Main image: The 12-metre pool at Amberwood House
The Deep End: Avoiding headaches in basement building
Two very different mega-basement projects in Surrey and Knightsbridge demonstrate how these types of schemes come with their own unique set of factors, write Emma Shipp & Deborah Sharples...

Written by
Deborah Sharples & Emma Shipp
Partner and Head of Real Estate & Partner at Hewitsons at
Hewitsons
Deborah is a Partner and the Head of Property (Planning & Environment law). She deals with both contentious and non contentious matters and regularly appears as an advocate. Deborah has over twenty eight years experience in the fields of planning and environmental law and advises a range of clients including developers and other businesses, public bodies, charities and private individuals in both a rural and an urban context.
In Pictures: The resurrection of Piccadilly’s Cambridge House
A tour of PDP London's grand plans for one of PCL's most significant luxury development projects: the transformation of the former In & Out Club on Piccadilly into the Cambridge House Hotel & Residences.
By PrimeResi
A hole of your own: The lowdown on building basements in the post-iceberg age
Figures out earlier this month suggest the days of the mega-basement are behind us in Prime Central London, but what should those still intent on attempting a subterranean project know?
Beyond the eco-conscious affluent: Is there a green premium for new homes?
Consumer sentiment is increasing towards more sustainable "green" homes, say Lucy Greenwood & Patrick Eve of Savills, but only larger homes achieve a "green" premium.
Companies in this article
HewitsonsMost read
Luxury hotel group Maybourne recruits Walsh to lead ‘ambitious’ branded resi drive
Owner of Claridge's, The Berkeley & The Connaught brings in The OWO's former sales chief to lead global branded residential strategy.
By PrimeResi
Knight Frank cuts house price forecast; PCL set for -4% drop this year
'A combination of high supply & faltering confidence means we now expect slower UK house price growth this year & in 2026,' says research chief Tom Bill - with prime markets set for sharp declines.
By PrimeResi
Knight Frank boosts PCL lettings team with senior hires
Agency recruits seasoned operators from Hamptons & CBRE for key roles in Chelsea & Knightsbridge.
London property ‘no longer a safe bet’, warns top wealth manager
'The London property boom is well and truly over,' declares Rathbones
By PrimeResi
‘A market in transition’: Inside London’s evolving luxury resi development scene
New report reveals how policy, branding & global demand are reshaping the next phase of the capital’s ultra-prime development cycle.
Super-prime St John’s Wood mansion finds a buyer
Trophy home on Hamilton Terrace sold 'within a few months' of being listed at £20mn.
By PrimeResi
Indie estate agency Wilfords branches out in SW London
Boutique firm adds to its growing network with a new base close to Clapham Common.
Super-prime Notting Hill development opp seeks £12mn
Buyer sought for standout freehold property with "one of the most ambitious planning consents in the area".
‘A fundamental reshaping of the global wealth landscape’: Europe re-emerges as a prime destination for the super-rich
'What we’re witnessing is more than just a demographic shift,' says Knight Frank, as the firm reveals who is buying what, where, and why...
By PrimeResi
International luxury brokerage launches, promising ‘a new era of property marketing’
Led by former Nest Seekers boss Daniel McPeake, London-based Aperture Global UK wants to 'set a bold new standard for how prime properties are represented.'
By PrimeResi
LATEST ARTICLES
New name on the luxury development scene targets north London sites
Gracie Group launches with a £550mn portfolio & ambitions to expand across the capital.
W-branded apartment sets new Manchester price record
£3.5mn unit at ultra-luxe scheme achieved the highest per square foot rate ever recorded in the city.
Super-prime building firm appoints trio of new directors
Phin Isles, Philippa Waldron & Charlie Ellis have all stepped up as directors at London-based CC Construction Group.
Winkworth sales revenue jumps 27%
Estate agency boss is 'delighted' with the latest interim results.
By PrimeResi
Industry Reactions: UK annual house price growth slows to 2.8%
'This is a cooling, not a collapse,' comments one buying agency boss on the latest ONS house price index.
By PrimeResi