wrote in message ...
Recliner wrote:
I had a few minutes in Bayswater to kill yesterday and decided to take a
look at the famous dummy houses in Leinster Gardens. I must say that the
false facades still work well, and are maintained (by LU?). Even the
pigeon deterrents are in place, exactly the same as on the adjacent
properties. In fact, I actually walked right past, distracted by the
building work next door.

But I wonder why the gap has been retained in the century plus since the
lines below were electrified. It's no longer needed for venting steam
engines, and I'd have thought there would be pressure to reconstruct
genuine buildings over the tracks, just as happens over stations. Have
there been such plans, or is there some major technical/financial reason
for not doing so?

wild guess

Assuming they could ever come to an amicable financial arrangement between
themselves and LU, the owners\residents of the adjacent properties would
suffer considerable disruption during the course of any construction work
for a start. Without sufficient clearance at the sides of the track for
supporting pillars at that point, its likely part of the existing properties
would need to be remodelled maybe losing half their existing ground floors
so to accomodate the ends of a concrete platform to straddle the track.
They would probably also lose their basements. While any new property would
probably require extensive sound proofing on the lower floors for them to be
habitable.
The loss of amenity in the adjoining properties in financial terms, combined with
construction costs given the difficult site, is probably far greater than
any gain to be made from a new property especially given it would be need to be
split three ways. If not necessarily equally.

/wild guess


michael adams

....


For those not familiar with the site, see
www.urban75.org/london/leinster.html
http://golondon.about.com/od/thingst...terGardens.htm


Emergency exit, perhaps?