Councillors cite scale of the eleven-storey scheme and loss of parking as the main issues with TfL-backed proposal at High Barnet Station, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans for High Barnet Station (credit Places for London)

Plans to build nearly 300 homes next to High Barnet Station have been rejected amid fears over the scheme’s scale.

Developer Barratt London and Transport for London’s property company Places for London submitted plans to build five blocks, containing 283 homes and 567 square metres of commercial space, on the tube station’s 160-space car park and adjoining storage spaces.

However, Barnet Council’s strategic planning committee rejected the plan when it met last night (Monday 8th).

The proposal, which would have risen up to eleven storeys in height, included 40% affordable housing.

But Sue Baker, a Labour councillor for Barnet Vale ward, told the committee she had received an “overwhelming amount of negativity” to the plans from residents. She listed the loss of the car park as “problematic” as it was used by “many elderly residents” as well as people with disabilities and mobility issues.

Residents were concerned about the “impact” on the access road and station entrance as a school, St Catherine’s RC Primary School, was also located close by.

The proposal has nine Blue Badge parking spaces for local residents and 17 spaces for tube passengers, including eight disabled bays. Residents, however, did not think this was sufficient to replace the station’s 177 car parking spaces, of which 162 are for commuter car parking.

David Longstaff, a Conservative councillor also representing Barnet Vale ward, pointed out the council’s new Local Plan stated a “maximum [height] of seven storeys” for the site but “this application goes to eleven storeys”.

Reform UK councillor Mark Shooter said the proposal was “too dense, too tall, too cramped and the wrong design in the wrong place”. Cllr Shooter said the area had a “village feel” which the residents treasured and the council needed to “make sure any new development enhances the area, not harms it”.

Simon Kaufman, a resident who spoke on behalf of The Barnet Society, said the group supported the site’s redevelopment for housing but that the proposal “was wrong”.

Simon said: “The applicant claims London Plan policy D9 justifies the height because the design is exceptional [but] it is not. Architecturally it is a run of the mill brick tower, typical of mid-grade housing across London.”

He added: “These blocks will be visually dominant, out of character, and harm the setting.”

Martin Scholar, head of planning at Barratt London, and Reece Harris from Avision Young, said: “This proposal is on an allocated development site within Barnet’s Local Plan. [The proposal] entirely conforms with the Greater London Authority and government’s agenda to provide new homes of density near train stations.”

The proposals form part of the West London Partnership, a collaboration between Places for London and Barratt London to deliver more than 4,000 new homes on “underused land” with “excellent transport links”.

Martin said the private market homes would be on sale for “around half” the average house price in High Barnet “allowing first time buyers to get on the housing ladder”.

He added the site was “unattractive” and “under-used” currently, as it was taken up by parking and storage containers.

Labour committee member Claire Farrier asked why alternative designs with smaller heights “were not possible”.

Martin said Barratt London had asked JTP architects to create “a scheme that could deliver the required amount of housing that would meet the site allocation and also deliver 40% affordable housing”.

Following a discussion of over two hours only one member voted in favour of the proposal, while eight voted against it, listing concerns around height as the main issue.

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