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

Policy CS6: Promoting Barnet’s Town Centres

In order to promote competitive town centre environments and provide consumer choice, we will realise development opportunities for the town centres of Edgware, North Finchley, Finchley Church End, and Chipping Barnet. We will pursue the individual planning objectives for each centre as set out in their Town Centre Frameworks and ensure the delivery of environmental, design, transport, car parking and community safety measures. Development in these town centres will reflect the preferred sequential approach in the National Planning Policy Framework (para 24).

  • we will promote successful and vibrant centres throughout Barnet to serve the needs of residents, workers and visitors and ensure that new development is of an appropriate scale and character for the centre in which it is located;
  • we will promote the distribution of retail growth to meet the capacity for an additional 2,200m2 (net) of convenience goods floorspace across Barnet by 2021–2026. The majority of the convenience capacity arises in the East sub-area (centred on the District Centre of North Finchley) and West sub-area (centred on the Major Centre of Edgware) beyond 2016. We will therefore not plan further significant convenience goods provision before 2026;
  • we will promote the distribution of retail growth to meet the capacity for an additional 16,800m2 (net) of comparison goods floorspace across Barnet by 2021-2026. The majority of this capacity arises in the East, West and South West sub-areas. On basis of continued expenditure growth we will in addition support comparison goods provision in Edgware, North Finchley and Chipping Barnet;
  • we will ensure that food, drink, entertainment uses as part of a healthy evening economy in our town centres do not have a harmful effect on residents and the local area;
  • we will ensure the efficient use of land and buildings in all town centres, encouraging a mix of compatible uses including retail, managed affordable and flexible workspace, leisure and residential that add to the vibrancy of the area whilst respecting character;
  • we will take a planned approach to manage development opportunities in Golders Green, Whetstone and New Barnet and through our Site Allocations DPD promote development opportunities in our smaller District Centres at Burnt Oak, Colindale – the Hyde and Cricklewood that enhance the overall attractiveness of these centres;
  • we will pursue further opportunities for town centre enhancement at smaller centres that attract private sector investment or have been highlighted for priority action;
  • we will, in order for them to compete with other centres and particularly out of centre retail parks and shops, support retail uses in town centres by improvements to the public realm, the public transport network, short-trip parking and accessibility by cyclists and pedestrians. We will promote investment in the historic environment of town centres;
  • we will seek to protect and enhance more ‘local’ neighbourhood centres and parades of shops in terms of their potential contribution to sustainable suburbs and shopping; and
  • we will seek to protect existing markets as part of the retail offer of Burnt Oak, Chipping Barnet and North Finchley town centres and, where appropriate, use S106 contributions to ensure the provision of ‘affordable shops’ in new retail development.

Brent Cross/Cricklewood

In order to create a distinct and attractive business offer we will promote Brent Cross/Cricklewood as a new metropolitan town centre and an Outer London Development Centre through mixed use regeneration which delivers a net addition of 55,000m2 of gross comparison floorspace in town centre north and 370,000m2 of office floorspace as part of a mix of uses that accords with the London Plan and the saved suite of UDP Policies on Brent CrossCricklewood. Brent Cross does not currently perform as wide a range of functions as a typical town centre. Any substantial future extension or redevelopment should be linked to an enhanced role for public transport to serve its catchment area and should make a positive contribution to encouraging a modal shift from car use to public transport.

We will expect any substantial extension of Brent Cross and redevelopment of its immediate environs to:

  • complement the role of Brent Cross as a new metropolitan town centre and an Outer London Development Centre; and
  • to contribute to the balanced regeneration of the Brent Cross/Cricklewood Regeneration Area.

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