David Tennant House Extension Moves A Step Closer

Local residents group has told planners they will not oppose latest design

Actor David Tennant and his wife's latest bid to extend their family home in Chiswick looks as if it has moved a step closer. The local residents' group which had scuppered the original plans, has indicated that it will not oppose this attempt.

A planning application had been submitted to Hounslow Council for the second time in a few months, seeking changes to the house which the actor and his wife say are necessary because of their growing family.

Their previous attempt to build another storey onto the two-storey house was turned down by Hounslow Council's Planning Committee last December, following objections from a local resident's group.

But a spokesperson for the West Chiswick & Gunnersbury Society (WCGS) has told chiswickw4.com that it has told planners it will not be making any objections in this case.

If Hounslow Planning officials give it the go-ahead, the way will be cleared for the extension to go ahead.

The actor and his wife are seeking permission for the erection of a two-storey rear extension at first-floor level and a single-storey rear extension either side, and a rear roof extension. They also seek enlargement of the existing basement.

They will be hoping for success this time because the work is to the rear of the house instead of to the front of the building.

The former Dr Who and Broadchurch star had previously said that he and his wife might have to sell up and leave the area if they were unable to extend their home for their growing family.

The West Chiswick and Gunnersbury Society (WCGS) had opposed their original application on the grounds that by raising the building by another storey, it was not in keeping with being in a Conservation area and would not be in scale with other Victorian detached houses in the area.

There have been two known planning applications submitted in the past by the previous
residents, which the Tennant's architects say (in the application) that both demonstrated very similar intended vertical extension for the property. The first application submitted in 1989 was refused, and Planning permission was granted for the second application in 1990, but the extension was not built. The area was declared a Conservation Area in 2002.

David Tennant's design team at Zulufish Ltd, have said that the overall appearance of the proposed new horizontally extended building is respectful to the conservation area. It would neither stand out nor contradict with the existing precedent of the historic architectural language and would not cause a significant adverse effect to its neighbours and street scene.

The actor surprised the attendance at the Chiswick Area Forum last year by appearing in person to plead his case for improvements to his property. "We love Chiswick, we don't want to live anywhere else. We cherish everything about the area - we want to grow old here", he said.

Councillors then referred the matter to the Planning Committee, which turned down that application.

April 15, 2016