Demands to halt Highgate development after fire risks revealed

London Fire Brigade raises concerns over new development restricting access to a historic cottage, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

Peter Cassidy and Jane Hill outside the entrance to the Shepherd's Cottage — Peter Cassidy and Jane Hill outside the entrance to Shepherd’s Cottage

Haringey Council is facing calls to revoke planning permission for a controversial development next to a historic Highgate cottage over fire safety fears.

Work on the site of the housing scheme in Townsend Yard has begun despite concerns from London Fire Brigade (LFB) that it will “more than likely increase the risk of harm to the occupants, firefighters and destruction” of the cottage, which is a Grade 2-listed building.

Developer Sean Meadows won permission in 2020 to knock down a row of garages and build seven homes to the rear of the 17th Century ‘Shepherd’s Cottage’ at 36a Highgate High Street. But LFB warned in December 2021 that if the scheme was built according to the approved plans, it would only be able to access the cottage via a narrow passageway from Highgate High Street.

The fire brigade said the plans did not comply with building regulations stating that access for a pumping appliance should be provided to within 45 metres of all points inside the house. More than a year later, its concerns have still not been fully resolved.

Salus, a private building control firm appointed by the developer, confirmed it had still not received a fire strategy that complied with regulations. Salus associate director Steve Moore said: “We are fully aware of all issues affecting the fire safety and are in regular contact with LFB and The Highgate Society.”

Despite these concerns, Haringey Council says it does not have any grounds to stop the development from going ahead, as government legislation “allows developers to continue building at their own risk until the scheme is fully approved under the building regulations”.

Jane Hill, who lives in Shepherd’s Cottage, said: “It is an outrage. It is not fair, it is not just, and it is not safe. My safety and security in my own home of 22 years is hideously compromised.”

Jane said hoardings had been put up around the site and piling – a process of inserting deep foundations into the ground to secure the buildings – had already begun.

Explaining that the passageway from Highgate High Street is only 72cm wide at some points, she said: “If there was a fire – and the cottage is one room deep – there is no way out. I sleep on the top floor, and if a fire started below I would not be able to get out.

“The fear of fire is enormous. Even if I could get down, potentially I could not get out of the passageway.”

The passageway leading from Highgate High Street to Shepherd's Cottage — The passageway leading from Highgate High Street to Shepherd’s Cottage

The Highgate Society has proposed three alternatives to the current scheme that are designed to provide access to Townsend Yard for a fire engine, all of which involve reducing the number of homes. But it says the developer has so far failed to submit a revised scheme and “refused even to speak to residents”.

Fire safety is one of a number of concerns raised by opponents of the scheme. Jane said the row of two-storey mews houses would block out sunlight and daylight from her home, and intrude on her privacy.

During the consultation process, The Highgate Society warned the development would block views of the cottage, which dates back to a time when the Highgate Bowl was an area of fields used by drovers to fatten their animals before taking them to London’s meat markets.

But council planning chiefs claimed in a report that the scheme would not harm the “quality, distinctiveness, setting and significance of the nearby listed buildings”.

Last year, campaigners battled to save two mature lime trees under threat from the development after three others were felled to make way for the homes.

Jane said Mead Building Contractors had also breached planning conditions, stating that vehicles could only enter and exit the site forwards. The council has served a breach of condition notice, but Jane claimed the contractors were still reversing in and out of the yard.

Peter Cassidy, from Highgate Conservation Area Advisory Committee, sent a formal complaint to the council last month over its handling of “serious fire concerns” after claiming it had failed to act on his previous warnings.

He said it was “appalling” that nothing had been done, well over a year after the issue was first raised.

Peter added: “They [the council] have the power to revoke. Clearly they do not want to, but they have got the power to do it and put right what could be a horrible wrong.”

So far, a petition calling for the scheme to be revoked has gained more than 1,700 signatures.

An LFB spokesperson said: “The London Fire Brigade’s concerns regarding this development have not all been resolved. We remain in contact with relevant parties in order to find a permanent and satisfactory resolution.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that owners or developers can object to any decision to revoke permission but the secretary of state has the final say rather than the local planning authority.

A Haringey Council spokesperson said: “We do not have any grounds to stop this development. Planning permission was granted on the basis that London Fire Brigade were satisfied with the proposals in terms of fire safety. Subsequently, the LFB raised issues about whether the development can meet building control regulations.

“The developer has appointed a private building control organisation, as they are legally entitled to do, who is fully responsible for ensuring the development complies with the relevant building regulations, including consultation with LFB on fire safety and fire service access.

“We are continuing to closely monitor the works and have issued a formal warning to the developer for construction traffic breaching the conditions of the planning permission, as well as serving a breach of condition notice. If breaches continue, we will take further action. Government legislation allows developers to continue building at their own risk until the scheme is fully approved under the building regulations.”

Sean Meadows and Mead Building Contractors have been approached for comment.

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