Policy information sourced from Barnet Local Plan Core Strategy DPD September 2012

CS4: Providing Quality Homes and Housing Choice in Barnet

We will aim to create successful communities in Barnet by:

  • seeking to ensure a mix of housing products in the affordable and market sectors to provide choice for all households and enable Barnet residents to progress on a housing journey that can meet the aspirations of home ownership.
  • seeking to ensure that all new homes are built to Lifetime Homes Standards and that through extending the inclusive design principles embedded in Lifetime Homes we can create Lifetime Neighbourhoods that are welcoming, accessible, and inviting for everyone, regardless of age, or health, or disability.
  • seeking a range of dwelling sizes and types of housing including family and lifetime homes that meets our identified housing priorities and does not undermine suburban character or local distinctiveness. Policy CS5 on Protecting and enhancing Barnet’s character to create high quality places sets out how we will secure high quality design.
  • seeking a variety of housing related support options that maximise the independence of vulnerable residents including young people, people with disabilities, older people, homeless people and other vulnerable adults.
  • delivering a minimum affordable housing target of 5,500 new affordable homes by 2025/26 and seeking a boroughwide target of 40% affordable homes on sites capable of accommodating ten or more dwellings.
  • seeking an appropriate mix of affordable housing of 60% social rented and 40% intermediate for Barnet that will support our objectives of widening home ownership and providing family homes.
  • on sites which are suitable for the provision of an element of affordable housing, we may exceptionally accept the provision of off-site housing, or a commuted payment instead of such provision.

Proposals for sites for Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople must have regard to the following criteria:

  • close proximity to a main road and safe access to the site with adequate space on site to allow for the manoeuvring of vehicles
  • reasonable access to local shops and other community facilities in particular, schools and health care
  • the scale of the site is in keeping with local context and character
  • appropriate landscaping and planting to address impact on amenity and enable integration of the site with the surrounding environment
  • any use on the site does not have any unacceptable adverse impacts on neighbouring residents
  • appropriate facilities must be provided on-site including water and waste disposal.

Within the Site Allocations DPD we will seek to identify land to meet the long term needs of Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople based on an evidence base of the range of pitches/plots required in Barnet.

We will monitor the delivery of additional housing against our target of 28,000 new homes by 2025/26 and will seek to maintain supply at the rate necessary to meet or exceed the target. In seeking to maintain the housing supply we will adjust the type and mix of housing sought, having regard to the financial viability of development, the housing market and the needs of different groups.

For more information please see Local Plan Core Strategy DPD September 2012