Barnet residents face possible loss of Arkley green belt as mayor targets 7,000 homes

Barnet residents in Arkley may see parts of the local green belt repurposed for housing after the mayor of London announced a target of up to 7,000 new homes on protected land within the borough. The announcement has drawn attention to a 148‑acre triangular area of woodland and fields north of Barnet Road, bounded by Rowley Lane and the A1, which the Barnet Society describes as a multi‑million‑pound land bank.

Mayor’s target and Arkley land bank

Read Next in Barnet Press4 min read

Barnet HMO plans to increase residents from six to 11

A planning application proposes significant expansion to a house in multiple occupation on Albert Road.

The mayor’s ten‑year plan, reported by the Barnet Society, includes a requirement for Barnet to deliver 7,000 homes on green‑belt sites. Online analysis cited by the society suggests the Arkley wedge could host around 1,200 homes, giving the parcel an estimated market value of £150 million if planning permission were granted. The area is highlighted in the Draft London Plan as a possible development zone, although the council has asked that any release of protected land be tied to comprehensive master‑planning, infrastructure upgrades and environmental enhancements.

Specific sites and planning applications

Within the wedge, three distinct plots are already identified. A 25‑acre site owned by Hallway Properties Ltd, a subsidiary of the William Pears group, is listed online as capable of delivering 192 homes worth about £39 million. A neighbouring 38‑acre plot, owned by Modular Builders Ltd, is said to accommodate 285 homes with an estimated value of £43 million. A third, 48‑acre parcel owned by the Maccabi Recreation Trust, is reported to have space for 365 homes and could be worth £56 million. Planning applications on record include Bugler Homes of Rickmansworth seeking permission for 230 homes and an 80‑bed care home on a 17‑acre former pig farm off Rowley Lane, as well as a proposal for twelve caravan pitches on a one‑acre plot behind Rowley Lodge.

Related Borough Coverage5 min read

Why London’s leak detection specialists are busier than ever this autumn

Damp with no visible cause, heating systems losing pressure and ceilings stained from the flat above are filling diaries as the heating comes back on. Here is what is behind it, what it costs, and what Barnet residents should do first.

Council response and resident concerns

Councillor Richard Barnes, chair of Barnet Council’s planning committee, told the Barnet Residents’ Association that housing development is likely on green‑belt land along Rowley Lane, Arkley Lane and Galley Lane, as well as north and south of the Stirling Corner roundabout. He added that the council would not support tower blocks in Arkley and that any release of green‑belt land would need to be part of a broader, sustainable plan. Residents’ group leader Gordon Massey warned that the London Plan’s acceptance of nine‑storey blocks could lead to high‑rise towers, a scenario Barnes rejected, saying, “We would not support tower blocks in Arkley.”

“We would not support tower blocks in Arkley. Green belt at the edge of the borough needs to be protected and I have not heard of any plans to develop that land.”

Councillor Richard Barnes, planning committee chair

The next formal step is a public consultation on the Draft London Plan, which runs for two months. After the consultation, Barnet Council will review the proposals and decide whether to submit planning applications for any of the identified sites. Residents can submit comments to the council’s planning department before the consultation closes, and the council has pledged to publish a detailed master‑plan if any green‑belt release proceeds.