Pink Floyd guitarist caught in planning row over ‘obtrusive' garden shed

Independent

08-07-2025

Pink Floyd's guitarist is caught in a planning row with his neighbours over claims his new garden shed is 'obtrusive' and 'overbearing'.
David Gilmour built a green shed in his garden in Hampstead after demolishing a summer house and later asked for retrospective planning permission.
But his application has sparked calls from The Hampstead Hill Gardens Residents' Association to remove the shed on the grounds that it is obstructive.
The local residents group argued in a letter published on Camden Council 's planning website that the new shed is 'significantly more visually and physically intrusive than what was originally approved or what stood there before'.
The residents group said the shed has been built against the boundary fence, unlike the previous building, which they claim was built two metres away and called for it to be 'removed as soon as possible'.
Residents added in the letter: 'We urge the Council to resist being misled by this retrospective rationalisation and to refuse this application.
'Allowing it would be a signal to all applicants that they can ignore the terms of their permissions.'
A neighbour also responding to the retrospective application said because the shed was built up against the back garden wall, there was no opportunity for it to be blocked from view by vegetation.
Another resident of Hampstead Hill Gardens said: 'The applicant's garden is long and ours is very short which makes this stand out all the more. You can see why they want the shed at the fence, but their gain is our loss.'
The Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum has also asked for a gap behind the shed for wildlife to pass by and to provide space for planting.
'The proposal does not include any works affecting the fabric of the listed building,' Mr Gilmour's application said.
'The replacement of these two buildings with a single well-designed new garden shed would have less impact than the previous arrangement.
'The proposed shed of high-quality design and build and is appropriate in this location.'
The application added: 'The shed is painted green to minimise its visual impact. As such, the modest size of the shed, good design and colouring mean that there would not be any harm to the setting of the listed building or that of neighbouring listed buildings.
'Nor would the proposal adversely impact the character of the conservation area.'