Temple Fortune Health Centre set to be demolished and rebuilt with 15 residential flats added
By Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

Temple Fortune Health Centre and (inset) the plans by architects HCUK Group for its redevelopment

Plans to redevelop a medical centre in Temple Fortune and provide additional homes have been submitted to Barnet Council.

The proposals involve demolishing the existing Temple Fortune Health Centre, in Temple Fortune Lane, and building a four-storey block containing a replacement medical centre on the ground floor and 15 flats on the upper floors.

Built in the 1970s, the existing building is home to two medical practices serving 25,000 patients. Planning documents submitted on behalf of the applicants, Leora Harverd and Karen Myers, describe it as an “unattractive feature in the streetscene that detracts from the character and appearance of the adjacent conservation area”.

Although the centre was refurbished in 2006, the plans add that it “now requires significant ongoing annual investment and is essentially past its lifespan as a fit-for-purpose, modern medical facility”.

The flats proposed for floors two to four are intended to fund the redevelopment project. Barnet Council’s planning policies state that sites providing ten or more units should, subject to viability, provide the “maximum reasonable amount of affordable housing” on site. However, the plans reveal that a financial viability assessment found the scheme “cannot currently support affordable housing on site”.

Although the documents acknowledge that it is “regrettable” that the development is unable to provide affordable housing, they explain that all the profit will be used to fund the new medical facility. They continue: “Without the new homes, this would not be possible, and it is likely that the site would just need to be sold on the open market.”

The site lies next to the Hampstead Garden Suburb Conservation Area and near to three Grade 2-listed buildings in Farm Walk and Temple Fortune Court. According to a heritage statement submitted to the council, the proposals “are not considered to have an adverse effect on the setting that would result in harm to these listed buildings”.

The developer plans to provide 13 car parking spaces for the residential development along with four for health centre staff.

Residents can view and comment on the plans by visiting the council’s planning portal and entering reference 22/5485/FUL.

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