Author Archives: Prabhat Vaze

Bat monitoring with Heath Hands

Terri Hegland writes:

The Heath is crawling with life, especially at night. If you stand still, there will inevitably be something moving at your feet or in the tree nearby. A myriad of ecosystems house some of London’s most amazing species. The Heath Hands team offer masterclasses in how to protect ancient trees, encourage the right species to thrive, and discourage the wrong species that can wipe out a lineage.

This piece is an exciting look at one of the more unseen nocturnal mammals on Hampstead Heath. Not many people have experienced the miraculous view of bats as they come alive at night and frolic in flight.

Starting with a workshop at the Hive yard, where they host a variety of nature incentives. I learnt how to make a bat box, engineered to house these tiny stunning mammals. Wood, hammers, nails and all the exacting measurements were supplied along with Jo Maddox, to guide me through and stop me from making ghastly mistakes! It was so much fun as I chatted with other making enthusiasts, with tea and biscuits to enhance the day.

The next step to fully immersing myself in this experience was to embark on a bat walk! Taking off at dusk with Jo and Jesse we wandered into the trees. Bats use echolocation to communicate so we are each given a bat detector to hear them, zone in on their frequency and listen to the ultrasonic sounds they make, the clicks and bleeps fill the night air, it is astonishing.

As we scoured the treetops, we can see them flitting to and fro, so quickly that every photo that I attempted to take showed a blur. We wandered into the night, ending at the fishing pond where they danced and ebbed across the water. Jo followed the bats across the water with her special torch, and we gasped in awe as she captured their frenzied dance to eat any insects in their path. It was magical.

The final leg of my bat box life ended in it being placed in Whitestone Garden, where Heath Hands have made it a home for bats. This hidden garden gem is the perfect place for bats to enjoy peace and quiet, and a place to eat, being adjacent to Whitestone Pond.

Volunteering for Friends of the Belsize Library 

The Friends of Belsize Community Library support the library by helping raise funds and holding informal monthly talks of literary and local historical interest. On page 8 are some of the upcoming talks, including ones held jointly with Belsize Society. They are seeking new friends and volunteers who would like to join as Committee Members. Help with publicity, IT tech support, setting up the library for talks or helping with refreshments would be welcomed.

If anyone would like to help Belsize Community Library and/or join the Committee of the Friends of the Library, please register your details at: www.friendsofbelsizelibrary.org/join-us  or emailfriendsofbelsizelibrary.org@gmail.com

Ye Olde Swiss Cottage pub

We are able to report some success but still major concerns.

As you know, there has been a Swiss-style pub on this site since the late 1830s. The present building – reputably the largest pub in London – dates from the 1970s. It was suddenly closed by owner, Samuel Smith’s Brewery, in February and has been quickly stripped of its decorations and interior fittings. Its future is unknown and mysterious.

It had strangely missed out on any protection and we’re pleased to report that an application submitted by Belsize Society for it to be designated an “Asset of Community Value” has been accepted by Camden. This adds some protection in planning terms and also, should it come onto the market, gives us the right to submit a bid to acquire it for the community. Our aim is to try in some way to re-open it as a pub and we have been discussing options with a representative from CAMRA – the Campaign for Real Ale – who have considerable experience in similar community run schemes.

Though it had been run down in the last year or two, it is clear the pub was much loved by many from across the whole of London and beyond. The closure attracted considerable media attention and we even had a brief interview on Japanese television, so wide is the interest in this pub! An online petition seeking ACV designation was started by Erika – the energetic reception manager of The Swiss Cottage Hotel – and rapidly obtained over 2,000 signatures.

We need to create a compelling case for its resurrection. We have formed a small action group and have been amassing a large resource of photos, videos, historical information and social media material. If you have any interesting anecdotes, history, photos, knowledge of special events or celebrities who drank there, please let us know. Chris Langdon is co-ordinating the campaign for the committee:  info@belsize.org.uk.

In case it fails to return to pub use, we applied to Camden and have been assured that it is to be added to the “Local List” of important local heritage assets, giving it further protection against demolition or alterations.

We have also asked that the Odeon Cinema next door is added to the Local List as it, too, is unprotected and vulnerable and we can see it being sold off in the future.

