Park Quarter flats reshaping New Barnet as final deadline approaches over proposed high-rise blocks of flats at High Barnet station

Construction of a massive complex of nearly 500 new flats at New Barnet is reaching the half-way stage – just as the go-ahead for the start of a proposed high-rise development at High Barnet tube station might be only weeks away.

Eleven blocks of up to eight storeys in height are being constructed by Fairview New Homes on the site of the former New Barnet gas works off Albert Road.

With almost 100 flats having now been sold, the new Park Quarter estate is rapidly taking shape.

Approval for the New Barnet scheme was a long and drawn-out affair and almost as tortuous and contentious as the highly-controversial plan to build five blocks of flats – including one of 11 storeys – over the tube station car park and container yard.

Any legal challenge to the decision by the Deputy Mayor of London, Jules Pipe, to approve the High Barnet scheme must be made by mid-July.

Advice on whether to seek a judicial review is being taken into consideration by Barnet Council and separately by Barnet Residents Association.

So far, the council’s only response, from the deputy leader Councillor Ross Houston, is “no comment at this stage”.

However, privately, some councillors with knowledge of the High Barnet scheme, says they do not think that realistically there are any legal grounds on which the Deputy Mayor of London’s decision can be challenged.

Although the council’s strategic planning committee voted by a clear majority against the tube station blocks of flats due to concern over their “scale, height and density”, planning officers had originally recommended approval as the site was allocated for residential-led redevelopment and would provide 328 new homes of which 100 would be affordable.

If the July deadline passes with no application to the High Court, developers Barratt and Transport for London’s investment subsidiary, Places for London, hope to start construction at High Barnet in February next year.

At Park Quarter in New Banet access to the site is about to be opened up with a new a new footpath into the development from the Victoria Recreation Ground – see Fairview image above – which should be completed by the end of June.

“Opening up the development onto Victoria Recreation Ground, creating a stronger physical and visual connection with the surrounding neighbourhood, will help the scheme become an ever more integrated part of the local community,” said Mark Jackson, Fairview director of planning.

An official topping out ceremony at the highest point of the development had achieved what Mr Jackson believed was a “significant construction milestone” for a scheme which appealed to people with strong connections to the local community.

Park Quarter had already attracted 93 buyers, including 69 first-time purchasers of whom 15 were from the local area.

Phase one of the 486-home Park Quarter development, which began in summer 2023, was sold out within ten months and work on phase two was well underway with 36 homes ready for occupation from March.

A further 106 homes are due to be finished by the end of the year and the entire development completed by the autumn of 2028.

Included in the development are one-, two- and three-bedroom homes and apartments and two- and three-bedroom duplexes; 162 of the flats will be affordable, at social rent or shared ownership, under the management of SNG Housing.

In line with the planning approval, Fairview have removed a footbridge which used to connect to a tunnel under the main railway line – a regular access route for pedestrians between Victoria Recreation Ground and Cromer Road.

In its place is a new footpath leading to the railway tunnel – an improvement welcomed by East Barnet councillor Simon Radford who is now in discussion with Network Rail to carry out repair work to sort out leaking surface water from the railway track above. 

Under obligations placed on Fairview’s planning approval, the scheme has required contributions of £1.5 million, including support for local bus services and for a controlled parking zone review and scheme.

In addition the development is subject to a community infrastructure levy of over £5.7 million, of which £4.3 million is paid to Barnet Council for local improvements.