Unison: The London Borough of Barnet and CAPITA: The Verdict (and it doesn't look good)

2018 04 Barnet UNISON Capita Report 2018 by scribdstorage on Scribd

Planning Inspectorate: "The Local Plan examination process and the role the Planning Inspectorate plays" (apparently)

"The Planning Inspectorate maintains a list of how local planning authorities across England are progressing their local plans:

• Core strategy progress (PDF) (PDF, 272KB, 6 pages)
• Core strategy progress (Excel) (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 112KB)
• Other plans (PDF) (PDF, 292KB, 9 pages)
• Other plans (Excel) (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 140KB)

"The information is updated as examinations of plans are completed and local authorities inform the Planning Inspectorate that they have subsequently been published and adopted."

FULL LINK

The Motley Fool: Hammerson? SELL, SELL, SELL!

Link to web site

"With its 5% dividend yield, retail-focused real estate investment trust Hammerson(LSE: HMSO) looks like a perfect income investment at first glance. However, in my opinion, the outlook for this business is shrouded in uncertainty.

"... These numbers do not give me much confidence in Hammerson's outlook, which is why I believe it could be time to dump the REIT."

BanprivatecarsinLondon: "Barcelona the walking city"

Link to web site

"... Ildefons Cerda was the visionary, pioneering Catalan urban planner whose street layout is characterised by long straight streets, a strict grid pattern crossed by wide avenues, and octagonal city blocks. Cerdà, considered traffic and transport along with sunlight and ventilation in coming up with his characteristic octagonal blocks. I was told that the street design was to have facilitated a tram network.

"The core idea was that the city should breathe and the growing population could be spread out equally, as well as providing green spaces within each block.

"Unfortunately Cerdà had not anticipated that the streets would become polluted and congested with cars and motorcycles. The wide avenues became one way motor traffic dominated speed drags. Random parking of motorcycles and cars blocked the safe passage of pedestrians and cyclists.

"Barcelona has been working hard to reverse this trend for the last ten years, improving pedestrian spaces, making walking a desirable and healthy alternative to car use. The metro is well-designed and intuitive and is undergoing expansion. There is also a well-connected train and bus network.

"The next phase is the so called Superilles or 'Superblocks' which aims to make secondary streets into 'citizen spaces for culture, leisure and the community'. In such a densely populated city with a notable absence of green space, this will create vital greening, as well as quality public space."

Barnet's Audit Committee: "Capita contracts are a shambles"

Mill Hill Councillor, Sury Khatri made a farewell speech at the Barnet Council Audit Committee:

"My time as a councillor has been overshadowed by the disastrous Capita contract. It is falling apart at the seams."

[Reposted and expanded] Barnet gives planning permission for 5-storey building for this site, on the same planning application as a new John Lewis at Brent Cross, a MILE away! (The Banality of Corruption)

Link to 'Wembley Matters' web site

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Agreement dated 30th January 1987 between Mayor of Barnet, Mayor of Brent, Charterhall Properties (Cricklewood) Ltd, and Erith Plc states:

The description of development refers to provision of 'new public conveniences, public footpaths, and area of public open space'.

Public Open Space is defined as 'the creation of a public open space on that part of the site show coloured yellow on the Plan, such open space to make substantial provision for tree and shrub planting within it and to be attractively landscaped and laid out to the satisfaction of the Council'.

Paragraph 4 b(iv) refers to the Council adopting the public open space after a defects period of 12 months, 'and thereupon the Public Open Space shall become a public open space maintainable at the public expense'.

Paragraphs 4 (d) and (e) refer to not building on the land with the sewer and accepting the strips of land with public footpaths respectively."

(2014 update: Next to the road has since been improved -
the rest of the land is still under threat)
Pic: Theo Simpson

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Link to HOME (see all posts).

Useless Hammerson management gets intu trouble: Daily Telegraph: "Hammerson ditches £3.4bn Intu takeover blaming high street slowdown"

Link to web site

"... David Atkins, Hammerson's chief executive, said: 'It is clear that the heightened risks to the Intu acquisition now outweigh the longer-term benefits.'

"Intu said it 'regards as unsatisfactory the explanations given by the Board of Hammerson for its withdrawal of its recommendation of the transaction... which Intu has been pursuing in good faith since its announcement on 6 December 2017.'

"Hammerson had faced a separate takeover approach from French rival Klépierre but the suitor said it had abandoned the plan last week after the UK firm's board failed to 'provide any meaningful engagement' with the proposed £5bn deal."

Hammerson now in dog-house with shareholders

"Top Hammerson shareholder voices opposition to Intu deal"

Link to web site

"British shopping centre owner Hammerson's proposed takeover of rival Intu hit a stumbling block this evening, after a top three shareholder said it would vote against the deal at an upcoming meeting.

"Dutch pension fund APG wrote to the chief executive and chairman of Hammerson saying it had 'substantial concerns' over the deal, citing the current retail environment and the increased financial leverage of Hammerson after the proposed takeover.

"The pension fund said.

"Furthermore, we believe the proposed acquisition will significantly dilute Hammerson's high-quality portfolio."

West London Orbital railway: PROMOTED by Leader of Barnet and other councillors, DEMOTED by Capita

2018-02 West London Orbital Presentation - February 2018 by scribdstorage on Scribd

Questions to the Mayor

West London Orbital Railway [1]

Andrew Dismore (22-Mar-2018)

Do you welcome the proposals of the West London Alliance of boroughs to open a ‘West London Orbital’ railway, as part of London Overground?

