Sustainable Access Measure (SAM)
Barnet Council's recent challenge to Draft London Plan housing targets highlights issues that the Sustainable Access Measure (SAM) is designed to address.
Barnet Council's Cabinet approved its response to the Draft London Plan in October 2026, challenging proposed housing targets and raising concerns about infrastructure capacity. These are issues that the Sustainable Access Measure (SAM) is designed to address. The council's response argued that Barnet's proposed housing target of 32,849 homes is the highest in London and relies heavily on Green Belt release, according to story 10581.
SAM is a new metric intended to replace Transport for London's Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) for assessing transport connectivity and influencing housing density in development planning. It aims to guide housing density towards well-connected locations and assess accessibility for development.
Key facts
- Barnet Council's Cabinet approved its response to the Draft London Plan in October 2026. Source
- Barnet's proposed housing target of 32,849 homes was challenged by the council's Cabinet. Source
- The proposed housing target represents an increase of approximately 39% compared to the current London Plan target, according to Councillor Ross Houston. Source
About this summary
This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 14 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.