[Reposted] Hammerson's broken promises: (1) We are in it for the long term; (2) The Brent Cross development will not require subsidy; (3) We are a talented and competent outfit, not a bunch of clowns.

Presentation 1 Copy

Presentation 2 Copy

New Brent Cross Thameslink station (and for London Overground, from Old Oak Common?)

2008: Thameslink Programme (TLP) and Department for Transport (DfT) agree service pattern for station at 8tph peak, 4tph off-peak
2009: URS business case establishes positive BCR for station
2010-2012: Design integration with TLP GRIP 3 review and GRIP4
May 2012: DfT consultation on the TSGN franchise refers to the new station
June 2012: TLP review confirmed service pattern at 8tph proceed in 2011 version of the 2018 development timetable
Jan 2013: Brent Cross Cricklewood (BXC) GRIP3 report submitted to Network Rail (NR)
July 2013: NR / DfT confirm up to 8tph could stop
Sept 2013: NR confirmation BXC document in TSGN Franchise Data Room [don’t ask]
Nov 2013: NR validates URS station core cost estimate
Aug 2014: NR peer review of station design: Confirmed construction wiork feasible, subject to stage gate close out [no idea] GRIP 3; funding; risk management; access; and stakeholder management
Oct 2014: NR Investment Panel approval
Nov 2014: Stakeholder workshop to agree stakeholder requirements (input from route requirements document)
Nov 2014: Network services agreement with NR signed
Nov 2014 – Jan 2015: Initial GRIP3 review of existing GRIP3 proposals, including train services modelling, demand forecasting and business case development to identify preferred station design which meets client requirements
Feb 2015: Preferred scheme and updated cost estimate
July 2015: Complete GRIP3 AIP [?] and contracting strategy
Dec 2015: Network change
April 2016: GRIP4 detailed design
Dec 2017 – May 2021: GRIP6 – 7 Construction, testing and commissioning
May 2021: Station open (proposed opening date)
May 2021 – Dec 2022: Grip 8 Project close out (contractual close, 1 year).

[Reposted from Mar 2015] Barnet Eye: "New Brent Cross Station - nailing the lie"

"I'm Richard. Click me."

"... Sadly, there is plenty that this Barnet press release doesn't clarify. In fact it raises more questions than it answers.

"Firstly, the station is not in Brent Cross shopping centre. It is over 1/4 of a mile from it (as the crow flies). What provision will there be for shoppers to traverse the A406 and M1 entrance to get from the shops to the station?

"There is also talk that the existing station at Cricklewood may have to shut as part of the scheme. This would be a major blow to the existing shops and High Street businesses."

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Exclusive: Image of Hammerson and Argent's build-out of Barnet's corrupt 2010 Brent Cross planning consent

Barnet Press and Barnet Times - Hapless Hammerson's Brent Cross Shopping Centre illegal flyposting

And just for the hell of it, the recent Evening Standard letter again...

Brent Cross: The need for 8-storey car parks

Click me. I get bigger.

Brent Cross Cricklewood and West Hendon Regeneration Document

[Reposted from Oct 2010] Hammerson and Standard Life Investment: Brent Cross Cricklewood press release (Low key; Tail-between-legs-mode; Nothing new; "Move along, there's nothing to see...")

BARNET COUNCIL GRANTS CONSENT

Tues 12 April: "Is Neighbourhood Planning for Cricklewood?"

"Would you like to have a say in how our neighbourhood will be in 5, 10, 15 years time?"

"A way to do this is for local residents, business, community groups and organisations to set up a Neighbourhood Forum and together work on a neighbourhood plan. Once the neighbourhood plan is approved by referendum, it would have legal weight on future planning decision making.

"In our last meeting, we had James Earl, Fortune Green and West Hampstead Forum Chairman, who shared with a group of residents his experience in setting up their own Neighbourhood Forum, working on and having approved their neighbourhood plan. After he left, those present agreed that it would be positive for our area to apply to Barnet for a Neighbourhood Forum designation.

"What still remains unclear are the boundaries of the proposed Neighbourhood Area.

"For this reason we invite residents associations, community groups, local organisations and individuals affected by the Brent Cross South regeneration to join our working meeting tomorrow evening (12th April 2016) to: 

• learn about neighbourhood planning for an update on our previous neighbourhood planning discussions
• have an opportunity to share views on what should the criteria be to define our Neighbourhood Area
• hear other views."

