Our street is being ‘pimped out’ to Insta-obsessed Paddington Bear tourists: Furious locals including ‘Queen of Shops’ Mary Portas slam plans to turn a Primrose Hill Airbnb into themed house

Locals in one of London‘s most affluent areas have accused Airbnb of ‘pimping’ out their street to tourists, after it was made famous by the Paddington Bear movies. 

Residents of Chalcot Crescent in the picturesque Primrose Hill are up in arms over a new ‘Paddington Bear’ Airbnb which is being launched on the street — a temporary experience which they say will increase the growing crowds outside their homes.

The area’s brightly coloured pastel properties have provided the backdrop to both the Bridget Jones franchise as well as Paddington, meaning visits from tourists and influencers looking for TikTok and Instagram content are a regular occurrence.

The Paddington house is being offered as part of a competition in which three families will be invited to spend a special night to celebrate the upcoming release of the new Paddington in Peru film.

Airbnb have said it is a ‘temporary feature’ and that the ‘space will be restored in a matter of weeks’. The company stressed that in the marketing campaign for the competition, the location of the Airbnb was not disclosed and they have received a great deal of positive feedback from residents. 

But some residents say the commotion will disrupt the quiet lives of elderly people on the street of Grade II listed buildings, where houses sell for as much as £4million.

A group of locals, including business guru Mary Portas OBE, have penned a letter to Airbnb complaining they’re ‘tired’ of having their street ‘pimped’ by companies for profit.

Brightly coloured terraced houses on Chalcot Crescent in London’s Primrose Hill 

Paddington Bear (pictured) outside the fictional home in 32 Windsor Gardens in Notting Hill where he lives with the Brown family 

The Paddington Bear Airbnb which is due to open soon as part of a competition to celebrate the release of the new film 

Mary Portas OBE (pictured) is among the locals who penned a letter to Airbnb complaining they’re ‘tired’ of having their street ‘pimped’ by companies for profit

Though the Brown family live at the fictional 32 Windsor Gardens in Notting Hill, the blue-pastel home at 30 Chalcot Crescent is used as their home’s exterior in the films, though the inside is believed to be filmed elsewhere.

The house Airbnb plan to transform into the Brown’s home, however, is a few doors down, currently with scaffolding outside.

Residents say StudioCanal, the production company behind the Paddington films, have long used their homes as a ‘free movie set’. 

But they say the Airbnb is a ‘step too far’.

One Chalcot Crescent resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘We have famous people living on the street in the last stages of their lives.

‘Some residents are about to turn 90, others are PhD students in charity housing who are trying to work during the day.

‘At no point did Airbnb feel it was [necessary] to contact anyone and say they are going to do an international PR campaign. The spend on this is enormous.

‘We found out from a letter that it was a done deal, but no one felt there was any reason to inform anyone on the street.

‘Why aren’t they doing it in a studio? It’s not even the Paddington house…

‘They are going to use the whole backdrop; they are using our street to promote their product.’

The Brown family and Paddington (pictured) lives at the fictional 32 Windsor Gardens in Notting Hill 

Scaffolding is currently surrounding the Paddington Bear Airbnb which three families will have the chance to spend a night in as part of a competition 

In their letter to Airbnb, the Chalcot Crescent residents’ group wrote that the company’s global campaign using their street would increase its ‘already popular’ profile among tourists and ‘the social media generation of digital-lifestyle over-sharers’.

They added: ‘While some may see this as ‘sour grapes’ and the price one must pay to live on a beautiful street, it is the Paddington franchise to date that has created the current flow of tourists.

‘An expensive media campaign will only amplify this and have an increased negative impact on all of our lives.

‘Overall, we are getting tired of feeling that our street is being pimped by corporations for their profit.’

One elderly resident, who has lived on Chalcot Crescent for over 40 years, added: ‘They are just trying to make money.

‘Locals are furious. We are now fighting against a commercial company making money off Paddington Bear.

‘The worry is that tourism will increase. At the moment, people love this street.

‘It’s a historic and beautiful street, but there are already enough people looking for where the film was made and this will bring many more.

Chalcot Crescent is renowned for its pastel-coloured houses where properties sell for as much as £4million

The properties have provided the backdrop for both the Bridget Jones franchise and Paddington films 

‘There will be crowds looking for Paddington Bear’s pseudo-home.

‘It’s not Paddington’s house, it’s just to attract customers.

‘They’re completely refurbishing the house and making it sellable. It’s just unfair. The neighbourhood is up in arms.

‘It’s going to disrupt our privacy. We have to live with this happening… We feel thrown out.

‘We are elderly people who have lived on this street for 40 years… Suddenly, at the end of their lives, we are plagued.

‘They can’t do this.’

A spokesperson for Airbnb said: ‘To celebrate the upcoming film release of Paddington in Peru and in partnership with StudioCanal, we’re bringing the magical home of Paddington to life for just three nights and will give three lucky families the unique opportunity to create unforgettable memories with their children in one of the most well-loved and iconic British spaces.

‘As part of our campaigns, we are committed to giving back to the local area.

‘In this instance, we are making a sizable donation to the Primrose Hill Community Association.

‘This donation will support local projects such as the Open House Project, which is aimed at elderly people, a flagship food programme that provides for people in need, and the upkeep of the Primrose Hill Community Library.’

However, residents say the ‘sizeable’ donation made by Airbnb – said to be £20,000 – is a mere token gesture that is ‘peanuts’ to a huge corporation.

Primrose Hill is one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in London (pictured)

Some residents say the temporary experience will increase ever-growing crowds outside their homes

The first-quoted resident said: ‘We wanted [them] to do much more for people who don’t have any wealth in the area.

‘This £20k is a joke. £20,000, given the spend, is peanuts. It’s nothing. It should be a percentage of the spend.

‘They are saying, ‘We are donating £20,000, so don’t complain’.

‘For so long we have been a free movie set for StudioCanal, but this Airbnb is a step too far.

‘Elderly residents were distressed [at the news]. They didn’t know what it was. We demanded a Q&A.

‘One of [Airbnbs] slogans is ‘Live like a local’, but they don’t give a sh*t about the locals. And this case proves that.

‘It’s not appropriate to do a PR campaign in a domestic setting.’

An illustration of Paddington’s home, filmed at Chalcot Crescent 

A Paddington Bear in the window of one of the properties at Chalcot Crescent (pictured) 

Airbnb added that they had been careful not to reveal the location of the Paddington house in their publicity, and highlighted that the reporting of residents’ concerns would draw more attention to the area.

A spokesperson for Airbnb told MailOnline: ‘This is a temporary feature and the space will be fully restored in a matter of weeks. In all communication materials, we have not disclosed that the location is in Primrose Hill and in all our publicity we will direct attention to Paddington’s fictional address Windsor Gardens. 

‘We respect the community and the homes within it. To ensure transparency, we sent a letter well in advance to inform local residents about this project. 

‘We visited the location on the first day of activity, and we also held an on-site meeting in the local library to discuss the campaign, answer questions, and address any concerns. 

‘We further invited residents to a meeting for additional discussion and have maintained direct communication with the community throughout the process.’