.

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

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In order to show that this car-based scheme, including the waste incinerator, was so out-of-date, we had two inflatable dinosaurs.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!

Ham and High, Barnet Times, and Barnet Press






2010-07-06

GAIA !


Some highlights from that web site ...





Above: Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, PhD., environmental scientist, offers a comprehensive introduction to explain the science and problems behind pyrolysis, gasification and plasma incineration. (He refers mainly to medical waste, rather than domestic waste.)




"New incineration technologies, like older-style burners, are expensive, inefficient and contribute to both climate change and serious public health impacts."

The report examines industry claims, health, track record of these facilities, expense, energy, impact on natural resources and the climate, and other issues.







"The current system of premiums to incineration is flawed because it penalizes saving energy." 

Due to the fact that recycling and composting do not generate electricity, they are not eligible for renewable energy premiums, whilst burning waste, which generates electricity inefficiently and is a step lower in the waste hierarchy, does get rewarded.