Sadiq Khan refuses regeneration plans due to social housing loss

Barnet Council, which approved the application from housing association Genesis to redevelop the estate last month, has been told to work with City Hall planners to redesign the scheme to include more social housing.

Mr Khan, who called in the planning application, described it as “how not to do estate regeneration”.

For the mayor, it is the most significant flexing of muscle over the hotly contested and often controversial process of estate regeneration in the capital.

The Greater London Authority has consulted on estate regeneration guidelines, but the final document – originally due to be published in the summer – has been delayed.

It comes as the National Labour Party takes a tough stance on estate regeneration – demanding mandatory tenant ballots before they are approved.

Mr Khan said: “This is a classic example of how not to do estate regeneration. I fully support improving social housing on this estate and across the capital, but this scheme falls far short of what I expect of London boroughs.

“As I have made clear in my new London Plan, estate regeneration projects must replace homes which are based on social rent levels on a like-for-like basis. Londoners so urgently need more high-quality housing, not less, which makes this scheme completely unacceptable in its current form.

“I have asked Barnet Council to work constructively with the applicant on alternative plans with greater density, which do not result in the net loss of affordable homes. Given its recent record in this area, I hope the council recognises the need to replace what would be lost at Grahame Park.”

Genesis planned to demolish the estate and build 1,083 homes, of which 60% would have been ‘affordable’ - covering social, affordable and London Living rents and shared ownership. The remainder would be offered for private sale (431).

When it approved the plans last month, Barnet said it had “worked in close partnership to address previous queries raised by the GLA” over the lack of social housing.

It has claimed these issues had been “broadly resolved” adding that “all parties agree that London Affordable Rent should be counted as social rent for the purposes of calculating reprovision”.

A Genesis spokesperson said: “We are very disappointed to hear this decision and are in close dialogue with Barnet Council and the mayor’s office to review next steps.”

A Barnet Council spokesperson said: “We are clearly disappointed by this decision. We will now be reviewing this with our development partner to agree the next steps.”