Kirstie Allsopp‘s husband’s plans to reintroduce a historic Victorian lightwell at his north London pub have been slammed by locals who say it could be used for upskirting.
One resident likened the idea to ‘a voyeur’s deluxe box seat’, saying that ‘if the goal was to create a wholly inappropriate and wildly tone-deaf feature, then mission accomplished.’
And they added: ‘Surely, we’ve evolved beyond designing our streets like the set of a Victorian peep show.
‘If this is heritage, then perhaps we should also bring back gas lamps and cholera.’
Property development company Wentworth Anderson – run by Location, Location, Location star Allsopp’s husband Ben Andersen – is redeveloping the pub on Latimer Road in north London.
Previously known as Ariadne’s Nectar Bar, it was bought by the company in 2023 and renovation work is ongoing.
But it seems not everyone is happy with every part of the Victorian building’s restoration.
Last year the project fell foul of neighbours when a huge sign appeared on the side of the building with ‘Allsopp’s’ written on it.
Kirstie Allsopp ‘s husband’s plans to reintroduce a historic Victorian lightwell at his north London pub have been slammed by locals who say it could be used for upskirting
Property development company Wentworth Anderson – run by Location, Location, Location star Allsopp’s husband Ben Andersen – is redeveloping the pub on Latimer Road in north London
And now, plans to bring back a lightwell – which traditionally gave light to cellars – have also been slammed (Pictured: The former lightwell can be seen paved over)
The owners were criticised, with some saying they were imposing Kirstie’s name on the area.
It later transpired that her great great grandfather owned a beer brand which is now being revived by her cousin Jamie and is expected to be sold in the pub.
And now, plans to bring back a lightwell – which traditionally gave light to cellars – have also been slammed.
One local wrote a huge long letter decrying the idea as ‘baffling and frankly retrograde’ while others said it was planning by stealth as it made them worry that by introducing light it would pave the way for conversion of the basement into flats.
Documents submitted to local planning authority the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) show that Wentworth Andersen want to reinstate the original lightwell which once lay on the pavement outside the Victorian boozer.
They would use conservation grade black grilles painted in black gloss.
Two other similar lightwells are still in existence at the pub – one of which has been glazed over.
Speaking of the fact the lightwell could be used by perverts, one local let rip, saying: ‘Community spaces are precious, and their return is usually cause for celebration.
‘However, any enthusiasm I felt has been thoroughly eclipsed by the baffling and frankly retrograde decision to reintroduce a design feature that belongs firmly in the past – if not in the bin.
Plans showing the ground and basement floors of the pub with the area where the light well is hatched off
Last year the project fell foul of neighbours when a huge sign appeared on the side of the building with ‘Allsopp’s’ written on it
‘Not only am I a woman who enjoys strolling through her neighbourhood without fearing a low-angle photo shoot, I’m also a mother to a young daughter.
‘And now I find myself wondering whether this grille is intended as some sort of open-air museum piece on how not to design public infrastructure.
‘Given that upskirting has been a criminal offence since the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019, one might assume the days of designing public spaces that actively enable it were behind us.
‘Yet here we are, with a planning proposal that seems to forget the last decade ever happened.
‘What’s next – a request to reinstall the pillory outside the tube station for ‘character’?
‘Should I be grateful the application doesn’t include a ladder and subscription viewing service?
‘In short: I would rather not have to explain to my daughter why, in her own neighbourhood, she must avoid a certain patch of pavement lest she inadvertently become the star of someone’s grainy underground film.
‘Will we be installing signs advising women to tread lightly? Or perhaps issuing skirts with built-in blackout panels for passers-by?
‘The proposed lightwell is to be installed directly next to the entrance of a commercial pub, because clearly, nothing says ‘welcome in for a pint’ like an open viewing grid underfoot.
‘The fact it was concreted over more than two decades ago speaks volumes.
‘Someone, somewhere, clearly saw it for what it was: a liability, not a legacy.
‘It’s as though the entire idea was lifted straight from a time capsule-and not in a charming way.
The owners were criticised, with some saying they were imposing Kirstie’s name on the area
It later transpired that her great great grandfather owned a beer brand which is now being revived by her cousin Jamie and is expected to be sold in the pub
And now, plans to bring back a lightwell – which traditionally gave light to cellars – have also been slammed
‘I support the reopening of the pub wholeheartedly – but this lightwell is an absurd inclusion.
‘It is unsafe, outdated, and frankly inappropriate for a borough that claims to value public safety, especially for women and girls.’
Following complaints earlier this year about building materials being left on the pavement, others said they worried the pub owners were trying to usher basement flats in through the back door.
‘This lightwell application might seem minor, even quaint-on the surface. But let’s not be naïve,’ one said.
‘It’s the opening move in a much larger game. The building at 274 Latimer Road has already lost its upper floors to residential flats.
‘Now, conveniently, the developer wants to reinstate a pavement vault lightwell providing light, air, and access to the basement. It’s a textbook setup for conversion.
‘This is development by stealth and it’s precisely the kind of piecemeal planning strategy that the courts have already warned against.’
Another said: ‘So, the developer wants to reinstate a pavement vault lightwell that hasn’t been in use for over 50 years – yet the pub itself has remained closed for the last five, and the upper floors have already been carved up into residential flats!!
‘This is not lawful development; it’s a transparent attempt to sidestep proper planning scrutiny.
‘Reopening a public house serves the community. Reopening a lightwell serves the developer.
‘This isn’t about restoring what’s there – it’s about paving the way for further piecemeal development.’
And another fumed: ‘For nearly two years now, the site has languished in a state of perpetual renovation, with precious little sign of progress – let alone completion.
‘And yet, behind this protracted facade of activity, a rather more insidious agenda appears to be unfolding.
‘This latest application, which proposes the insertion of a lightwell and ventilation infrastructure, is transparently the next calculated step towards full-scale residential redevelopment.’
It comes as locals said they were fed up of noisy building work at the venue, which lies not far from the burnt out shell of Grenfell Tower.
One blasted how ‘intrusive drilling goes on all day’, adding: ‘No-one here knows what’s going on.
‘Are they opening a pub? Are they not? They’ve been on site for about two years.
‘We’d all like to know what’s happening.’
It comes as Wentworth Andersen’s latest application relating to the refurbishment of the pub was withdrawn recently – a day before the council was due to decide it.
They wanted to replace the cellar cooling and kitchen extract systems and alter a rear flue.
It is not known whether they will put another application in at a later date.
Allsopp, 53, and Andersen have been a couple for more than two decades and they have two teenage sons.
The lightwell application will be decided shortly.
Wentworth Andersen was contacted last Thursday but have not yet replied.
- An earlier version of this article contained an image said to be of a Victorian lightwell located at the pub on Latimer Road. In fact, the lightwell belongs to an adjoining property.