Barnet Council has come under fire for proposing to allocate £41.5 million of public infrastructure funding towards a new underground electric bus garage in Edgware – an essential part of a much larger redevelopment project that includes new housing, a library, health centre, and town square.
The money, collected through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), is meant to support public improvements like schools, parks, and community spaces. But campaigners from Save Our Edgware say the council plans to use over half of this funding to subsidise a private development, calling it a “developer clawback”.
“This is not just a poor decision – it’s a misdirection of public funds,” said Anuta Zack, a spokesperson for Save Our Edgware. “CIL is supposed to invest in the community—not bail out developers by refunding half their own contribution. This undermines public confidence in the planning system.”
The proposed bus garage would be built underground, replacing the current open-air depot and bus station. The site is intended to support housing built above it, making the garage a key enabler of the wider regeneration scheme. However, the plan has prompted serious safety concerns.
The London Fire Brigade has stated that no national fire safety standards currently exist for underground electric bus garages. In formal correspondence, the Brigade called the development “not viable” and warned of potential structural collapse in the event of a fire.
Campaigners also point out that Barnet Council’s own building control team has not assessed the proposal, and no existing Building Regulations support this type of infrastructure.
“One key piece of infrastructure – the bus station – is being taken away with no replacement,” Zack added. “And the garage itself may not even be viable to build.”
Save Our Edgware says the public was not made aware of the £41.5 million allocation until after Barnet’s Scrutiny Committee had already approved the recommendation. This, they say, left no opportunity for residents to raise questions or concerns.
“If this goes ahead, it sends a message that developers can shift their costs onto the public- and the community loses out,” said Zack.
In response, Barnet Council issued a statement defending the proposal, saying:
“Large scale regeneration projects, such as in Edgware which is the second biggest development ever undertaken in Barnet, involve a much higher level of infrastructure than usual.
“In recognition of this, the council changed its policy to accept infrastructure improvements in lieu of the community infrastructure levy, and this new policy was adopted in April 2022. Since then, we have increased the amount of levy we charge to developers and we now collect one of the highest amounts of CIL in the UK, which is reinvested in the community. For the Edgware development the new CIL rates would mean in the region of an additional circa £30-40m in CIL would be generated, bringing the likely total to £80m.
“The full range of improved infrastructure and community facilities envisaged in Edgware Town Centre includes a new library and health centre, a new park and town square and a new bus garage and cycle hub, alongside thousands of new homes.
“The council is proposing to use its discretion to allocate £41.5m of the increased £80m levy which will be paid to the council to part-fund the development of the bus garage infrastructure so that housing can be built above.
“This proposal has been considered through the proper decision-making process and discussed by the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
“However, no decision has yet been made on the planning application. The Strategic Planning Committee will appropriately consider all of the wider planning considerations associated with the scheme, including fire safety.”
Save Our Edgware is calling on the council’s Cabinet to delay any decision until safety, legal, and technical concerns are independently reviewed and fully addressed. They are also urging the council to provide a clear public explanation if it proceeds without further safeguards.
The full letter from Save Our Edgware can be found at: saveouredgware.co.uk.
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