6.30-8.30pm. Whitefield School, room IT5. (Turn right when you enter the schools main gates and enter via main school reception.)

Tea, coffee and some nibbles will be provided.

Next meetings:

• Thursday 14th April – Heritage and Local Memories, Whitefield School, Room IT5 3-5pm
• Thursday 28th April – Neighbourhood Planning – Whitefield School, Room IT5 3-5pm.

These regular meetings take place every second Tuesday (6.30-8.30 pm), second Thursday (3-5pm) and every fourth Thursday (3.00-5.00 pm) of every month until the end of June 2016.

These meetings are funded by the Community Organisers Mobilisation Grant and kindly hosted by Whitefield School.

For further information please contact Luisa at 0777 366 0938 or luisa(@)clitterhouse(dot)com

MayorWatch: "The Tory vision for estate regeneration in London" by Cllr Ross Houston, Deputy Leader of Labour Group and Housing Spokesperson, LB of Barnet

Link to web site

"How did it all go wrong in West Hendon? [Part of the borough's same Supplementary Planning Guidance as Brent Cross.]

"The original estate had 680 council homes at social rent – a promise was given to replace all 680, and this was one of the reasons the council decided to sell the land to the developers for just £3. Unfortunately, the developers came back some years later with a plan to reduce the number of social rented homes down to only 250, and all because of ‘viability’.

"It's taken the council well over a decade to proceed with the regeneration. In that time all vacant council homes have been re-let to homeless families on non-secure tenancies. A third of council tenants on the estate are now non-secure tenants who have been living there for up to 12 years but will not be re-housed in the new development. They often face multiple moves and school changes and may be re-housed outside the borough.

"Residents feel left out of the scheme design and alienated from the process. Non-secure council tenants have no place in the new community. Residents feel betrayed by broken promises. We know that many of the new flats have been sold off-plan to overseas investors and won’t be helping Londoners buy a home to live in."

The Observer: "Boris Johnson’s dire legacy for London"

"As London mayor Boris Johnson prepares to leave City Hall, pity his successor, faced with ill-planned developments that could turn the capital into one of the highest-density cities on the planet"

Link to web site

"When Boris Johnson first ran for London mayor, in 2008, he promised not to create 'Dubai-on-Thames', the parade of riverside towers intended by his rival, Ken Livingstone. Oh no, of course not. What the city is actually getting, as he prepares to leave for possibly higher office, is a Dubai-on-Westbourne, -on-Lee, -on-Effra, -on-Bollo Brook, -on-Quaggy, and indeed on most of the obscure tributaries and secondary rivers of the capital, as well as on the Thames, and many of the spaces between them. For, as is possibly now dawning on a wider public, it is hopelessly naive to believe that Johnson believes something when he says it. You didn’t think he really meant it, did you? Ha ha ha. What a card he is.

"It's not just about tall buildings, although the number of towers higher than 20 storeys proposed for London now stands at more than 400. It’s also about bloated, bulging, light-blocking buildings of medium height, and about the limited attempts to insist on design quality, or to get new developments to create neighbourhoods that are more than a sum of their parts, or have any meaningful relationships with the areas into which they are inserted.

"In the dying days of the Johnsonian empire, several proposals indicate the sort of city he is leaving behind. Some are hoping for a final signoff before he goes, in the manner of outgoing American presidents pardoning their disreputable mates, or to benefit from the inattention of the election and interregnum. Some will be in the in-tray of his dazed successor."

[Reposted from Mar 2015] Brent Cross railway station no longer a private sector provision: 'Capitalism on the way up, Socialism on the way down'

Link to Evening Standard

"George Osborne will press the accelerator in his Budget tomorrow on plans to tackle the capital’s housing shortage by building 400,000 homes.

The Evening Standard understands the key commitments will include:

• The Mayor of London to be given new powers over 50 riverside wharves which are currently governed by Whitehall regulations, allowing City Hall to negotiate for new developments in consultation with Londoners.
• A £97 million down-payment for a new station at Brent Cross which will help lead to the construction of 7,500 homes and support 27,000 jobs.
• A £7 million injection of public money for the Croydon growth zone, aiming to create 4,000 homes and 10,000 jobs.
• Funding worth £1 million for the new London Land Commission to help create a Domesday Book of surplus public sector land and brownfield sites that can be taken over for redevelopment."

