🏘️ Affordable Housing Delivery:

Sunday 30th April 2023

The Colindale/Mill Hill East Success Story

Colindale Gardens, Colindale, NW9 5BT

The Colindale Model: High-Volume Delivery Proves Barnet Can Build Big

The sprawling regeneration areas of Colindale and Mill Hill East have been Barnet’s biggest housing success stories over the last decade. By April 2023, council data confirmed that these two neighbourhoods alone had delivered 6,263 new homes, with thousands more approved. Projects like Colindale Gardens (NW9 5BT) demonstrate a comprehensive approach combining high-density housing with new social infrastructure.

The Positive Impact: This concentrated delivery strategy is vital. It creates scale for infrastructure investment (Headline 2 in our previous post) and helps Barnet meet its overall housing targets, relieving some of the pressure on suburban infill (Headline 1). It also provides a consistent demand for sub-contractors and materials, benefiting the local supply chain.

The Affordability Balance: The success here lies in delivering intermediate and affordable homes alongside market-rate housing. Between April 2022 and March 2026, The Barnet Group aimed to deliver 2,227 new affordable homes, much of which is concentrated in these growth areas.

Robbins Construction Ltd Opinion: Colindale proves that if the land is available and the council provides a clear, long-term masterplan, housing can be delivered at pace. The challenge now is to ensure the focus doesn't shift entirely away from quality. The new Building Safety Act (2022) means all these high-rise, high-density developments require stringent quality control, placing immense responsibility on the main contractors and the regulatory bodies.