We have an important update for all supporters of Save Our Edgware.
On 31 May 2026, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, confirmed on behalf of the Secretary of State that he will not call in planning application 24/2686/OUT — the Ballymore scheme for 25 tower blocks up to 29 storeys above an underground electric bus garage, with demolition of Edgware Bus Station.
Following cross-party representations from politicians across the political spectrum, the Secretary of State reconsidered his position and has now confirmed he will not intervene.
Who wrote to the Secretary of State on our behalf
We are deeply grateful to every politician who used their position to fight for Edgware. The following all wrote formally requesting call-in:
- Bob Blackman MP (Conservative Harrow East MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fire Safety)
- Krupesh Hirani AM (Labour Brent and Harrow, London Assembly member)
- Hina Bokhari OBE AM (Lib Dem, London Assembly Fire Committee Chair)
- Cllr Marilyn Ashton (Conservative councillor Harrow), writing on behalf of the London Borough of Harrow
- Cllrs Lucy Wakeley, Nick Mearing-Smith and Shuey Gordon (Conservative, Edgware ward, Barnet)
- Former Cllr Mark Shooter (Chair and Leader of Reform Barnet)
- Former Cllr Nitin Parekh (Labour, Edgware ward, Harrow)
This is extraordinary cross-party support and reflects how seriously elected representatives from across the political spectrum view the dangers posed by this scheme.
What the Secretary of State said — and why it is wrong
The reply states that fire safety requirements for buildings are set by the Building Act 1984 and the Building Regulations 2010, and that tall residential buildings must obtain approval from the Building Safety Regulator.
This misses the central point. London Fire Brigade formally objected to this application on 1 October 2024 and has never withdrawn that objection. The concern is not about standard residential building regulations. It is about the underground electric bus garage — a novel structure for which no Approved Document exists anywhere in the regulatory framework. Our own Freedom of Information requests confirm there are no timescales for developing one. The regulatory gap is real, unresolved, and officially acknowledged.
What happens next — judicial review
The call-in route is now exhausted. Our focus moves entirely to judicial review.
The formal decision notice has not yet been issued and the Section 106 agreement has not been signed. The six-week judicial review clock has not started. We are working with specialist planning law solicitors and counsel to prepare our legal challenge. We will share more detail on the grounds in due course.
How you can help right now
- Donate to the legal fund at https://saveouredgware.co.uk/fight/
- Attend the Edgware Community Association AGM: 22 June 2026, 7:30pm, Flash Musicals, Methuen Road, Edgware HA8 6EZ — https://edgwarecommunity.org/agm-2026/
- Share this update with your neighbours, friends and local networks
The planning system did not protect Edgware. The courts can. We are not done.