After an exceptional 12 years at the helm of BelSoc (and before that, Belsize Residents’ Association), Prabhat Vaze has decided to hand on the role of Chair to Alan Selwyn. This was ratified at the committee meeting following the announcement at the 2026 AGM.
Anne Stevens, a long standing Non-Executive Trustee and past Committee member gave the following tribute to Prabhat (transcribed from a recording):
” Prabhat joined the committee in 2012. His initial interest, I think, was in planning issues, but I’m afraid he didn’t escape the notice of Avril Nottage, who was then the chair, and in 2014, he found himself the chair, so he has, in fact, been chair for 12 years. I don’t know quite what he expected when he took on the role of chair of the committee.
I’m not sure he thought that he would shortly thereafter be finding himself briefing a barrister to appear on behalf of what was then the Belsize Residents’ Association, at the extended planning appeal on 100 Avenue Road, and having to be involved in raising the funds to pay the lawyer’s fees. But he was, and has been ever since, much involved in the ongoing saga of 100 Avenue Road. One of the things that became apparent, as a consequence of this, was that the then structures of the Belsize Residents’ Association were not really appropriate to some of the things we might find ourselves wanting to do.
I rather think he signed the contract with the barrister knowing that he did not have limited liability. He committed to signing at a little bit of personal risk. And the consequence of that was that we then shifted into charitable status, and Prabhat helped to oversee the refoundation of the Belsize Residents’ Association into The Belsize Society, and its constitution as a charitable organisation. This was a great deal of work, and something that went on, as so many other things did, behind the scenes.
Just look at the list that Alan has made – it’s extremely extensive, including the Sir Richard Steele ACV, so Prabhat is now quite an expert on ACVs, carrying right onto the recent ones in relation to Swiss Cottage and the Globe tennis club. And not just ACVs. a whole number of other things too.
Whether he also, when he took this on, realised he would be giving evidence to select committees in the Houses of Parliament, I don’t know, but he did. He appeared on behalf of the Society at the Select Committee on the development of High Speed 2.
I see the Council Local Plan is listed there, but what Alan hasn’t quite listed, is all the work he’d done did to get Camden’s policy on basements – and much better control of the development of basements. I’m sure many people would regard the planning controls on the construction of new basements, as still, perhaps, not wholly satisfactory. But it’s whole even better than it used to be. And a lot of that is due to Prabhat’s work, alongside other local associations and local lobbyists.
More generally, though, beyond all these specific things, I don’t think that BelSoc would continue to exist, were not for what he’s done.
He’s filled in major gaps, for example, producing the newsletter. When I first joined what was then the Belsize residents’ Association we had a newsletter editor but then we no longer had a volunteer willing to edit and put together a newsletter.
We suffered the terrible loss of our then treasurer, intestate, and without executor or next of kin. That caused considerable difficulties in keeping the association’s finances on an even keel. So, who has been doing that for the last few years? But as in many recent years as well; we do desperately need a new treasurer. So, if anybody has any ability to read a spreadsheet, or add up sums, even better if they’ve got some kind of bookkeeping or accountancy. Please, please. We need you!
But above all, as well, Prabhat has been a voice to be heard locally. His relationship with the councillors has been very good, at least, I hope that the councillors present here would agree with that. And it has ensured that our voices can be heard. And he speaks for the whole of the association, very effectively, if rather quietly, and to a large extent behind the scenes.
And this has all happened through times which, both for the Society, our community, society in general through lockdown and COVID, and also, I happen to know, for Prabhat personally, have sometimes been very hard. I have to say, that my impression is that he’s always had a lot of partnership and unobtrusive support from Judith. And I think the society should be very appropriately grateful to somebody who, in addition to an extremely important job, finds time, and mental and emotional capacity to support him so much.
I’m very thankful that he’s not going to give up entirely, as I’m sure everybody is. He is continuing on the committee, which is great. I hope he will manage to resist getting lumbered with everything. And I hope it will give him, maybe, a little more of a chance to cultivate his Gloucestershire garden, and to pursue, perhaps, other interests.
In the meantime, we’re going to make sure he doesn’t forget us. So, on behalf of the committee, we have… a couple of little prints. This is the cottage that was formerly in the residence of Sir Richard Steele, on Haverstock Hill. And this is another view of Haverstock Hill, published in 1829. Without the cycle lanes, and so on. It’s rather different nowadays!
But we hope that those will be reminders of good times, as well as of all the hard work. We really don’t know how to say thank you adequately, but please do be assured, we do recognise what you’ve done, and are very grateful. Thank you.”
Anne Stevens, Non-executive Trustee of The Belsize Society
