What is so sad is that the lives of many of our long standing Belsize citizens now in retirement and naturally wishing to enjoy the tranquility of their Belsize homes are being "bulldozed" into a frenzy of required complaints and potential legal challenges to these property developers that have in recent years moved into Hampstead, Frognal and Fitzjohns and Belsize with apparent alarming ease as a way to earn higher rates of returns on monies that receive virtually nothing from the banks. Most of these repackaged homes are not actually lived in whilst these works can last many months or years.
Some examples of the issues that I have picked up yesterday are:
Concrete sludge being dumped into street drains, causing blockage and local flooding with very expensive repairs being required to be actioned by Camden council services.
Excessive environmental noise and dust pollution to local area. Some residents have reported to me that sound recording meters designed to measure noise have recorded at times in well in excess 100db of sound and this is in a residential area. By way of an example I have researched that close proximity to a jet on take off is around 120db!
One of the biggest complaints however is hours of building works being extended by contractors outside of the consulted permitted times, again with total disregard to local residents who may me home retired or those many residents who seek to work from home locations who find that they are unable to do so for months if not years with out disruption from noise pollution.
I had another particularly sad example last week of two older retired homeowners living in a row of three houses, where the middle house owner (who naturally does not actually live there) wish to develop an over the garden extension between the two very lovely gardens who will not only lose their valued garden views and being able to exchange in dialogue but have a virtual brick wall out house for a view with loss of security by enabling would be criminals to cross over the erected garden house roofs to enter upper level windows.
On this particular example it is hoped that by pending legal mitigation will be prevented from happening!
I would love to share actual examples with you but for legal reasons must refrain from doing so as most are or may enter a legal proceedings.
It is clear that I will have a busy time with Camden council planning officers next week after the holidays.
It is hard to be photographed in leafy Belsize without someone recognising their own house. So in the avoidance of any doubt the background in my photograph bears no relation to this piece.
