Barnet Council Draft Local Plan Analysis - 2 - Edgware - 5,000 new homes

Yesterday we started our analysis of the Draft Barnet Council Local Plan.  The full details of the consultation are on the Barnet Council website. We urge you to get involved and read this. This document will shape the way our community develops over the next 16 years.

https://engage.barnet.gov.uk/Draft-Local-Plan-Consultation

Today we have a look at plans for Edgware. I have pasted these in below. I chose Edgware as this has been a hot topic on this blog recently. If you are an Edgware resident, I suggest you read these carefully, they will have a massive impact on your quality of life. they will also have knock on effects for people elsewhere in Barnet who use the Edgware branch of the Northern Line and Edgware Hospital.

4.16 Edgware Growth Area 

4.16.1 Edgware Growth Area will deliver transformational improvements to the town centre and benefits for local people and visitors. New housing will provide high quality accommodation for Edgware’s growing population. Better connections across the area will open up the town centre for local residents, while new public space and a cleaner, well-designed environment will encourage people to visit and stay. Delivering a cinema, swimming pool and more opportunities for eating and drinking will allow Edgware to become a leisure destination within Barnet and beyond. 

4.16.2 Edgware Town Centre has high levels of public transport connectivity due to the Northern Line station and a dense network of bus linkages. As the only major town centre within the Borough, 
Edgware provides a strategic role in terms of retail, leisure and employment provision. There is significant scope for improving the leisure and night-time economy offer in Edgware. Barnet’s Town Centre Floorspace Needs Assessment forecast significant levels of food and drink expenditure growth in Edgware. This can be met though increasing the provision of bars, cafés and restaurants. There is also scope for a new cinema complex and swimming pool, which will provide a step- change to the local leisure offer.

4.16.3 While the public transport linkages are good, the bus and rail stations integration with the town centre and surrounding areas could be improved. The bus access in particular conflicts with pedestrians. The public realm is generally poor, being crowded, clustered and noisy. There is very limited public outdoor space for sitting or socialising.

4.16.4 Extensive areas of surface parking, a low-rise shopping centre and the rail and bus station areas provide significant potential for regeneration and intensification. Further detail on sites around the Edgware Growth Area is set out in Annex 1 - Schedule of Proposals.

4.16.5 Edgware is identified in the Growth Strategy as one of Barnet’s main town centres, a location prioritised for improving its offer due to its larger scale and economic gravity, in particular as employment hubs for small to medium businesses in comparison to other Barnet town centres.

4.16.6 The Edgware Town Centre Framework was adopted in 2013. The Council is developing a new Supplementary Planning Document in conjunction with LB Harrow to provide a new and more comprehensive planning framework for Edgware to realise its capacity. A goal of any new framework will be to ensure that growth acts to directly enhance and supports the existing Edgware Town Centre. 

POLICY GSS05 Edgware Growth Area
Edgware Town Centre is identified as an opportunity for regeneration and intensification, supported by high existing PTALs reflecting its potential to become an Integrated Transport Hub.
The Council will support planning proposals that optimise residential density on suitable sites while delivering improvements to the amenity of the area. To deliver growth and regeneration at Edgware Town Centre, the Council will seek the following from development proposals:

• 5,000 new homes;
  
• Improved leisure options such as a new cinema, swimming pool and
  new eating-out options;
  
• Appropriate floorspace for community, retail and office uses;
  
• Improved public realm, including new public spaces;
  
• Transformation of the relationship between the rail and bus stations
  and the wider town centre to improve the pedestrian experience and
  reduce congestion;
  
• Retain existing levels of employment and pursue opportunities for new
  jobs.
  The Council is preparing a more detailed planning framework for this area, through a Supplementary Planning Document working in conjunction with LB Harrow.
  

