Revised plan by Barnet FC proposes a 7,000-seat stadium well away from school playing field of Ark Pioneer Academy
Barnet Football Club has chosen a new site within the Green Belt at Underhill for a proposed £14 million new football stadium.
Instead of opting for the school playing field of the Ark Pioneer Academy — as previously suggested — the club’s chairman Anthony Kleanthous (see above) has decided to see whether Barnet Council will give permission for a stadium further south along Barnet Lane.
A planning application to be submitted by the end of December will propose building a 7,000-seat stadium on the open green space which backs on to Grasvenor Avenue and which extends south to the Dollis Valley London Loop footpath.
Mr Kleanthous told a news conference that the site now being suggested was on council-owned land and was within the Green Belt.
However, he hoped that a way could now be found to allow Barnet FC to return as close as possible to the site of its former stadium at Underhill.
“Since the club left Underhill, there is a recognition that Barnet has suffered from the loss of its football club.
“This is an attempt to see if we can return to the club’s original home which would help provide a sustainable future for Barnet FC and benefit the town.
“The site would be well away from the school and further along Barnet Lane.
“Our team of architects and planners think it would fit in well with the Green Belt countryside of the Dollis Valley.
“Bringing the club back to Underhill from The Hive at Edgware will provide jobs and create enhanced opportunities for local businesses. Long term we think it will help attract new investment.”
Among those at the news conference was Iain Dalziel (right) of the Bring Barnet Back campaign who was shown the images of the new stadium.
He said fans in Barnet would be delighted that an application was finally going to be submitted to Barnet Council.
“We have been waiting a long time for this news and hopefully we can all work together as a community in Barnet and get the club back where it belongs at Underhill.”
At present the green open space being suggested as the site of the new stadium is bounded on the northern side by the Ark Academy playing field and a children’s playground; on the eastern side by alms houses and a school in Grasvenor Avenue; on the southern side by the London Loop footpath and Dollis Brook; and on the western side by the training pitches of Wingate and Finchley FC.
Mr Kleanthous said that he and his team had been working for the last two years, trying to find a site, listening to people and finally the club had settled on this site for their planning application.
The main stadium would be three-storeys high with changing rooms and a medical centre on the ground floor; club offices and a hospitality suite on the second floor; and boxes for spectators on the top floor.
There would be lightweight one-storey stands on the other three sides of the stadium each with 12 rows of seats. Modern floodlights – which be used on only ten to 15 match days a year – would contain the light within the stadium.
The entrance to the stadium would be along the existing approach road to the playing fields off Barnet Lane. Inside the ground there would be parking space for 40 to 50 cars.
Manuel Nogueira (above, centre), of AndArchitects, said the new stadium had been designed to blend in with landscape, with tree planting and other measures to improve biodiversity on the surrounding land.
A pond would be created on the land between the stadium and the London Loop footpath, and this would take surplus surface water and help increase biodiversity.
Sean McGrath (far left) planning consultant with WSP, explained why the club had abandoned the idea of seeking to build the stadium on the school playing field of the Ark Pioneer Academy.
“We listened to all the comments made at our public presentation in mid- November.
“Although Barnet FC was keen to work with the Ark Academy, we realised the school had no wish to give up its playing field and that the stadium would be too close to the school. For that reason, the previous site did not really work for us.
“All the advice we have been given is that the best option would be to see if a new stadium would be acceptable further to the south on the much larger green space.”
Originally the club had hoped to submit an application by mid-October, but rethinking the location meant it would now be with the council by the end of December.
Once the application was validated by the council there would be several weeks of consideration and the club hoped the scheme could be considered by the planning committee at its March meeting.
If planning approval could be obtained by the summer of 2025 work on the stadium could take place over the 2025-26 season and if all went well the club could be playing in Barnet once again for the 2026-27 season.
Mr Kleanthous recalled the trouble ending to Barnet FC’s time at Underhill.
