Property Description
Alba Place is located on the site of an original Mews but has been redeveloped to a degree that it no longer contains any surviving Mews properties. It is a gated cul-de-sac off Portobello Road in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, almost opposite Hayden’s Place (another redeveloped Mews). It contains 16 properties used for residential purposes.
When the London Poverty Maps were published, the area was noted as having poor living conditions with lower than average household salaries.
The Mews is part of Kensington’s ‘Colville’ Conservation Area; a Victorian development of the 1860’s and 70’s in part, bounded by Tavistock Road to the North, Westminster to the East and the rear of Portobello Road in the West.
The one, two and three storey properties have mansard and parapet roof styles and a mixture of rendered and painted brickwork facades. Parking is unrestricted along the paved and tarmacadam road, with partial-raised pavements.
Everchanging Nature
Originally the stable house accommodation for the main houses on Lancaster Road, the primary purpose of the Mews properties is now residential.
Before and since 2003 there have been a few planning applications made for alterations to the properties in Alba Place; most notably the complete demolition of some of the properties, mansard roof redevelopments, and the provision of a new steel balcony on one of the properties.
Conservation Area controls now apply to new development in the Mews.