But when she smoothed away the pebble dash on the front of the house, neighbourly relations quickly turned rocky.
The residents’ association condemned the new flat white facade as ‘unsympathetic’ and demanded the original frontage should be reinstated on the £2.6million property.
Hopes dashed: Residents complained that the new
look on Susanne Willumsen's house (centre) was 'unsympathetic' and
Camden Council in north London has now ordered her to reverse the work
'Cheap': How the north London house looked before the pebble dashing was removed by a builder
The coarse form of plaster is created by
smearing cement over brick and adding small gravel, pebbles or shells on
top. It was prevalent in the 1920s as a way to cover poor quality brick
as builders were forced to cut costs to meet a surge in property demand
And following a year-long row, the council has now ordered that Ms Willumsen, 45, must take down the white render and spend around £5,000 replacing the pebble dash.
Yesterday Ms Willumsen, who works in asset management, claimed the complaints were ‘personal’ and designed to ‘cause maximum distress and financial burden’ to her.
The married mother of two, who has lived in the area for 25 years, refuted complaints that the new finish on her detached Edwardian home ‘jarred’ with the rest of the street, pointing to ‘unsightly’ changes made to neighbouring houses.
Battle: Susanne Willumsen said she did not even set out to have the pebble dashing removed
The coarse form of plaster is created by smearing cement over brick and adding small gravel, pebbles or shells on top. It was prevalent in the 1920s as a way to cover poor quality brick as builders were forced to cut costs to meet a surge in property demand.
Some neighbours have come forward to support her, saying the original pebble dash facade looked ‘cheap’ and it was a shame her ‘transformation’ would be lost.
But in their letter to the council, the residents’ association claimed the work was a ‘severe violation’ that ‘jarred’ with the character of the exclusive street in West Hampstead, north London, where house prices average £3million.
Miss Thompson and her mother Phyllida Law live on the road, as does Miss Staunton and her husband, Downton Abbey star Jim Carter.
And Miss Law has even lent her support to Ms Willumsen, saying: ‘I’d rather they replaced the pebble dash than dug out one of those awful basement holes and added extra floors underneath.’
The bizarre row began after Ms Willumsen employed builders to refurbish her home and they removed the pebble dash.
The West End Green conservation area advisory committee – which has some members living on the street – complained to Camden Council and she was sent an enforcement notice.
The council said that the work had been carried out in a conservation area without the required planning permission, ‘causing harm to the character and appearance of the streetscene’.
Ms Willumsen’s application for retrospective permission was dismissed and she was given three months to reverse the work. In appeal documents, she said she had canvassed the opinion of her neighbours who were unopposed to the new facade.
She said it was her belief that the ‘unfortunate situation’ was caused by a ‘somewhat personal challenge’. But the conservation body said a ‘significant number’ of neighbours were ‘unhappy that the finish is out of keeping with the rest of the street’.
Exclusive: The house is in West Hampstead, where the average price of a home is £3million
Neighbours: The street is also home to the actresses Imelda Staunton and Oscar-winner Emma Thompson
An anonymous letter written by a member of the group said that the ‘unique mix of Edwardian and Victorian architectural features’ in the area was ‘being eroded through unsympathetic, and in many cases, forbidden alterations’.
Rejecting Ms Willumsen’s appeal, planning inspector David Rose said the white finish was ‘stark and bland’ and removing pebble dash would ‘result in the loss of local character and distinctiveness’.
But Norwegian Ms Willumsen told the Daily Mail her neighbours were disappointed that she had lost the battle with the council.
She said: ‘I didn’t specifically ask for [the pebble dash] to be removed. The builders said they did it to all of the houses [in the area] and said it had never been an issue. Unfortunately, in my road, it is an issue.
‘Anyone walking along the street would see that not all the houses are pebble dashed.
‘I’ve accepted my fate. I just think the rules should be clearer for residents about what can and can’t be done. It’s such a shame because the builders have created such a beautiful finish and now I have to ask them to put the pebble dashing up.’
DM
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