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Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Fire engulfed Millionaire's Row mansion that was being turned into dream home
Hollybush House, a Grade II-listed property in Barnet, north London, was destroyed after a fire tore through the nine-bed home in a matter of minutes on Monday morning A fire-ravaged Millionaire's Row mansion was being transformed into a dream family home, neighbours said. Around 70 firefighters rushed to Hollybush House, a Grade II-listed property in Barnet, north London, when the fire broke out in the early hours of Monday morning. The property, in highly sought after area of Hadley Green, was currently undergoing extensive renovations to restore the building, planning documents submitted to Barnet Council show. And neighbours said the owners had ploughed in thousands of pounds to carry out the works, which included repairing the roof and laying stone flooring in the hallway. They also wanted to reopen a historic fireplace in the first floor master bedroom, it is believed. The applicant for the works is Robert and Helen Speroni, and Mail Online reports the former is the managing director of £80million turnover building products firm Radmat. A Helen Speroni is also listed on Companies House as a director. Neighbours, some of whom have lived in the area for the last two decades, said the 18th century mansion was sold in around 2020 to the Speronis in a multi-million-pound deal. The previous owner, Janet Fernau, founded charity Haemochromatosis UK in 1990 and was appointed an MBE for her services to healthcare, but died in 2023. One neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "We live around here and they've been doing renovation work for ages on it. It's just so weird that a fire would start at that time on a bank holiday Monday. Makes no sense." Steve Clarke, 60, told The Telegraph the building was a "complete house" with it "close to being ready". He said: "When I heard about it this morning, I didn't think it would look like that, you can see it's got no roof or windows." And Jacqui Beaumont, a teacher in her 60s, who lives nearby, said: "It would have been an utterly magnificent house with a view across this beautiful green space that we're very lucky to enjoy here in Barnet. It looked pristine, but now it's been ruined." London Fire Brigade used 32-metre turntable ladders to tackle the blaze from above. The service battled through the night to save as much of Hollybush House as they could. But pictures since taken at the scene show much of the sprawling nine-bed home is now gone. The cause of the blaze is not known at this time, London Fire Brigade continued. The road is home to scores of detached houses with seven-figure price tags. Hollybush House was built in the late 1700s and boasts six bedrooms in the main home - one with its own roof garden - and three more in an attached "cottage".
BBC News
10-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Sir Sadiq Khan in Cannes to 'bang the drum for London'
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan is in Cannes, France, trying to attract big investors to spend their money in the is leading a team from City Hall at Europe's biggest property conference - MIPIM - the first time in his nine years as mayor that he has mayor is looking for an investment of £22bn in 20 key projects, including at Liverpool Street, Waterloo, Euston and Victoria London boroughs are also seeking money during the trip. Barnet Council wants investors to help in its Brent Cross Town project, and there are also bids from Islington, Waltham Forest and Lambeth councils. Previous mayors Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson have both attended MIPIM, which puts international developers and investors in the same town as those wanting to raise conference website said the event was designed for investors to "access global capital" and for those attending to "discover solutions to make assets more sustainable in a changing world". 'Stimulating growth' Speaking to BBC London, Sir Sadiq said: "One of the ways to stimulate growth in our economy is more foreign direct investment. "That will help build more homes, help invest in public transport, and help invest in infrastructure.""I don't apologise for banging the drum for London at the MIPIM conference."The mayor will be joined in Cannes by his deputy mayor for business, Howard Dawber, his deputy mayor for housing, Tom Copley, and deputy mayor for planning and regeneration, Jules the banner of "Opportunity London", there will also be representatives from London boroughs, Transport for London and Network Rail in attendance. More affordable homes The so-called "London Investment Prospectus" also details plans for thousands of new affordable homes that could be built if the money could be Sadiq will speak at a session on affordable housing on Monday and then open the London stand the following comes after shadow Housing Secretary Kevin Hollinrake accused Sir Sadiq of overseeing a "catastrophic" rate of progress on the rate of affordable home property industry expert, who preferred not to be named, told the BBC: "It is good to see the mayor engaging with the industry by going to MIPIM for the first time."He has not always had the easiest relationship with developers."
