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Residents in the exclusive and elegant neighbourhood of Holland Park say they would be reduced to living in “Third World conditions” if a proposed housing development goes ahead.

Opponents of developer Christian Candy’s plans to build luxury apartments in an area famed for its grand double-fronted mansions say local traffic congestion already makes the area seem like a “war zone” — and construction work would make it worse.

Mr Candy’s Guernsey-based CPC Group wants to demolish Thirties mansion block Duke’s Lodge, next to the park, and replace it with five stuccoed “villas” divided into 24 flats.

The planning application for the seven-storey building — in the same area as David and Victoria Beckham’s home — includes a double-level basement and was the first high-profile scheme to fall victim to Kensington and Chelsea’s ban on “multi-storey” excavations.

The council’s original ruling was overturned on appeal in January and the developers are now drawing up detailed plans to start work.

However, residents including Queen guitarist Brian May have objected to the developer’s traffic management plan.

This reveals that there could be up to 80 lorry visits a day to and from the construction site during the busiest period of work and 32,500 over two-and-a-half years.

One neighbour said: “The pollution is so bad that I cover my mouth every morning when walking to the Tube.

“It’s unacceptable that residents need to worry about their health in the heart of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. We will soon be living in Third World conditions.”

Jon Bradley said the nearby junction was already a “war zone”, and Ross Yealland added: “This plan will bring us local residents three years of hell — from life-reducing air quality to nightmare traffic from thousands of individual lorry movements.”

Simon Farrell QC, writing on behalf of May, said the plan would “greatly affect his life and that of his neighbours and all the residents in the area”.

He went on: “The amount of lorry movements if not closely controlled will put the health of residents at risk.

The Kensington Society has also objected alongside local councillors Rock Feilding-Mellen and Deborah Collinson. Georgiana Lebus added: “This proposal could result in an unacceptable harmful threat to the living conditions — and health — of those within the area.”

The traffic scheme has been recommended for approval by council officers who say details show the development can be constructed without causing unacceptable harm to pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

A CPC group spokesman said: “The development at Duke’s Lodge was approved by the planning inspector in 2016 and we are now dealing with pre-commencement of works requirements for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. We have submitted an industry-leading traffic management plan for construction vehicles entering and leaving the site. Local disruption will be kept to a minimum.”

A final decision is set to be made by Kensington and Chelsea’s planning committee next Tuesday.