Residents on an exclusive Chelsea street are trapped in a property nightmare, with homes worth millions of pounds becoming virtually unsellable due to a neighbouring house that has fallen into severe disrepair and is overrun with Japanese knotweed.
The Neighbourhood Blight
Homeowners on Ifield Road are pleading with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) to intervene, alleging that the condition of Nicholas Halbritter's property has been a source of conflict for years and is now directly impacting their property values. The situation has become so dire that some residents feel financially trapped.
Christine Gambles, 69, exemplifies the crisis. After her husband died four years ago, she has struggled to maintain the costs of her home and wishes to sell after 25 years on the street. However, she is compelled to disclose the presence of Japanese knotweed at the neighbouring property, a revelation she fears will deter every potential buyer. "Who the hell is going to buy a house with knotweed in it?" she stated.
This is not a problem affecting modest homes. This is a street where flats routinely fetch over £1 million, and where a terraced house sold for £3.7 million just two years ago.
A Catalogue of Complaints
The issues extend far beyond the infamous invasive plant. Locals report a litany of problems stemming from the dilapidated house. They speak of foxes breeding loudly within the basement, a constant rush of water from a burst mains pipe that has been flowing for two years, and resulting hordes of mosquitoes in the summer.
Nik Hoexter, a resident for 40 years, highlighted the structural dangers. "The dampness will disintegrate the foundations of our houses," he warned. "It is a swamp... The knotweed will be a huge problem if I try to sell. It burrows and it is very aggressive. We have a paved garden, so it is probably already underneath."
Mr Halbritter, a 75-year-old former RBKC councillor, was actually prosecuted in 2017 at Hammersmith Magistrates' Court for failing to comply with a council notice. This notice included a specific condition to tackle the Japanese knotweed in his rear garden. Despite this legal action, residents insist the infestation has only worsened, with the plant now reaching nearly 10 feet in height.
Frustration with Council Inaction
The collective frustration is now squarely aimed at the local authority, which residents and their MP accuse of being derelict in its duty. Local MP Ben Coleman confirmed he has been trying to pressure RBKC to act for years, receiving the same unsatisfactory responses as the homeowners.
"I really feel for the residents," Coleman said. "They have tried so hard to get the council to do something. They seem to just keep making excuses... They are being derelict in their duty to residents." He described the homeowner's behaviour as "absolutely disgraceful."
In a statement that offered little solace to those affected, a spokesperson for Kensington and Chelsea Council said: "Both our planning enforcement and environmental health teams have exhausted their powers and provided advice to the property owner. There is a very high bar for enforcement action on private property." The council suggested residents may wish to pursue civil action.
For residents like Christine Gambles, this is a life-altering problem. "My husband died a few years ago and I can't afford to keep this house by myself, but I also can't sell it," she lamented. "It is blighting my life. I have had to take out a mortgage at 69 years old. Nobody will buy a house when you are in a dispute with your neighbour, so I am stuck."