Visit a Heat Pump

Prabhat Vaze writes: The “Visit a Heat Pump” scheme has been matching those interested in this green technology with householders that have installed a heat pump in their homes. There is a website to locate and book a slot, www.visitaheatpump.com, and your hosts show you around their system and discuss their experiences.

As I own an ageing boiler that may need replacing, I decided to  find out from the website whether there was a convenient host. After booking on a straightforward booking system, on a surprisingly, warm April morning, I found myself witnessing a real, live heat pump. 

The property was outside London. It differed from my home in being a large, semi-detached house. But it was similar in being a period property with only limited options to insulate.

There were a pair of pumps, installed discreetly behind the house. Initially, the warm day meant the pumps were off, but the hosts kindly raised the thermostat temperature, bringing the fan of the pump to life, quietly humming as it performed its duties.

You can definitely go to these visits with your questions ready, and I came to the house curious about how noisy a pump was. To me, it was quiet: a gentle hum by no means drowning out other sounds and inaudible from a short distance away and from inside the house.  We were told it would be somewhat louder on the coldest days but there were long periods when no heating was needed in the summer especially.

The hosts were very happy with the pump and there had been minimal changes to their central heating (a few radiators were replaced) and few alterations to their house. They emphasised how they had taken some steps to reduce draughts in the house. But we could see that the listed period home had many single-glazed old windows and there was no internal or external insulation added to walls. There was the need for space both for the units that controlled the new heating system (not very large) and the hot water cylinder.

The other headline for me was that a heat pump changes the way we heat a home. Instead of periodic blasts of heat provided by most gas boilers on timers, or switching on full heat when you get to a chilly home, the pump is more efficient as it changes heating levels up or down slowly. The home owners set their preferred temperature across the day in an app and the heat pump does the rest.

This visit was both informative and enjoyable. Why not try one for yourself?

Belsize Society Newsletter May 2025

Welcome to the May Newsletter of the Belsize Society.

Last month saw the Society, with Retrofit Kentish Town, organise an event where Camden Council’s planning team presented their new thinking on enabling residential retrofitting. The Newsletter reports on the event and then describes a national scheme that allows residents to visit installations of a heat pump for those unfamiliar with this technology. A recent event organised by the Council on climate action is also featured.

The Newsletter also describes the work of the Heath Hands group, a voluntary body that helps conserve green spaces including Hampstead Heath and its bat population.

April also saw the Society’s local history walk about Belsize in the first half of the 20th century. Averil’s tour was well attended and it was great to see many members were able to attend.

On planning news, the Newsletter has pieces about 100 Avenue Road and the Ye Olde Swiss Cottage pub. The Society has objected to the new plans being proposed at Swiss Cottage. In parallel, the Society’s planning team recently successfully listed the pub as an asset of community value.

In March, we met at our AGM. The Newsletter covers the issues discussed there which also agreed the new committee.

With the Newsletter is your copy of Traders You Can Trust, covering the local tradespeople recommend by members. If you’re reading this online, this is a benefit of being a member of the Society.

We are looking forward to the talk with the Friends of Belsize Library about the Golden Age of Housing in June and there is a piece about how you can help the Friends as well as a note about volunteer roles for the Society.

We hope you enjoy the Newsletter.

Council Offers Resources & Reassurance on Retrofit 

By BelSoc committee member, Chris Langdon

Belsize Society co-hosts event with Kentish Town Retrofit

“Planning may not be the barrier you think it is,” said Bethany Cullen, Camden’s Head of Building Management. She was speaking at an event on Retrofit and Conservation, on April 10 at Kentish Town Library, co-organised by BelSoc with Retrofit Kentish Town.

It was the first time that Bethany and her three colleagues, from the Camden Climate Fund (CCF), Conservation, and Digital Planning teams, have made themselves available to outline recent policy changes to residents. It follows an internal Council programme to train staff on how to interpret new Government policies, advice from Historic England, and recent decisions by Planning Inspectors: all of which give more weight to the environmental benefits of retrofit.  

The Council officers sought to explain to the audience that there are now apparently more “carrots” and a bit less “stick.” “There is an awful lot you can do without Planning Permission or under Permitted Development Rights,” Bethany said, “even where permission is required, the guidance has softened.” 