Barnet Press: Green Party Air Monitoring around Hammerson's Brent Cross, plus Barnet Council and West Hendon

The revolving door forever spins: Barnet needs another 'Strategic Lead, Growth and Development' goon for its corrupt 2010 Brent Cross planning consent

"Barnet is a great place to live and do business, with a high quality suburban environment, including excellent transport links, high performing schools, and attractive parks and green spaces. [Good, so far.]

"However, the borough is growing fast with one of the biggest, most exciting regeneration programmes in the country, including Brent Cross/Cricklewood. The challenge is to accommodate growth whilst maintaining the qualities which residents value so highly. [Just blindly push through the secretly-created 2002 masterplan and corrupt 2010 planning consent, and take the bloody salary.]

"You will be responsible for working closely with partners to progress our ambitious growth and regeneration agenda, including housing development on the Council’s own land. A proven and visible leader, you will be comfortable using your influencing skills to develop and commission excellent outcomes. You will bring a strong track record of achievement and from the outset will play a key role in helping us to achieve our vision." [No-one else has been able to. That's no surprise given how arrogant, unsustainable, and now financially-risky to the borough it is.]

For a confidential and informal discussion about the post contact our advising consultant at GatenbySanderson, Ben Cox on 020 7426 3997 or visit www.gatenbysanderson.com/job/GSe26630
Closing date: 25th April 2016

Transparency International: "Paradise Lost: Ending the UK’s role as a safe haven for corrupt individuals, their allies and assets"

Link to PDF file

"Paradise Lost is a thorough analysis of the UK’s role in global corruption, outlining the multitude of ways in which the UK is enabling corrupt individuals to enjoy luxury lifestyles and cleanse their reputations. This includes:

• The ability to buy UK property anonymously through foreign companies
• The UK’s Overseas Territories offering secretive company ownership
• Lack of powers for law enforcement to seize stolen assets
• Role of UK based accountants, lawyers, estate agents and other 'professional enablers' in making it easy for corrupt individuals to hide their cash
• An anti-money laundering system that is easy to bypass in order to launder money with impunity.

"Key recommendations include: 

• Ensure the UK's Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies introduce centralised public registers of beneficial ownership, and ensure corrupt individuals cannot buy UK property with impunity
• Act on unexplained wealth by increasing the capabilities of the UK's asset recovery regime to seize corrupt funds
• Fix the flaws in the UK’s anti-money laundering regime – overhauling the supervision of the rules, and prosecuting complicit professional enablers.

"The Panama Papers and the UK’s complicity:

• Of the 214,000 corporate entities exposed, over half were registered in the British Virgin Islands
• Our research showed 36,000 properties in London are owned by companies registered in offshore jurisdictions
• The UK was the second most popular place for the Mossack Fonseca firm to operate. According to the ICIJ, Mossack Fonseca worked with 1,924 UK professional enablers to set up companies, foundations and trusts for customers."

---

"The Panama Papers: what they tell us, why they matter and what can be done"

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Financial Times image

The Independent: "The Panama Papers expose how the global elite ruined the housing market and stopped you from buying a home"

"UK property valued at £170bn is held by overseas investors. While the wealthiest hold their spoils in empty property, the cost of living goes up for everyone"

Link to web site

"Even before the leak of the Panama Papers this week, we knew it was happening. So widespread is the use of central London property as a safe haven for the spoils of the world’s elite that the government had already promised to do something about it. The problem is, it promised so little.

Last year, speaking in Singapore, David Cameron was forced to acknowledge that foreign investment in British housing stock was damaging to the housing market and provided a cover for illegal activities. He agreed to crack down on individuals and organisations using the mask of offshore companies to invest in the UK property market as a means to launder what he called 'dirty money'. He described how London property was being snapped up with 'plundered and laundered cash' and promised that the UK should not be a 'safe haven for corrupt money'. But it wasn’t enough.

In making the speech, Cameron was responding to a growing realisation that, in ushering in foreign investment, the government had also welcomed in a wealthy elite that objected to transparency in its financial dealings. Did we really know what, or who, we were dealing with? More importantly, did we understand how significant an effect their secret spending with the global luxury real estate brokers of Mayfair was having on everyone else, right down to the family trying to buy a modest two-bedroom semi in Chelmsford?"

