Plan to build on High Barnet Tube car park slammed by Tories

Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey and Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers joined campaigners to protest against a proposed development at High Barnet Underground Station on Friday (February 7).

Transport for London (TfL) and Taylor Wimpey want to build up to 300 new homes at High Barnet tube station, 40 per cent of which would be classed as affordable.

It is one of several Underground stations earmarked for development by the transport body.

As well as providing homes, TfL says the schemes will bring in revenue that can be reinvested in the transport network.

But Mr Bailey wants to scrap the plans and open up more brownfield sites for development if he is elected Mayor of London in May.

Speaking on Friday, he criticised the plan to build some of the homes on the High Barnet Tube station car park.

Mr Bailey said: “If we have this big network, that’s great – but you have to be able to get to it in the first place.

“Many of the car parks are used at the weekend, then your high street stays alive. If you take that away, your high streets are done – and the social impact of having no high street is ridiculous.

“The mayor has a ban on looking at brownfield sites. What we should do is an audit of those sites to see if we can get more utility out of them, and that will give you some extra places to build as well.

“If you’re saying you’ll protect the green belt, you have to look at those brownfield sites – you can’t have it both ways.

“You can’t get rid of them all – London needs those industrial places – but you must have a review, and you must intensify as well. I think it’s more reasonable to intensify industrial space than living space.”

Mr Bailey claimed current Mayor of London Sadiq Khan had spent less than half of a Government grant of £4.8 billion to provide social housing and was now “rushing poorly planned-out developments”.

Mr Khan secured the Government grant in 2018 to help start building at least 116,000 affordable homes by March 2022.

When questioned on whether Government funding cuts averaging £700 million a year lay behind TfL’s development plans, Mr Bailey accused the current mayor of managing TfL’s finances “very poorly” and claimed Crossrail is £2.6 billion over budget and running three years behind schedule.

MP for Chipping Barnet Theresa Villiers called the TfL proposals “a real attack on the suburbs”.

Ms Villiers said: “There is a reason why suburban stations have car parks in London – it is because they serve a wider area, and people from beyond the reach of the underground network can actually get on it.

“It is a hugely important part of our transport system in Barnet, and the development that’s proposed not only would mean an almost complete loss of the car park, but it’s going to be high-rise blocks that are totally out of tune with the surrounding area.”

Ms Villiers also raised concerns that people with mobility problems could struggle to access High Barnet station if much of the car park is built over.

TfL said it would provide 32 car parking spaces, including six blue badge bays, at the redeveloped station.

The transport body added that more than 90 per cent of commuters to High Barnet walk or arrive by bus, and it will invest in bus connections, pedestrian routes and cycle spaces.

Graeme Craig, director of commercial development at TfL, said: “The scheme has been designed to build on what the local high street already has to offer, making the area even more desirable with a new community hub, green spaces and improved links for those walking, cycling and using the bus to the station.

“We have been engaging extensively with the local community and have listened to their feedback to make sure our proposals complement local surroundings. This has already led us to amend the design, height and scale of the development.

“The proposals for the site will also retain some car parking spaces – including increased Blue Badge provision, helping those with mobility issues access the station. We will continue to listen to the views of the local community before we submit our planning application.”

A London Labour spokesperson said: “This tells you everything you need to know about the choice facing Londoners at the election on May 7, which is a two-horse race between Sadiq Khan and the Tory candidate.

“Sadiq is building record numbers of new council homes – while the Tory candidate is opposing plans to build affordable homes for local people.”