No Stairway to Basement Heaven Just Yet for British Singer

LONDON (AP) — There will be no stairway to basement heaven just yet for British singer Robbie Williams.

Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, Williams' next-door neighbor, has persuaded local authorities to postpone a decision on the pop star's plan for an underground gym and swimming pool.

Page and the former member of boy band Take That have been battling for years over Williams' plans to extend his home in the affluent Holland Park area of west London.

Page doesn't have a whole lotta love for the project, saying building work could damage his own 19th-century Gothic-revival mansion, Tower House.

The interior of the turreted red-brick building by architect William Burgess features ornate tiling, plasterwork and stained glass, which Page says could be damaged by vibrations from construction work.

The pioneering heavy-rock guitarist has said he only plays acoustic guitars at home in order to protect the house, which he bought in 1972 from the actor Richard Harris.

In a letter to Kensington and Chelsea Council last week, Williams said the plans construction work "will result in absolute minimal impact" to neighboring properties.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the council's planning committee decided not to grant Williams planning permission until it received further legal assurances.

Page said he was "really pleased at the outcome" and the council's consideration for the house.

"I'm only the custodian to pass it on to the next person in the same way I bought it from Richard Harris," he said.

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