Homeowners on Hungerford Road in Islington are cross because they believe their neighbour has been allowed to develop the Victorian property “with impunity” – despite planning rules that state the houses should be uniform.
Some residents claim they have always struggled to make even minor changes to their homes, which sit in a conservation area.
And they say “shockingly bright” lights now illuminate the front of the controversial property, giving it the appearance of the Love Island villa – or “Las Vegas”.
Islington Council said it was “aware of issues” and confirmed a planning probe had been launched. The homeowner did not respond to a request for comment.
One resident, who with her husband has lived on Hungerford Road for nearly 20 years, said: “We don’t want to come across as Nimbys.
“I think we are all quite willing to accept that if your neighbour wants to dress up their house like Love Island, you should let them.
“But the thing that has raised everyone’s ire is that this row of houses is identical and this is a conservation area. They are really, really strict.”
The woman claimed that, some years ago, she and her husband had applied to replace a window in their hallway landing.
However, though the new window matched other houses on the road, they were initially rejected and had to appeal the decision before eventually being given the green light.
“Even the simplest thing we have not been able to do,” the woman continued. “It’s not my business how people’s houses look.
“But what has annoyed and perplexed us is that [they] seem to be contravening the planning policy and the council are defending it.”
Since the new renovations began at the house, residents have suggested to Islington Council the homeowner might be receiving “favourable treatment”.
One resident wrote: “[Residents are] disappointed and dismayed with the general renovation of [house number], and are minded to draw the conclusion that the Developer has received favourable treatment compared to other homeowners in houses which are identical in design.
“This house is in a conservation area and is totally out of keeping with the appearance of the other properties on Hungerford Road, due to the developer riding roughshod.
Artist Andrew Pegram has lived on Hungerford Road since the 1980s and agrees that the development is out of keeping with the rest of the street.
He said: “[The lights] are shockingly bright. A lot of us have a light, but nothing like that. There is a great deal of lighting on the back of the house as well.”
Asked if he agrees with the comparison with the Love Island villa, Mr Pegram added: “I have never seen Love Island, so I couldn’t say.
“But I have been to Reno and Las Vegas and it is something like that.
“This is a row of houses that were all made to a pattern. [This house] looks nothing like the other houses in the street. It has nothing of the character of the rest of the street.
“We have lived in this house since 1980, so we have a fairly good idea of what is loud and what is not.”
Mr Pegram claimed that he too had struggled with changes to his home in the past.
And he added: “This is a row of houses which has a general appearance which is uniform, and now there is one sore thumb.
“We are a real community, so we are kind of offended when somebody rides roughshod over us like this.”
However, Mr Pegram admitted that the area had changed considerably since he and his family first moved in, saying: “It was a little undiscovered when we first came here.
“Now, we are within walking distance of Google HQ at Kings Cross. It’s quite a desirable street to live on, but this [house] undermines the desirability.”
An Islington Council spokesperson said: “We are committed to ensuring that planning regulations are applied fairly and consistently across the borough.
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“We are aware of issues being raised by residents about a property on Hungerford Road, which is the subject of a live Enforcement Investigation to determine whether any work has been done without permission or against approved plans.
“The planning department is also assessing a live planning application relating to part of the works.
“As such, we are not in a position [to] comment at this time, so as not to prejudice any part of the ongoing investigation.”
