Keeping watch on developments in New Barnet

2022 Planning Applications for amendments to Consented Scheme at Gasworks Site

Fairview New Homes and One Housing submitted planning applications to amend two buildings (H & J) of the consented scheme for 371 homes, and a temporary car park for these two buildings, in December 2022.

Links to application details on Barnet Council's planning website:
Block H 22/5754/S73
Block J 22/5755/S73
Temporary Car Park 22/5928/FUL

UPDATE 1 - The planning applications were approved by Barnet's planning committee on 29 March 2023.

2021 Planning Application for Gasworks Site - REFUSED, appeal DISMISSED, judicial review REFUSED, and request for reconsideration of judicial review REFUSED

Fairview New Homes and One Housing submitted a planning application to build 544 flats on the former gasworks site in Albert Road (Victoria Quarter) in July 2021. After a number of time extensions, public consultation ended on 30th September 2021.
Fairview New Homes and One Housing submitted a series of revisions to their Victoria Quarter planning application in November 2021 and public consultation was reopened until Thursday 16th December 2021. The amendments were the removal of one floor of the tallest block, reducing the total number of flats by five to 539, and modification of brick parapets from horizontal to angled on some elevations.

Link to application details (21/3676/FUL) on Barnet Council's planning website: tinyurl.com/vqjuly2021

UPDATE 1 - The Victoria Quarter planning application was REFUSED by Barnet's planning committee on Tue 22 February 2022.

UPDATE 2 - Fairview submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, claiming non-determination of the application within the statutory time limit, on 23 February 2022.

UPDATE 3 - A public inquiry into Fairview's planning appeal over the refused Victoria Quarter planning application took place at Hendon Town Hall between Tue 19 and Fri 29 July 2022.

UPDATE 4 - The independent Planning Inspector DISMISSED Fairview's appeal over the refused Victoria Quarter planning application in a decision published on 19 August 2022.

UPDATE 5 - Fairview launched a Judicial Review in the High Court over the planning appeal, on 29 September 2022.

UPDATE 6 - Fairview's application for Judicial Review was REFUSED by the High Court in a ruling published on 11 November 2022.

UPDATE 7 - Fairview requested reconsideration by the High Court of their refused application for Judicial Review on 17 November 2022.

UPDATE 8 - Fairview's request for reconsideration of their refused application for Judicial Review will have a 30 minute oral hearing at the High Court on 18 January 2023.

UPDATE 9 - Fairview's request for reconsideration of their refused application for Judicial Review was REFUSED at the High Court on 18 January 2023.

2020 Planning Application for Gasworks Site - REFUSED

Fairview New Homes submitted a planning application to build 652 flats on the former gasworks site in Albert Road (Victoria Quarter) in April 2020. The deadline for public comments to Barnet Council was 17 June 2020. Link to application details (20/1719/FUL) on Barnet Council's planning website: tinyurl.com/vqappapr2020

An additional 21 day consultation period was opened at the end of July 2020 following some minor changes to the planning application. A total of 1048 objections had been lodged with Barnet Council's planners when public comments closed again on 19 August 2020.

The official report by Barnet Council's Planning Officers on Fairview's 652 flat scheme for the gasworks site was published on 24 August 2020. The report recommends approval. The development is the main agenda item for the councillors on Barnet's Planning Committee to discuss and vote on at their 2 September 2020 online meeting.
Link to: Agenda and Report on Barnet Council's website.
Due to the size of the development it will also have to be referred to the Mayor of London.

UPDATE 1:

At Barnet's planning committee on 2nd September, the 11 councillors present at the online meeting voted unanimously to oppose the officers report that recommended approval of Fairview's Victoria Quarter development. In their comments, all the cllrs were clear in their very strong objections to the scheme. They then agreed to defer to their next meeting a vote on the detailed grounds to refuse the planning application. This was due to the very long list that the councillors came up with and the importance of writing this in a clear and unambiguous way.