'Wembley Matters': "The monstrous block that has vandalised the Welsh Harp"

From 'Wembley Matters'

"In 2013 there was a cross party campaign opposing the redevelopment of the West Hendon Estate in Barnet which borders on the Welsh Harp. The biggest scandal of course is the treatment of social housing tenants on the existing estate. Despite an amazing campaign they have effectively been socially cleansed to make way for a luxury development.

"There is another scandal which has changed the local landscape for ever. A luxury multi-storey block now dominates that end of the Welsh Harp and while its residents enjoy a wonderful natural landscape from their flats, those on the other side of the reservoir are greeted by a huge tower block on the edge of a nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest.

"There was cross-party opposition to the development from Brent Council LINK but Barnet went ahead, supported by Eric Pickles who was the Communities and Local Government Secretary at the time.

"Three years on, the extent of Barnet Council's social and environmental vandalism is clear as the development steams ahead."

The Guardian: "Bohemians, Bauhaus and bionauts: the utopian dreams that became architectural nightmares." (To be fair, Brent Cross was never utopian, more out-of-date, top-down planning by arrogant Barnet and untalented Hammerson.)

"The theme of the inaugural London Design Biennale is Utopia to mark the 500th anniversary of Thomas More’s classic. Director Christopher Turner remembers the architects on a mission to make the world a better place"

Link to web site

"Nowhere [is] blind faith in technology celebrated more than in World Fairs, which ever since the 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition, have been seen as a catalyst for international cooperation and peace. Countries and large corporations spent enormous sums promoting their values and aspirations through architecture, design and technology at these international pageants.

"Against the background of the depression, the 1939 World of Tomorrow fair in New York reflected this technological optimism. Exhibits for Chrysler and General Motors by the industrial designers Raymond Loewy and Norman Bel Geddes presented panoramic visions of the city of the future and its avant-garde transport systems.

"The GM pavilion was a roller coaster ride over a kinetic vision of the atomic US of the 1960s – a monumental landscape punctuated by glass domes, revolving airports and, in tune with its sponsor, seven-lane superhighways. On exiting, visitors were given a badge that read: 'I Have Seen the Future'.

"In 1964, with Futurama II, GM updated the exhibition to show underwater cities, as well as urban conglomerations in a deforested Amazon, in Antarctica and on the moon. Utopia was the new frontier, even if it was still just around the corner."

Clitterhouse Farm Project: "Community Mobilisation Project Meetings"

"Thanks to the Community Organisers Mobilisation Grant, Clitterhouse Farm Project is hosting a series of events this spring to explore:

• the role of our heritage in our vision of the future
• whether ‘neighbourhood planning’ is right for Cricklewood, particularly in the context of the Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration. Neighbourhood planning is a new way for communities to decide the future of the places where they live and work. Find out more here.

Meetings will be held regularly at Whitefield School (Map: HERE) from now on until the end of June. Here are some dates for your diary:

• The second Tuesday of every month,
  6:30 – 8:30pm, at the IT5 room
  (neighbourhood planning).
• The second Thursday of every month,
  3:00 – 5:00pm, at the IT5 room
  (heritage & local memories).
• The fourth Thursday of every month,
  3:00 – 5:00pm, at the IT5 room
  (neighbourhood planning).

Enter via the the school’s main reception. Parking is very limited for the afternoon sessions. Please use public transport if possible. Please contact Luisa Vallejo – luisa@clitterhouse.com or 077 7366 0938 – for further information.

[Reposted] Hammerson and Standard Life: Thirteen years on from the still-current masterplan, five years on from the outline planning consent: The Brent Cross Cricklewood Fairy Tale

Hammerson Contributing to Londons Future

[Reposted] Tue 22 Mar: Cricklewood Community Forum

2016-03-22 Cricklewood Forum Meeting With Brent Cross Developers

Hammerson's Living Bridge (sic)

Hammerson's current but inaccurate image of the Brent Cross road layout, descended from the corrupt Barnet 2010 planning consent:

The 2014 consent added the living bridge (centre, across the North Circular Road).

Brent Cross Living Bridge (1)

Darren Johnson (16-Sept-2015)

Do you intend to take ownership of the 'Living Bridge'?

The Mayor (16-Sept-2015)

No, as it does not link directly to or from the Transport for London Road Network. However, the developer will need to secure an oversailing licence to ensure its construction, operation and maintenance is acceptable for TfL as the bridge will extend over the A406.

Brent Cross Living Bridge (2)

Darren Johnson (16-Sept-2015)

Will it feature a segregated cycle path, as part of a long-distance cycle route?

