Councilors vote to refuse controversial High Barnet scheme

Councilors have raised concerns about a controversial High Barnet development ahead of a planning appeal due to be heard later this year.

Objections to the redevelopment of Intec House, a seven-storey, 98-home scheme at the end of Moxon Street, were heard during a Barnet Council strategic planning committee on Wednesday (17).

Residents in South Close, a neighboring road, raised concerns about the flyover, how out of line the scheme was for the area and how previous committee proceedings had been conducted.

The site currently houses a three-storey building, mainly used as office space, with a storage area to the rear. The neighboring building, Fortune House, has been approved for redevelopment by the same developers.

The original plans for Intec House were approved in November 2023 and at the time included a 35% allocation of affordable housing.

However, an amended proposal was debated in April which increased the number of homes from 92 to 98 but removed all of its affordable housing. Following this debate, the decision to grant or reject the scheme was postponed.

Developer Moxon One challenged that decision on the grounds of “indeterminacy”, meaning it will now be heard by an independent planning inspector later this year.

Committee chairman Nigel Young explained that the committee would not approve or reject the proposal at the meeting, but had to decide what it “intended to do” so that this position could be put to the inspector during the appeal hearing.

He said: “The basis on which the committee decides will be the basis on which the officers will go to the planning inspector.”

Resident Darren Taylor said: “It is insulting that the council would consider even a paltry contribution of £75,000 at the expense of removing 35% of affordable homes from the system.”

He said planning officers’ handling of the previous committee meeting, which took place in April and where the decision was made to delay the application, was “conceived and manipulated”.

Darren added that the committee acted in an “undemocratic manner” and this was done to provide “another chance to get the outcome that the officer and legal counsel wanted”.

After two hours of deliberation, Cllr Young, summarized the main reasons why the council would recommend refusal, saying “the harm was not outweighed by the benefits”.

There was also a “lack of detail” on how the scheme would be deliverable, “a maximum number of affordable homes had not been secured” and there were concerns about density.

Overshadowing was also an issue and the proposal did not “respect the surrounding character”.

Councilors voted to voice their support for refusing the plans on these grounds by eight to one. The call will take place in the autumn.