Well-heeled residents near George Michael’s mansion in London have reportedly called for a garden shrine laid in his memory to be cleared as it is spoiling the upmarket area.
The memorial – which lies on a patch of grass owned by the late singer’s estate – is filled with photographs, messages, flowers and paintings.
It has been there since just after his death on Christmas Day 2016 and has been described as a ‘terrible mess’ by a local conservation committee.
It has apparently caused friction among wealthy neighbours in Highgate, London, leading to the possibility that it could be cleared.
Residents near George Michael’s mansion in London have reportedly called for a garden shrine laid in his memory to be cleared as it is ‘spoiling the upmarket area’
The memorial – which lies on a patch of grass owned by the late singer’s estate in Highgate, North London – is filled with photographs, messages, flowers and paintings
Yet, with plans for memorial statues of Michael having also stalled recently, there might soon be nowhere for fans to gather to commemorate his legacy.
Susan Rose, chair of the Highgate Conservation Area advisory committee, said: ‘The ball really is in the court of George Michael’s family who own the site and are really the only people who can take any action without complicated legal shenanigans. Highgate CAAC has no authority itself to act.’
Last month she told the Daily Telegraph that the site had become a ‘terrible mess’ and an increasing problem for local residents, adding: ‘One wonder’s what George Michael would think of it all outside the beautiful home that he looked after so well, and right where erected a wonderful Christmas tree every year.
It has been there since just after his death on Christmas Day 2016 and has been described as a ‘terrible mess’ by a local conservation committee
Yesterday, Elspeth Clements, chair of the planning committee of Highgate Society, said: ‘We really feel that there are better ways of celebrating his life’
‘Jamie Oliver and Jude Law live locally. I can’t imagine they are overly happy about it all.’
Yesterday, Elspeth Clements, chair of the planning committee of Highgate Society, a volunteer-run organisation that works closely with local planning authorities, said: ‘We really feel that there are better ways of celebrating his life.
‘He gave a lot of money to charities, and no one ever knew about until afterwards, because he was very discreet about it.
‘I believe a named foundation would be a much better memorial than either the floral tributes or a statue.
Pictured: The Wham! singer died on December 25 aged 53 at home
‘Obviously the floral tributes are not going to continue indefinitely. Well, maybe they will, I’ve no idea. I don’t know enough about that.
‘The statue is difficult in Highgate, because within that particular street there have been an enormous number of very famous people, from Victoria Wood – who also died at about a similar time – onwards. Who do you erect a statue to?’
On whether there were any plans to clear the floral shrine, she said: ‘No, we haven’t become involved in that. That was probably up to the neighbours to make a decision on, it wasn’t really for the Society.’
The memorial garden is regularly tended to by fans who call themselves ‘lovelies’, but it is understood the grass has become muddy in the recent bad weather.
Mrs Rose said: ‘Perhaps the best tribute would be to clear up this mess, mend the fence and have a new start. We may try and contact the family or his fan club to see if we can come to an agreement. Perhaps a discreet plaque might suffice.’
A recent petition to remember Michael with a statue near his Highgate home have been shelved after his family said he would have found it ‘embarrassing’.
A recent petition to remember Michael with a statue near his Highgate home have been shelved after his family said he would have found it ‘embarrassing’
Meanwhile, plans for a 100ft bronze statue of the singer in the picturesque village of Goring-on-Thames, Oxon, where he lived, have also run into trouble.
The local parish council has said the plans, which are said to include concept drawings from the sculptor Andrew Sinclair, are ‘not thorough enough’ to be approved.
Michael was found dead at his home in Goring-on-Thames on Christmas Day last year. A coroner said the 53-year-old had died of natural causes from dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver.
The musician was said to have left the majority of his £105 million estate to Melanie, the elder of his two sisters, including the Highgate property which is occupied by his cousin and a close childhood friend.