The Mayor (16-Sept-2015)

The Living Bridge will be the end of the cycle route. The strategic and segregated cycle route will be provided through the Brent Cross area via the adjacent Tempelhof Bridge.

Brent Cross Living Bridge (3)

Darren Johnson (16-Sept-2015)

You stated in your response to 2014/1379 referring to the northern side of the Living Bridge 'from there onwards, cyclists could use the proposed two-way shared 3.5m wide cycle and pedestrian route along the northern side of the diverted river Brent.' However, the planning application shows a flight of steps at this point. How will cyclists with mobility issues use this section?

The Mayor (16-Sept-2015)

The Living Bridge is an access route to the Brent Cross Shopping Centre, with an entrance directly from the bridge to the shopping centre. Cyclists wishing to access the centre will be able to cycle across the bridge park their bikes and walk into the shopping centre on the same level without needing to use steps of a lift.

Brent Cross contract (2)

Darren Johnson (25-Mar-2015)

Who will have ownership and responsibility for the maintenance and repair of the Living Bridge which is being built as part of the Brent Cross development?

The Mayor (25-Mar-2015)

The final ownership of the Living Bridge remains under discussion. As with any other third party structure over the TfL road network, there will be effective measures in place to ensure that the bridge will be properly maintained to protect road users' safety and the standards required by TfL on its road network.

Brent Cross - 'living bridge' and cyclists

Darren Johnson (19-Mar-2014)

What routes at the northern end of the proposed 'living bridge' do you suggest that cyclists can use to get to and from the Brent Cross shopping centre?

The Mayor (19-Mar-2014)

The indicative plans show that the Living Bridge proposed by the developers will be accessible to cyclists at the southern end along the bridge approach ramp leading up from the Market Square. Cycling will then be permitted on the Living Bridge as far as its northern side where 40 cycle parking racks are proposed. From there onwards, cyclists could use the proposed two-way shared 3.5m wide cycle and pedestrian route along the northern side of the diverted river Brent. This east-west route would connect to the Brent Park Road (extending under the M1 motorway) to the west and under the A41 flyover in the east to link with Prince Charles Drive and with TfL's proposed cycle superhighway route 11 along Hendon Way. The general parameters for the development have been fixed as part of the outline planning permission recently granted by Barnet Council. TfL and the GLA are actively working with both the Council and the developer to maximise opportunities for walking and cycling in the detailed design, with a particular focus on links between Brent Cross and the wider area.

Brent Cross Living Bridge (4)

Darren Johnson (16-Sept-2015)

You stated in your response to 2014/1379 that TfL and the GLA had been actively working to maximise opportunities for safe walking and cycling in the detailed design. Please now explain how these opportunities have been incorporated into the detailed design. If the detailed design is not yet complete, by what means will the public be informed when it is complete and how will that relate to the time scale of planning applications?

The Mayor (16-Sept-2015)

The detailed design is not yet complete but TfL has been working with the developers to maximise opportunities for walking and cycling. TfL wrote to the developer on 18th June 2015 to confirm what is required from the developers in terms of their highway design outputs and process before both parties can enter into a formal agreement under section 278 of the Highway Act for the developer to delivery those highway works. This includes support for public consultation on design and governance. The timescale for delivery of highway works is linked to the outline planning permission by conditions. For example, the developers must have all necessary consents in place (including the section 278 agreement) before they can commence their development.

Brent Cross North Circular Road

Navin Shah (22-Feb-2016)

What stages have each of the road junction and bridge designs reached and how will the public be consulted?

The Mayor (22-Feb-2016)

The majority of road junctions and bridge designs along Brent Cross North Circular Road have now received planning permission following the required statutory planning consultation process. In parallel to finalising the planning process, TfL will continue to provide robust assurance to ensure the detailed designs are sufficient to meet its requirements. Further statutory consultation with the public may be required as part of this process. Final designs will be delivered by the developer in accordance with planning related Section 278 Agreements. These will need to be agreed between the developer, TfL and other relevant parties.

Brent Cross (2)

Navin Shah (16-Sept-2015)

Have you been content to consider the Brent Cross scheme under its still-current supplement to the London Plan, which predicts over 29,000 extra vehicle movements per working day in the area? Will you still be undertaking Stage II planning determination of the scheme against those criteria?