The Mayor (22-Mar-2018)

I welcome the proposals to open a ‘West London Orbital’ railway. This new line could support the delivery of many new homes and jobs in west London, as well as improving connectivity across a wide area stretching from Barnet to Hounslow where there are currently limited public transport options for orbital travel. Given the support received for the West London Orbital rail line through the draft consultation on my Transport Strategy, I have strengthened my commitment to delivering the scheme in Proposal 88 of the final strategy, which now states: “The Mayor, through Transport for London (TfL), the West London Alliance boroughs and Network Rail, will work towards the delivery of a new London Overground 'West London Orbital' line connecting Hounslow with Cricklewood and Hendon via Old Oak, Neasden and Brent Cross.” TfL is now beginning the necessary feasibility work to take this proposal forward. I look forward to continuing the collaborative approach with the West London Alliance which has been invaluable in developing the proposal to this point.

West London Orbital Railway [2]

Andrew Dismore (22-Mar-2018)

Will you promote longer-distance trains along the ‘West London Orbital’ railway tracks, such as services between Surrey and Bedfordshire, via several of the London Opportunity Areas?

The Mayor (22-Mar-2018)

  I welcome support for the proposal to deliver a new West London Orbital railway line. On the basis of the support received through the consultation on my draft Transport Strategy, the Strategy has been amended to set out the potential route and its benefits in more detail.
   As the scheme is currently at feasibility stage, no decisions have yet been made regarding service operation. It should be noted that there are a number of capacity constraints on the route that would need to be addressed, notably the interfaces with the Midland Main Line north of Cricklewood, the North London line and the Hounslow loop. These may restrict the number and destination of services that can be offered on the route. There are also several freight services using the line. Taking these constraints into account, the core ambition will be to serve the already identified corridor, as this is where the key opportunity for delivering new homes and jobs lies.
   As is common with large infrastructure projects, further details relating to the design and operation of the scheme will be outlined through future public consultation.

West London Orbital Railway [3]

Andrew Dismore (22-Mar-2018)

   Will you intervene in Capita's plans for a new Brent Cross station if sufficiently long West London Orbital platforms are not included? [Should have said ‘separate and sufficiently long’.]

The Mayor (22-Mar-2018)

   I welcome the proposals to open a new ‘West London Orbital’ railway line. This new line could support the delivery of many new homes and jobs in west London, as well as improving connectivity across a wide area stretching from Barnet to Hounslow where there are currently limited public transport options for orbital travel.
   At the northern end of the proposed route, there is the potential to include a stop at the planned new Brent Cross Thameslink station to further support new development in the area.
   The new Thameslink station will be opened in 2022 and will be delivered as part of the Brent Cross West project. As the West London Orbital scheme is only in the early stages of development, any decision to serve Brent Cross will be dependent on future feasibility work. Subject to the outcome of this work, proposals for Brent Cross will look at whether it will be feasible to support the additional new development. The new Thameslink station will have 12 car long platforms, which would be of sufficient length to support any future West London Orbital service.

[Reposted from Jan 2015] The Guardian: "Barnet council 'engaged in social cleansing' at West Hendon estate"

Link to web site

"A Conservative council has been accused of 'social cleansing' and gerrymandering over an attempt to force families to sell their homes for less than half the price of planned replacement apartments.

"The London borough of Barnet’s use of compulsory purchase powers to buy flats as part of the £520m rebuilding of the West Hendon estate by Barratt Homes is being challenged at a public inquiry by residents who say they are being forced out of the area.

"They claimed Barratt's offer of £175,000 to buy a two-bedroom flat and £115,000 for a one-bedroom flat would allow just three of the 36 owners affected in the first phase of the development to stay in an area where many had spent most of their lives. Two-bed flats in the replacement scheme by Barratt and its joint venture partner, Metropolitan Homes, are expected to sell for up to £415,000."

"Hammerson is Doomed, Doomed I Tell Yeh!": Hammerson's valuation is only achievable with total breakup

Link to ThisIsMoney web site
(scroll down, past another financial disaster)

"Brent Cross owner Hammerson is standing firm in the face of the onslaught from French shopping centre group Klepierre, which is seeking to gatecrash a sweetheart deal with Intu.

"Hammerson is unimpressed by the 3 per cent uplift in the offer price to 635p per share, which is 20 per cent below the current net asset value of the company of 790p in March.

"That is the cash which could be released if properties were sold off piecemeal. It contrasts the value of the French offer with the full asset price being paid for Westfield by another European shopping centre owner Unibail-Rodamco." 

Whoops - there goes Hammerson's credibility! The Guardian: "Best way out of hole for Hammerson is to drop bid for smaller shopping centre rival"

Link to and then scroll on web site

"Hammerson has waved around an asset valuation of 790p a share, ... enough to defeat Klépierre at most prices below 700p.

Hammerson's problem, however, is that it was prepared to issue stock to Intu when its own share price was 530p. That hardly inspires confidence in the 790p figure. The best way out of the hole is to drop the Intu bid altogether."

Hammerson fighting for its life! Evening Standard: "Hammerson pauses Intu deal and flexes muscles to ward off French takeover"

Link to web site

"Shopping centres giant Hammerson on Thursday ratcheted up its defence against a £4.9 billion takeover attempt by French rival Klépierre, but admitted it has put the brakes on its own swoop for landlord Intu.

"... But the malls giant's report also revealed its £3.4 billion plan to buy smaller competitor Intu — first unveiled in December — has been delayed. Its shareholders had been expecting voting documents in late March.

"The decision comes just over a fortnight after Hammerson said it had received and rejected a 615p-per-share approach from Klépierre."