UPDATE 2:

At Barnet's planning committee on 13th Oct, the councillors voted unanimously to agree to the grounds for refusal for Fairview's Victoria Quarter development that had been compiled by planning officers following the cllrs unanimous vote to reject the development at their meeting on 2nd Sept.

The agreed reasons for refusal of 20/1719/FUL are:
1. The proposed development, by virtue of its excessive height, scale, massing and density would represent an over development of the site resulting in a visually obtrusive form of development that would fail to respect its local context and the pattern of development in the area, to such an extent that it would be detrimental to the character and appearance of the area. The proposal would therefore not constitute a sustainable form of development and would be contrary to the provisions of the NPPF; Policies 3.4, 7.4, 7.6 and 7.7 of the London Plan (2016); Policies CS NPPF, CS5, DM01 and DM05 of the Barnet Local Plan Core Strategy and Development Management Policies (2012).
2. The proposed development by reason of its density, design and layout, would provide an unsatisfactory standard of residential accommodation due to the poor layout of some of the proposed flats, inadequate separation distances, poor outlook, limited natural light and poor quality courtyard amenity spaces. The proposal would therefore represent a poor form of development to the detriment of the amenity and living conditions of future occupiers. Therefore the proposal is contrary to the provisions of the NPPF; Policies 3.5, 7.4 and 7.6 of the London Plan (2016); Policy CS5 of the Local Plan Core Strategy (2012); Policy DM01 and DM02 of the Development Management Policies (2012); the Council's Residential Design Guidance SPD (2016); and Sustainable Design and Construction SPD (2016).
3. The proposed development, by virtue of the unit mix being predominantly one and two bedroom units and with no provision of four bed family units, fails to provide a genuine choice for a growing and diverse population and thus fails to meet the identified housing need in Barnet, contrary to the requirements of the NPPF; Policy 3.8 of the London Plan (2016); and Policies CS4 and DM08 of the Barnet Local Plan Core Strategy (2012) and Development Management Policies (2012).
4. In the absence of a Section 106 Agreement, the application does not include a formal undertaking to enable an amendment to the Traffic Regulations Order and to secure the planning obligations which are necessary to make the application acceptable. The application is therefore contrary to the NPPF; London Plan Policies 3.6, 3.12, 3.13, 4.3, 4.12, 5.2, 6.3, 6.9, 6.10, 7.19, 7.21, 8.2; Policies DM02, DM04, DM10, DM14, DM16, DM17; and Policies CS4, CS7, CS8, CS9, CS15 of the Development Management Policies (2012); Barnet Local Plan Core Strategy (2012); the Barnet Planning Obligations (adopted April 2013); Affordable Housing (adopted February 2007 and August 2010) Supplementary Planning Document; the Barnet Supplementary Planning Document on Delivering Skills, Employment and Enterprise Training (SEET) (adopted October 2014); and the Mayor’s Supplementary Planning Guidance on Affordable Housing and Viability (2017).

UPDATE 3:

Fairview's planning application was referred to the Mayor of London on 26 November 2020 for final determination. The Mayor has until 9th December 2020 to decide whether to allow Barnet's refusal to stand, or to take over the planning application himself. Details in the 1st December 2020 SNB Newsletter.

UPDATE 4:

On 7th December 2020 the Mayor of London made the decision to overrule his own officers report and instead follow Barnet's planning committee to refuse Fairview's Victoria Quarter scheme. The developers can still appeal to the Secretary of State. Details of the Mayor's decision on the GLA website.

Download A4 Say NO to high rise poster

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SNB videos about the Victoria Quarter Planning Application

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Save New Barnet Campaign is a non-political group of local residents fighting for a better New Barnet. The group seeks to inform the local community about potential changes to the area, and oppose inappropriate developments. The group aims to promote a clear vision for how New Barnet could be developed for the benefit of the community based on the views of local people.

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