Plans to transform Edgware’s town centre with one of the largest regeneration schemes in its history can now proceed, after the final major political hurdle was cleared. The development, which includes up to 3,365 new homes, was given the definitive green light following a decision from City Hall.
Mayor Declines to Intervene
The project’s fate was sealed when the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, declined to use his powers to block it. Due to the sheer scale of the proposals, the outline planning permission granted by Barnet Council in July 2025 was automatically referred to the Greater London Authority for review.
In a statement confirming the decision, Deputy Mayor for Planning, Jules Pipe CBE, said the GLA’s planning unit had found there were “no sound planning reasons for the Mayor to intervene in this case” and that the matter would be left for the local council to determine. With Barnet Council having already granted permission, this decision means the scheme can advance unless halted by a legal challenge or rare intervention from central government.
The £1.7bn Transformation
The joint venture between developer Ballymore and Transport for London’s property company, Places for London, represents an estimated £1.7 billion investment. It will see the demolition of the existing Broadwalk Shopping Centre, built in 1990, and its replacement with a vastly enlarged town centre.
The most prominent feature will be the new homes, with a requirement that at least 1,150 – 35% of the total – are affordable. Half of these affordable units are designated for social rent, with the remainder comprising shared ownership and other tenures. The plans also include 463 student accommodation spaces, and the total number of homes has in some reports been cited as 3,828 in towers reaching up to 29 storeys.
Commercial and leisure space will more than double, providing 460,000 sq ft for new shops, cafés, restaurants, and a cinema. Community facilities are also integrated, with plans for a new library, a health clinic, and 22,000 sq ft safeguarded for health and wellbeing uses.
A cornerstone of the public realm improvements is the creation of Deans Brook Nature Park, which will open nearly five acres of land that has been fenced off and inaccessible to the public for almost a century since being taken over by the railways. The park, on a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, will feature wild planting, nature trails, and play areas, and is part of 11.9 acres of new green and open space. The scheme also promises 3.5km of new walking and cycling routes and over 400 new and retained trees.
The transport infrastructure is set for a major overhaul, including a new, larger bus interchange and improved connections to the London Underground station. The most contentious element is the relocation of the existing bus garage into a basement beneath the new housing, a proposal that has sparked significant safety concerns.
Local Opposition and Legal Threat
The project has faced fierce local opposition, with the campaign group Save Our Edgware lodging a record number of objections. The group claims Barnet Council failed to conduct a lawful consultation, particularly during the pandemic, leaving many residents unaware of the proposals until 2023.
Opponents have fixated on several issues. The scale of the development is one, but the underground bus garage has become the focal point of controversy. Critics, including the London Fire Brigade in earlier submissions, have raised alarms about the fire safety risks of housing built above what would be one of the UK’s first fully electric bus garages, citing the potential hazards from large lithium-ion batteries. Campaigners accuse the Mayor of ignoring an “unresolved fire safety risk”. Barnet Council has stated that stringent conditions will ensure the garage only becomes operational once safety regulators are satisfied, though detailed fire safety plans are not yet formally complete.
There are also practical concerns about the demolition of the current bus station. Opponents argue that moving facilities underground will disproportionately affect the elderly, disabled, and transport-reliant, potentially increasing walking distances and forcing some to cross busier roads. The group’s spokesperson, Anuta Zack, has argued, “You can’t just draw a line around a functioning transport hub and call it housing land.”
This opposition is now moving towards the courts. Save Our Edgware is taking legal advice on applying for a judicial review of Barnet Council’s decision, having issued a formal Pre-Action Protocol letter. They contend the council’s Local Plan is “unlawful, irrational, and based on flawed consultation”. A judicial review would examine the legality of the decision-making process, not the merits of the development itself, and must be launched within a strict six-week timeframe.
With the Mayor’s decision made, the focus shifts to whether this legal challenge will materialise. If it does not, work will still take time to begin, as detailed design proposals must be completed and submitted for further approval before construction can start on Edgware’s new future.
