At the end of May, the Mayor of London’s Office made the bold move to overturn two planning decisions for projects in North London. It is good news for the developers, but has seen a backlash from various other stakeholders. We want to have a look here to see what it means for the pair of projects. Then, if you need dynamic services from a lettings agent in Barnet, including guaranteed rent, you can speak to us.

Great North Leisure Park

The first project is the plan to redevelop an 11 acre Brownfield site in Finchley. Currently home to a leisure park, including a leisure centre, cinema, bowling alley, restaurants, and lots of parking, Arada has plans for a £1.5bn regeneration. The aim is to ensure they make the most of the “underused” site.

The proposals here are to create a new leisure centre, potentially with an outdoor lido. Crucially, the current facility will remain open until the replacement is ready. Plus, the development will create just under 1,500 new homes in buildings up to 25 storeys. This includes 341 affordable homes (25% of the scheme). Additionally, there will be public realm improvements, more green space, and sports facilities. Ultimately, the forecast is net biodiversity on the site will increase by a massive 150%.

Barnet Council declined planning permission for the redevelopment, arguing it was “out of character” for the area. Notably, there were concerns about the density and height of some of the towers. Speak to us about investing and working with a lettings agent in Barnet.

However, Jules Pipe, Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration, and Fire Services, had a different view, siding with the developers. In overturning the decision and granting approval, he said they “cannot afford” to ignore developing Brownfield sites like this when there is an urgent need for more homes in the area.

High Barnet station

The second project is a proposal to redevelop a car park near the Tube station in High Barnet. Again the idea is to create new housing. This time the proposal would deliver 283 new homes (40% affordable) in blocks up to 11 storeys. The goal is to also improve the wider area. Get in touch if you want to find out what makes us the top lettings agent in Barnet.

Again the plans were initially rejected by Barnet Council. Similarly, the local authority had serious concerns about the height, calling it excessive and arguing tall buildings were not suitable for the site. There were also a number of objections, with many criticising the loss of parking at a key transport hub.

Jules Pipe made the decision to overturn the decision and give approval here too. Crucially, he said it is important to “take opportunities” to create new homes on sites with good accessibility to transport. Touching on the scale of the new buildings, he said the height is important to optimise the development and protect Greenfield and Green Belt land. While accepting the loss of the car park will have an impact, he believes it will encourage more sustainable travel in the area.

Do you have questions for a lettings agent in Barnet?

It will be interesting to see what happens now with both projects. The chance for such a large number of new homes in Barnet will be news to the ears of buyers, including investors. If you’re thinking about investing, remember you can rely on us. We provide a range of services, and have the flexibility to help clients achieve various goals.

So, get in touch and speak to a top lettings agent in Barnet today. We excel at guaranteed rent, HMOs, and managing different assets.