Khan 'has no remit' to redraw Barnet's Green Belt, council warns

The mayor’s new London Plan looks set to make it easier for parts of the Green Belt to be built on, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

Barnet Council leader Barry Rawlings (left) and Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan (right)

Barnet Council has warned Sir Sadiq Khan that he “does not have the remit” to make direct changes to the borough’s Green Belt – after a new City Hall document identified several areas for potential redevelopment.

The comments, made by a spokesperson for the local authority, come in response to the mayor’s new draft London Plan, which sets City Hall’s new strategic planning goals across the capital. It was published for the first time earlier this month.

The draft proposals, if approved, could see new areas of Metropolitan Green Belt land in the capital released for development. This could be particularly significant for Barnet, where numerous Green Belt locations have been identified for potential use.

Part of the draft plan describes how developments on Green Belt land could be acceptable if they meet “sustainable location tests”. This includes meeting the approved London Plan’s own criteria, or being a government-designated ‘new town’ site, which is the case in neighbouring Enfield.

However, the proposals from the mayor’s office also contain scope for sections of the Green Belt to be developed for “residential-led” schemes if “the vast majority” of new homes are located either “within 400m” of an eligible bus route or 1.2km – “15 minutes walk” – from a select list of railway stations.

Barnet has been identified as having up to seven of these “well-connected train stations” near “broad locations for growth” that contain Green Belt land.

These are the Northern Line tube stations of Finchley Central, High Barnet, Mill Hill East, Totteridge and Whetstone, West Finchley, and Woodside Park, plus the national rail station of Mill Hill Broadway.

It has also identified land near the A1 at Borehamwood East as a “future industrial-led Green Belt candidate”.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) asked the council for its response to the draft proposals.

In response today (Monday 27th), a spokesperson for the local authority said: “The mayor’s published draft new London Plan has put forward a case for strategic Green Belt release land to meet both housing and industrial need.

“It has identified broad locations in Barnet, however, the council is very clear that the mayor does not have the remit to make any direct Green Belt boundary changes.

“We will now carefully assess the detail of the draft proposals before submitting a formal response to the consultation and we will continue to work with residents, communities and partners to ensure any future growth delivers the homes, opportunities and neighbourhoods that people need and want to see.”

The spokesperson also said the council “has had no direct discussions with the mayor’s office, London Plan team, on the proposals presented in the draft plan”.

They added that council officers “have since reached out to the London Plan team to engage in a fuller understanding”.

Every 15 or so years, each London borough council has to create a local plan which outlines the development targets, such as number of homes to be built, and how it intends to meet those targets. It also outlines the rules and regulations that should guide proposals for development projects.

Barnet Council adopted its Barnet Local Plan in March 2025.

The mayor’s London Plan, meanwhile, sets out the policies that each council must follow when creating their strategies for local development.

According to City Hall, this is to ensure that the capital’s planning system “is joined up and reflects the overall strategy for how London can develop sustainably”.

Take part in the consultation on the new draft London Plan:
Visit london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/planning/london-plan/next-london-plan

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