Plans to convert David Bowie's childhood home in Bromley into a museum and visitor attraction have sparked a planning row, with neighbours fearing the quiet residential street will be overwhelmed by thousands of fans. The Heritage of London Trust (HOLT), which bought 4 Plaistow Grove in January, wants to restore the house to its 1960s appearance and add a visitor centre where the garage now stands, marking the site where Bowie wrote his breakthrough hit Space Oddity as a teenager.

HOLT's application to Bromley Council anticipates more than 20,000 visitors a year, with the house open up to six days a week and hosting as many as ten evening events annually for up to 45 guests. Residents, including the chair of the local residents' association, have raised concerns over parking, noise and late-night disturbance, with 58 objections lodged against the scheme compared with seven letters of support; HOLT has responded by proposing off-street parking directions and capped visitor numbers to limit the impact on the street.