The Mayor (16-Sept-2015)

The most recent Brent Cross application was made under section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act. This is in effect a minor material amendment to the 2010 permission. In my response to Barnet Council in January 2014 I advised that I support the regeneration benefits of the scheme and recommended they work with TfL to mitigate the transport aspects and ensured that TfL are a signatory to the section 106 agreement so that they can fulfil their strategic transport role. As a section 73 application there is no formal stage 2 determination, and I do not have any strategic planning remit at this stage. That said, TfL continue to work closely with Barnet Council to determine the subsequent reserved matters and ensure that any transport obligations are fulfilled as required.

Following Barnet's corrupt 2010 planning consent: "PLANS FOR JOINT VENTURE'S DEVELOPMENT AT BRENT CROSS SOUTH APPROVED BY BARNET COUNCIL" (don't you just love the capitals.)

3/19/2016

Barnet Council last night (17 March) approved a Joint Venture to take forward the future development of Brent Cross South, the 180-acre area south of the Brent Cross shopping centre. The new development will sit alongside Hammerson and Standard Life Investments’ redevelopment of Brent Cross shopping centre, connected via a new pedestrian bridge across the North Circular.

This important milestone signifies that the preparation, design and eventual construction planned for this part of London can now go ahead, with the first works expected to start in early 2018. In addition, the Chancellor’s Budget on Wednesday 16 March confirmed that the Government will release a £97m grant to contribute towards the cost of an additional Thameslink station to support the new town centre in the Brent Cross South scheme, which will also be part-funded through a business rates contribution from the Greater London Authority.

The joint venture partnership for Brent Cross South, which stretches from the North Circular (A406) to Cricklewood Lane, between Hendon Way (A41) and the Edgware Road (A5), consists of Argent Related and the London Borough of Barnet. Argent Related, formed in 2015, leverages two respected firms’ multi-decade leadership in urban development and placemaking. Argent is the UK developer best known in London for its work on the redevelopment of King’s Cross; Related Companies is an American-based, diversified real estate company with a portfolio of 55,000 rental homes that is currently undertaking Hudson Yards, the largest private development in US history. Barnet Council was advised on the procurement process, the final selection of a partner and contract negotiations by Re and Capita Real Estate.

Councillor Richard Cornelius, Leader of Barnet Council, said:

"The redevelopment of Brent Cross is of huge significance for the future of the borough and we have always wanted to play an active role in shaping it. By joining forces with our development partners we are making sure we get the best deal for the taxpayer as well as creating a thriving London neighbourhood which will become a model for the 21st century and beyond.

The fast rail link into Kings Cross [sic] will play a vital part in the development of the area, and Wednesday's Budget announcement is confirmation that we have now secured the investment we need to support the transformation of the area."

"The Brent Cross South masterplan, given consent in October 2010 [sic] and revised in 2014, includes 6,700 homes and workspace for over 25,000 new jobs; a new high street, with local shops and restaurants; improved transport connections with the new station serving the development and better walking and cycle routes; and new parks, squares and community facilities.

"Kenneth P. Wong, Joint CEO of Argent Related and COO and Director of International Development of Related Companies, said:

"We are extremely pleased to move the Brent Cross South development forward. We share Barnet's vision for a dynamic town centre which will serve as a magnet for residents, workers and businesses."

"David Partridge, Joint CEO of Argent Related and Managing Partner of Argent, said:

"Brent Cross South is an opportunity for us to breathe new life into an important part of London, by delivering new public spaces, amenities, homes and offices for existing and new communities."

"Hammerson and Standard Life Investments, added:

"We welcome the news that Argent Related has been confirmed as Barnet Council's development partner for Brent Cross South. It is a positive step towards creating a vibrant new town centre for North London. Together, we continue to make good progress on the Shopping Centre project and have secured planning approvals for the first phases of the masterplan. This includes the critical transport infrastructure that will enable the entire regeneration project to be delivered."

About Argent Related

"Formed in 2015, Argent Related brings together an extraordinary blend of complementary skills, global access to capital, and unrivalled technical and delivery experience. The company leverages a shared expertise in significant urban placemaking as well as Argent’s track record in creating exemplar new pieces of UK cities, and Related Companies' extensive experience in build-to-rent developments and strong management capabilities.

