Barratt has failed in its bid to build 450 homes on green belt land in Mill Hill, NW7, even though its plans were recommended for approval by planning officers.
The 15-hectare (37-acre) site is currently brownfield land, with just 7,500 sq ft accessible through an existing right of way across a field. The proposed scheme would have increased this accessible space to 1.5m sq ft.
According to planning documents, the existing footprint of the developed land covers 1m sq ft. However, once the development completed and the homes built, this would fall to just 620,000 sq ft, enhancing the openness of the green belt.
The site is the former home of the National Institute For Medical Research, now based in the Francis Crick Institute next to St Pancras station, N1.
Barratt are currently on site building out a 650-home scheme on Croydon’s green belt, on a former hospital site at Cane Hill, Coulsdon.
However, the recent Housing White Paper seemed to strengthen green belt policy, stating that “green belt boundaries should be amended only in exceptional circumstances when local authorities can demonstrate that they have fully examined all other reasonable options for meeting their identified housing requirements”.
The most recent London Plan set out minimum 10-year housing targets. Barnet’s was 23,489 over the period from 2015 to 2025 – an annual target of 2,349 homes.
LRR data reveals over the past five years Barnet have completed around 1,200 homes per annum − around half of the target.
Around 2,000 homes are currently under construction across the borough and just over 1,000 lie in the application stage, awaiting decision. Another 16,000 homes have planning consent but have yet to start, though 7,500 of those hinge on a single scheme − the Brent Cross Cricklewood development.
In short, Barnet is failing to deliver the number of homes it should. This brings into sharp relief the arguments against green belt development, when schemes such as the one at Mill Hill could greatly improve housing targets.
A spokesperson for Barratt London said: “Clearly we are disappointed with the decision in respect of our application. However, we will continue to work with Barnet Council and associated stakeholders to allay any concerns and produce a plan that all parties are happy with providing much needed homes for London.”
It is likely Barratt will redesign and possibly reduce the number of homes to try and strike it lucky second time around.
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