Barnet (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Over 100 North Finchley residents gathered last month to launch a campaign proposing alternatives to Barnet’s current housing plans for the area.
Criticising the developer’s plans it adds:
“These poorly designed proposals should be replaced with schemes that meet the needs of the community and provide affordable and social housing, without destroying the character of the town centre or the future welfare of residents and small businesses.”
The group is calling for the “rejection of the Great North Leisure Park application by Barnet Council and the withdrawal of the Masterplan application by Regal JP.” Instead, they want to see “a new, community-led vision based on what residents actually want and need.”
Residents who attended the meeting are quoted by the campaign as saying of the plans:
“North Finchley deserves regeneration, but it must be built with us, not against us.”
“They’ve tried to push this through quietly, but tonight proves the community is wide awake,”
the campaign says.
“There was strong agreement that the proposals prioritize developer profits and help the council meet arbitrary targets, rather than responding to the actual housing needs of local people,”
the statement after the meeting reads.
Of the North Finchley town centre plans in Barnet, she said:
“We are bringing over 850 much-needed new homes to the heart of the town centre, including affordable housing, helping to meet growing local demand and supporting the shops, services and businesses that rely on footfall to survive.”
Located on previously developed land with strong transport links and low car use, the development promotes walking, cycling, and public transport, making it a truly sustainable investment in the future of the town.”
She added:
“The proposals for Great North Leisure Park deliver lasting public benefit, bringing new homes, jobs, public space, and an outstanding new leisure centre to a brownfield site that has long been underused and dominated by car parking.
At the heart of the plans is a new publicly owned leisure centre significantly larger and better equipped than the current facilities including both indoor and outdoor facilities.
With net zero operational carbon emissions and a design that prioritises walking, cycling and public transport, this is a genuinely sustainable development – and a major opportunity to secure long-term benefits for Barnet residents now and in the future.”
In describing Regal’s consultation strategy, she listed the company’s many engagement initiatives, which include mailing newsletters to local households, hosting in-person exhibitions, and having discussions with a variety of local stakeholders.
She said:
“We have made community engagement a central part of our approach to both the Great North Leisure Park and North Finchley masterplan proposals, ensuring that local residents have had meaningful opportunities to help shape the emerging plans from the outset.
In both projects, consultation has not been a one-off exercise but an ongoing dialogue. We are committed to continuing this engagement throughout the planning process and into delivery, ensuring local residents remain at the heart of these proposals.”
Which specific Regal proposals provoked the residents’ campaign?
The North Finchley Town Centre regeneration scheme which proposes up to 1,100 new homes, commercial, and retail space, with building heights of approximately 6–25 storeys – more than double the height of current buildings.
The Lodge Lane development of a plan to build 98 new homes, a cinema, and bowling alley raising concerns over scale and suitability..
The Great North Leisure Park proposal includes and plans for more than 1,500 new homes, raising alarms over overdevelopment and pressures on infrastructure. The proposals are considered disproportionate to the character of the area, as they particularly conflict with the current suburban character over the tall and dense buildings that would replace it.
These shared concerns around the scale, density, affordability and community impact of Regal’s proposed developments have galvanised residents’ efforts against it.