Silk Stream West Hendon Homes Approved to Rise
Barnet Council grants unanimous approval for 227 additional homes, increasing affordable units.
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Only one named source (Claire Hammond) and no direct document citation.
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No affected residents or opposition voices quoted; vague 'major challenges' cited.
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Headline overstates 'cranes moving' urgency; body lacks proportionality.
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Barnet Council's planning committee has given unanimous approval for an additional 227 homes to be built at the Silk Stream development in West Hendon. The decision means the project, located at Unit 4, Hyde Estate Road, will now deliver a total of 1,564 homes. This expansion includes 74 more affordable units, bringing the total number of low-cost rentable homes to 286.
Increased Heights and Affordable Housing
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As part of the revised plans, two tower blocks within Phase 2 of the Silk Stream scheme will now be extended to 29 storeys. The original permission for the development was granted in July 2020. In September 2024, changes were approved to incorporate additional homes and staircases to meet new fire safety standards.
Claire Hammond, representing developer St George Limited, stated that the project "cannot be delivered in its current form, placing the delivery of affordable and private homes at risk." She added, "Our priority is simple: to keep the cranes moving at Silk Stream – and this application is essential to achieving that." Ms Hammond explained that viability concerns, driven by sharp construction cost inflation, changes to building regulations, political uncertainty, and reduced investor appetite due to taxation and regulatory shifts, necessitated the updated proposals.
“Our priority is simple: to keep the cranes moving at Silk Stream – and this application is essential to achieving that.”
Claire Hammond, St George Limited
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The developer, owned by the Berkeley Group, reported a pre-tax profit of £451m in the 2025/26 financial year. Council officers noted that the amended height and massing strategy would not result in unacceptable impacts on the townscape, heritage, environment, or amenities. The number of low-cost rentable homes will increase substantially from the initial 114 units.
Scheme Evolution
The majority of the new approvals pertain to Phase 2, where the two tallest buildings, B10 and B11, will now reach 29 storeys. Additionally, a building previously designated as BO9 in Phase 1, which had connected sections rising to 16 and 11 storeys, will now be divided into two separate buildings, BO9a and BO9b, reaching 25 and 12 storeys respectively. The updated scheme also includes changes to the facades of the tallest blocks and enhancements to green spaces, alongside a reduction in basement parking to approximately one space per four flats.
Questions this report answers
+How many more affordable homes will the Silk Stream development include now?
The Silk Stream development will now include 286 low-cost rentable homes, an increase of 172 units from the original 114. This means nearly one in five homes in the expanded scheme will be affordable, up from around one in thirteen previously.
+Why did the developer need to change the original plans?
St George Limited said viability concerns forced the changes, citing sharp construction cost inflation, new building regulations, political uncertainty, and reduced investor appetite due to taxation and regulatory shifts. Without the updates, the developer warned the project could not be delivered.
+What changes were made to the building heights in Phase 2?
Two tower blocks in Phase 2, originally planned at a lower height, will now reach 29 storeys. This increase reflects the revised scheme’s adjustments to meet viability and safety standards while maintaining the project’s overall design.
+Will the changes affect the local environment or townscape?
Council officers confirmed the amended height and massing strategy would not result in unacceptable impacts on the townscape, heritage, environment, or amenities. The changes aim to balance development needs with local considerations.
Barnet Press News Desk
This article was written at the Barnet Press news desk from the reporting of the outlets listed below it. Drafting is done by a language model under human editorial supervision — there is no reporter behind this byline, and we would rather say so than invent one.
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