The measures being rolled out to speed up decarbonisation include:

On planning rules, residents heard that measures that don’t affect the exterior of a property, such as insulating lofts, roofs, walls on the inside, as well as floors do not require Planning Permission; they are covered under Permitted Development rights.

As regards solar, residents in the Belsize Park and Hampstead Conservation Areas are due to be consulted this summer on whether domestic renewable energy projects, particularly solar panels, should no longer be covered by an “Article 4 Direction.”  If this change is then approved by the Council, renewables won’t need Planning Permission. They would still have to meet the criteria applicable in other Conservation Areas where solar panels are allowed on front roofs and the sides of buildings, but not on front-facing walls.

The measures being rolled out to speed up decarbonisation include: 

  • Plan X – a new web-tool designed to make it easier to check if a project, including retrofit, needs Planning Permission. To find it, Google: “Camden” and “find out if you need planning permission.”
  • Free written planning advice is available for applicants to the Camden Climate Fund (CCF). 
  • The CCF offers co-funding grants of 50%, up to £15,000, for domestic retrofit projects. It is open for expressions of interest until November 2025, or until this year’s funds are allocated. A new funding round is due in Spring 2026. 
  • The application process for heat pumps, solar panels, and loft insulation has been simplified.  (NB: Heat pumps with cooling (air con) are not eligible.)
  • Double glazing, external and internal wall insulation, draught-proofing and similar measures are considered for co-funding on a case-by-case basis. Applicants must show how much CO2 will be cut during the lifetime of the measure. As evidence, applicants should have either an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate,) or a Whole House/Home Retrofit Plan.

Full details on how to apply to the CCF are on Camden’s website:, as well as advice on whether planning permission is needed.

On the hot topic of air source heat pumps, Bethany tried to give reassurance that most installations don’t require planning permission.

However, the rule that a heat pump should be at least one metre from a property boundary still stands; the Government hasn’t abolished it yet.  Regarding noise limits, the Camden team were unable to allay concerns when challenged during the Q&A.

External wall insulation still requires planning permission. According to Bethany, Camden has doubts about the quality of materials being used. This may change as the technologies improve, she accepted. 

The Camden team gave a PowerPoint presentation with a lot more detail. They have promised to share it, so it can be posted on the Society’s new website, later in May.

Camden Climate Action Day

BelSoc was invited to join this event held at the Greenwood Centre in Kentish Town on Saturday 26 April.  There were about 75 attendees, a number of council officers and two councillors.

In 2019 Camden declared a climate and ecological emergency. This recognised the threat of climate change and the irreversible damage to our planet it may cause. They held their first Citizen’s Assembly on the climate crisis in 2019. They considered evidence from climate scientists, environmentalists and community energy practitioners, and developed 17 recommendations for how Camden should address the climate crisis.  These formed the basis of their Climate Action Plan 2020-2025.

The Plan is a framework for climate action for everyone living and working in Camden, with the aim of supporting an equitable transition to a zero carbon Camden, while recognising that the Council only has powers or influence over a third of greenhouse gas emissions.  It is a plan for what is known as “climate mitigation” – this means taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, in order to prevent further warming and the impacts of climate change from getting worse. 

The Camden Action Plan has the following themes: 

  • People: Everyone who lives, works, studies and visits the borough will be well informed and actively contribute to tackling the climate crisis in all aspects of their lives,
  • Buildings: Buildings will be energy efficient, comfortable and fit-for-purpose for a zero-carbon future,
  • Places: Public spaces will encourage and enable healthy and sustainable travel choices and promote biodiversity,
  • Organisations: All organisations in Camden will operate responsibly and embed tackling the climate crisis throughout their operations.

The Plan can be seen in full at this link

Camden has taken bold action to help tackle the climate crisis.  Borough wide carbon dioxide emissions in 2022 (the latest year of data), and with help from the decarbonisation of the national grid, were 48% below 2005 levels.  Across the Council’s own estates and operations, emissions have reduced by 65% since 2010.

