A London town hall that has been at the centre of several high-profile rows over basements has banned construction work at weekends.
Kensington and Chelsea, which has already banned so-called “mega-basements”, passed the motion so that Saturdays are no longer included among “permitted hours” for noisy works. Its cabinet agreed the changes for the new code of construction practice last week and it will be brought in through the Control of Pollution Act 1974. Such building work was already banned in the borough on Sundays.
The move follows a series of disputes over vast planned basements under the homes of some of the borough’s wealthiest residents.
In October the owner of Monsoon clothing stores, Peter Simon, fell out with neighbours in Chelsea over plans to knock five homes into one and build a double basement with swimming pool, gym, wine cellar and two apartments.
Author and journalist Rachel Johnson, the sister of London Mayor Boris, became embroiled in a row with her neighbours earlier this year over their plans for a basement near her Notting Hill home. She claimed Igor and Christina Kryca would cause “major disruption” with an underground expansion to their £7 million house.
Ex-trader Stephen Fairholme, 47, also sparked a dispute over plans beneath his £5 million home for a playroom, utility room, gym, study and two bathrooms.
Kensington and Chelsea councillor Tim Ahern, cabinet member for environmental health, said: “We completely recognise the importance of building and construction work. However, we must appreciate that for people who live close by it can have an enormous impact on their lives.
“This is why we have introduced this new code of practice. It will help bring peace on the weekends and require developers to work far more closely with people who live close to their sites to mitigate... the problems associated with noise, dust and disturbance.”
