It has been a long journey to redevelop the Dollis Valley estate in Chipping Barnet. A masterplan got planning approval in 2013. Since then, we’ve seen the demolition and redevelopment of various parts of the site. However, the final phases have been in limbo since 2023. Luckily, a new agreement means progress could soon begin again. Let’s have a closer look, then you can speak to us if you need solutions like property management in Barnet.
Halting development
As we said, work on several phases of the estate regeneration is complete or well underway. Phases four and five hit a roadblock a few years ago. While they got planning permission in 2022, the project stalled. Developers Vistry Group and L&Q subsequently said the original plans were no longer financially viable.
Originally, the proposals for the final part of the Dollis Valley regeneration were to create 233 homes, a mix of houses and apartments. They would have been a mix of social housing (affordable and intermediate) and private sale properties. However, the developer said it was no longer cost effective to do this.
A new plan
To get the project moving again, Barnet Council has agreed to a change in the plans. They will now purchase all 221 homes to use as social housing. The Council’s management group, Barnet Homes, will take charge of the properties. This is great news for the project and provides more social rent homes for local people. Speak to us if you want help with property management in Barnet.
What happens next?
With a new agreement in place, work can now begin to clear the final old buildings (Mill Bridge and Garrowsfield) on the estate. This includes flats and maisonettes. They were found to have serious issues, including mould and damp, in 2024. So, they will now make way for new homes in modern, energy efficient buildings. The estimate is the demolition will begin later in 2026.
Controversy
While there are huge positives with the new agreement for Dollis Valley, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. In fact, there has been a backlash to the decision to make the final homes all for social housing.
The big concern is the housing on the new Brook Valley Gardens estate will now be 60% social rather than a 50/50 mix of private and council homes. As a result, some buyers have concerns about the impact on the future values and saleability of properties. They claim it could become more difficult to sell in the future as lenders consider the amount of social housing in a development.
Ask us about property management in Barnet
There are plenty of fantastic areas in Barnet if you’re looking to invest. It has lots to offer, including suburban towns with green space, great communities, and excellent transport links. Top schools make it an ideal choice for families.
If you find the right assets for you in the borough, you can rely on us to help you get the most from them. Finefair Ltd is one of the top providers of guaranteed rent in London, working with a number of councils. On top of that, we can help with managing properties and more.
So, speak to us about property management in Barnet or any other services you may need.
