Join our Campaign
For better, truly affordable, and accessible homes. Stand against the tower block blight.Our aim is to have a town centre that responds to the needs and aspirations of all the community and provides housing that is well-designed for dignified and harmonious living.
Who we are
Our North Finchley is a campaign for all those who care deeply about the future of North Finchley town centre and its surrounding area.The campaign includes residents, business owners, and local workers. We have come together because we oppose the North Finchley Masterplan and the proposed development of Great North Leisure Park. The Planning application for these developments have already been submitted to Barnet council. But they are unacceptable for many reasons, and do not reflect the needs and voices of the community. The applications must be opposed immediately and strongly.What unites us is our concern about overdevelopment, the lack of public spaces and facilities, the fact that new homes are not affordable, and the damage to our environment and heritage. We also demand new consultations, particularly on the Masterplan, because the developer’s poor consultation and misleading information was an insult to the community.We support the regeneration of North Finchley and the construction of new homes, which are much-needed. But this must be done using good design principles and policies, to create homes that are truly affordable, pleasant to live in, cater to all who need them, and are integrated into the local area.
The plans
Our area, which has seen no major development in decades, is suddenly confronting three large planning applications by the developer Regal London.The development at Lodge Lane car park has sadly been approved, despite the valiant efforts of local campaigners.
North Finchley Town Centre 'Masterplan'
Planning Submitted
North Finchley Town Centre Masterplan (855 homes): The main plan will demolish most of the area on and around the Tally Ho triangle. Regal then plan to build blocks of flats between 6 and 21 storeys high and new shops.
Great North Leisure Park (GNLP)
Planning Submitted
Great North Leisure Park (1,502 homes): The cinema, bowling alley and restaurants will be flattened and replaced with an extremely dense development of very tall blocks of flats around 20 to 25 storeys high. The Lido will be refurbished into a Leisure Centre.
Lodge Lane Car Park
Planning Approved
Lodge Lane car park (98 homes): New blocks of luxury flats will go up on the existing car park, with a small cinema and bowling centre. The number of car parking spaces will shrink from 222 to 80. There are no affordable homes in the plan.
Barnet Council's broken promises
These developments were started by the Conservatives. Labour inherited control of Barnet Council in 2022 along with the development plans.In their manifesto, Labour promised to “stop the tower block blight” and stand up to developers. They promised to put residents at the heart of regeneration.But the North Finchley Masterplan tells a different story. Our North Finchley are fighting to hold Barnet Council accountable to us, the people who vote for them. We are fighting for the regeneration we want to see.
| Promise | Reality |
|---|---|
| “We will stand up to developers” | Masterplan shaped by developer Regal JP, not residents. |
| “We will ensure regeneration is community-led” | Residents say consultation felt one-way and tokenistic. |
| “We need more affordable family homes, not tower-block blight” | 855 new homes, mostly high-rise flats, with limited affordable housing. |
| “We will develop low and medium-rise housing” | Towers of up to 21 storeys proposed in the Masterplan and up to 25 storeys in GNLP, so far with no opposition from councillors. |
| “We will improve community infrastructure” | No confirmed new GP, school, or childcare facilities, just vague references to "contributions". |
| 50% affordable housing - The London Plan Target. | 20% 'affordable' housing proposed. Social housing is nominal. |
| No environmental impact on protected species or habitats. | A local reptile and amphibian charity warns that the Great Crested Newt population near the Glebelands Local Nature Reserve may face extinction due to impact from the development |
Our demands
Withdraw the North Finchley Masterplan Planning Application - Barnet Council and Regal have said that a decision on the Application will be delayed for a year or more. This delay shows that the application was not ready and was poorly thought-through. They are taking liberties with the planning system: decisions should take no more than four months.
Develop a new community-led Masterplan - A new Masterplan should be co-created, which builds on the existing council Strategy for North Finchley Town Centre, provides continuity of our heritage (prioritised by the community), and makes a place for the community to flourish.
Reject Regal’s Application for the Great North Leisure Park (GNLP) – this massive, dense, and tall scheme embodies everything that is wrong with the way London’s suburbs are being developed. The blight created by these developments will last for generations.
