- Decision
- allowed, 25 August 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: G Powys Jones
- Authority
- Barnet (London)
- Appeal reference
- 6010839
- Application reference
- 26/0451/FUL
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Change of use of dwelling (C3) to 5-bed C4 HMO for up to 6 people
- Site context
- inside settlement
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- s38(6)
- Development plan policies
- Barnet Local Plan HOUS02, HOUS04, London Plan 2021
- Main issues
- need for HMOs; location/accessibility
Summary
A 5-bed house converted to a six-person HMO near Middlesex University. Allowed despite PTAL 2, as a justified slight departure from the plan's HMO policy. The only Framework reference is a closing remark that "Nothing in the newly published edition of the Framework … is of such strength or significance as to outweigh" the conclusions (DL ¶16).
What made the difference
Estate-agent evidence of HMO demand, walking and cycling distance to the university, and the low need for 5-bed houses.
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| HOUS04 (Barnet LP) | conflict | need for HMO shown by estate-agent evidence; PTAL 2 fails the accessibility criterion but a justified "slight departure" — university and shops about 800m, bus every 7.5 min (DL 4-13) | |
| HO5 | benefit | HMO meets need of students/low-income groups; no Framework policy cited — code mapped by harvester |
Key facts
- PTAL 2; Middlesex University about 800m (DL 10)
- Former licensed HMO before 2016 Article 4 direction (DL 9)
- 5-bed houses have the lowest need rating in the plan's Table 7 (DL 12)
Sources
This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.