Overview
- Kensington and Chelsea Council said it is proceeding with a Section 215 notice after a Planning Applications Committee decision, requiring owner Nicholas Halbritter to clear and restore the long‑neglected Ifield Road property.
- Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act lets councils order owners to fix land or buildings that harm the look of an area, with failure to comply risking prosecution and further action.
- Neighbors reported rampant Japanese knotweed, rats, foxes, mosquito swarms from a leaking mains pipe, foul odors, and plants growing inside through broken windows, which they say have hurt nearby home sales.
- The site has a long enforcement history that includes a 2016 notice and a 2017 guilty plea for non‑compliance, a case later marked as complied and closed before the committee moved to reopen matters with fresh action.
- Residents want the council to enter the property and do the work if needed under cost‑recovery powers, while the wider saga has drawn attention since a lodger known as Frank was found mummified in the basement in 2010.