🏘️ Barnet Local Plan Debate: The Suburban Infill Pressure

Tuesday 4th March 2025

The Local Plan’s Edge: Why Infill Development in Whetstone is Changing the Face of N20

The official adoption of the Barnet Local Plan 2021-2036 on March 4, 2025, cemented the council's vision for growth. While major schemes like Brent Cross get the headlines, the real pressure point for our business—and for local residents—is infill development.

In areas like the Whetstone High Road corridor (N20 5), we are seeing a continuous stream of planning applications to demolish existing detached or semi-detached homes and replace them with blocks of flats or a cluster of mews houses. The Local Plan pushes for increased housing supply, especially in areas with good public transport links, which Whetstone High Road certainly has.

The Problem: This process often leads to planning debates regarding 'overdevelopment' and 'out of character' design. Residents rightfully want to maintain the street scene, while the council is obligated to meet housing targets. The result is protracted planning battles that stall construction.

The Builder's Reality: For us, securing planning permission in postcodes like N20 has become a specialist task. It requires meticulous design work that respects the height and massing of neighbours, often limiting the density we could otherwise achieve. The debate is often fierce on roads like Oakleigh Road North (N20 5) where large family plots are ripe for infill.

Robbins Construction Ltd Opinion: We support growth, but it must be quality-led. The council needs to provide clearer, non-subjective design guidance for infill sites in areas like Whetstone to reduce appeal rates and provide certainty for both residents and responsible builders. The current system often rewards the most persistent, not the most appropriate, development.