Barnet

23 Residential Sites

Barnet, along with other suburban boroughs, took the strategy to deliver their affordable home programme through small sites dotted around the borough. Hunters, originally acting as project managers, undertook the Employers Agent activities for this significant project.  Sites included garages and infill of existing housing stock. The project has created a significant range of flats and houses reflecting the character of where they are based.

The project is a good example of a local authority making use of existing underutilised land in their ownership to deliver much needed affordable homes which respond to local need. Working closely with Barnet Opendoor Homes and the wider consultant team, Hunters developed the EA support for homes ranging from 2-50 units with contract values ranging from £500k-£15m including bungalows and a 13-storey tower.

The client provided stringent cost per metre guidelines whilst ensuring quality of build remained high. Attendance of design team meetings and producing cost plans in line with the design development were part of our services. Risks were identified from the outset in the form of risk registers for each site identifying risk mitigation proposals. Due to the large delivery Hunters provided programmes identifying key milestones accompanied with advice on accelerated procurement routes to meet the client’s objectives. Both single stage and two stage tendering were identified and implemented dependent on the site.

A Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) has been entered into with the Barnet Planning team which benefits from a certainty on timescales. As part of the pre-application discussions much of the work was part of the wider regeneration of sites including additional landscape and amenity space being designed as part of the wider estates. Resident consultation and feedback were at the forefront to discuss concerns such as parking, antisocial behaviour, waste collection, ingress and egress to the site.

Responding to an identified local need for housing within the borough, most of the homes created are 2-bedroom at affordable rent (65% of the private market rental value).

Amar Mahil, Director at Hunters commented ‘With a refreshing approach, Barnet now has a range of affordable homes at affordable prices. The strength of the scheme lay in the strong partnerships and the clear client  guidelines enabling Hunters to create a deliverable plan that worked.’