A planning application to transform David Bowie’s childhood home into a tourist attraction has been withdrawn but project leaders have insisted the proposal is not dead.
Heritage of London Trust (HOLT) wants to restore 4 Plaistow Grove in Bromley back to how it would have been when the music icon lived there from the age of 8 to 20 between 1955 to 1967, allowing Bowie fans to step into his bedroom and learn about his formative adolescent years.
HOLT announced the proposal on January 8—what would have been the musician’s 79th birthday—and submitted a formal planning application to Bromley Council in June. The application includes plans to build a 3.06m-tall visitor centre in the garden of the two-storey terraced house.
Last week, the council’s planning portal listed the application as withdrawn. HOLT said the withdrawal was due to “some minor administrative issues” and confirmed it would be re-submitting a new application in due course.
A spokesperson for Heritage of London Trust said: “Due to some minor administrative issues we have withdrawn the planning application and will be resubmitting it soon.
“The Bowie’s House project is very exciting and the cultural relevance of the place Bowie grew up in is so powerful.”
Although the proposal has been welcomed by many Bowie fans across London and the rest of the country, those living in Plaistow Grove have criticised the 20,000-visitors-a-year attraction for being too excessive for the quiet residential street.
The Plaistow Grove Residents Association (PGRA) raised concerns about parking, an entrance currently taken up by a pub’s bins, 45-people late night events and the three-metre tall visitor centre in a small suburban garden. They feel as these have fallen on deaf ears.
PGRA chair Julie Davis said: “In January 2026, residents of our quiet street were taken by surprise when the Heritage of London Trust announced their plans for the house to the world, without consultation.
“Since then, they have disregarded opportunities to engage in meaningful dialogue with residents and those in the community for whom this project would have the greatest impact.
“On October 22, we were left confused again by their decision to withdraw their planning application without notice, feedback, or answers to the many serious concerns and questions that our members have raised.
“It is our hope that the Heritage of London Trust will take our concerns seriously in any subsequent application they submit.”
Despite what residents of Plaistow Grove have said, HOLT said back in August that it had been in “regular contact” with local residents regarding its plans.
The trust carried out four events, the first being on January 20 after the public announcement, where they presented their plans and gave people the chance to provide feedback.
The trust also said that as the proposals had evolved it had “wherever possible, sought to take on board feedback from all those who participated, including No. 4 Plaistow Grove’s immediate neighbours”.
