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Mayor of London Boris Johnson has rubberstamped the multi-billion pound Brent Cross regeneration project. After the battering Johnson had taken on affordable housing, the decision to approve the scheme would have been an easy one. However, just 15% of the 7,550 new homes will be classed as 'affordable' in the £4.8bn development. Developers hope to raise that to 30%, but it is unclear how - the Mayor's office saying: "This will be reviewed at each phase to ensure there are opportunities to add more affordable housing in line with changing market conditions". It emerged last year that the Mayor would miss his target of 50,000 affordable homes by the 2010/11 financial year; his spokesperson said it would be reached "before the start of the London Olympics" - former Mayor Ken Livingston accused Johnson of "failing the poor". Two hundred homes will be demolished on the Whitefield estate, to be rebuilt on the new site - overall, the project is expected to take 20 years to complete. There is also a commitment that 46% of the new housing will be of a "3 bedroom character".
New homes, offices, shopping centre and schools
Last November Barnet Council approved one of the largest regeneration projects in the capital which will see the expansion of the Brent Cross shopping centre, the creation of 7,550 new homes, a new office district, and three new schools over 250 acres.
27,000 new jobs are likely to be created - 8,000 at Brent Cross, 17,000 in the office district, 1,750 at the hotels, 1,000 community jobs. The council estimate 42% of the new jobs will go to locals. Mayor Boris Johnson said: "Having carefully considered the proposal I am satisfied that the application fulfils the need to have the kinds of transport links that will bring fluidity and rejuvenation to Brent Cross while avoiding potential problems caused by any extra traffic." However criticism was leveled by councillors who accused developers of not offering "forums" for local residents to air serious grievances like the residents of West Hendon who have consistently objected to the increase of traffic from the new expanded Brent Cross. Yet, out of 29,000 consultation letters sent to residents, just 500 letters were ever returned. Business relocation Many businesses will have to relocate from their current premises, developers saying: "This process will not be easy but it will be in our interest to not see these companies extinguished and we are sensitive of the interests of business". The scheme has been ten years in the making and cost developers Brookfield Europe, Hammerson and Standard Life £33 million.
No light-rail
While developers herald a reported £1bn investment in transport infrastructure and community facilities, several objections were made as to why a light railway scheme was not factored into the application. Barnet council officers responded by saying that this may materialise over the course of the project but no money was committed to this, and the "London Plan" does not require this to take place. The project will see improvements to highways and road junctions in the area, equipping it to efficiently carry any extra traffic arising from the development. The new public transport measures in the scheme will be managed by a new Transport Strategy Group, with representatives from Transport for London, Barnet Council and the developers.
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