Upper and Lower Fosters

About Upper and Lower Fosters

The new masterplan for Upper and Lower Fosters (also known as the Fosters Estate) is being developed through an exemplar community co-design process, the first time this approach has been taken in Barnet.

This has involved the estate residents, neighbours and local community organisations from the very beginning of the project, in deciding what to build, where and how.

The existing estate is built to a relatively low density despite its proximity to a local high street, and its good transport accessibility. It has the capacity to accommodate more affordable, market and extra care housing – in part to replace existing out-dated sheltered housing on the site.

The existing homes on the site will be retained, apart from the sheltered housing, and the emerging masterplan will create new housing around the edge of the estate, resolving concerns about safety in these areas, as well as among the existing housing blocks. The local community wants to see the existing green, park-like character of the estate retained and enhanced, so the new plan builds on this distinctive identity.

March 2019 exhibition materials

Below you can see all the exhibition panels from the recent exhibition and consultation event. 

Key facts

The proposed masterplan will create:

• New affordable rent, shared ownership and market sale homes, with 50% of the new homes being affordable
• 75 affordable extra care homes for elderly residents
• A renewed public realm on the estate including new play areas, benches, open green space, tree planting and paths
• A new street layout and improved provision and control of car parking.

Progress report

• The project team have been working intensively with community members for over two years, to learn about their priorities and co-design the masterplan with them
• Stages 1 and 2 of the project have completed and the team are currently approaching the end of Stage 3
• A full planning application is due for submission in April 2019
• If planning is achieved, construction will start in 2020
• The project is supported by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), who have committed £830,000 of project funding
• A community steering group, made up of local residents, representatives from community organisations and businesses, meets monthly with the design team to co-design the project with them
• Open workshops and design events happen regularly to involve the whole community
• A newsletter is distributed monthly around the area to keep residents and businesses up to date

Delivery partners

Delivery partners for this scheme be confirmed on completion of the design stage.