.

.
Click above for what became the consented plan, plus Transport page.

2010-08-19

Boris the builder: The Mayor's vision for London housing

Evening Standard:

It is no mean achievement to get this past the massed ranks of major housebuilders, who have a vested interest in screwing down construction costs and making as much profit as possible from their developments. They have objected to the guide's conclusions and eked out compromises from the Mayor's office, but by and large these standards should improve greatly the housing stock in London.

London Development Agency:

2010-08-18

BARNET’S CORE STRATEGY

Planning Policy
The London Borough of Barnet
Building 2
North London Business Park (NLBP)
Oakleigh Road South
London N11 1NP
 
We are writing to inform you of the next steps to be taken with regards to the Core Strategy. Representations were made on the Core Strategy Direction of Travel consultation which took place late last year. The next stage of consultation on our Core Strategy will be the Publication Stage. This document is scheduled to go to Cabinet on the 6th September 2010, and is expected to be ready subject to Cabinet approval for consultation by October.

In preparation for Cabinet, the papers will be published a week before Cabinet takes place. The agenda papers will include the new Publication Stage of the Core Strategy and a table of representations received on the previous Direction of Travel version and the Council’s response to them. We expect Cabinet papers to be released on August 26th and they will be available on this link;


Subject to Cabinet approval of the Publication Stage, we will inform you of how you can formally comment on the document.
 
Planning Policy Team
Tel: 020 8359 4990
e-mail: forward.planning@barnet.gov.uk

Barnet: "We would like to emphasise the Importance of Improvements to Orbital Movement to the Borough"

18 February 2010 (This has just come to light. The graphic is not part of the submission.)
See: www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/mayor_of_london_transport_strate_4#incoming-71504

Draft Mayor's Transport Strategy
Consultation response
London Borough of Barnet


We would like to emphasise, that in the outer London context, where it is acknowledged that car travel will continue to play a significant role, the priority has to be on ensuring that attractive alternatives are available, rather than penalising those road users whose circumstances require a different choice.  This might be in terms of improvements to make other modes more attractive, or in improving the performance of less sustainable modes through reduced emissions, for example.

Also we would like to emphasise the importance of improvements to orbital movement to the borough. The point is partly made in London Councils’ response (para 27)
“We support the proposals in the MTS to improve orbital links between town centres but we are concerned that the emphasis is primarily on better journey planner information and improved integration between transport modes rather than new infrastructure or services. We believe that improved high quality bus links should be provided where it is not possible to provide rail links. This should include limited stop ‘express buses’ for journeys that can not easily be made by rail.”

2010-08-16

Council Leaders back down on "Allowancegate" scandal

Barnet Leader announces dramatic U-turn on pay rise, as colleague mounts leadership challenge

(from Vickim57 blog)

2010-08-15

"Barnet is desperate for the section 106 money to plug the hole."


"Another interesting comment was regarding the Brent Cross scheme.

"I had long suspected this, but no one had the balls to say it out loud.

"This is purely being passed because the finances of Barnet Council have been destroyed by the Freer/Hillan years of mismanagement. Barnet is desperate for the section 106 money to plug the hole.

"There you go. The sad truth is that they are going to destroy the character of the London Borough of Barnet to save their allowances and plug the hole they've made."

The full analysis is at Barnet Eye.
(Click on the sunglasses picture for the complete blog)

2010-07-30

"Brent Cross Cricklewood plans questioned by councillor at latest meeting"

Barnet Times

“Experience tells me: when these things start getting off the ground, you look back, and you didn't think you had voted for that.”

Broken Barnet blog - "Never Mind the easyBolics"

Questions to the Mayor of London from the London Assembly

Question No: 2452 / 2010

Question to the Mayor from Navin Shah, AM

In response to my question 1519/2010, you stated “given the scale and complexity of the scheme, it is understandable that the Secretary of State requires more time to decide whether to call-in the application for his own determination”. Are you therefore presumably concerned that the new Secretary of State overturned the Article 14 Direction to Barnet Council within six weeks of taking up the post?


Answer from the Mayor

I am pleased with the Secretary of State’s decision.

Planning Committee sleep-walks into approval (will crop up again in October)

In order to show that this car-based scheme, including the waste incinerator, was so out-of-date, we had two inflatable dinosaurs.
It was disconcerting when a passer-by asked, "What are the frogs for?" 




"Despite spirited opposition from the Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross Cricklewood, all but Lib Dem councillor Jack Cohen, who represents the area affected, agreed to pass the plans."

2010-07-29

Ham & High and the Barnet Times report on tonight's Planning Committee




"Brent Cross Cricklewood scheme up for discussion at planning meeting tonight."
Click for full story:


"We believe that documents sneaked through without proper scrutiny now will become more difficult to challenge at the October meeting - or at least, that is the Council's intention.”

Councillor "Gold Diggers" (on Vickim57 blog)

Click above for an enlargement.
 Click on THAT for an even greater enlargement, in most browsers.

Alternatively, go direct to the Vickim57 web site.

2010-07-28

Lobby this Thursday




Barnet Rushes Through Brent Cross Plans


Thursday 29th July, 6.30pm:

Demonstration

Hendon Town Hall


Details are in the post below. 



Top picture is on the Broken Barnet blog.
(No connection with this web site is implied.)
Allowances rise reflects changing role of councillors, claims Barnet Council leader Lynne Hillan


"You are wrong. It's a redistribution."

