Daniel Craig and his wife Rachel Weisz are currently locked in a planning battle with their neighbours after they disagreed with the couple’s proposals to build an extension to their North London home.
The couple have plans to make renovations to their £6million townhouse in Primrose Hill, including the building of a rear extension after knocking down a ‘poorly-constructed 20th century’ conservatory.
They also want to split up the ground floor double reception room into two, move the kitchen and replace the first floor rear window which opens out onto a balcony at their five-bedroom home.
Locals in the area claim the proposal would not fit in with the style of their Victorian, Grade II-listed terraced home, which dates back to 1840 and sits in a conservation area.
Richard Simpson, on behalf of Camden Council’s Primrose Hill Conservation Area Committee, lodged a complaint with Camden Council, shortly after Craig and Weisz submitted the planning application in September.
The celebrity duo bought the property in 2008 and won a fight in 2017 to keep a 65ft tree behind the building
Locals in the area claim the proposal would not fit in with the style of their Victorian, Grade II-listed terraced home, which dates back to 1840 and sits in a conservation area
The committee, consisting of a group of residents which advise Camden Council on planning applications, had concerns about replacing the first floor window because of the removal of a type of historic window pattern from the Victorian era known as removal of marginal glazing.
Mr Simpson, who lodged the objection on two grounds, said the marginal glazing was ‘a characteristic of the windows in houses of this date’ in the local area.
A decision on the planning application is due to be made later this month.
Outlining the plans, Craig and Weisz’s planning agent wrote in planning documents: ‘The proposed new extension would replace an existing late 20th century conservatory which is poorly constructed, inefficient (it is very cold in the winter and it overheats in the summer), and out of keeping with the original building.
‘The enlarged extension allows the kitchen (the busiest room in the house) to be relocated to the rear of the property giving it direct contact with the garden and much improved natural light.
‘Internally the spine wall between the ground floor reception rooms would be healed and the existing double doors from the entrance hall separated and re-hung as single doors into the respective reception rooms.
‘So the most important rooms in the house would be reinstated to their original form. On the ground floor closet wing the existing study would be subdivided to allow the introduction of a guest WC, providing a much needed facility serving the principle rooms of the house.
‘The second floor closet wing rear window is, currently, a modern side hung casement. It is proposed to replace this with a French door style window with narrower frames and glazing bars. The sill to this window would be lowered by approximately 300mm.’
The celebrity duo bought the property in 2008 and won a fight in 2017 to keep a 65ft tree behind the building, after a neighbour wanted to axe it, claiming its roots were damaging their home.
The row divided the neighbourhood with residents reacting angrily to the idea, but it has now emerged that Camden Council has issued a protection order on the tree.
Craig’s representatives have chosen not to comment.