Barnet (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Barnet Council has approved controversial plans for a twelve-storey, 238-room hotel in Finchley town centre, sparking debate over local impact.
The structure, slated for 1-4 Shakespeare Road, will take the place of two semi-detached houses, a Bright Horizons nursery, and a commercial building that is utilized by a religious organization.
The idea would “lift” the region and help cope with antisocial behavior, according to information presented at a strategic planning committee meeting yesterday (Thursday, the 4th).
However, Ross Houston, the deputy leader of the council and a member of the West Finchley ward, also objected, stating that the size and impact on daylight for a nearby residential block on Shakespeare Road was a “key concern.”
He said:
“The distance between this building and number seven, which is less than the guidelines, is a factor and I think the report goes into more detail about the light and I think the affects on 7 Shakespeare Road which I need to point out has two single-aspect flats is going to come into consideration.”
Because Shakespeare Road is narrow, Cllr. Houston admitted that public realm upgrades were “needed,” but he asked the developer to carry out construction with a “minimum” impact on homeowners if the project was authorized.
7 Shakespeare Road neighbor Rajiv Agarwalla called the project a “bloody disaster” and “just insane.” He said that there was “confusion” since the officer’s report included information from an earlier daylight and sunshine survey that was conducted on an earlier iteration of the design.
Rajiv said:
“The officer’s report ignores the scale and loss of light and level of impact on Shakespeare Road focusing only on the residual values.”
He also criticized the developer for not conducting a travel survey and mentioned that the commercial and nursery buildings were causing traffic problems on the road.
Rajiv said:
“People are going to come with suitcases, luggage, are they not going to get an Uber, a taxi, deliveries and it’s all squeezed into Shakespeare Road which is already a small cul-de-sac. The road is not even adopted by the council so there’s no enforcement mechanisms.”
The developer, Benjamin Aaron, said that after three years of work, the plans had resulted in a “reduction in height and massing.” He also mentioned that the buildings need “significant investment to bring them up to modern standards” because they were in a “very poor state” at the moment, which had led to antisocial behavior.
350 new employment would be generated, the nursery would be refurbished, and £2 million would be spent locally each year. Although the development team “weren’t sure” how the error had occurred, they attributed the misunderstanding surrounding the daylight and sunshine statistics to the existence of an “interim scheme.”
What reasons did Barnet council give for approving the 12-storey Finchley hotel?
The council emphasized that the hotel would “lift” the area, contribute to its regeneration, and support local economic growth, including increased visitor accommodation capacity.
Finchley is identified as a priority town centre suitable for tall buildings under Barnet‘s Core Strategy (Policy CS5). The site lies near other tall buildings such as the Arts Depot, allowing the hotel’s height to be considered acceptable within local planning policy.
The hotel development aligns with the council’s objective to bolster the commercial and tourism functions of Finchley town centre. The scheme includes modern design elements aimed at making the building a positive addition to the townscape.