Plans to build affordable flats next to a Barnet tube station have been turned down by councillors.

Developer Pocket Living wanted to build two blocks of five-storey flats on land to the south of Woodside Park underground station.

All 86 of the one-bedroom flats would have been classed as affordable, and residents would have had access to roof terraces and cycle parking.

Ash Selby, who lives on Holden Road, spoke in favour of the plans at Monday’s (July 15) Chipping Barnet area planning committee.

She said that despite being 39 years old and earning more than £35,000 a year, she would not be able to afford a home unless she moved out of the borough.

Ms Selby has lived in Barnet all her life and wants to remain close to her family.

But the council received 19 letters objecting to the development, which did not include any car parking spaces and would have involved building next to locally listed St Barnabas Church.

Among the opponents was MP for Chipping Barnet Theresa Villiers, who warned about the lack of parking and claimed the flats would be out of character with their surroundings.

Olivia Ellah, who lives on Holden Road, told the committee that large numbers of flats were already being built in the area.

She said the Pocket Living development would “no doubt be a serious burden on infrastructure, on the tube station, drainage, sewage, traffic congestion and the quality of life of residents”.

Planning officers said the flats were not aimed at car owners, and people who did own vehicles would be barred from parking in nearby controlled zones.

Labour councillor for East Barnet Cllr Laurie Williams said: “This is an excellent opportunity for the borough to say to people with a limited income, ‘you are welcome in this borough’.

“These are for individuals who aspire to own houses in the future but can’t afford them now.

“If we’re saying to that sort of person, ‘we don’t want you in Barnet’, I think that is a completely alien message to send out.”

But Cllr Richard Cornelius, Conservative councillor for Totteridge, said: “I support what you say about wanting a particular type of dwelling. That is fine – but that is not we are discussing here.

“You have to look at it as a building – as an ugly building that is close to what is the only nice building left on Holden Road, the church.

“One does not want to send the message that Cllr Williams talked about, but this is just not right for this particular place.”

Conservative members claimed the lack of parking – including disabled spaces – went against the borough’s policies, while the size and appearance of the building could harm St Barnabas and other neighbours.

The plans were rejected after four Conservative councillors voted against and three Labour members voted in favour.

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