Billionaires Row Residents Complain About Trash and Neglected Mansions

Piles of rubbish, graffiti, potholes and the constant sound of drilling – all this could be yours for just £7million.

Once known for housing celebrities like Justin Bieber and the affluent Sultan of Brunei, The Bishops Avenue in London has earned the moniker ‘Billionaire’s Row’ due to its extravagant properties.

Despite the properties still commanding seven-figure prices, the street has lost some of its former allure when it used to attract attention with sightings of Princess Diana visiting the residence of the former King of Greece, Constantine II.

Situated on the border of Haringey and Barnet Council in northwest London, the maintenance responsibility for The Bishops Avenue lies with Barnet. However, they seem indifferent to the sight of abandoned clothing and empty alcohol bottles strewn near overflowing trash cans, which they only empty once a week.

Celebrities heading out on their morning walk can expect to step out of their multi-million pound oasis and be greeted by heaps of cigarette butts. 

In fact, London’s richest avenue resembles a building site. Construction vans and roadside barriers are strewn across the road and workers in high-vis jackets can be seen eating their packed lunches on the ledge of half-demolished mansions. 

Several properties have been boarded up by shoddy slats of metal that have since been vandalised with an array of graffiti, and if you peek behind, it’s easy to spot overgrown plants that seem to span acres of derelict land.

Allegedly the derelict land contained ten knocked-down homes, all of which were bought in 2013 for £70million.

London’s richest avenue resembles a building site. Construction vans and roadside barriers are strewn across the road

Workers in high-vis jackets can be seen eating their packed lunches on the ledge of half-demolished mansions

RISE FALL: Barnet Council have introduced double yellow parking lines on either side of the road to ‘improve sightlines and safety for all’

RISE FALL: The price-point for a property remains in the seven-figure realm but the road is a far cry from the glory days when Princess Diana could be spotted driving down

RISE FALL: Several properties have been boarded up by shoddy slats of metal that have since been vandalised with an array of graffiti

Dirty clothes and discarded bottles of alcohol lie next to overflowing bins, which the council only collect once a week

However, in an attempt to return the road to the idyllic suburb of its heyday, the council have introduced double yellow parking lines on either side of the road to ‘improve sightlines and safety for all’.

But residents expressed their worry that instead of preventing the constant traffic jams they’ve grown accustomed to, the restrictions will deter friends and family from visiting.

One resident, who chose to remain anonymous, told MailOnline: ‘It’s awful to live on a street like this, we didn’t expect this when we moved in seven years ago.

‘All the council does is fill in potholes. I think the new restrictions will affect family who are coming to visit because where are they going to park?’

And while the street was made iconic by 25-bedroom homes, developers have been tearing down the mega-mansions and turning them into apartments, retirement flats and housing developments.

The resident said: ‘The contractors parking on the road is annoying because you can’t turn left, you can’t turn right, we’ve had temporary traffic lights both at the top and the bottom of the road so there’s always a traffic jam.

‘We also think the litter is coming from the contractors, the people working in all the different buildings because there’s nowhere to throw their rubbish.’

Alongside the mansions there are now ten apartment buildings or complexes, two of which are care homes

There are currently four main developments being built on the road, including a complex for over 65s called Riverstone Bishops Avenue

RISE FALL: Trevor Abrahmsohn, Director of Glentree, claims that properties on the street are still going for between £4million and £100million

RISE FALL: The road sits on the boundary between Haringey and Barnet Council in north-west London, but the responsibility of its upkeep has fallen on Barnet

Residents expressed their worry that instead of preventing traffic jams the new parking restrictions will deter friends and family from visiting

Another resident, who also chose to remain anonymous, told MailOnline: ‘The contractors are clearly not allowed to smoke on site so we get lots of stubs of cigarette remains on our side of the road.’

Brandon Joyce, from NG Tunnelling, has been working on one of the developments. He said residents were appreciative of his team’s work in clearing up the damaged roads and cracked pavements.

He told MailOnline: ‘We were doing the roadworks and nobody complained. Everybody’s being really kind and thankful and we’ve received thanks from two people, because we were tidying the road and doing the drainage.’

There are currently four main developments being built on the road, including a complex for over 65s called Riverstone Bishops Avenue, which will consist of 93 apartments, a pool, spa, physio, library and gardens. It is expected to open in early 2026. 

Alongside the mansions there are now ten apartment buildings or complexes, two of which are care homes.

Trevor Abrahmsohn, Director of Glentree, the real estate firm that represent the majority of properties on The Bishops Avenue, told MailOnline: ‘The planners became a bit more flexible in the 90s with their plan for The Bishops Avenue and they’ve allowed apartment buildings to be built.’

He claims that properties on the street are still going for between £4million and £100million.

In an attempt to return the road to the idyllic suburb of its heyday, the council has introduced double yellow parking lines on either side of the road

A three-storey derelict mansion was partly destroyed by a fire in 2023

In 2016, Justin Bieber was reportedly renting a 15-bedroom mansion on the street for £108,000 a month

A builder who has been working on one of the developments said residents were appreciative of his team’s work in clearing up the damaged roads and cracked pavements

Celebrities heading out on their morning walk can expect to step out of their multi-million pound oasis and be greeted by heaps of cigarette butts

Barnet gave notice about the new restrictions on January 23, 2025, ‘to maintain road safety and traffic flow’

Allegedly the derelict land contained ten knocked-down homes, all of which were bought in 2013 for £70million

Barnet also plan to introduce a single yellow line waiting restriction from Monday to Sunday on various parts of the road

But several properties have been boarded up, and it’s easy to spot overgrown plants that seem to span acres of derelict land, which was allegedly bought in 2013 for £70million.

Mr Abrahmsohn explained the houses were initially bought in 1990/91 during the First Gulf War.

He said: ‘Rafic Hariri, who was then the Lebanese Prime Minister sent his henchmen to buy, no matter what price, 10 properties and they bought these properties hurriedly for the exiled Saudi Arabian family.

‘They subsequently sold them when they were excess to requirements and they were bought by an Iranian businessman.

‘The plan is to redevelop them.’

Barnet gave notice about the new restrictions on January 23, to introduce ‘at any time’ double yellow lines on a ‘certain length of The Bishops Avenue, west side, near its junction with Bishops Grove’, and ‘at the junction with Byron Drive and The Bishops Avenue’.

They also plan to introduce a single yellow line waiting restriction from Monday to Sunday on various parts of the road.

The council said the reason for these new restrictions is ‘to maintain road safety and traffic flow, deter obstructive parking, and improve sightlines and safety for all’.

But next time you’re looking for a celebrity stop even though you won’t be able to park, the likes of Salma Hayek can still be found living on the now dilapidated Billionaires Row.