Crimewatch presenter Nick Ross allowed to demolish his £17m Grade II listed …

Posted on by Listify Me
  • TV presenter’s controversial £10m plans for elegant London house agreed
  • He can rip out much behind the Georgian facade and add pool and cellar
  • Neighbours had opposed Ross’ plans for Bayswater house as ‘obtrusive’

By
Harriet Arkell


PUBLISHED:

10:30 GMT, 18 September 2013


|

UPDATED:

12:40 GMT, 18 September 2013

The former Crimewatch presenter and his wife, Sarah Caplin, plan to update the historic property by installing features like a two-storey basement and gym

Planning: Nick Ross and his wife, Sarah Caplin, (pictured) will update their historic property making it into six storeys with five bedrooms

Former Crimewatch presenter Nick Ross has won planning permission to ‘substantially demolish’ his £17m Grade II listed home and replace it with a new six-storey, five-bedroom home.

The 66-year-old television presenter was at the Westminster Council planning meeting himself last night to hear his extensive and controversial plans for the historic building described as being like Marmite – with people either loving it or hating it.

But he was given permission to go ahead with his £10m building project on the elegant house between Notting Hill and Hyde Park in west London.

Apart from a few tweaks in the
exterior design, the plans were agreed by Westminster
Council’s Planning Sub-Committee last night, with chairman Robert Davis praising the design.

He said the design of the house was ‘one of those things, you either like it or you don’t like it, a bit like Marmite.

‘I am afraid that I really like it.’

The
new property, which will keep its Georgian facade, will boast a garage,
a two-storey basement, swimming pool, gym, projection room, staff
quarters and a wine cellar, and could be worth up to £40m once it is
finished.

Proposals also include transforming
the exterior by adding a series of pergolas to the garden and a set of
balconies to the house itself, giving views over a leafy square in
Bayswater.

Nick Ross plans to develop this Grade II listed Georgian Villa to the dismay of his neighbours

Updating: Nick Ross now intends to develop this Grade II listed Georgian Villa to the dismay of his neighbours

Plans for the second floor of the house show three bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, lift and staircases

Plans for the second floor of the house show three bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, lift and staircases

Planning officers had received 19 objections from local residents, and just four letters of support for the transformation of the property which Mr Ross and his wife Sarah Caplin paid £17m for last November.

NICK ROSS’S PROPERTY JACKPOT

NICK ROSS

Last year it emerged that Nick Ross and
his wife Sarah Caplin had sold another luxury property for £35m – more than 40 times
what they paid for it 20 years ago.

The
value of that house, which was bought by Saudi businessman Wafic Said,
had been significantly raised by extensive renovations.

They bought the 1908 town house in Notting Hill, west London in 1993 for £950,000.

They stold it to the financier Khaled Said and his wife Diane Elisabeth for about £35million.

The TV presenter, who co-founded Childline, split the proceeds among his three grown-up sons and a charity.

Christopher Wright, secretary of Bayswater Residents Association, had told planners: ‘We do not consider that introducing a modern style of design needs to be out of keeping with the architectural style of the houses in the square, but the scale of the extension is very large and we feel will be obtrusive.’

Mr Davis granted approval on the conditions that one of the proposed pergolas be removed, the roof be pulled back slightly to prevent overlooking into neighbours’ homes, and that the gates be made of railings.

He said: ‘It is also very important to bring this building back into use.’

The proposal had been opposed by angry local residents who claimed Ross and his wife’s plans for the Georgian villa, which dates back to 1826, were ‘out of character’ with the area.

Ross, who stepped down from presenting Crimewatch five years ago, was co-host for many years to Jill Dando, who was shot dead in 1999

Speaking
after the meeting he said: ‘I am sorry we have lost the pergola, it
doesn’t cause any problems with the adjoining premises.

‘But yes, overall
I am glad that we got it.’

Des-res: The Crimewatch presenter's refurbished London house will enjoy views over this leafy garden square

Des-res: The Crimewatch presenter’s refurbished London house will enjoy views over this leafy garden square

The house's elegant Georgian facade is in need of renovation and Mr Ross will spend £10m on building works

The house’s elegant Georgian facade is in need of renovation and Mr Ross will spend £10m on building works

Mr Ross bought the house last November for £17m and it will probably be worth £40m when done

Mr Ross bought the house last November for £17m and it will probably be worth £40m when done

The comments below have been moderated in advance.



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See you can do ANYTHING if you have MONEY !!!!!!!!!!!!

mags68
,

Northampton,
18/9/2013 14:05

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How on earth does he have the money to do all that, BBC Licence fee, so its ours then!

stix
,

England, United Kingdom,
18/9/2013 14:04

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ugly house

im spartacus
,

Manchester, United Kingdom,
18/9/2013 14:04

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Must admit the present Georgian pile looks jerry-built and needs a good once-over… whoever sold it for a ridiculous £17,000,000 in the first place, shoddy rendering ‘an all, must have seen him coming.

Phil Garlic
,

Slaphead-on-Sea. Baldy Island, United Kingdom,
18/9/2013 14:02

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How did he get to be worth even close to that much being a lower paid TV presenter?!

Scotchy of Eggdom
,

London, United Kingdom,
18/9/2013 14:00

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Sounds like Nick is doing better than the criminals on crime watch if he is making this kind of money!

krampus
,

hull, United Kingdom,
18/9/2013 13:53

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So what is the point of a grade 2 listing if someone can just come along and effectively demolish it?

Graham
,

Woking,
18/9/2013 13:53

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Just goes to show how much of our money the bbc chucks around with abandon,how the hell is aBBC Presenter in this league.

thru a glass darkly
,

Englandland, United Kingdom,
18/9/2013 13:52

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Vile man

Neville
,

Norwich,
18/9/2013 13:48

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Some people just have too much money…

Reubenene
,

Victoria, Australia,
18/9/2013 13:40

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