Yesterday we were relieved to hear that Barnet Council has rejected the planning application for a massive school on the old Underhill Stadium site for 1680 pupils aged from 3 to 18.
According to the Barnet Society following a packed meeting at Hendon Town Hall on Wednesday and despite council planning officers recommending approving the scheme the planning committee opposed the plans unanimously. You can read about it in more detail on the Barnet Society website.
Local councillors, the Barnet Society and other community groups have strongly opposed the plans. Labour Underhill councillor Paul Edwards said “The development is excessively large given its very close proximity to local housing.”
“It will take more than three times as many pupils as the Totteridge Academy, which has a much larger site and could accommodate further expansion.”
However, there is a chance that plans could be resubmitted for a smaller school, but the developers would need to present a powerful case as building on Green Belt land is permitted only in “very exceptional circumstances”.
