The jewel in this neighbourhood undeniably has to be the magnificent Hampstead Heath. The glorious greenery makes up at least half of the area itself and provides its residents with a plethora of flora and fauna at their doorstep to enjoy all season round. The residential areas of the neighbourhood thus fall on the west side of London’s top park and retain a quiet, suburban atmosphere that is rare for a location a mere 30 minutes from central London. Finchley Road, a segment of this area, is a key artery for driving in and out of the city and is lined with a variety of independent shops.

Absorbing the leafy tranquillity of Hampstead, you’d be surprised to know that the area holds a rich history that echoes the history of Britain. It’s a place that was born in the Mesolithic period and has seen the Bronze age, Roman occupation, and the Middle Ages come and go. In fact, it was the quarrying of the Middle Ages on the Heath that resulted in the current public ponds. Nevertheless, it wasn’t until the 17th century that the area grew from a rural and largely unoccupied area of land into the suburban community that it is today.

Dido Elizabeth Belle, the inspiration for the Amma Asante-directed 2013 movie Belle, lived much of her life in Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath. She was a mixed race British aristocrat during the Georgian period and one of the first women of colour to have an upper-class position in society at the time. Some historians believe that she had an influential role in the gradual dissolution of the transatlantic slave trade as the niece of Lord Chief Justice Lord Mansfield.

Soap-maker and Victorian billionaire, William Hesketh Lever also lived in the neighbourhood. His company, Lever Brothers, was later bought by Unilever and makes up the latter part of the brand’s name.

The current debate within the community is centred around the development plans for Finchley Road. Many locals are worried about excessive overdevelopment which would threaten the unique atmosphere of Hampstead. However, residents’ strong civil commitment to the area stands testament to the attractive character of the neighbourhood. A local resident calls the heath in particular “one of the most beautiful public places in London”.

Finchley Road seems to be the main focus of much of the development in the area. Camden Council has proposed plans to nurture local business around the busy street, precisely because of its accessible nature. Recently, much controversy was stirred regarding the redevelopment of the O2 Centre on Finchley Road, which is expected to take 15 years. Land Securities, who is in charge of the proposal, submitted its first planning application to demolish the shopping centre, as well as the Sainsbury’s car park, Homebase and the car showrooms to build a multi-use large-scale urban development with 1,800 homes. The reason behind the controversy is that many locals in the area believe such an increase in residences without additional proposals for new supermarkets or expansions to the existing public transport network and NHS services would create an over-subscription to and over-use of existing services and amenities. Additionally, the proposed affordable housing provision has also been criticised. 608 homes would be built in a first phase of construction with 188 flats designated “affordable”, but none of these homes would be at social rent prices, rather they would be marketed at 80% of market value.

Plans for CS11, a cycle route proposed by TfL that would link Finchley Road to the West End, have also been scrapped. In 2019, TfL lost its legal battle against Westminster Council, who objected to the CS11 scheme, and plans for now have been shelved.