Planning permission was granted to the previous owners, Wrenbridge, to build 32 flats, eight semi-detached houses and workspace for 40 or more employees.

At a meeting with Robin Bishop, chair of the Barnet Society, the head of planning for Shanly Homes, Steve Mellor, said they were looking at a number of options for revising the planning permission granted last year.

“We are residential and commercial developers, and in reviewing the plans that were approved we can give an assurance that we intend to maintain a mix of new homes and commercial use offering employment opportunities.

“We also aim to keep to other objectives of the original plan. We intend to maintain the concept of views through the redevelopment and the need for any new development to respect views of Barnet, its church and historic buildings from King George’s Field and Hadley Green,” said Mr Mellor.

Shanly Homes hope to be in a position to start work at some point from the latter half of 2018 and in the meantime short term contracts would continue to be available to temporary occupants of some of the existing workshops.

Mr Bishop told Mr Mellor that the Society hoped any revised plans keeps to the original proposal for a mixed development.

The Society had worked closely with Wrenbridge in preparing its plan to redevelop the site and hoped to be equally supportive of Shanly Homes if the company continued to demonstrate a commitment to design quality in terms of materials and impact on the townscape.

“Wrenbridge accepted our argument for some flexible and affordable workspace to be included in any Brake Shear House redevelopment. We need to do more to encourage small businesses in Barnet and we consider this a priority for any future scheme.”

Mr Bishop also urged the company to take on board the impact of the plans by Barnet Town Team to encourage Barnet Council to improve Barnet High Street with pavement build-outs and tree planting.

“We do hope Shanly Homes will add impetus to the efforts to extend tree planting from Barnet Hill through to Hadley Green.”