FAQs

Hendon Hub development will bring many exciting benefits to the community in Hendon. New buildings will replace unattractive buildings along The Burroughs and Church End making way for new thriving community facilities. Residents will benefit from improved community facilities, green spaces, improved lighting and landscaping that will provide a more pleasant environment for everyone to enjoy, including new play spaces within the Prince of Wales Estate. Electric charge points will also be installed as part of the Hendon Hub’s sustainability goals. A state-of-the-art animal hospital is also being built for the PDSA, keeping this important service in the local area. The scheme will also be designed to BREEAM Excellent standard which means it will achieve an exemplary sustainability rating. The project will benefit from air source heat pumps, photo voltaic panels, solar control glazing and heat recover shower drainage which help reduce carbon and energy use.

The historic Hendon library is being retained. It will be restored and refurbished to a high standard, and more library space will be available to the community than before, with additional space being made available for community use. A mobile library service will be available during the works. The team are considering what will eventually be housed in the library and want to know what the priorities of the community are for this – e.g. hot desk/workspace internet access; room for community activity/meetings; Safer Neighbourhoods team base; etc.

Egerton Road parking is due to be redeveloped as part of the project, though currently this is used by Council staff only during the week. Fuller Street car parking spaces will be provided as part of landscaping and external improvements being planned for Prince of Wales Estate.

Since the start of the project, we have been in regular discussions with community groups that use the Meritage Centre with a view to relocating them to a temporary facility to ensure that services are maintained.

In the new building on the RFC site there will be new spaces for existing community organisations affected by the development (Citizens Advice Bureau, CAB, the Meridian Centre, and the African Cultural Association) as well as a community hall space available for community activities and events.

Users of the Meritage Centre have been involved in many conversations with the project team and we will ensure that they will be relocated to a facility that meets their needs.

The design team have worked closely with Barnet planning officers and heritage experts to create a set of plans which respect and enhance the most important characteristics of these buildings. Historic England have provided feedback on the draft proposals prior to

submission which has been considered and addressed by the design team. Now that further planning applications will be submitted, Historic England will have a further opportunity to comment on the plans. Barnet planning officers will then take into consideration any remaining concerns alongside the benefits of the project to the community as the project goes through the planning process.

The project will provide a secure and stable source of income to the council for the future. The business case for the project has been scrutinised and approved by elected members and council officers. Modelling has shown there to be several viable options for funding the scheme, ensuring best value for money. The income which will be generated as a result of the project has an important part to play in the Council’s budget over coming years. If the scheme does not go ahead, the lost income will mean that greater savings are needed in other services. Project viability and costs are reviewed on a periodic basis and the appraisal and cost plan will be regularly updated and monitored. KPMG has been appointed as a funding advisor to source the best possible market rate for the funding.

Hendon Hub is a design and heritage-led masterplan involving planning applications across multiple sites within Hendon and the wider borough. The sites differ from each other in a number of ways, for example their current and proposed uses, what is next to them, their differing architectural character etc. By submitting specific applications for each site, the planning case for the different parts of the Hendon Hub project can be best considered by planning officers, statutory consultees, neighbours and local residents. Due to significant changes to the plans since they were approved and the community’s desire to retain the existing Hendon Library, revised applications for the Ravensfield and Fenella (RFC) site and for Building B9 will be submitted for planning consideration at the end of May 2023.

We are in the process of acquiring properties via private treaty and this has been very successful to date. CPO powers will be used in the event that a remaining number of properties may be necessary to be compulsory purchased to deliver this project. Compulsory Purchase is only ever used as a last resort and through negotiation we hope to come to a mutually satisfactory outcome before resorting to CPO. Should we use this route, we aim to limit any inconvenience to property owners as much as possible.

Car ownership amongst students is very low and based on the proximity of the new student halls to the university campus, there is unlikely to be an increase in local roads being used by students. We expect students to opt to walk or use alternative forms of transport to get around. The university will actively discourage students from bringing cars into the area and parking. It is possible that the council will propose Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) in the area, however prior to this, residents will be consulted on any new plans.

