Whalebones housing scheme gets go ahead from Mayor of London — defeat at the end of a ten-year campaign

A go ahead has finally been given by the office of the Mayor of London to the redevelopment of farmland on either side of a lane leading to the privately-owned Whalebones house in Wood Street, Barnet.

Most the new construction will be in fields on the Arkley side of the famous Whalebones arch where Hill Residential are planning to build a total of 115 new homes.

In the field on the Chipping Barnet side of the arch there will be an agricultural small holding – to replace the existing Whalebones farm buildings – and new community premises for Barnet Guild of Artists and Barnet Beekeepers Association.

Half the 12-acre site – which is currently owned by the Gwyneth Cowing Will Trust – will be opened up for public access.

Approval of the scheme by the mayor is the culmination of a ten-year campaign to prevent the construction of flats and houses in the fields and woods on either side of the historic Whalebones house and its surrounding parkland.

In announcing that the application had been signed off, Jules Pipe, deputy mayor for planning and regeneration, said the redevelopment proposed by Hill Residential was “acceptable (on balance) in line with London Plan policies” as it would provide “new housing, publicly accessible open space, a new community and educational building as well as retention of agricultural activity.”

Conditions have been imposed to ensure access to the open space and the delivery of a new community building and small holding for agricultural activity.

Barnet Council’s strategic planning committee approved Hill Residential’s revised scheme in March this year but because of its size the scheme had to be signed off by the Mayor of London – providing one last chance to rally opposition.

A last-minute petition urging the mayor to refuse planning permission collected over 1,300 signatures.

Robin Bishop, who leads for the Barnet Society on planning and environment, said the decision by the deputy mayor not to intervene was a great disappointment, if not exactly a surprise.

He thought the final go-ahead was supported by “a fairly full appraisal of the proposals and public responses to them”.

Pipe’s key point was in paragraph 35: … “the proposed redevelopment of the site to provide new housing, publicly accessible open space and a new community/educational building as well as the retention of agricultural activity, is acceptable (on balance) in line with London Plan Policies… To ensure delivery and an acceptable level of access, the publicly access open space and new community/educational building are being appropriately secured via the Section 106 agreement. The provision of the small holding for agricultural activity is also being secured by planning obligation”.

Mr Bishop said the society had never objected to some housing on the Whalebones land to fund re-provision for the artists, beekeepers and the current tenant farmer, and for maintenance of the estate.

“But we believe 115 homes is overdevelopment of the site. It will also seriously harm the Wood Street Conservation Area and entail the loss, not only of a wonderful natural resource, but also of any chance to reimagine the site for new, fruitful and healthy uses.”

Gina Theodorou, a long-standing campaigner against the loss of Green Belt land in and around Chipping Barnet, who organised the petition, had hoped that persuading the mayor to reconsider the plan, might have stopped the loss of a nature-rich habitat in a much-prized conservation area.    

Hill Residential proposes to construct 115 residential houses and apartments ranging from two storeys to five storeys in height; associated parking spaces, new vehicular access from Wood Street, new landscaping, public open space, play areas, public realm, ecological enhancements and retained area for agricultural small holding.

There would also be new pedestrian and cycle access points from Wood Street and Wellhouse Lane and restricted emergency vehicle access from Wellhouse Lane