In November 2023 Camden published their first Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, which set out how they will help build a climate resilient Camden. The two-year action plan was designed to build on their understanding of how climate hazards (focusing on flood and heat risk) will affect Camden, whilst devising a set of activities to improve the borough’s resilience to them. 

2025 is the final year for both the Climate Action Plan and the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan.  It is now time to refresh the Climate Action Plan to make sure that it still represents Camden communities’ priorities, to add in themes and actions that are missing, and to bring adaptation and resilience into the heart of the plan.

At the event we were divided into eight groups, each with a council facilitator.  Representatives from Climate Reality and the Greater London Authority reminded us of the causes and impacts of climate change and the local risks we face in Camden.  The Council shared what’s been achieved so far through the Climate Action Plan, what they know is still missing and what residents have already told them matters most.  The majority of emissions come from buildings – particularly homes and commercial spaces – making them a key focus for local climate action.

Ahead of this Climate Action Day the Council had been speaking to residents across Camden to find out what matters most to them.  They found that air pollution, heatwaves, flooding and biodiversity loss were their major concerns.  The climate actions which residents considered important were reducing waste, re-use and recycling, home energy efficiency, greening, and active and sustainable travel.

We were then asked to review the 2019 Citizens Assembly recommendations and consider how well they reflect what matters most for the next Climate Action Plan.

A summary of the day’s responses will be made available shortly and will be included in the next Newsletter.  The Council are hoping to consult on the draft 2026 Climate Action Plan in July/August and publish it in early 2026.

We were asked for our reflections on the current Climate Action Plan:

  • What would you like to see more of?
  • Was there anything you felt was missing?
  • What could be improved going forward?

BelSoc Annual General Meeting

This year’s AGM was held at Belsize Square Synagogue on Sunday 9 March, with about 50 members attending.

The Chair reported on the past year’s activities, including events such as the well-attended history walks, the annual summer party, our annual carol singing, and BelSoc’s growing links with the Belsize Community Library. There was a discussion about the Society’s work on issues such as parking permits and the planning of various developments in the area.

The meeting covered the upgrade to the website that is planned. The costs of this were discussed and it was recognised that the financial outlay – while significant – was consistent with the needed level of website functionality. The Society had also continued its engagement with Camden and other bodies about how to support residents retrofitting their properties with sustainable energy systems, and this Newsletter includes some of the follow-on from this work.

A new committee was agreed, and we were pleased that Chris Langdon has joined the committee. Alan Selwyn joins the committee and has become a Trustee of the Society. Other committee members are Barbara Abraham, Sanya Polescuk, David Thomas, Prabhat Vaze, and Peter Wallace. Anne Stevens is a Trustee, as are Barbara, Prabhat and David.

The AGM was followed by a talk by Paul Wood on London Trees. London is one of the few metropolitan areas that can claim – because tree coverage is so high – to be a forested area. Over the course of an absorbing half an hour, Paul talked about, and showed images of, some of the oldest and most remarkable trees in the city, such as the oaks in Richmond Park and the familiar but beautiful London planes. His talk had sections on the places of London associated with trees, where trees enter into place names (e.g. the nine elms of. Nine Elms), the way developments have been designed around historic trees, and the more recent work by London boroughs to ensure that a varied set of urban trees is planted taking into account climate changes. 

New trustee: Alan Selwyn

I joined the Belsoc committee having recently retired from General Practice in Brent after 38 years. Alongside some wonderful colleagues, I cared for what grew to 16,000 patients, and developed a new state-of-the-art surgery. 

Whilst living in West Hampstead I co-founded and chaired CRASH (The Combined Residents Association of South Hampstead) and we looked after that Conservation Area at a time of rampant development. I have subsequently lived in Belsize Park for over 30 years and care deeply about its architecture, greenery and general appearance, as well as the fantastic people who live here and its rich history. 

I monitor and respond to planning matters, having taken on the mantle from the estimable Tom Symes. I am also keen to enhance our communication and attract new members and am facilitating a new website and social media presence.

100 Avenue Road

Belsoc has submitted its objections to Camden concerning this major development on our doorstep. There have been 97 responses to Camden: the vast majority being objections. And though the formal period for accepting objections is now ended, you can still object by email. (Please see below.)

