May 2025 Conservation Report – Muswell Hill & Fortis Green Association

Permission has been granted for a Victorian-style helter skelter to be installed in the park between 1 April and 30 September each year for a five-year period.. It will be located near the terrace near the Phoenix bar.

An objection has been submitted in connection with an application for a new shopfront in vacant premises of the former estate agent at 336-338 Muswell Hill Broadway (HGY/2024/3075). The application failed to satisfy most of the criteria for a shopfront in the town centre, e.g., no stall riser, no provision for any window display, a full-width internally illuminated fascia and an external shutter. The latter two points are a particular concern given that it is a double unit.
Former Barclays Bank building. The application by Wonderlost café to make some minor modifications to the external appearance of the building has been approved. The signage is yet to be approved.
The Council has refused permission for an application to make substantial changes to the appearance at roof level of a house in Rosebery Road, which the Association objected to. It was good to see that the report by the planning officer included a detailed and robust objection by the Council’s Conservation Officer, which referred to the attractiveness of the townscape of this part of the Conservation Area.
Grove Lawn Tennis Club, Cascade Avenue N10 – application for nine new homes. The first day of the appeal has been confirmed for 10 June 2025. It is understood that there will be representation by the local campaign group.

The Association makes an enforcement complaint where appropriate e,g, a development being carried out without permission or there has been a breach of a Condition in a planning permission. There are two cases to report on:
Local residents were concerned that major basement works were being carried out at a semi-detached house in Queens Avenue, even though the developer had not submitted relevant details to the Council about how these would be safely carried out before starting the works, as had been required by the Council. The matter has now been resolved.
The new occupier of the former Real Greek restaurant premises on the roundabout has installed a full-width internally illuminated fascia. There has not been an application to do this, and if there had been, we would have objected as external illumination of fascias is the preferred option in the design guidelines for our town centre. An enforcement complaint has been lodged.

It is disappointing that at the time of writing, there is no word on the reopening date of the library on Queens Avenue.