London cellar extensions as normal as attic extensions, study results | London


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With its underground swimming pools, cinemas and art galleries, London’s luxurious basement developments as depots for the hidden wealth of the super-rich have long been a source of envy and disgust.

But a study that mapped all of the 7,328 basement floors approved by 32 boroughs and the City of London between 2008 and 2019 found that most of these developments were built for middle-class professionals rather than oligarchs like normal loft conversions.

The plans include 532 swimming pools, 814 cinemas, 1,695 gyms, 689 wine cellars, 607 game rooms, 342 steam rooms or saunas, and 154 staff accommodation, according to an analysis of building applications by researchers at Newcastle University’s School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape.

Your report, bunkering down? The geography of the elite residential basement development in London calculated that the combined depth of all these projects would be 25.5 km, which is 31 times the height of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

The researchers also estimated that more than 1.782 million cubic feet of earth were excavated under Greater London to build these basements – 12 times the volume of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

After the torrential rains in London on Monday, local residents, MPs and environmental experts voiced concerns that the proliferation of basement developments had contributed to the inundation of hundreds of properties.

Queen guitarist Brian May posted a video on his Instagram account showing the extent of the damage to his Kensington home, which he claimed was “almost certainly the result of all of the basement buildings that this area has been in.” haunted the past 10 years “. .

The scale of this construction has led to planning battles in some of the capital’s most affluent neighborhoods. Robbie Williams’ plans to build an underground swimming pool and gym under his listed house in Holland Park, west London sparked a five-year argument with his neighbor, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.

The study divided the basements that the researchers said were being built or were under construction into three size categories. Standard developments with one story accounted for nearly 80% (5,813) of the projects, with Hammersmith and Fulham having the highest number (1,285).

Another 1,344 (18.3%) were classified as large basements large enough to house a swimming pool. The researchers also identified 171 (2.3%) mega-basements, some of which were three stories deep and extended under the garden. Kensington and Chelsea have most of these two types, followed by Westminster.

The researchers also highlighted income inequality in London’s richest boroughs, with 163 cellars identified within 1 km of Grenfell Tower, including 49 as large or mega.

Other amenities uncovered in the study include 71 libraries, 41 bars, 30 music rooms, and 30 art rooms.

The study’s lead researcher, Roger Burrows, professor of cities at Newcastle University, said he found that booming house prices in the 2010s made basement developments a logical choice for wealthy Londoners in areas like Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington and Hackney who wanted to maximize the value of their property.

“What we have seen is a normalization of single-story basements as the 21st century version of loft conversion,” he said.

Mary Dhonau, former CEO of the National Flood Forum and independent flood expert, described the results of the study as “overwhelming”. She added, “I hope Monday night was a rigorous reality check for the planners. We shouldn’t dig huge cellars and displace soil that we need to drain rain away, especially in built-up areas. “

Karen Buck, the Labor MP for Westminster North, said many voters had raised concerns that the extent of the basement excavations had contributed to the flooding. “We have received reports that large cellars have been flooded in St. John’s Wood, which sits on top of a hill,” she added.

The number of approved large and mega cellars has decreased in recent years due to stricter planning regulations.

Construction companies said the construction of full-size basements also slowed down during the pandemic, likely due to job insecurity among middle-class professionals. But Mike Wiseman, a partner at the Basement Design Studio, said it’s been happening again since Christmas.

He added that the company recently completed a 250 square meter basement under a Grade I listed building in St. John’s Wood, while another, approximately 279 square meters, is pending planning permission.



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