High Barnet Place, Finchley

London Borough of Barnet

Project type New Neighbourhood

Client Barratt London & Places for People

Stage Planning Approval

Project type New Neighbourhood

Client Barratt London & Places for People

Stage Planning Approval

Reimagining High Barnet Station as a connected, landscape-led residential neighbourhood

High Barnet Station – the northern terminus of the Northern Line – occupies a well-connected site that has long failed to realise its potential. Currently dominated by surface car parking and container storage, this significant brownfield site has sat unrealised at the edge of London. Working with Barratt London and Places for People, JTP’s vision unlocks and enhances the strategically important site into a highly accessible new community delivering 283 new homes, including 40% affordable housing and flexible ground floor uses across five new residential buildings.

On the ground floor, lobbies, commercial and residential frontages address the key public routes, stepping back to encourage movement and activation whilst ensuring these spaces feel safe, overlooked and support everyday needs for new and existing residents.

Transforming a brownfield TfL station site into a new town gateway

The station entrance sits tucked away from the town with no safe or legible route for pedestrians to reach the High Street. Steep gradients and narrow footways have compounded this disconnection for decades. Resolving this longstanding divide, a central feature of JTP’s proposals is a fully accessible and safe new pedestrian route linking High Barnet Station with the High Street, overcoming the longstanding challenges of the site’s steepness and inaccessibility. The masterplan focuses on celebrating the station entrance creating a welcoming, sustainable gateway and an improved station environment.

New green spaces, extensive landscaping and over 5,500 sqm of improved public realm will replace the existing grey landscape, introducing a series of character areas including a Woodland Garden, Woodland Play Area and a new landscaped edge along Barnet Hill.

153 new trees delivering a 167% biodiversity net gain

Architecture responds to the history of High Barnet. The buildings draw on the local material character of red brick, slate and stone detailing, while adopting a contemporary language that responds to the site’s topography and woodland edges. A series of distinct typologies and stepped forms help frame key views towards central London and the surrounding green spaces. A Passivhaus approach has also been employed, ensuring exceptional energy performance, comfort and sustainability across the new homes.

The design team has worked closely with the London Borough of Barnet, and engaged with local community groups and stakeholders across consultation events including a dedicated night-walk of the local area and a Designing Out Crime workshop. These sessions have been instrumental in informing proposal improvements including accessibility, public realm design, safety and the overall masterplan structure.