Jamie Oliver loses fight to block new homes
JAMIE OLIVER has lost a battle to stop new homes from being built next to his London headquarters, despite claims the development would ruin the “natural light” needed for filming.
The celebrity chef (inset below) is reportedly anxious plans to expand a block of flats nearby by adding two new storeys will also impact privacy.
The scheme will deliver six new homes near the building in Islington, north London, where the Jamie Oliver Group currently occupies about 1,845sq metres of floor space. He runs the Jamie Oliver Cookery School from the base, and does filming work there.
He says he is worried that the new homes will ruin filming at his building by restricting light and creating noise. Raising an objection to the plans on Oliver’s behalf, Rob Harrington, facilities manager at Jamie Oliver’s headquarters, told Islington council’s Zoom planning conference call: “The proposal will impact our business greatly through the construction phase and subsequently if the development is approved.
“A key driver for us moving to the area in 2017 was the fantastic space … its privacy and natural light. This will not only commercially hit our capacity to work effectively but it will also impact Jamie and our staff ’s privacy, which as you can imagine is not something Jamie has much of outside of his home and workspace.”
Other businesses – including a film studio – housed in the building have also opposed the scheme citing the noise and disruption it would cause.
However, Islington council planners have now approved the scheme, finding it in line with minimum distance rules from the chef ’s office.
Speaking for the applicant, Clearwell Creek Properties Ltd, Greg Dowden said developers had worked “very hard” with adjoining occupants. After the meeting, Islington Labour councillor Gulcin Ozdemir tweeted: “Do I support individual business? Yes. Do I think a celebrity chef ’s needs should be prioritised over providing six new homes that is not even going to make a dent to the 14,000 on Islington’s waiting list? I don’t!” Oliver’s brand, Jamie’s Italian, has already gone bust and last year he closed all but three of his 25 UK restaurants, with 1,000 people losing jobs.