Barnet Council's Planning Committee has approved plans for an extension to Gloucester House, located at 150 Woodside Lane, N12 8TP. The decision, made on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, followed a review of revised designs that addressed previous concerns.
The approved proposal will add an additional storey to the existing two-storey building, creating four new self-contained flats. This approval comes after a previous refusal for a similar scheme. The current use of Gloucester House is a nursery/school at ground floor and a medical clinic at first floor; the addition of the flats will introduce a residential use, altering its function to a mixed-use development.
The previous refusal for a similar proposal at Gloucester House was based on three grounds: excessive glazing, the addition of angled bays facing Stephen's Lodge, and the impact on the amenity of future occupiers due to restricted outlook. The revised design has been modified to address these issues by rationalising the design, reducing glazing, and incorporating screening. Specifically, the angled bays were removed, and the side windows facing Stephen's Lodge were reduced to two secondary windows that can be obscure glazed with restricted opening. The amenity of future occupiers has been improved through these design changes.
Four parking spaces have been allocated for the new flats. The Highways Department raised no objection, and a parking survey indicated that 19 spaces remained available, even during the busiest survey period, suggesting the addition of four spaces will not negatively impact existing parking availability.
A Section 106 agreement will be in place to restrict further on-street permit applications in the vicinity. While the agreement was mentioned, specific details regarding the precise restrictions are not provided.
This marks the fourth attempt to build on top of Gloucester House. A 2019 application for two extra floors for office space was rejected, a 2020 application for a floor of office space was withdrawn, and a 2024 application for a storey of new flats was refused in 2025. The current approval follows that previous refusal for new flats.
During the meeting, objectors raised concerns about overlooking, the impact on neighbouring amenity, and the number of previous applications for the site. The applicant's representative highlighted that the revised scheme had taken on board feedback and addressed the raised concerns. The committee's decision was based on the visual changes and the perceived improvement in amenity, although specific metrics were not detailed.