A woman who built an illegal luxury chalet on Hampstead Heath is fighting the demolition notice served by her council with a last minute appeal.
Jita Lukka, 55, bought a plot next to the exclusive north London heath through her property business for £700,000 in March last year.
The one-storey lodge she built on it overlooks the Vale of Health pond on the edge of the park and offers stunning views across the capital.
But despite an enforcement notice from Camden Council, Ms Lukka is continuing her battle to keep it with an appeal.
It is thought the chalet would have cost around £200,000 to build – and could be worth upwards of a million pounds.
Jita Lukka, 55, bought a plot next to the exclusive north London heath through her property business for £700,000 in March last year
The one-storey lodge she built there (pictured) overlooks the Vale of Health pond on the edge of the park and offers stunning views across the capital
She was served with a notice last month and had until January 31 to appeal before it came into effect and she had four months to pull it down.
But the Polar Bren Ltd owner has decided to take the case up with the Government’s Planning Inspectorate, lengthening the planning process further.
The decision by the London Borough of Camden came after several complaints from neighbours in the exclusive London enclave.
The local authority says the small wooden structure she has called Bren Cottage was built without planning permission, and even if permission had been sought, it would not have been granted.
It is in a hollow of houses once home to novelist and writer D.H. Lawrence and more recently former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher.
The homes, which include Victorian brick villas as well as number of cottages, back onto the famous Hampstead Heath with views stretching all the way across London to the City.
Despite an enforcement notice from Camden Council, Ms Lukka is continuing her battle to keep the chalet standing with an appeal to the Government’s Planning Inspectorate
It is thought the chalet (pictured right overlooking the Vale of Health pond) would have cost around £200,000 to build – and could be worth upwards of a million pounds
The local authority says the small wooden structure was built without planning permission, and even if permission had been sought, it would not have been granted
When asked about the planning dispute, one neighbour who wished not to be named said: ‘I think it’s right that she should tear it down.
‘They have broken the law and if I built something on the Heath I would be told to take it down.
‘I think the council should follow up and it should be taken down as soon as possible.
Pictured: Jita Lukka, 55
‘If you don’t comply with planning laws people know there will be serious trouble.’
Another neighbour said: ‘The fact is she has broken planning and she should take it down a quick as possible.
‘I think it’s important people in London should do all they can to preserve their areas from people who want to flout planning law.’
The plot of land used to be occupied by a man known a Robbie L, who moved in with the blessing of the previous land owner.
He lived in a temporary shack on the half acre plot, but it was sold for £700,000 to Mrs Lukka and Robbie packed up his home and moved to Wales.
The new owner then started building work on the site behind a large metal gate and fence around the perimeter prompting complaints from residents and the Vale of Health Society who were concerned about the inappropriate development.
The planning debacle is similar to the one portrayed in 2017 film Hampstead, starring Brendan Gleeson and Diane Keaton.
It tells the story of Harry Hallowes, a tramp who defeated property developers to keep the right to stay in his ramshackle home.
Last month Camden Council served an enforcement notice on Lukka’s site, ordering the dwelling be taken down and the site be returned to its former state.
Mrs Lukka had until Jan 31 to appeal and from then the notice would take effect and she would have four months to remove the small cottage.
The small wooden cottage could be worth over £1million given its exclusive location
A Camden Council spokesman: ‘Camden Council has served an enforcement notice as we judge that the scale, location and use as permanent residential accommodation of this dwelling undermines the openness and character of the land and represents inappropriate development on Metropolitan Open Land.
‘The dwelling also forms a discordant and incongruous development that causes harm to the appearance and character of the surrounding Hampstead Conservation Area and Hampstead Heath.
‘The notice takes effect on January 31, unless an appeal is made before, and requires within four months that the dwelling is completely removed and that the land is made good following.’
They added the owner has been submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate and that they are still waiting for an appeal timetable.
At the front door of the site Ms Lukka refused to give any comment about the planning dispute.