Judgment Day for High Barnet Place

Back in September, the Barnet Society submitted a 64-page critique of the planning application for 283 flats on High Barnet Station car park. This Friday 28 November is your last chance to have your say. The application may be decided by the Planning Committee on Monday 8 December.

You can find our full submission here (dated 17 November). So far 660 objections have been lodged on Council’s planning portal and only 85 ‘supports’. Strangely, most ‘supporters’ of the application show no knowledge of the site and have been canvassed by an organisation called Just Build Homes.

Despite the unambiguous proof of local opposition to this application, the Council is committed to delivery of new housing and its Planning Committee could still approve the application.

We have been led to understand that the application will be heard by the Strategic Planning Committee on Monday December 8. Barnet Council was asked to confirm or deny this for the local residents groups on Friday 21 November 21. However, as of publication today we have not had an answer.

Alongside Barnet Residents Association we stand ready to speak at the meeting. If you care about the outcome, you can attend the meeting at 7:30pm at Hendon Town Hall or watch via video.

Since the original application, Places for London have submitted numerous amendments and clarifications, which they claim respond to consultation feedback.

The design amendments are mostly minor changes to the appearance and internal layout of the buildings. Their height and footprint are unaltered. Misleading errors in key views have not been corrected. The Barnet Society’s extensive criticisms have been ignored.

High among our concerns is the almost complete lack of improvements to accessibility and safety for both residents and users of the station – indeed their worsening through loss of the car park. There is no Equalities Assessment in the documentation to reassure vulnerable travellers, especially women and those with physical or other special needs, that their interests will be protected.

We are also convinced that the site that should never have been considered suitable for 1,000 new residents. The resulting excessive density and poor design – and the operational difficulties that will beset tube users, residents and the public, commercial and emergency services trying to serve them – risk repeating the mistakes of postwar housing estates. That would be to the lasting cost of the community, Council and the identity and character of Chipping Barnet.

If you haven’t yet commented on the proposals, you can still do so. Friday 28 November is the deadline for public comments on the planning application.

How you can comment

Have your say one of these ways:

In the cases of 2 & 3, be sure to include:

Sending a copy of your comments to our MP dan.tomlinson.mp@parliament.uk and to your local Councillors will increase the effectiveness of your objection.