The Legal Challenge Begins Now

Save Edgware – Fund the Fightback



7,000 Voices Ignored – Both Barnet and the Mayor of London have said yes to Ballymore

Barnet Council voted yes to Ballymore’s 25-tower-block plan despite a record 7,000+ objections. On 30 March 2026, the Mayor of London also approved — declining to step in, despite serious unresolved concerns about fire safety, the loss of our bus station, and the impact on disabled and elderly passengers. This is a devastating outcome. But it is not necessarily the end.

This is serious — and we are not giving up

Despite both approvals, significant legal questions remain unanswered:

  • The underground electric bus garage has no applicable fire safety regulations — and London Fire Brigade raised objections that were never fully resolved before the decision was made.
  • The bus station will be demolished for up to four years before any replacement is built — with no guaranteed workable design approved at this stage.
  • Disabled and elderly passengers will be worst affected, yet the council never properly discharged its legal duty to assess the equality impact before voting.
  • The committee vote itself was procedurally flawed — councillors voted on drawings that did not exist, and the conditions appendix was blank on the night.

We have instructed public-law specialists Leigh Day to assess the grounds for a judicial review of Barnet’s decision. This is a serious step — and it requires serious funding.

Where things stand:

  • July 2025 — Barnet approved outline planning permission
  • 30 March 2026 — Mayor of London approved at Stage 2
  • Imminent — Barnet issues its formal decision notice
  • Then 6 weeks — to file a legal challenge. FUNDS ARE NEEDED NOW.

We’re taking professional advice - but we need your help

We have instructed public-law specialists Leigh Day to assess the grounds for a judicial review.

This is serious. We need legal experts and funds to do this.

  • 📢 We can’t launch a legal challenge without your support. For two years, our volunteers have given thousands of hours without seeking payment. They’re not legal experts and now we need your financial support to hire lawyers and move forward.
  • 💷 Donate to fuel our campaign – A full legal challenge would cost over £50,000. Your contribution will fund expert legal advice, high-impact publicity and other essential costs to save Edgware. Every pound strengthens the campaign.

What is at stake

Loss of bus station – 25x longer bus to tube walks

Today, passengers step off a bus at Stop G and enter Edgware Underground station within approximately 5 metres. Under the approved plan, the key interchange stops will be between 92 and 136 metres away — the average bus-to-tube interchange distance increases from 5m to 132m, a 25-fold increase. Disabled, elderly and mobility-impaired passengers — who rely on a short, sheltered, step-free route — will bear the greatest burden. The council never properly assessed this equality impact before voting.

  • Today: a covered, staffed bus station with 68 seats, used by 23,000 passengers a day
  • Walking times up 165% for people with limited mobility, in all weathers
  • Its 18 bus stands would move into the underground bus garage
  • The latest draft legal agreement (published 30 September 2026) drops the promise to match today’s buses, stands and service

Risky underground electric bus garage with unresolved fire safety concerns

  • Ballymore plans to build an underground electric bus garage directly beneath high-rise residential tower
  • There is no equivalent facility anywhere in the UK — and no applicable building regulations exist for this type of structure
  • London Fire Brigade objected, warning of the risks of fire and potential structural collapse — yet these concerns were not resolved before approval was granted
  • Both Barnet Council and the Mayor have approved the scheme anyway. We believe that was unlawful.

In London Fire Brigade’s own words (formal objection, 1 October 2024):

“…the blocks above the bus garage are intrinsically dependent on the structural integrity of the bus garage below.”

“…the potential for an incident involving an EV emitting a toxic vapour, and the subsequent potential for a vapour cloud explosion…”

Parking slashed

  • Today: 1,035 spaces

  • After: just 292 (250 for Sainsbury’s and only 42 spaces for everyone else)

  • No commuter parking at all

  • Pressure on nearby streets leading to all-day parking restrictions

Shops, banks and town centre viability at risk

  • The Broadwalk Shopping Centre would be demolished, followed by about a decade of building work

  • The Broadwalk doesn’t just serve people nearby. It brings in over 400,000 shoppers from a huge area

  • Banks also bring trade to the area

  • Convenience matters and if people can’t park they will go elsewhere

  • Local jobs and economy are under threat