He said a previous Labour controlled council had initially approved plans to build a 10,000-seat replacement stadium at Underhill, but that approval was rescinded by the incoming Conservative controlled council on the grounds that it would be a breach of the Green Belt.
“When we left Underhill and the original stadium site was sold, we had no choice. At that time there were no circumstances under which the council would give us the go ahead.
“With the change in control of the council back to Labour and with the realisation that Barnet was a vibrant town when it had a football club, we find that many in the town would like the club to return.
“The people of Barnet realise what they have lost. We have also learned a lot as a club. We have scaled down the stadium. We realise that in a Green Belt site, it can’t be too commercial, and we hope this application will be approved.”
Mr Kleanthous said the existing Barnet FC stadium at The Hive would be retained as a training facility if a new stadium was built at Underhill.
The Hive had always been a training and development centre and was available to various clubs including the London Broncos rugby league club and the London Bees women’s football club.
Mr Kleanthous said the club was hoping to regain its academy licence and there was also a possibility it might offer facilities for the UK version of American football.
34 thoughts on “Revised plan by Barnet FC proposes a 7,000-seat stadium well away from school playing field of Ark Pioneer Academy”
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No. It’s like buying a property next to a park and ending up with a 3 storey stadium and a sewage filled ‘biodiversity’ pond!
Why should we be punished so that TK can make more money?
Absolutely agree.
Why would a non-league club need two stadiums they can’t fill, and multiple training pitches?
You should not bee dismissed but there is also an opportunity for locals and future generations to enjoy the positives of having a local and modern professional football club on their doorstep. I can still see the original Underhill site from my childhood bedroom window on one of the avenues. Fantastic memories of walks down Barnet Hill, friendship, family and connection to our local area through this football club.
At the hear of all development is cost and benefit. Development is inevitable and the challenge is minimising the costs and amplifying the benefits as far as possible.
It would seem like the club failed in this regard with the original South Underhill proposal (although I’d contend that the final outcome, Ark Academy, was far worse) but I think the designers are doing everything they can to design a solution that both brings the benefits with minimal intrusion.
He would never have had the opportunity to pocket that money if the club were supported to go ahead with the original South Underhill proposal which would have been less impactful and more beneficial to the area than the eventual school, legitimate concerns notwithstanding.
Barnet does not belong on a public park. Find somewhere next to the A1/M1/M25 like other clubs have done when they built a new ground.
I love how it’s going to transform the local economy on the one hand, but it’s only one game per fortnight on the other. Tony Kleanthous has always been adamant his ambition is for a 10,000+ stadium to qualify for higher leagues, am sure he is not telling fans he’s abandoned that ambition. What kind of arrogance and entitlement does he have to demand to build first on a school’s sports field and now a public park, having pocketed a significant amount of cash from the Government and not claim they “belong” on a local park.
Why build on the green belt when there’s a 10,500 seater venue ready to go in the form of Barnet Copthall? Surely a ground share with Saracens rugby is a possibility? I don’t know the specifics of their tenancy agreement but technically it’s publicly owned so they would likely have to accommodate if somebody else, like Barnet FC, wanted to start using it.
I know artificial pitches are banned in English football, but I’m sure there’d be a solution for that.
What an arrogant and disingenuous comment.
Just because local residents, who will pay the price and suffer all the negative side of a large development on a public park, have a different perspective than yours, doesn’t entitle you to dismiss them.
Save the Park petition already has more signatories than the average ‘crowd’ for Barnet games. How’s that for perspective?
Go on then Ken, name those other sites. I’ll wait.
Oh and a nice use of “they” and “our” to other the football club and supporters. We are local residents too.
Most people will drive there, and then leave giving nothing but and entrance fee the funds footballers wages and gives little to the local area.
Are we meant to believe this is the end, and Barnet has given up it’s ambition to have a 10,000 capacity stadium that “has always been my ambition”.. said by Tony K so many times?
New stadium should be built by the M25 or M1
increase their ground size locals objected, a school was built when they moved.
