Brian May and Hans Zimmer among celebrities opposed to basement extension next to AIR Studios

Simon Whitlock16 January 2016

Leading figures in the music and film industry including Brian May, George Michael, and Hans Zimmer have all objected to a planned basement extension next door to the legendary AIR Studios in Hampstead.

AIR Studios was founded by The Beatles producer Sir George Martin and is currently housed in the Grade II listed Lyndhurst Hall. The building is one of only two recording facilities in London that can house a full symphony orchestra.

The music making is under threat though from a planning application by neighbours Andrew and Elizabeth Jeffreys for a basement complex containing a gym, sauna, and swimming pool.

A petition against this planning application has now reached over 10,000 signatures.

Opponents to the basement plans say the noise from the construction work will disrupt recordings, and could potentially cause serious structural damage to the 19th century building.

Paul Woolfe, co-owner of AIR Studios said, “All those risks combined would mean we could stop work [and] there’s no guarantee that if we have to stop work for six months or a year that our clients would wait.

“The impact on us could be fateful. The impact on the film and music industry in the UK could be fateful.”

There are fears that hundreds of musicians and producers could be out of work.

A Camden Council spokesperson said, “Given the nature of the studio’s use and the heritage importance of the buildings, scrutiny of the proposal is intentionally thorough.

“In the event that permission were to be granted, the Council would also require careful management of the construction process through a construction management plan to control and mitigate disruption to AIR Studios and other neighbours.”

In a statement in response to opposition to the plans, Tomas Croft the architect representing the Jeffrey’s says that, "The applicants are a young family who are long term and permanent residents of the area and are fully aware of the local character of the community and have no desire to cause any needless disruption.

“From the beginning of the application process the objective of the family has been to be able to extend the house without causing undue disruption to neighbouring commercial and private properties.“

With no indication of when a decision on the planning application will be made, the future of the studios remains in limbo.

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