- Barnet Times


(Includes a Comments section after the story)

2010-07-27

Brent Cross statesman meets Secretary of State

The Barnet Bugle blog shows tea being taken last Thursday.

Left to right are Barnet Councillor Kate Salinger, heroine of the Allowances scandal, Eric Pickles, who refused to call a Brent Cross public inquiry, and Councillor Brian Salinger, who as Barnet Council Leader (before being overthrown by Mike Freer) said of the Brent Cross Cricklewood scheme:
To bring [regeneration] about, the Council and the Greater London Authority adopted a unique partnership approach with the key stakeholders to devise this Development Framework.

The heart of this urban area will be a new town centre, with major new shopping and leisure developments. Up to 10,000 new homes will provide high quality accommodation for the future population. A commercial district set within the public realm will provide places of employment. The area will be accessible, and will benefit from community initiatives, including new schools and primary health care facilities.

Significant improvements to transport infrastructure are proposed, including a new [Thameslink] station, a new bridge over the A406 North Circular Road, and better connections to Brent Cross Underground station.
Maybe he was unaware of the very high density, the waste incinerator, the huge road congestion, the destruction of stable communities, the loss of local parkland, the dubious housing specification and quantity, the inability of the Council to manage the planning application, and, especially, the overwhelming arrogance of the developers.

2010-07-26

Barnet to Ram Through Suspect "Section 106" approved documents

Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross Cricklewood Plan
Press Statement

Barnet Rushes Through Brent Cross Plans


This Thursday 29th July, Barnet Council planning and environment committee will be discussing the controversial Brent Cross Cricklewood planning application. The proposals have been recommended for approval by the committee. The Coalition of groups opposing the controversial scheme is questioning the need to rush through the detailed proposals, given that the planning application has to come before the committee in October in any case.

A number of Brent Cross Coalition members have applied to speak in opposition at the meeting, and the opponents will be holding a demonstration outside Hendon Town Hall at 6.30pm .

David Howard, Chair, Federation of Residents Associations in Barnet and BXC Coalition spokesperson, says:
Barnet Council’s decision to rubberstamp plans for the Brent Cross Cricklewood redevelopment at the end of an ordinary planning meeting this week is suspicious, but not surprising.

The scheme has been inadequately negotiated between the Council and developers, and reneges on conditions applied in November. Given that section 106 documents have largely been rewritten, it is completely unclear what the Council is being asked to approve at this week’s meeting.

We would like to know why Barnet have brought the Brent Cross report to committee this week, with barely a week’s notice and at the end of July, when it could have been more fully considered in October. We believe that documents sneaked through without proper scrutiny now will become more difficult to challenge at the October meeting - or at least, that is the Council's intention.

Barnet Eye (again)

2010-07-19

UKWin gives us our very own Brent Cross quote...

Shlomo Dowen, UK Without Incineration Network Co-ordinator, says:
"Incineration is a dead technology that has been overtaken by safer, cheaper and better approaches to waste management. The way forward is through sustainable methods that do not put the public's health at risk.

Why press ahead with this ill-considered proposal that faces so much well-informed opposition, when we can go down a more sustainable route?"

2010-07-18

Barnet Eye - easyCouncil comment

(click on this image for the 'Barnet Eye' post. To see the complete blog, click on the sunglasses picture.)

"... the woman who passed the Brent Cross development plan"

"Barnet Eye blog has highlighted the shenanigans of many Barnet Councillors. 
Take for example the head of the Hendon District Planning Committee, Maureen Braun, the woman who passed the Brent Cross development plan..."

Video of BBC London News (OK, it's a few days old)

2010-07-17

Hammerson: "Gasification works well in Germany"



"Gasification, pyrolysis and plasma arc produce the same pollutants as standard incinerators."

2010-07-16

Barnet Council to research "Developers' Expenses"

"This report seeks authorisation to procure the services of a consultancy firm to audit the historic development costs incurred by the Brent Cross Cricklewood development partners."

But who says what developer's historic costs are reasonable? 

Just costs leading to the planning application, 
or any old abandoned stuff as well?

2010-07-13

"Barnet Tories tonight voted huge pay increases"


"The Barnet Tories tonight voted huge pay increases for themselves at a Council meeting."

(Click on the sunglasses picture on that website, to get the complete blog, including any later posts.)

Update from Barnet Times:


Update from BBC:


Update from Jewish Chronicle:


Update from Evening Standard:


Comment on ConservativeHome:



Government Office for London to supply papers behind planning decision

Barnet Councillors may Double Their Money!

As reported by 'The Barnet Bugle' and 'Broken Barnet' blogs...



(Click on titles of those blog pages to get all posts, including later ones.)

2010-07-09

Sarah Teather MP (Brent Central) reaffirms support

"I have written to the Secretary of State, Eric Pickles about his decision not to call in the application.

These plans will have a huge impact, and not just on the local area. They will create havoc through several local authorities and communities across north-west London. Barnet Council must now listen to the objections of local people from Brent, Barnet and Camden, who will all be affected by increased pollution, and heavy traffic congestion on our already over-burdened roads.

I am disappointed that this decision has been left in the hands of Barnet Council. It is obvious to everyone that this decision is too big for the Council, and I will be lobbying Eric Pickles to reconsider."

2010-07-08

"New plan locks-in radical decentralisation"

Willesden and Brent Times

and the competition from Wembley (see also the YourWembley web site)...
"Brookfield Europe no longer sees its involvement in the [Brent Cross] project as aligned with its key strengths and strategic priorities."

So Hammerson now plods on alone!