Property company BYM, owners of The Spires, have supplied Barnet Council with more details of their plans to redevelop the shopping centre to include blocks of flats of up to six storeys in height.

An appraisal indicates that the redevelopment – which is still at the planning stage – might involve the construction of five blocks to provide a total of 280 homes with a mix of one- and five-bedroom apartments.

The Barnet Society – which is holding a public meeting on housing at The Bull on the evening of Tuesday 21 February – thinks as many as 280 flats might overload the site and that blocks of up to five and six storeys would overshadow both the centre itself and neighbouring streets.

Barnet Residents Association agrees that the height of the redevelopment is likely to generate considerable debate and will be a crucial factor when considering how to retain the character of Barnet town centre.

BYM is planning to replace the existing shopping precinct with a new pedestrian street to connect the High Street with Stapylton Road.

There would be blocks of flats on either side of the new street with shops on the ground floor. The twin towers at the High Street entrance would be retained.

The blocks would range in height from four to six storeys and the diagram above, illustrating the layout, indicates that blocks F and G, close to Chipping Close, would be the lowest in height and blocks A and C would be the tallest.

Robin Bishop, who leads the Barnet Society’s planning and environment committee, says they have already supplied BYM with their initial response.

“We would not object to new housing in The Spires, but the 280 units mentioned seem to be overloading the site.

“Five and six-storey blocks would overshadow The Spires precinct, and others would impact visually on neighbouring streets.

“As important to us as quantity is the variety and quality of units. We want to see a good balance of market and affordable homes, a range of unit size and type, and preferably provision for key workers, the elderly and disabled.”

BYM’s plan to redevelop The Spires with flats is almost certainly going to be one of the issues to be discussed at the Society’s public meeting on housing on Tuesday 21 February where speakers will include Ross Houston, housing lead for Barnet Council, green experts, and local architects.

If planning permission is given for the redevelopment of The Spires, BYM intend to start construction in 2024 and continue work through to completion in 2030.

As regards the issue of the height of the blocks, BYM’s document says that the scale of the development is “unlikely to be perceptible” from sensitive areas such as the neighbouring Monken Hadley Conservation Area and Wood Street Conservation Area.

“At a local level, the site is located in an established urban area and the provision of marginally taller buildings would not be incongruent to the character and appearance of the wider area.

“The architectural approach, including orientation and skyline profile will be important to mitigate potentially harmful impacts.”

The majority of the new buildings are expected to comprise red brick facades in keeping with the surrounding area.

Under the plan both the Waitrose supermarket and multistorey car park would be retained as well as space for the twice weekly Barnet Market.

Fruit and vegetable stall holders Tyler Bone and Andy Gardiner, joint proprietors of Barnet Market Ltd, have met representatives of BYM and said they were impressed by the steps that were being proposed to safeguard and enhance the market.

Mr Gardiner – above – said he was reassured that the developers recognised the importance of the market and were ready to discuss whether the market area could be expanded.

“We walked round the site with their representatives, and they talked about the possibility of moving the bandstand, re-using the grassy knoll on the other side of the service road, and providing storage space for the stallholders.

“So yes, we were impressed. BYM does seem very keen to work with us”.