Some of the UK's biggest film stars have spoken out against plans to build a luxury home they say is better suited to Malibu than West Hampstead.
Actors such as Emma Thompson and Greg Wise, Jim Broadbent, Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton are among dozens who are furious at plans to demolish a 1960s single-story block next to Hampstead Cricket Club in Crediton Hill and replace it with a modern two-storey home with basement.
But Scenario Architecture, which designed the plan, said it is "surprised that people involved in a creative industry are so conservative when it comes to another field".
The application has been made by Daniel and Sendi Young, and designs were revised by agent Savills after a consultation meeting in March.
A new design statement submitted in June says the building was originally constructed as a “large single-family dwelling” and was also used as ancillary office space.
It was proposed the site would have a “complete rebuild” and create a “contemporary yet sustainable family home”.
The proposal states: "Conscious of the arts and crafts style which is a prominent feature of the local area, the new dwelling does not try and compete with this but rather offers a modern building that is lightweight yet durable.”
But the contemporary design has outraged neighbours in West Hampstead, including some celebrities.
Actors Dame Emma Thompson and her husband Greg Wise said the aluminium-clad block design would “fit in perfectly in Malibu, but not in our conservation area”.
Mr Wise wrote: “As a trained architect, I have no inherent issues with modern design, but, like planting trees, the right design in the right place.”
He added: “This is the wrong design in the wrong place.”
In a letter to Camden Council, the two said the scheme “sets up a dangerous precedent” to building a residence at the bottom of a garden on the street.
Oscar-winning actor Jim Broadbent, who has appeared in Harry Potter and the Halfblood Prince, said it is an “inappropriate design” for the West End Green Conservation Area and argued it also sets a precedent for future applications that would “radically alter the unique character of the area”.
Actor Richard Clifford, who lives with I, Claudius star Derek Jacobi, said the house would be “more appropriate in a very modern industrial estate”.
And Downton Abbey star Jim Carter and his wife, actor Imelda Staunton, who has also appeared in Harry Potter films, wrote: “The view from the cricket pitch will be a large, looming three-storey aluminium and glass industrial shed, which is totally out of keeping.”
Others expressed concerns whether the property would overlook the cricket pitch, used by South Hampstead School.
But a Scenario Architecture spokesperson said that the site is "very discreet" and "on the whole, it maintains the single storey, above ground, of the existing with a partial mezzanine level and a basement below."
It was claimed that the appearance from the cricket field will be screened once the trees mature.
The new home would comprise two bedrooms and a family bathroom in the basement, as well as a guest bedroom with an ensuite, a utility room, a playroom and cinema room and a storage and plant room.
On the ground floor there would be a kitchen, dining, living room and master suite.
The mezzanine level would have a shared working area and two individual offices, a bathroom and a terrace.
Larry Trachtenberg, chair of the West End Green Conservation Area advisory committee, said there is a “very strong local opposition” and that the committee “completely agrees” with the objections put forward.
The proposal stated: “In terms of the setting of the new building on site, it remains fully concealed from the main street along Crediton Hill, with the new dwelling occupying a similar profile along the rear boundary to the East – maintaining the relationship with the cricket ground.”
Daniel Young is a consulting director at AI specialist Future WorkForce and Sendi Young is Europe managing director of US crypto-currency firm Ripple.
A Scenario Architecture spokesperson said: "We are hopeful that the development will still go ahead.
"The fact that they are celebrities should have no bearing on whether or not their concerns are taken into account.
"All that matters is whether they are valid objections.
"The house was designed to be lightweight and have minimal impact on the conservation area. In reality it can barely be seen from the street."
They continued: "A high level of objection to a contemporary design in an urban setting in London is very common and not surprising.
"We always give due consideration to neighbouring properties when designing.
"We have carried out careful studies and analysis to ensure that overshading etc. is kept within acceptable levels as set out in planning policy.
"We hope this will be the basis on which the decision is made, not subjective personal opinion on the aesthetic merits of the design.
"We believe that a contemporary building is the correct way of replacing what is there. It is hard to see how an Arts and Crafts approach could be used here. Our design respects the surrounding context but this does not mean it has to replicate it."
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