A court hearing has taken place to decide whether the red-and-white stripped £15 million home in Kensington should be repainted.
Owner Zipporah Lisle-Mainwaring is appealing against an order served by Kensington and Chelsea Council to return the property in South End to a more conventional appearance, after she gave it its distinctive makeover earlier this year.
The Section 215 is being challenged by Ms Lisle-Mainwaring during a two-day hearing (December 15 and 16) at Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court. An announcment is now expected in January.
It is the latest head-to-head between Ms Lisle-Mainwaring and the council after she took the local authority to court in a bid to have its restrictions on basement developments overturned .
Neighbours were left aghast at the property’s new beach hut-style look when it was painted in April. Some had objected to her planning application for an extensive basement development, which was refused by council planners.
Saskia Moyle, who at the time was studying A-levels lived opposite, said: “I got home a few weeks ago at night and there were just two guys looking a bit sheepish up a ladder painting the house red and white.
“It was quite funny they looked so embarrassed when they saw me. The house was all stripy and looked like it was glowing in the dark.
“It’s a real monstrosity - it sounds bad to say that it isn’t very Kensington but it just looks so weird. It’s like a cross between a beach hut and a circus.
“My dad really doesn’t like it. He thinks it’s an absolute monstrosity.
“It sounds bad to say it brings down the neighbourhood but quite a few tourists have been turning up to have a look.
“This whole road has basically been united in its hatred of that house.”
Another neighbour, who’s home over-looked the building, said: “I don’t like it.
“It was painted a few weeks ago. I came home from work and thought Sunderland or Southampton football team had moved in!
“Neither my wife or myself were particularly amused by it. Everyone I know is disappointed that this has happened. I know no-one that likes it and it doesn’t enhance the area.”
The building became somewhat of a landmark. An Australian woman working in Kensington. She said: “I love it. It’s fun and it’s different. All the other houses around here are just white.”
Originally the council said there was little it could do as “painting of this building does not require planning permission”, but it later served a Section 215 .
A spokesperson said at the time: “The property is situated within the Kensington Square Conservation Area and its condition and appearance has attracted numerous complaints to the council’s planning enforcement team. In addition to the exterior being painted red and white stripes, the property’s window frames are in a poor condition.”
In July, she lost a High Court challenge against the council’s landmark ban on mega-basements .