"The Argent Related partnership is currently working in a joint venture with Barnet Council on London's 180-acre Brent Cross South site, with the London Borough of Haringey around Tottenham Hale and is progressing other opportunities in Manchester and London. Argent Related's overarching goal is to develop for the long term - astutely, sensitively, and with a sense of social purpose - delivering the homes and workspace that our UK cities badly need. For more information, please visit www.argentrelated.com."

About Re/CRE

"Re is a joint venture between London Borough of Barnet and Capita plc. It provides development and regulatory services to residents in Barnet and the south east. The company was formed in October 2013.

"Capita Real Estate is part of one of the UK's leading multidisciplinary consultancies providing real estate, design, project delivery, infrastructure, and business transformation services. With 4,200 staff in over 40 UK offices, we work across a variety of sectors including central and local government, commercial property, defence, education, healthcare, utilities, housing, and transport.

"It is a division of Capita plc, the UK’s leading provider of integrated professional support service solutions. Find out more about Capita Real Estate at www.thinkcapitarealestate.uk."

About Hammerson and Standard Life (Brent Cross North Partners)

"Hammerson and Standard Life Investments will be delivering the transformation of Brent Cross Shopping Centre into a leading retail, dining and leisure destination. The new centre will have a wider range of shops alongside a fantastic new evening entertainment offer to provide the area with a thriving night time economy with a new cinema, fantastic dining options and a network of covered streets and spaces.

"Hammerson and Standard Life Investments are also leading the transformation of the Northern part of the Brent Cross Cricklewood masterplan, to delivering the essential highways and transport infrastructure improvements to enable the whole masterplan to come forward."

NorthwestTWO Residents Association: "What do you love about Cricklewood?"

"A company called SOUNDINGS, appointed by ARGENT, will be at the World Market in Cricklewood Lane again tomorrow [Saturday] doing market research on what residents love about Cricklewood. SOUNDINGS have already met with representatives from all the Cricklewood groups and now would like to know what residents love about Cricklewood."

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[This web site's comment: Ask them about the basis of the Argent plan, Barnet's corrupt 2010 planning consent. Ask them why they don't start again, from scratch.]

Hurrah! It's the "Brent Cross Spring Festival: 24 Mar - 2 Apr" [sic]

"Visit London's Spring Festival experience at Brent Cross!

"What better way to celebrate Spring than with a day out to the Brent Cross Festival. [Indeed, what better way.]

"The Spring Festival opens 24 March and runs through to 2 May. [We've added a month in the text, then.]

"Timings:

12-10pm Weekends and School Holidays
5pm-10pm Thursday and Friday during term times
closed Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday)

"Entrance costs £3 and tokens are available to purchase for rides. Parking is FREE.

"Download the Brent Cross PLUS app now to get one FREE entry to The Spring Festival!

"Once you've downloaded the app, make sure you're registered as a PLUS member by tapping on the 'Sign in / Register' button. On your next visit, simply show your PLUS app to our team and tap 'Redeem'!"

Councillor Pauline Coakley Webb: Request for Barnet's Brent Cross Cricklewood records

"Councillor Pauline Coakley Webb has requested that a Member’s Item be considered on the following matter:

"Following the recent City Hall Regeneration Committee hearing on the Brent Cross Cricklewood consultation, I request that the Assets, Regeneration and Growth Committee is provided with a full briefing on the consultation undertaken to date with all stakeholders including residents, community groups and local businesses."

2016-03-17 6a. Members Item Cllr Pauline Coakley Webb - Brent Cross Cricklewood Consultation

Thu 17 Mar: West Hendon and Brent Cross at Barnet's Assets, Regeneration and Growth Committee. Plus CoStar: "Barnet/Argent Related set to sign giant Brent Cross Joint Venture"

"Barnet council is set to formally sign off the creation of a joint venture with Argent Related to bring forward one of the largest regeneration schemes in the UK – the Brent Cross Cricklewood development – as well as launching a compulsory purchase order for land for a new Thameslink station into the area. The formal agreement – expected to sign off next Wednesday – comes as the Secretary of State has confirmed that a public inquiry into the compulsory purchase of the wider land needed for the giant scheme will begin in May.

"The Brent Cross Cricklewood project aims to double the size of the shopping centre and link to a new town centre for Barnet and North London across the North Circular Road.

"It proposes approximately 7,500 new homes over the next 20 years and is a key part of the wider revitalisation of the A5 corridor, linking Brent Cross Cricklewood with developments at West Hendon, Colindale and Edgware and improvements to Cricklewood Town Centre, to create a series of suburbs.