To remind you, Regal London, who took over this project from Essential Living, submitted a planning application on 5th March to revise certain elements of the previous scheme, which was already approved in 2016.

The currently approved scheme – which we cannot change – allows for the 24 storey tower block and 6 storey horizontal building to accommodate 184 housing units. The new application pushes up the number of units to 237, squeezing in an additional 2 storeys within the same envelope.

We are very concerned the completed scheme may lead to the loss of the current pedestrian piazza outside the theatre with the farmers’ market and daily stalls being in jeopardy. We also think the red brick cladding on the revised design is a mistake. 

The Belsize Society objections centre around two main issues: the traffic management once the scheme is completed and the revised external appearance. We also objected to the increased number of units and the added pressure it would place on the local area and concerns that the units in the tower are likely to be sold overseas as investments. We do note one improvement in the new scheme: an increase in the number and quality of the “affordable” housing.

Following considerable local pressure at the time of the previous application, most of the construction traffic- lorries, machinery, materials etc – will access the site via the Avenue Road / A41 route, avoiding the Eton Avenue piazza and the local feeding roads.

Once the scheme is finished, the plan is for deliveries and services for the 237 households – contractors, repairs, waste collections etc as well as taxis and other vehicles – to travel through our local streets and enter the site across the Eton Avenue  piazza outside the theatre. The vehicles will then have to swing across the pavement into a narrow cul-de-sac alongside the theatre, shared with pedestrians entering the Swiss Cottage Open Space. There is also a small tunnel under the theatre but with a very low ceiling it can only allow access to cars and two wheeled vehicles, insufficient for most deliveries; supermarket delivery vehicles, Amazon, DPD etc are too tall.

We  are not confident any suggested management measures will be practical, such as timed or coordinated deliveries for the many vehicle movements required each day for the 237 units and shops. We foresee significant danger to pedestrians, especially the many children using the area and this could lead to the loss, to traffic, of the pedestrian piazza – a pleasant and important local amenity with its farmers’ market and well-used daily stalls.

Two of us spent a morning handing out leaflets to customers at the Farmers’ Market and talking to stall holders. Few were aware of the plans and many subsequently sent in objections.

The huge tower was originally a neutral grey colour but now the Regal London propose to clad it in red brick. The developers strangely think this will “fit in” better and somehow “relate” to the local architecture. We feel this will make it even more prominent and over-bearing (check out Cresta House on Finchley Road opposite). We think only a bland light grey or white surface – like the recently re-clad Chalcots Estate on Adelaide Road – will allow it to “fit in”better with the sky and mitigate, to some extent, the horror of this giant structure, which will loom over many local roads like a giant red finger.

All 78 documents relating to the full details of the scheme are on the Camden Planning website. Google “Camden planning applications”, application number 2025/0852/P. We assume this application will be determined at a full committee meeting and will ensure Belsize Society is represented. 

If you are concerned about any of the proposal to comment you can write to: planning@camden.gov.uk and quote reference  2025/0852/P. Our 11 page objection will be reproduced in the new website shortly but can be read on the Camden planning portal.

Local history walk

Around 60 individuals joined the Belsize Society spring local history walk led by Averil Nottage. Averil guided us around sites in Belsize associated with the period from the end of the 19th century to the Second World War.

We were introduced to the changing face of Belsize Park as the London Underground and cinema arrived in the area. Along Belsize Grove, Averil highlighted the large blocks that were developed as Belsize welcomed smaller families, often younger, as people set up first homes. Then we were introduced to the Haverstock Hill of a period some of the walkers could still recall. 

Averil explained that the location of the Everyman has hosted a cinema since 1913, and the splendour of the earlier Hampstead Picture Playhouse meant that the Belsize Odean became the Leicester Square of that period. Some of those on the walk could remember the sweet shop by the cinema that is now Kavanagh’s.

The walk also covered the politics of the 1930s, with Hampstead Town Hall featuring in the rallies of Oswald Mosely and campaigns for votes for women. The arrival of refugees from Europe marked the end of our walk at St Peter’s Church and Belsize Square Synagogue. But the story is set to continue with a walk about post-war Belsize currently in development for the autumn. We are grateful to Averil for a really interesting tour.