Saatchi loses fight to stop neighbour building her dream home
WHEN he successfully blocked a neighbour’s plans for a huge basement conversion, Charles Saatchi thought he had reason to celebrate. But now the multimillionaire advertising tycoon has suffered a triple blow. For not only has the neighbour been given permission for a scaleddown version of the project but two other residents in the exclusive Chelsea street have announced plans for basement conversions of their own. Saatchi, 71, faced allegations of hypocrisy when he and his then wife Nigella Lawson objected to the original plans three years ago. For the couple had just spent a fortune turning their £ 12.3million property into a seven- bedroom dream home They were given planning permission to rebuild large parts of the former gas engineering works and dig a basement conversion. They spent £ 500,000 on the kitchen, used as a studio for Miss Lawson’s TV cookery shows in 2010. However, when interior designer Flora Mascolo, who had bought the property next door, applied to carry out renovations, Saatchi objected. He claimed turning the £ 5million two- storey house into a four- storey property by means of a large basement conversion would ‘ erode the character’ of the street just off the fashionable King’s Road. Mrs Mascolo, 46, the widow of Toni & Guy hair salon chain founder Guy Mascolo, accused the couple of using their celebrity status to turn residents against her after more than 20 objected. However, another resident said: ‘ If you own a house that is worth a lot of money, you don’t want to see the value diminish by what is happening next door.’ The mother of four shelved her plan but submitted an amended application. That was withdrawn following further opposition. Mrs Mascolo submitted a third, scaleddown application in January, which was passed. Building started this week and two more owners have now applied for permission to convert their basements. Miss Lawson, 54, moved out last year when her marriage to Saatchi ended seven weeks after photographs emerged of him with his hands around her neck during an argument at a restaurant. Saatchi has since been dating TV fashion presenter Trinny Woodall, 50. Nick de Lotbiniere, of Savills, who acted for Saatchi over the planning row, said: ‘ The project in question has now been considerably scaled down, and improved in design from the original unsuitable proposals. ‘ Conditions were also imposed on the project to safeguard the local environment as the result of the reasonable and successful objections of the local residents.’ Kensington and Chelsea Council plans a crackdown on ‘ iceberg homes’ – where owners dig down several levels. Draft rules would limit basements to a single storey.