"The first phase of the Brent Cross Cricklewood project, which will be undertaken in large par by Brent Cross shopping centre owners Hammerson and Standard Life, includes the redevelopment of the shopping centre, creation of major new infrastructure, improved links to the existing tube station, and delivery of around 2,461 new homes over the next 8-10 years.

"This will create an estimated 3,000 construction jobs, and 4,000 permanent jobs.

"The council is now set to agree a programme that would see development of the new Thameslink Station brought forward to improve the regeneration scheme in “both place-making as well as viability terms”.

"At present the scheme does not benefit from the delivery of the station until the later phases.

"In March 2015 Argent Related was selected as the preferred development partner for the development not undertaken by the shopping centre owners – what is known as the Southside Regeneration (for the history of this agreement see below). Argent Related and the council have been jointly progressing the Business Plan alongside the project agreement.

"Next Wednesday Barnet’s Asset, Regeneration and Growth Committee will convene to approve a new Joint Venture entity (JVLP). The committee is being asked to formally re-confirm Argent Related as development partner and approve the Business Plan and legal documentation so that the JVLP can be created to deliver the south side regeneration.

"The joint venture entity is an English Limited Partnership and will be held on a 50:50 basis by the Council and Argent Related.

"The council will participate as an equal 50:50 limited partner in the limited partnership and will participate in surpluses from the project.

"Argent Related provides the funding with the council having the option to contribute funding if it wishes.

"The Assets, Regeneration and Growth Committee are also being asked to recommend the making of a compulsory purchase order ('CPO3') and other related steps to full council for approval in order to acquire the land and interests need'dto enable part of the station phase of the comprehensive regeneration of Brent Cross Cricklewood to go ahead on land to the south of the North Circular. This would bring forward the development of the Thameslink tube station in the timetable of development.

"The Secretary of State has also now confirmed that an inquiry will be required into the first two compulsory purchase orders for the site.

"The inquiry is scheduled to take place from 17 May – 17 June 2016.

"The Council and its Development Partners are responding to objections and undertaking necessary works to support the CPO Inquiry. The Council and its advisors are also continuing to actively progress private treaty negotiations with those business and residents affected by the CPO. In this regard, the Council is leading on the acquisition of land within the south side compulsory purchase areas, as previously approved by Capital Resources Committee in January 2014 and Assets, Regeneration Committee in September 2014.

"Heads of Terms have now been agreed with eight residential owners in the CPO areas, and the council completed its first residential acquisition on 18 January 2016. It is anticipated that the Council will complete further acquisitions shortly.

"Similarly, the Council has reached agreement with commercial owners within the south side area.

"Capita worked alongside Barnet council from January 2014 onwards on the best route for finding a development partner for the southern section of the wider Cricklewood masterplan after the council’s long-term development partners Hammerson and Standard Life Investments agreed they would take forward only the first phase of the project – the redevelopment of Brent Cross shopping centre on the north of the site.

"The parties agreed that a new partner would need to come forward for the rest of the opportunity which may wish to revisit the detail, content and phasing of the current 2010 consent for an Allies & Morrison designed masterplan.

"The southern section of the consented masterplan (Brent Cross South) is equivalent in gross floor area to Mayfair at around 15m sqft.

"Barnet council's Assets, Regeneration and Growth committee set a deadline for choosing a preferred partner in early February 2015 allowing for the partner to be unveiled at the MIPIM property conference in March of that year.

"Long-term development partners Hammerson UK and Standard Life have also agreed to invest in the infrastructure required to support the wider regeneration proposals.

"Work on the phased rebuilding of the shopping centre is set to begin this year. Outline planning permission for the redevelopment of the whole site was granted in 2010, and updated last year.

"The area to the south of the North Circular has capacity for 7500 new homes and the whole regeneration area has the potential to support up to 20,000 jobs in 450,000 sq m of commercial space. The first stage of development is likely to see some 2,000 new homes built and 17,500 sq m of new retail space created to the south of the new pedestrian bridge, forming the heart of the new town centre.

"Capita Real Estate and Wragge Lawrence Graham advise Barnet council."

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2016-03-17 Agenda Frontsheet 17032016 1900 Assets Regeneration and Growth Committee

2016-03-17 Appendix 3 Brent Cross Cricklewood Full Regeneration Business Case Exempt

2016 03 17 Work Programme

Link to committee web page