Frank Vosper was born in December 1899, just two weeks before the turn of the century. He was born at 24 Gondar Gardens in West Hampstead – the house where Nobel prize-winning novelist Doris Lessing lived for more than 30 … Continue reading →
Gondar Gardens – the old reservoir site in the northern reaches of West Hampstead – has had more than its fair share of development proposals over the past few years. Some have been rejected – even on appeal – and … Continue reading →
The never-ending Gondar Gardens planning saga is taking its next turn. Linden Wates, the developer, has submitted an appeal against Camden’s refusal of its revised frontage scheme for the reservoir site. This scheme is for 28 flats/houses. It was recommended … Continue reading →
Could we be entering the endgame in the Gondar Gardens saga? The developer, Linden Wates, has submitted its third planning application for the site. This attempts to address the very specific points that the national planning inspector raised in turning … Continue reading →
Here’s a very useful history of the Gondar Gardens reservoir site, provided by GARA – the local residents association. 1874 Reservoir constructed. 1889 Tennis courts on the reservoir roof (no-one knew about slow worms then!). 100 years pass… 1989 Roof … Continue reading →
[updated Oct 26th 7pm] Many professions are so steeped in their own language that they find it almost impossible to communicate in plain English, even when asked. Thus it was that I found myself talking to architects about the revised … Continue reading →
If you’re playing catch-up on the interminable story of Gondar Gardens, which progesses as fast as the slow worms that have previously come to its rescue, then please read this succinct summary of where we stood back in June. In … Continue reading →
This morning I heard that the verdict of the Planning Inspector was finally in on Linden Wates’ second appeal. To recap very quickly: Scheme #1: 16 large houses in the middle of the to-be-excavated reservoir space, mostly below ground level; … Continue reading →
It’s easy to get lost with the Gondar Gardens saga – it’s almost as long as Lord of the Rings, and with only marginally fewer cast members. Here’s the recap: Linden Wates put in a proposal to turn the whole … Continue reading →
Planning law is a strange beast. Let me refresh your memory. Linden Wates recently won an appeal to build very low-impact homes on the resevoir site in Gondar Gardens. In a considered review of the application, the Planning Inspector believed … Continue reading →
