EXCLUSIVE: Revenge of the Jedi: Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley wins battle with council to transform £1.85million derelict terraced house into family home in £1m transformation
- Actor Daisy Ridley requested permission to convert Grade II listed London home
- The building in Camden, North London, was derelict after being used as bedsits
- Ridley, 30, wants to build an extension and restore the house into a family home
Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley has finally won a battle with conservationists over the £1.85m derelict terraced house she bought two years ago in celebrity-studded Camden Town, north London.
The Force Awakens star, who plays Rey Skywalker, applied to transform the Grade II-listed building consisting of bedsits into a family home in a £1m transformation.
Her earlier planning application for a roof extension with rear terrace was thrown out by the local council after objections, but now she has been given the green light.
The property had previously been an unlicensed Home of Multiple Occupation (HMO) divided into tiny bedsits.
The building has a leaky roof, cracked walls, an overgrown garden and is deemed in ‘desperate need of restoration’.
Daisy, 30, applied to Camden Council for a rear kitchen extension following the demolition of an existing ground floor extension and two outbuildings, including internal and external restoration.
Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley has finally won a battle with conservationists over the £1.85m derelict house she bought two years ago in celebrity-studded Camden Town, north London
Her new plans received a guarded welcome from the local conservation committee, which comprises civic societies, residents’ associations and historical groups.
The Camden Town Conservation Area Committee warned that underpinning the subsiding property could cause ‘distress’ to neighbours’ homes and that light from the kitchen would cause ‘considerable light pollution in the rear garden area, allowing light to shine up on to the rear façade’.
They also questioned whether the upgrade would comply with measures to tackle ‘the climate emergency’ through appropriate insulation and an assessment over the use of ‘alternative energy sources’.
Officials have now given the go-ahead for the kitchen extension after there were no objections from neighbours.
The plans include a separate dining and living room, a powder room, a new first floor shower and wash room and a new second floor master bedroom and master bathroom.
Planning officer Obote Hope said: ‘The size, scale, design and location of the proposed alterations are not considered to cause harm to the special architectural and historic significance of the listed building or the character of the surrounding conservation area.’
Camden Council approved The Force Awakens star’s plans for restoring and extending the derelict Grade II listed Victorian house (above) she bought for £1.85 million two years ago
Other famous residents who live nearby include James Bond actor Daniel Craig, singer Craig David, model Daisy Lowe and comedian Julian Clary.
In a design statement, Ridley’s planning agent said: ‘This application will reinstate the dwelling house following a number of years of neglect and vacancy into a high-quality family home.
‘The proposal seeks to sensitively refurbish and extend the property, which is currently in serious disrepair.’
Daisy, who is rumoured to be engaged to actor Tom Bateman, is the great niece of playwright and actor Arnold Ridley, who played Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army from 1968-1977.
As well as her appearance in the 2015 Star Wars blockbuster, she had also played Ophelia, in a film of the same name, voiced the character of Cottontail in Peter Rabbit and starred in the 2017 mystery movie remake Murder on the Orient Express with Sir Kenneth Brannagh, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Dame Judi Dench.
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