Council orders removal of windows at Richard Caring’s mansion

Richard Caring has been given six months to remove three windows from his multi-million pound mansion in London’s Kensington after the council ruled against his appeal.

The owner of Bacchanalia and the Ivy and Sexy Fish restaurants was accused of installing three dormer windows without planning permission at his Park House dwelling, which was an authorised development.

Planning inspector Elizabeth Pleasant took issue with the dormers because they “gave this part of the building a top-heavy appearance”.

She added: “Consequently, the original design and composition of this elevation of the building has been distorted by the addition of the dormers, which has diminished the design quality of the building as a whole.”

Local residents expressed concerns that the dormer windows had an impact on privacy and light pollution, but the inspector concluded “the dormer windows do not have a harmful effect on the living conditions of neighbouring residents”.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s refusal of planning permission has meant the windows will need to be removed and the pitched roof reinstated by 29 March 2024.

Caring told the Daily Telegraph, who first reported the loss of the appeal: “We have lost the appeal to keep the windows as they are. In the future we hope we come to an agreement with the council on something that is more acceptable to the style of the house.”