 In section 16, there is something which may shock locals. A very brief reference to Edgware hospital. It seems to imply that the hospital operation will be reduced by 75%

5

Edgware Hospital (Major Thoroughfare)

Burnt Oak

Edgware Rd, Burnt Oak, HA8 0AD

366

25% hospital continuing in use, with associated car parking

	Site Address:
Edgware Hospital (Major Thoroughfare)	Edgware Rd, Burnt Oak, HA8 0AD
Site map			Location map
			Site Size: 2.87 ha PTAL 2019: 3 PTAL projected 2031: 3 Ward: Burnt Oak
Existing or most recent site use/s: hospital		Ownership: Public (NHS)
Proposed use type/s: hospital continuing in use, with associated car parking; with 25% of site residential.		Indicative residential capacity: 800
Location type: Urban		Site source: Call for sites

Applicable Draft Local Plan policies: GSS01, GSS11, HOU01, HOU02, CDH01, CDH02, CDH03, CDH04, CDH07, CHW01, CHW02, ECC02, ECC06, TRC01, TRC03	Development timeframe: 11-15 years
Site description: NHS hospital on a relatively low-density site, with buildings of 1-2 storeys and large areas of surface car parking. Approximately a third of the site lies within Flood Zone 3a. A Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation lies along the Silk Stream. The site is on the A5 Edgware Road which in this section is low-rise in character, with retail and office uses. To the north and south are 3-4 storey residential blocks, while a railway line is to the rear. Colindale Station is within approximately 1⁄2 km.
Initial planning considerations: The hospital will continue in operational use and full unrestricted access must be maintained. The Flood Zone 3 designation means that proposals must be subject to the sequential and exception tests and demonstrate how flood risk will be managed and mitigated. The SINC must be protected designation. This location may be suitable for a tall building; further guidance will be provided by the A5 Height Strategy. Improvements to Silk Stream River Corridor required.

Also of interest should be plans for over 2,000 homes on Station Road and the surrounding areas

	Site Address:
Edgware Town Centre (Edgware Growth Area)	Station Rd, Edgware, HA8
Site Map			Location Map
			Site Size: 7.83 ha PTAL 2019: 6A PTAL projected 2031: 6A Ward: Edgware
Existing or most recent site use/s: retail, office, residential and car parking.		Ownership: Private and Council
Proposed use type/s: residential with 25% retail, office, leisure and community.		Indicative residential capacity: 2,379
Location type: Central		Site source: Edgware Town Centre Framework (2013)

Applicable Draft Local Plan policies: GSS01, GSS05, GSS12, HOU01, HOU02, CDH01, CDH02, CDH03, CDH04, CDH07, CDH08, TOW01, TOW02, TOW03, TOW04, CHW01, CHW02 ,ECY01, ECY02, ECY03, ECC02, TRC01, TRC03	Development timeframe: 5-10 years
Site description: The site is within Edgware Town Centre and includes Primary Retail Frontages. It encompasses the Broadwalk Shopping Centre (with roof car parking), a supermarket and associated car parking. To the north and west the sites faces onto Station Road and A5 Edgware Road with retail frontages in mid-20th Century buildings. The site also includes some office and residential uses. To the south is a mosque and a primary school, along with semi-detached housing. To the east are the bus and railway stations. Public transport accessibility is high.
Initial planning considerations: The high accessibility, potential for tall buildings and the town centre context support a high density of redevelopment. Proposals must consider existing site uses, including retail, offices and residents. Car parking requirements must be assessed and re-provided as needed. Proposals must take account of the Grade II listed Railway Hotel which is adjacent to the north. Edgware Town Centre Framework (2013) provides further guidance. Further guidance to be provided in the emerging Edgware Town Centre SPD.

