An MP and activists have vowed to fight a “shameful” offer to add more than 1,000 additional homes to an approved program.
Developer Comer Homes wants to increase the number of apartments on the North London Business Park site in Brunswick Park from 1,350 to around 2,500.
His previous plans were turned down by the Barnet Council in 2017 – but a developer appeal was upheld by a planning inspector, whose decision was supported by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick in January last year.
READ MORE: Green light for the development of 1,350 homes in a business park
Now Comer wants to expand the project, increasing the height of the tallest blocks from nine to 13 stories.
Martin Berliner, who opposed previous plans as part of the Weirdale Ashbourne Residents’ Group, said activists were “discouraged” but would continue to fight against the new system.
“I don’t think anyone expected them to come back with more homes,” he said. “It’s pretty scary that developers have this kind of power to change the landscape in this way.
“The landscape will change forever, and this will cause huge problems for local residents when it comes to their daily activities.
“The look of the property doesn’t match the 1930s townhouses. It would set a precedent for other developers in the area. ”
Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers called the plans “shameful” and said she would “fight hard” against them.
“The surrounding suburbs are largely made up of one- or two-story houses,” added Villiers. “Thirteen-story towers should have no place in the low-rise suburban neighborhoods of Barnet. I will do all I can to try to prevent this from continuing. ”
Comer Homes has launched a consultation on the new proposals, which will run until Tuesday, May 11. It is available here: https://nlbpconsultation.co.uk/
There will be a webinar on the plans at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5.
Comer Homes said in a statement, “Comer Homes is committed to providing high quality and much needed homes to Barnet. We submitted a planning request for the North London Business Park in 2015. This request was approved by the Secretary of State in 2020.
“The Secretary of State’s report is the main reason for the decision to revise our proposals. The report suggests that the 2015 proposals will have minimal impact on the surrounding area. Comer Homes’ own analysis reflects this and shows that the increase in density does not undermine these results.
“Maintaining the existing building footprint was a priority when looking to increase the number of dwellings. This means that when additional height is required, the impact on surrounding residents is minimized by the following principles:
- No additional height near existing houses
- The height increase will not eclipse open public spaces
- Additional height will not change the cityscape
“The revised plans also adapted the interior design of each building so that the spaces are used more efficiently, thus allowing more housing to be delivered.”
Comer Homes encouraged people to respond to the consultation and said the comments will be “carefully considered” by the project team.
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Source: www.times-series.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-05-04 15:30:22
