Jimmy Page spoke at a meeting of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Planning Applications Committee on May 29 in order to try to persuade the committee to reject an application by his neighbour Robbie Williams to build a basement.
A video tweeted by BBC journalist Frankie McCamley showed Page reading prepared remarks at the meeting:
Jimmy Page asking @RBKC council not to allow the huge basements that are being planned around his house. “I feel it’s my duty to protect that house, I really do.” Robbie Williams owns a neighbouring house @BBCLondonNews pic.twitter.com/WED9KJbvL2
— Frankie McCamley (@Frankie_Mack) May 29, 2018
The committee deferred the application because of strict building regulations around basements, meaning it will rule on the application at a later date. Another video tweeted by McCamley showed that Page appeared pleased by that result:
A nod and a smile from Jimmy Page after the basement planning application next to his is deferred due to strict regulations on the proposed development that may need to be put in by @RBKC pic.twitter.com/2WOM1egQkv
— Frankie McCamley (@Frankie_Mack) May 29, 2018
The decision means that Page’s feud with his neighbour continues. However, Page reportedly said after the meeting that he was “really pleased” about the outcome.
“Tower House is a unique building,” Page said in his remarks to the committee. “You do need to see it to fully understand why I am here today as custodian of this wonderful, delicate, heritage building and treasure … I hope you appreciate my concern. Councillors, I urge you please to refuse these applications.”
Page also gave an interview to BBC London News. “They may well be … I would assume that they’re ill-informed as to the building that they’re next door to,” Page said.
“I haven’t got a problem with people doing their houses one way or another as long as they don’t hurt mine. And when I say it’s mine, it’s actually, I’ve been there since 1972 and I’m sort of custodian of it really.”
Just spoke to the rock legend Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin who told me he thinks his neighbours are “ill informed” when building super basements around his house. Robbie Williams is his neighbour & is applying for a basement. More on @BBCLondonNews pic.twitter.com/lcPlpNzBge
— Frankie McCamley (@Frankie_Mack) May 29, 2018
In a second interview with BBC London News after the meeting, Page said that “it’s opened up a lot more information. Very thorough, the planning meeting, and I think that, yeah, the other side probably learnt quite a lot this evening.”
Page gave an interview to The Sunday Times last week in which he said that “I have got three minutes” to explain to his local council the significance of his home at the meeting on May 29.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Page explained that he plans to attend the meeting of the Planning Applications Committee on May 29. “I have got three minutes,” Page said. “I have to sum up the history of this house from the 1880s. The passion of Sir John Betjeman, Richard Harris and myself in three minutes. This is what we are facing. I may not even get to talk.”
Page invited The Sunday Times into his home to take photographs of him and review planning documents. He also gave the newspaper a tour of the property.
Elsewhere in the interview with The Sunday Times, Page said that he has considered opening his house to the public. “I did like the idea of the Burges interiors and maybe incorporating that with some memorabilia,” he said. “I thought about the National Trust. You can feel the house. It is such a special place.”
Page and Williams have a longrunning feud
The feud between Page and his neighbour has lasted since 2015 and has become a bizarre, longrunning saga involving allegations of spying, parody songs, street art, and a formal apology.
Page’s repeated objections over Williams’ plans lead Williams to insult Page repeatedly in interviews and on stage.
https://twitter.com/LedZepNews/status/698882105548402688
On September 25, 2016, Williams performed at The Roundhouse in London as part of the Apple Music Festival. During his performance, Williams mocked Page on stage. Led Zeppelin hit “Whole Lotta Love” started playing, and Williams reportedly said “this one is for my next door neighbour,” before repeatedly singing “I’m gonna dig a big hole … and fill it full of shit,” seemingly a reference to Williams’ abandoned plans for a basement extension.
And in November 2016, Williams accidentally insulted Page during an interview with an Italian radio station when he believed that they were off air. The hosts then cut to an advertising break and Williams, believing he was off air, talked about Page. But he didn’t realise was that the interview was being broadcast on Facebook Live, and everyone watching on the social network heard what Williams thought was off the record:
“Jimmy has been sitting in his car outside our house with the windows down, four hours at a time with a recording equipment,” Williams reportedly said.
The hosts commented that Page must have some high-end recording equipment. “Yeah, you would think,” Williams said. “He’s recording the workmen to see if they’re making too much noise. And also two weeks ago, the builders came in and he was asleep in his garden, waiting. Honestly, it’s like a mental illness. Like, concentration.”
The radio hosts then asked Williams who lived in the property before. “A director called Michael Winner. He did … Death Wish. He did the Death Wish films,” Williams said. “It’s really strange. At first it’s like, ‘Fuck, nooo!’ because it has taken so long – four years. But now it’s like, ‘What are you hiding? Is there something you’re hiding?’ So, so weird.”
After the interview ended, either Williams or the radio station realised what had happened. Both the Facebook Live broadcast and the online broadcast of the interview on the station’s website were deleted shortly after broadcast.
Those comments lead to Page involving his lawyers. Williams issued a public apology to Page and the pair reached a “confidential” settlement over Williams’ remarks.
Mr Page,
A fight at your age it’s not good for your health, selling your house…