Plans to demolish 12th century Kilburn chapel shelved
Owners wanted to build a family home on the site
Plans to build a family home on a 12th century religious site which was once a place for medieval preaching have been shelved.
Ebenezer Chapel in Kilburn Vale, Kilburn, standing on one of the area’s oldest religious sites, faced a battle for survival after a private developer put in plans to Camden Council to have it demolished and rebuilt.
The new owners wanted to tear down the 19th century building, a spot for religious preaching since 1120, and replace it with a modern three-story home.
But Camden Council confirmed the application has been withdrawn amid fears over plans for a basement yards from the former River Pond in Kilburn High Road.
A spokeswoman said: “The applicant chose to withdraw the proposals following concerns raised by officers in relation to design, sustainability and the impact of the development on surface water runoff.’
The news comes after the Times reported History buff Ed Fordham had lodged a complaint with the town hall planners and called upon the owners to revise the plans.
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He said: “This is great news for Kilburn and for the local residents and traders.
“Kilburn has too few notable historic sites and buildings and hopefully this is the start of what is needed to pro-actively identify the significant features and put some appreciation and protection in place.
“The case for Camden and Brent Council having local listing is pretty compelling - picking out the best features and locations and ensuring that developers and the owners all know what is special about Kilburn.”
Cllr Mike Katz was amongst a number of local politicians to voice objections to the proposals.
He said: “I’m really pleased the applicant has been persuaded to withdraw his plans to knock down Ebenezer Chapel.
“This building is an important part of our local heritage and it needs to stay in tact.
A spokeswoman on behalf of the owners refused to comment.