Do you think it’s right they now want to take away our green belt.
There are lots of other places in Barnet to build
Only 23 games as you say a year but the green space will be lost for 365 days a year, every year! To me this is the main issue with the current development, and it is a weigh up of replacing one community asset (green open space) with the proposed other “asset” of a football club…
I just think the club needs to select a more suitable site and not have this misplaced sense of entitlement to being near its old location…you did decide to move after all…
If it belongs in Barnet why did it leave in the first place? I’ve read about lease disputes…surely it would have been easier to negotiate these at the time rather than move…but I guess selling the land must have softened the blow and of course had nothing to do with the decision to move. Seems the chairman/owner is regretting this now, but a bad business decision does not give the club a right to “bring the club home” and remove valuable green space that the community already enjoys.
A welcome scheme. In an era when live sport is everything, it will be great that Barnet will have its own Football Club back where it belongs. As for parking its 1 game per fortnight during the season, hardly impactful (Barnet are non league still remember)…. Many will use train/bus. Im sure the local pubs and shops will welcome this with open arms.
I don’t think this is about vanity, it is about returning a key community asset, valued by many, back to its roots.
Still there will be a cost as you rightly point out but if the developers are able to demonstrate that impacts will be minimised in line with the National Planning Policy Framework then I hope it will go ahead.
My guess would be that local golf courses are on privately owned land that Barnet FC would have no hope of getting.
It’s a ludicrous idea to build a vanity stadium on a valuable piece of green space.
If a new football stadium is really needed, why not consider co-opting one of the many golf courses that blight the Barnet area?
Totally agree
You sound very closed-minded. The club is literally being returned to where it was for a hundred odd years. Where it belongs. Every effort and provision is being made to make this a universally beneficial development.
I think it will be a lift for the town because Barnet FC is part of the heritage and identity of the local community not to mention the commercial benefits it should return to local business.
Very normal concerns but don’t forget sir that Barnet FC was in the Underhill area for over 100 years and was supported just fine by existing infrastructure (High Barnet Station and multiple bus routes within 5 minute walk, New Barnet Station within 10 mins or so bus).
Anecdotal I know, but the family and all friends that I used to go to Underhill with (some of whom I continue to see at the Hive) are all within walking distance.
Football only takes place 23 (plus 2-3 cup games) times per season so should not lead to any overcrowding or significantly impact daily life.
Whilst some local “amenities” may nonetheless be impacted, the local community will also in this case be gaining an amenity from this development.
There is no doubt TK did very well from the sale of the original Underhill Stadium.
However Barnet FC is and was an essential part of the Underhill area’s heritage and, unless there is a grand conspiracy at play, he is proposing to return the club to its rightful community without any public funding.
Sir,
It is my understanding that both the original proposal (nearer Ark Academy) and this latest revision involve development on council owned green belt land, so not sure what has changed in that regard.
Agreed all green space is precious however so is community, local identity and our cultural heritage. Therefore I think this is a rare instance in which there is a strong case to build.
Regarding traffic congestion and noise pollution – I don’t expect this to have a significant adverse effect based on previous experience when Barnet FC played in the area. If available it would be good to review the environmental impact studies that will need to be submitted with the application.
I would have thought that the impact on the SEN school will be fairly minimal because football is unlikely to take place during school hours but they’ve not been much part of the conversation as far as I know so important point nonetheless. If you are involved with the school I would urge you to make contact with Barnet FC to see how their needs could be accommodated if they haven’t already.
Sir,
It is my understanding that both the original proposal (nearer Ark Academy) and this latest revision involve development on council owned green belt land, so not sure what has changed in that regard.
Agreed all green space is precious however so is community, local identity and our cultural heritage. Therefore I think this is a rare instance in which there is a strong case to build.
Regarding traffic congestion and noise pollution – I don’t expect this to have a significant adverse effect based on previous experience when Barnet FC played in the area. If available it would be good to review the environmental impact studies that will need to be submitted with the application.