Respect local democracy - Councillors must honour the Manifesto promises on which they were elected in 2022: stand up to developers against tower-block blight, more affordable family homes, ensure town centre regeneration is co-designed with residents and local businesses, a low and medium rise streetscape, best practice examples to stop the proliferation of tower blocks. Those who voted for these principles, and other residents as well, expect the promises to be implemented. There should be no excuses at the Town Hall: these tower-block schemes must be rejected by the majority of councillors.
Work with the community, not against it - Local residents and businesses, who were hardly informed or consulted on Regal’s proposed Masterplan, must have a full role in designing a new scheme. There must be full information on new proposals and thorough community consultation and co-design.
The community’s real needs
Build affordable and accessible homes for all and not investor flats – At least 50% of homes must be genuinely affordable and include social housing and 10% wheelchair user dwellings. Development should create many good-quality homes for families, not just unaffordable one and two-bedroom flats.
Guarantee infrastructure before building starts - GPs, schools, childcare, and other amenities must be planned and funded before construction begins, not promised vaguely in agreements with developers or by hand-waving councillors.
Provide sufficient transport connections – Thousands of new residents in our area means more public transport will be needed. We also need to recognise that for many people and businesses, parking is a necessity. Walking and cycling should be encouraged and require infrastructure like good pavements, paths and cycle lanes.
Protect local leisure and culture - The Hollywood Bowl, the Vue cinema and other existing amenities will disappear under proposed schemes. They must be retained or replaced with better venues, These amenities are crucial for young people and allow them safe spaces to enjoy themselves. They reduce the risk of anti-social behaviour in town centres.
Provide real community spaces both indoors and outdoors – Residents of North Finchley need new spaces that are large enough for activities like markets, socialising, cultural and artistic events, play and leisure. The town centre has far too little open space. Regeneration should reduce the space devoted to traffic, by making flows more efficient, and replace road-space with more room for pedestrians.
Protect and improve our heritage – It has taken two centuries for our town centre to develop and there is a lot that is worth preserving. The Masterplan would destroy two locally-listed buildings. Our town centre was not built to a single “master plan” on a central command. It has character and history. Let’s keep and grow that character with development that both reflects the past and brings in the best of the present.
Enhance green spaces – North Finchley town centre needs more greenery. New developments should not harm protected species or existing green spaces, especially at GNLP.
A community that is both urban and suburban – North Finchley is an historic suburb but it is also part of London: one of the greatest urban areas in the world. New development should reflect that special position and give us a sense of identity, focused around a thriving town centre. We do not live on a “brownfield site”, we live in a living breathing place that should not be wiped off the map.
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Contact us
North Finchley Town Centre Masterplan
An artist's impression of the proposed tower blocks at Tally Ho
This will demolish most of the area around the Tally Ho triangle, constructing blocks of flats from 6 to 21 storeys and new shops. Ballards Lane around Tally Ho will be pedestrianised and the High Road made two-way. The scheme is highly objectionable:
The buildings are far too tall and massive. They will dominate the narrow roads. This is a development for a derelict city centre, not a lively suburb.
The character and heritage of the town centre will be destroyed. Regeneration, renovation and growth are needed, not wholesale demolition. North Finchley may be a little run-down, but it is a good example of the suburban town centres that developed in London from the early 1800s onwards. Places like this make London a great and special city, as much as do Regent Street or Kensington.
This development will not strengthen the community in North Finchley. It will divide it, weaken it and alienate many. North Finchley’s community is a rich patchwork of people, of many different backgrounds and income levels. Their identities and opportunities will be squashed by an oppressive bland development in which they can afford neither homes nor business premises.
The Masterplan would destroy two buildings listed by the council as having heritage value: the SeaRock corner terrace and the Grand Arcade. The developer has unreasonably refused strong council requests to save the SeaRock, which is an historic landmark, This is not acceptable.
The development is designed to provide 855 new homes. Since it will demolish 200 homes, the increase in homes in the area would be only about 650. Fully 90% of the homes will be small 1 and 2 bedroom flats. Yet the council says that most new homes in Barnet should be family homes with at least 3 bedrooms. Only 20% of the homes will be “affordable”, compared to the official minimum requirement of 35%. None of the homes will be affordable to the least well-off, who need social housing.
Most of the offices in the town centre will be demolished and not replaced. A town centre needs a variety of uses. Hundreds of people work in the town centre and make it a more lively place. The Masterplan would turn a town centre into a residential estate.
