Plans to build blocks of flats next to High Barnet tube station, which have been variously revised, refused, reviewed and finally referred to the Mayor of London, have been approved.

The plan, the second attempt to build next to the tube station, was put forward by TfL’s property arm, Places for London and Barratt Homes under their West London Partnership, would have seen 283 homes, including 40% affordable homes, built on the car park and on the light industrial land to the south of the station.

Last December, the local council rejected the planning application. Then, earlier this year, as the development was over 150 homes, and an application from the developer, it was called in for review by the Mayor of London’s office.

A public hearing was held at the GLA, where Jules Pipe CBE, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Regeneration, heard from objectors and supporters of the scheme.

Most of the objections were focused on the height of the buildings and the loss of the car parking spaces. Former MP, Theresa Villiers, also turned up to object to the scheme, having previously objected to the Cockfosters’ station development.

The developers argued that delivering 40 per cent of the site as affordable housing required a higher number of flats in total, and hence the taller blocks to be built.

On the car parking issue, according to the developer survey, 8% of commuters use the car park, and of the 42% of commuters living within 2.5km of the station, 89% have a bus route alternative. The geographical spread of commuters living farther away is high, and it was noted that the majority have an alternative tube or rail station closer to them.

After hearing both sides, the Deputy Mayor retired to consider his decision and sided with the developers.

In his ruling, he said that the challenges of delivering affordable housing in a time when “many developments face significant viability issues in London, driven by national and international events that continue to have a negative economic impact.”

He added that, with the pressure to deliver more housing in London, achieving this depends on developments taking opportunities to optimise the delivery of new homes on highly accessible sites. Such as next to tube stations.

On concerns about the height, massing and scale of the development, he said that they were to be considered in light of the site constraints. He accepted that the 11-storey block exceeds the permitted height allocation, but considered it an appropriate design-led response to optimise development capacity at this location.

He added that artificially constraining the height of buildings in locations such as this one, next to a tube station, could ultimately drive more development to alternative green belt land sites, which would be less sustainable and more car-dependent.

On the issue of the loss of the car park, he accepted that it was well used but that its loss would promote more sustainable alternatives. He also noted that its loss was acceptable within Barnet Council’s local plan.

In conclusion, he accepted that the development of the site would comply with Barnet’s local development plan, when read as a whole, and granted planning permission.

A spokesperson for the West London Partnership said: “We are pleased that our plans to bring 283 new homes to High Barnet, 40 per cent of which will be affordable, have been approved by London’s Deputy Mayor for Planning and Regeneration and we will work with Barnet Council and the local community to move forward with the development.

“We are dedicated to delivering highly sustainable new homes that London urgently needs, bringing new opportunities for those in the borough to have their own home.”

The developers now need to give notice to the tenants and car park operators to clear the site. The developers’ enabling works are expected to start next February, with main construction in November. The development is now expected to be completed around 2029-30, a decade after the original proposal was first put forward.

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Updated: Added comment from West London Partnership.