Then there are the plans for the actual station with over 2,000 more homes

Site No. 28	Site Address:
Edgware Underground & Bus Stations (Edgware Growth Area)	Station Rd, Edgware, HA8 7AW
Site Map			Location Map
			Site Size: 8.17 ha PTAL 2019: 6B PTAL projected 2031: 6B Ward: Edgware
Existing or most recent site use/s: transport operations		Ownership: Public (TfL)
Proposed use type/s: residential with 30% mixed uses (transport, retail/, office and community).		Indicative residential capacity: 2,317
Location type: Central		Site source: Call for Sites and Edgware Town Centre Framework (2013)
Applicable Draft Local Plan policies: GSS01, GSS05, HOU01, HOU02, CDH01, CDH02, CDH03, CDH04, CDH07, CDH08, TOW01, TOW02, TOW03, TOW04, CHW01, CHW02, ECY01, ECY03, ECC02, TRC01, TRC02, TRC03		Development timeframe: 5-10 years
Site description: The northern part is within Edgware Town Centre, facing onto the main shopping street, including Primary Shopping Frontage. The site encompasses Edgware Station, platforms and tracks, the bus garage with parking and access, along with areas of open land to the south and east. To the west is

the Broadwalk Shopping Centre, classified as Primary Retail Frontage, with associated car parking. To the south and east is 2-storey housing. Public transport accessibility is high.

Initial planning considerations: The high accessibility, potential for tall buildings and the town centre context support a high density of redevelopment. The Edgware Town Centre Framework (2013) provides guidance, including upgrading the transport infrastructure and improving pedestrian connectivity. Proposals must consider the area of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation which covers areas of open space and sidings, along with the adjacent Watling Estate Conservation Area and housing to the south. Further guidance to be provided in the emerging Edgware Town Centre SPD.

These are the key points.

Firstly a few observations. Edgware is the main focus of new housing development in the local plan. With 5,000 dwellings it is a scale above all of the other developments and over four fifths of this is in the space between the station and the junction with the Edgware Road. When the Watling Estate was completed, this was 4,032 dwellings spread over 157 hectares. By comparison, this will fit more dwellings into around 20 hectares. What sort of strain will this put on the local amenities, such as doctors, hospitals (especially if Edgware is being scaled down), doctors, dentists, etc.

Will the Northern Line be able to cope with this, especially at rush hour?

The plan states 'Delivering a cinema, swimming pool and more opportunities for eating and drinking will allow Edgware to become a leisure destination within Barnet and beyond.' - whilst we welcome these plans, this seems to be an ill thought out afterthought. In particular a swimming pool should be primarily designed for local people, not to draw even more people into what will be a massively congested area. As to the cinema, surely if this was a key component a site and a plan, with sponsors would be identified. This smacks of consultants with no real interest beyond their paycheck, saying 'lets put a cinema in the plan to  make it look people friendly'. Given that there will be no parking and cross Borough links are appalling, the aspiration to make a massively overcrowded Edgware Town centre a destination seems quit bizarre. 

On the positive side, the Railway Hotel is shown as still existing, however there is no actual postive mention of plans to make this the centrepiece of the plan.

One also has to ask where are the flood mitigation schemes in here. Edgware has a history of flooding. 

It looks to me as if this plan has been put together by a bunch of property consultants looking to make a quick killing, with scant regards to the local community.  

London has a housing crisis. This is beyond question, but one has to question whether such high density dwellings at the end of a tube line such as Edgware is really the solution. How busy will the trains be by the time they reach Golders Green. Will gridlocked roads andjam packed tube trains really tempt people to live in Edgware? If the council can demonstrate where the schools, new transport links, hospital beds, doctors surgeries, etc are, then maybe it would be credible, but this is not really a plan, it is a wish list for developers. 

You would expect a local plan to actually talk about the infrastructure, the regeneration and the improvements for existing residents and taxpayers as a first priority. As we foot the bill, we are entitled to say 'what is in this for us'. What is the answer Barnet Council? All it looks like to me is conjestion and overstretched services. Oh and as someone living with cancer, who regularly uses services as Edgware Hospital, a massive degredation of this service and an very detrimental impact on my life, as I have longer journeys for treatments.

 I have passed these comments on to the council. If you feel as strongly as I do, Please email the council at forward.planning@barnet.gov.uk to make your views known.

The Barnet Eye made a film about the decline of Edgware with local historian Mark Amies, an Edgware Resident. Please watch this. It is clear that the Town is being neglected to soften residents up for this mega development.