Prince William and Kate have annoyed the locals after seeking planning permission for Kensington Palace.
They want to build a two story basement under the present Orangery so that their staff have more room. The residents of Kensington and Chelsea are very annoyed by this decision and fourteen of them have already complained.
The extension will allow for a separate kitchen for the Orangery, a section for storing clothes and rooms for the staff.
Not only are the locals worried about the Orangery being disturbed, but also the wildlife and trees in the area, which they claim will suffer due to the extension.
According to The Sun, the extension, which is going to cost approximately £24million, has been put forward by the Historic Royal Palace. They’ve released the following statement about the build:
“Our plans have been very carefully considered and developed in consultation with stakeholders including the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Historic England.
As a conservation charity, our priority is to ensure that the new building is sympathetically designed to respect the Grade I Listed Orangery and its historic setting.
The Orangery is not in a residential neighbourhood and the completed development will not affect other properties in the area.”
One of locals, opposing the plans, Donald Cameron, has said:
“This is an historic building and should not be disturbed. There can be no justification for a double basement.
The Orangery is a central feature of the park which should be maintained as a peaceful facility for Londoners.
The consultation is bogus and the planning department seems to have been bedazzled by courtiers when giving pre-application advice.”
