Hampstead residents say their legal rights to light could be ‘infringed’

Harry Styles is facing complaints from his neighbours over claims his plans to build a mega-mansion in north London could obstruct the flow of light into their homes, The Telegraph can reveal.

The former One Direction star is combining two homes in Hampstead to create one large property.

Under the plans submitted to his local council, the new property will include a master suite with four dressing rooms, a gallery, a drawing room, a TV room, while the garden will have a water feature along with a basement cinema, pool, sauna and gym.

But now residents have told The Telegraph they feared that the “plans could be a little overbearing and cause some loss of light” at their properties located nearby.

Another local told The Telegraph: “It’s sad living next to a building site all the time.

“This road didn’t used to be like this. All the houses are now constantly being bought by millionaires and redone.

“There’s another house down at the bottom of the road, which I’m sure will be bought up and renovated like the others.

Hampstead in north London, where the musician’s ‘monster mansion’ will include a master suite with four dressing rooms, a gallery, a drawing room and a TV room Credit: Getty Images

“There’s also unfortunately less community among the neighbours than there was since people have moved on from the area.”

Shortly after the plans were submitted, two of his neighbours lodged complaints with the local council, saying their legal rights to light could be “infringed”.

A right to light is a legal easement in English law that gives a landowner the entitlement to receive natural light through specific openings in their buildings.

In separate letters, representatives for the individuals said: “My client is also deeply concerned about their private legal Rights to Light that might be infringed by virtue of the implementation of the proposal or a similar scheme of this nature.”

Another complaint read: “The building will be much larger in scale to all existing properties on the road, which are two stories, therefore out of scale.

“We appreciate that the building was originally three stories, and the planning application is to restore the building; however, the majority of the road did not exist when it was three stories, and the buildings that exist were outbuildings.”

According to records seen by The Telegraph, the musician purchased the first Hampstead property for £8.8m in April 2019, and later bought the adjoining house for £4.175m, followed by a third property last year.

Styles – who was recently linked to Zoë Kravitz – was given planning permission in April to create his mega-mansion as long as he created a haven for wildlife.

These conditions include putting in place hedgehog boxes and bat boxes to help support protected wildlife.

The singer has since submitted plans to tweak small parts of the development, which are currently being considered by council bosses.

Styles’s planning representatives said in documents: “The proposed development has been carefully crafted to bring the building back as one of the great Hampstead houses.

“It proposes to amalgamate the two houses, along with internal and alterations, extensions to the second, ground and lower ground floors, and extensive landscaping in order to reinstate and provide substantial enhancement to the Grade II listed building.”

They added that they undertook a series of community engagement events with locals, adding: “Residents had queries regarding the impact of the proposed development on daylight and sunlight of the neighbouring properties, as well as construction traffic and parking.”

After the meetings, Style’s planning consultants commissioned a specialist external daylight and sunlight study.

It said that there would be a “negligible impact on neighbouring properties in terms of daylight and sunlight.”

The singer aims for the property to be completed by October 2027 Credit: Neil Mockford/GC Images

In planning documents, the singer’s representatives also insisted that the plans did not intrude on light and concluded: “Overall, the proposals are considered to sustain and enhance an appreciation and understanding of the historic and architectural interest of the Grade II listed houses, and the character and appearance of the conservation area.

“The scheme will undoubtedly create a dwelling of the highest quality and befitting of the significance of one of the most prominent Hampstead homes.”

Styles is aiming for the property to be completed by October 2027.