About 200 homes will be demolished. The people who lose their homes will not be able to afford the new flats. They will be cast out to wander the city in search of affordable accommodation, of which there is very little. There needs to be a clear plan for housing people who need to stay in this area.
Many local businesses will see their premises demolished. They will not be able to afford new space in the Masterplan’s buildings. There must be provision for these, to maintain employment and diversity.
There is far too little open space in the Masterplan. The proposed “public square” is tiny and will be surrounded by buildings 11 to 21 storeys tall. All open areas will be in shadow for most of the day from large buildings. In winter the area will be truly grim.
The new very tall buildings will almost certainly make the existing impossible wind conditions worse. The developer has failed to explain why the area has such serious wind problems and provides no assurance that outdoor areas will be usable for all day-to-day activities.
Ballards Lane will be only partly pedestrianised. The pavements will be widened, but buses will run continuously along a central lane. This has not been well thought-through, along with the effect of the closure of Nether street. Nor has the reorientation of traffic through a new two-way High Road been given full consideration. The links between the Tally Ho area and the Tube stations have not been considered. Parking assessments are inadequate.
Great North Leisure Park (GNLP)
An artist's impression of the proposed development
This proposal would demolish all buildings and replace them with an extremely dense developments of very tall blocks of flats. The existing Leisure Centre (Lido) will be replaced with a new one on an adjacent site. The Vue Cinema and Hollywood Bowl will not be replaced. This is a bad scheme for many reasons:
It is far too tall and dense. With 1,502 flats, it will be six-times the density considered acceptable for an area such as this. London developments have been becoming ever taller, more massive and denser. This represents a further extreme, moving into an absurd realm of developers’ fantasies. It is comparable with the centres of the most overcrowded cities in the world.
Most homes will be dark and many will have views only of another block two dozen metres away. A third will be single aspect, with windows facing in one direction, which is not accepted under planning policies because there is not enough natural air flow.
There is almost no public space for the 4,000 people who will live there. Outside space between the massive buildings is barely enough for comfortable walkways.
Playspaces for children are scattered in small pockets all over the scheme. They often form parts of public walkways or are placed on roofs. This is not a child-friendly, or youth-friendly development. Nor is it one for people with limited mobility, who need very close and accessible areas where they can move easily, and sit to breathe fresh air.
Public transport is inadequate for a development of this kind. There are only two bus routes serving the area, both already at capacity in peak times. It is too far from Tube stations for walking to be a practical alternative.
There are too few amenities (shops, dining, etc.) for a site of 4,000 people. They will use North Finchley town centre, but it is a mile away. People need these close-by too.
The existing Hollywood Bowl and Vue Cinema will close. These serve large areas of Barnet, and are the only such venues for many miles around. They are crucial for young people. The council failed to consult on this and will leave young people stranded, with nowhere to go other than the streets. The supposed replacements on Lodge Lane are useless: they are tiny, have few facilities, with no parking, and in difficult locations.
The development is located next to Glebelands playing fields and the Glebelands Nature Reserve. But there is no plan to integrate the development into these. In fact, the development could disrupt the nature reserve and the protected crested newts that live there (London’s largest colony of this rare species).
Only 20 percent of the flats in this huge development will be classed as “affordable”. None will be at social rents. The minimum affordable housing expected by law is 35 percent, which is what nearly all other schemes of this size offer.
Only 18 percent of the flats will have three bedrooms or more. The council’s local plans calls for over 50 percent. This site, in a green area outside the town centre is an ideal place for real family homes with gardens. But once again a scheme fails to deliver the new homes that Barnet residents need and were promised.
Bringing 4,000 people into an area raises the question of whether infrastructure, the health service and schools can cope. An adequate assessment of this has not been made.
A new Leisure Centre would be built. The existing Leisure Centre barely copes with demand. The 4,000 additional people living next door will overwhelm the capacity of the new facility.
The tall buildings violate the legally-mandated policies of the Local Plan and the London Plan. Tall buildings are only permitted in designated areas of Barnet, and GNLP is not one of them. The developers want the council and the GLA to manipulate the law artificially to give them what they want. Local authorities that do this would betray the spirit of the law. Either laws are something to be respected, or governments can bend them at their will. This is not the kind of country we expect to live in.