I would have thought that the impact on the SEN school will be fairly minimal because football is unlikely to take place during school hours but they’ve not been much part of the conversation as far as I know so important point nonetheless. If you are involved with the school I would urge you to make contact with Barnet FC to see how their needs could be accommodated if they haven’t already.
Nick, Can I ask when you moved to that area of Barnet? I’m pretty sure you moved with a football club existing already
Fantastic news for the town that its football club could be returning to its home, and it appears that many of the local residents’ concerns have been addressed with the revised plans.
Great news, will be a huge boost to the local area providing so many much needed public facilities as well as a multitude of jobs which are so desperately needed. The economic benefit of this would go a long way to revitalise the town to the thriving community it once was. Can’t wait to see this come to fruition and give Barnet something we can all be proud of once again.
As a long term Barnet resident and someone who visited Underhill from time to time, I find that those opposing the plans are being very disingenuous.
A small group of activists (a lot who have since left this world) who bought/rented their property and moved into the area with a football club long established, lost this town its local football club.
It’s like people buying a property next to a nightclub and then working to get the night club shut down. There needs to be a way of stopping acts like this.
Fantastic news, I couldn’t be more supportive of this. It’ll boost the local economy, increase biodiversity in the area and has been designed to blend in with the natural environment. It seems like a win for both the club and the community.
It’s a disaster for local residents.
Almost complete loss of a valuable green space which is well used by many people.
Add to that the traffic and parking issues, and noise nuisance.
Digging a pond and planting a few trees does not compensate for a 3 storey concrete stadium.
Why do we suffer, just to help boost the wealth of TK who already made £14M from the last ‘dealt.
Strongly opposed to this build. It was always obvious that the original proposal was a trogan horse submission ahead of this crude public land grab attemp of vital local green belt.
This submission does not adequately address the needs of local residents who will be blighted by traffic congestion and noise pollution. It also does not take into consideration the local SEN school for kids with autism, who they are looking to build next to.
I can see why the idea of bringing the club home feels appealing, but I struggle to see how this would be a “lift” for the town. High Barnet is already overcrowded, with stretched infrastructure and inadequate services to support its current population. Adding a 7,000-seat stadium would only exacerbate these issues, creating even more strain on traffic, parking, and local amenities.
Rather than benefiting the community, this proposal risks making High Barnet even less livable for residents. The focus should be on improving the town’s infrastructure and preserving its green spaces, not adding a development that could make daily life even more unbearable.
I strongly oppose the proposed construction of a football stadium on the green fields surrounding Grasvenor Avenue. This open space is a vital part of our local community, offering peace, natural beauty, and recreational opportunities for residents. Building a 7,000-seat stadium in a Green Belt area would not only disrupt the character of the neighborhood but also set a dangerous precedent for future developments on protected land.
The proposal fails to adequately address the impact on local residents, including increased noise, traffic congestion, and light pollution—even if floodlights are used sparingly. Furthermore, the proximity of the stadium to homes, schools, and playgrounds raises significant concerns about the quality of life for families in the area.
While I understand the desire to bring Barnet FC closer to its roots, there are alternative locations, such as the Ark Pioneer Academy field, that should be explored more thoroughly. Compromising the Green Belt for a football stadium is not a sustainable or responsible solution.
I urge Barnet Council to reject this application and prioritize preserving the green spaces that are so integral to our community’s well-being.
This photo wrongly makes it look like there’s a lot of free space left after the stadium is built. At the moment at least 60% of the top field is fenced off for the school, and the bottom left field is fenced off for the “The Football Pad”.
This is fantastic. Really
Hope the council do the right thing and bring the club home. What a lift for the town it would bring
AMAZING NEWS !! This article fails to mention. That the stands will be buried into the ground so they only appear 1 story high !! And they’ll be extra rewilding ! Barnet council also tried to build a leisure centre on this land a few years ago but failed ! This would be great for the community and for the high street and for school children :)) great to hear all the schools in Barnet now support it.