Harry Styles found himself at the centre of a neighbourhood drama after residents raised concerns about his ambitious plan to create what critics have called a “monster mansion” in north London.
The 31 year old singer began building his property empire in 2019 when he bought a house in Hampstead for £8.8 million.
A year later, the music icon added a second property next door for £4 million and more recently purchased a third house nearby.
However, Harry later submitted plans to join two of the homes together, sparking complaints from neighbours who feared the project would block sunlight from their houses.
Permission was granted in April but with conditions that included protecting wildlife by installing hedgehog and bat boxes.
Under the proposals, Harry wanted a lavish residence complete with a master suite, four dressing rooms, a drawing room, TV room, basement cinema, gym, pool, sauna and landscaped gardens with a water feature.
Not everyone was impressed. One neighbour told The Telegraph, “It’s sad living next to a building site all the time. This road didn’t used to be like this.”
They added that wealthy buyers were constantly redeveloping houses in the area, changing the community spirit.
Two neighbours even lodged formal objections, warning that their legal rights to natural light could be affected.
Another complaint said the mansion would feel too large compared to the other houses on the street.
Harry Style’s team defended the project, saying the plans were carefully designed to restore the Grade II listed building and enhance the area.
A daylight and sunlight study was also carried out, which concluded that any effect on neighbouring homes would be “negligible.”