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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has approved a Barratt residential development in Mill Hill, north London, after intervening to double the level of affordable homes and include housing for social rent on the scheme.
Barnet council refused permission for the development on the former National Institute for Medical Research site in February this year, against the advice of its own planning officers.
The proposed development includes 448 flats across 19 buildings of three to nine stories and 12 two-storey houses, along with new offices, leisure facilities and a publicly-accessible café.
The plans originally included 20% affordable housing: 92 homes, all of which were for shared ownership. Earlier this year, the mayor “called in” the planning application and Barratt has subsequently agreed to boost affordable housing on the site to 185 homes, including 131 for shared ownership and 54 at social rent levels.
Khan also ensured 119 trees, which would have been felled across the site, will now be retained and an additional 91 new trees will be planted.
The development will also see a number of sports pitches previously in private hands transferred to the local council for community use.
Khan said: “Delivering more of the genuinely affordable homes Londoners need is one of my top priorities as mayor and I will use all the tools at my disposable to do so.
“This development offers a significant number of high-quality homes which will be available through shared ownership, to help people struggling to buy a home on the open market. I have also been able to secure new homes at social rent levels within the development, which is key to helping Londoners on low incomes and to making sure we build a mixed community here.
“I am also delighted my planners have saved more than 100 trees from removal as well as increased the number of new trees planted – all of which will be enjoyed by the future residents in this new development for years to come.”
Earlier this year, the mayor published his Affordable Housing and Viability SPG (supplementary planning guidance), which aims to provide a quicker route through the planning process for developments with at least 35% affordable housing.
