Barnet Council's Planning Committee has approved a retrospective application to convert a single-family home at 48 Babington Road into a five-bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).
The decision was made during a meeting on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. The property, located in NW4 4LD, will now officially operate as an HMO, with associated refuse, recycling, and cycle storage facilities to be provided.
The application, which was retrospective, had previously been refused on grounds including the loss of a family home, concerns about the concentration of HMOs in an area with poor public transport accessibility, and potential noise disturbance to neighbours. However, updated information presented to the committee addressed these concerns.
Crucially, Transport for London (TfL) has updated its WebCat database, reclassifying the site's Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) from 2 (Poor) to 4 (Good). This improved accessibility rating was achieved due to updated information from TfL and the property's proximity to local amenities, being located within 323 meters of Hendon Town Centre, 754 meters of Hendon Central underground station, and 487 meters of Hendon overground station. The previous PTAL rating for 48 Babington Road was PTAL 2 (Poor).
Beyond the PTAL reclassification, the 'updated information' that addressed previous refusal grounds included the provision of a parking survey. This survey indicated that on day one, parking occupancy was 67%, and on day two, it was 71%, with approximately 25 available spaces. The Highways Officer assessed this survey as acceptable, thereby eliminating a previous refusal reason related to parking. Additionally, the applicant demonstrated a need for the HMO accommodation by highlighting the proximity of Middlesex University (approximately 160 meters away) and the property's existing HMO license since March 2021.
The committee also considered the issue of HMO concentration. Policy HOU04 of Barnet's Local Plan defines a harmful concentration as three or more HMOs within the ten nearest properties. An assessment of Babington Road identified three HMOs within the closest ten properties, including the application site itself, thus not meeting the threshold for a harmful concentration. Barnet's official HMO register notes that houses at No.s 12, 22, 24, 32, 34, 42, 48, 52 and 64 on Babington Road are registered as HMOs. Planning permission has also been granted for the retention of the use of No. 42 as a 6-person HMO and No. 24 as a 5-person HMO (retrospective). The report for 48 Babington Road indicates that its own HMO license is valid until March 4, 2026, and it was issued for 5 households/5 people. The property was inspected in 2023 and found to be well-managed, not overcrowded, and without hazards.
Furthermore, the appeal decision for a similar property at 24 Babington Road, which was allowed on October 16, 2024, was a significant material consideration. The inspector in that case noted the diverse character of the area and found that an additional HMO would not be an unusual addition, concluding that the development would not have a harmful effect on the character and appearance of the surrounding area.
The property is currently licensed as an HMO for five people, and the Environmental Health department confirmed that the property is well-managed and suitable for this occupancy level. The proposed HMO meets the required space standards for bedrooms and communal areas. The communal kitchen/diner is 19.1 m2, exceeding the required space standard. All five bedrooms comply with space standards, with room sizes ranging from 9.5m2 to 14.4m2, and have access to individual or nearby bathrooms, meeting the ratio of one bathroom for every five persons. The minimum space size requirement for a one-bedroom (one person) flat is 39m2. The report also states that all bedrooms have glazing providing sufficient light and outlook.
While the second-floor loft room is more than one floor distant from the kitchen, the HMO officer deemed the scheme acceptable for its occupiers. This decision was made despite Barnet's HMO Standard not being wholly met in this regard, with the officer concluding the property is sufficient to be let to 5 people. The proposal facilitates an internal head room height of at least 2.5m for at least 75% of each room.
Conditions have been attached to the approval, requiring details of refuse and recycling storage, as well as cycle parking facilities, to be submitted and approved by the council. Specifically, within 3 months of the planning permission date, details of enclosures and screened facilities for refuse and recycling storage, along with a satisfactory collection point, must be submitted and approved. Cycle parking facilities must also be detailed and approved within the same timeframe. The development must be implemented according to these approved details within 2 months of the discharge of condition application, and retained thereafter. The HMO will be restricted to a maximum of five occupants at any time.
