of Google HQ at Kings Cross. It’s quite a desirable street to live on, but this [house] undermines the desirability.”
An Islington Council spokesperson commented on the matter, saying: “We are committed to ensuring that planning regulations are applied fairly and consistently across the borough.
“We are aware of issues being raised by residents about a property on Hungerford Road, which is the subject of a live Enforcement Investigation to determine whether any work has been done without permission or against approved plans.
“The planning department is also assessing a live planning application relating to part of the works.
“As such, we are not in a position [to] comment at this time, so as not to prejudice any part of the ongoing investigation.”