The vast majority of students are well-behaved and respectful of their neighbours and the area. By providing more purpose-built accommodation for students, we expect fewer to be living in shared houses locally. The Burroughs area of Hendon is not considered a high-level crime area or hot spot. However, there have been some concerns from residents in relation to anti-social behaviour. The university has a dedicated security team on campus 24/7 with CCTV and other systems in place alongside the physical patrols and checks. It reviews the levels of security it has to ensure it suitably covers for busier times and this is an ongoing review which will continue to be checked and monitor.

Parking on university campus is available to members of staff who are signed up to the University parking scheme. A small number of students with disabilities and special circumstances are allowed to park on campus and applications are reviewed by the student wellbeing service. Students are made aware of public transport links to campus and that parking for students is not allowed on campus until after 4pm.

The University has a zero drugs policy and anyone found involved in any illegal substance is reported to the Student Legal Affairs team for disciplinary proceedings. If anyone is suspected of being in possession of drugs on or around the campus, the security team will also contact the police immediately.

All of the documents submitted as part of each planning application can be viewed on the Barnet Council website by following the links above, when the planning applications are submitted. If you have any difficulty accessing or viewing these documents, please contact planning officers by emailing [email protected] or by calling 020 8359 3000.

Hendon Hub planning applications were considered and a resolution to grant subject to s106 agreements was issued by Barnet Council on Monday 10 January 2022. Revised planning applications for the RFC and Building B9 sites, retaining the historic Hendon library, will be resubmitted in May 2023 for consideration. If you have any questions about the planning applications, please contact [email protected] or by calling 020 8359 3000.

Following the change in council leadership and in response to local community objections on the relocation of the Library, the Council has decided to retain the historic listed Hendon Library. New planning applications will be submitted for the RFC site and Building B9 as a result. As a result of the changes the community now has an opportunity to have further involvement in relation to the changes to the community spaces within the listed library building as these can be used for multiple different uses.

Hendon Hub planning applications were considered and approved by Barnet Council on Monday 10 January 2022. Revised applications for the RFC and Building B9 sites, as well as Listed Planning Consent for Hendon Library, will be submitted for consideration in May 2023. No other changes have been made to the submitted and approved applications.

The Hendon library is being retained and the historic building will be renovated and modernised, with additional spaces being made available for community use.

The community will benefit from a full renovation and refurbishment, including modernisation of the facility and a restoration of all space in the building back into library or community use. The team are considering what will flexible uses for the Safer Neighbourhood space on the ground floor and a flexible working space on the first floor. We are inviting community feedback in relation to the use of these spaces and multi-use spaces within the library. In addition, there will be a new archive facility and exhibition area in the refurbished library.

The library will be closed for approximately 18 months. The mobile library service will visit the Hendon area during this period.

Residents will have access to all other Barnet libraries in the borough and can also use the mobile library service. More information about Barnet libraries is available here: https://www.barnet.gov.uk/libraries 

The PDSA works are planned to commence in the fourth quarter of 2023, providing a new pet hospital on the site of Fuller Street Car Park (FSCP). Temporary parking spaces will be provided for those impacted by the loss of the car park in the vicinity. In the longer term, the Prince of Wales landscaping plan accommodates the reprovision of these parking spaces, with no loss of spaces in total.

The Hendon Community Partnership Board is a new working group made up of the local community and representatives of the council. It aims to support the community in having a voice in the development of the Hendon Hub and make improvements to the wider Hendon area. If you live or work in Hendon, are passionate about the local area and would like to represent the voices of your community, you can express an interest to join the Hendon Community Partnership Board. Please contact [email protected]

Consultation drop-in events will be open to the community on 20 April, 25 April and 4 May at Church House, 49 Church End, London, NW4 4JT.

The deadline for submitting feedback is 5 May 2023. Feedback can be submitted via the council’s consultation and engagement website, Engage Barnet.