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Restoration of magnificent organ at Barnet parish church gets go ahead after Barnet Council approves grant

Urgently needed repairs to the historic 140-year-old organ at Barnet parish church are due to start later this year following Barnet Council’s decision to make a grant of £83,000 to meet half the cost of the work.

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New Barnet’s historic link to a line-up of Lotus sports cars taking top spot at Barnet’s classic car show

A line-up of Lotus sports cars is to be a highlight at this year’s Barnet Classic Car Club’s annual show and already the promise to give Lotus pride of place is reviving interest in Barnet’s link to one of the legendary marques of the British car industry.

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East Barnet village pub The Prince of Wales to be refurbished and re-opened by upmarket inns and brasserie group

Heartwood Collection, a hospitality group which runs upmarket inns and restaurants across southern England, has bought The Prince of Wales public house in East Barnet and is promising a “multi-million-pound” refurbishment.

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Passionate pleas against housing at Whalebones failed to halt go ahead from Barnet Council’s planning committee

A ten-year campaign to prevent new housing on farmland at Whalebones in Wood Street, High Barnet, ended in defeat despite stark warnings about the loss of a nature-rich habitat in a much-prize conservation area.

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Go ahead for Victoria Quarter high-rise flats despite accusations New Barnet scheme disadvantages social tenants

A controversial scheme to build eleven blocks of flats to provide 420 homes on the former gas works site in New Barnet has finally won planning approval after years of heated debate.

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After weeks of uncertainty there are indications that pints might soon be pulled again at the Prince of Wales

There is news of a possible reprieve for the now-closed Prince of Wales — the last public house in East Barnet village which was registered as an asset of community value at the end of last month in an attempt to safeguard its future.

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Closure of church hall at Monken Hadley has added fresh urgency to fund raising for a replacement building

Worsening subsidence has forced a change of plan at Monken Hadley parish church: instead of renovating the historic church hall, structural engineers have advised that the 200-year-old building is now beyond reasonable economic repair and should be demolished.

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Residents shocked and dismayed by Barnet Council’s failure to consult on Mays Lane traffic management proposals

Organisers of a community-led campaign are demanding proper consultation and engagement with local residents before Barnet Council goes ahead with a programme of road safety and traffic calming measures in Mays Lane and surrounding roads.

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Barnet Council agrees to list the now closed Prince of Wales pub as an asset of community value

East Barnet’s last remaining public house, the Prince of Wales — which closed in mid-February — has been registered by Barnet Council as an asset of community value which will provide a limited degree of protection against immediate redevelopment.

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Family rallies round to help with closing down sale at car parts emporium in East Barnet village

A vast accumulation of car parts and components — including hard-to-find spares for classic cars — are being sold off at reduced prices following the closure of Falcon Motor Accessories, thought to be East Barnet’s oldest retail business.

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Wheelchairs welcome at imaginative playground in New Barnet open to disabled children and all ages and abilities

A pioneering playground with equipment specially designed for children with disabilities has been opened in Victoria Recreation Ground in New Barnet – the first of a new era of play areas that could be rolled out across the UK.

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Could High Barnet host a national visitor centre for the Wars of the Roses in vacant Tudor Hall?

High Barnet’s much-loved Tudor Hall, under used for so long, might become a national focal point for explaining and celebrating the Wars of the Roses and the prominent part played by the 1471 Battle of Barnet.

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Historic custom to be revived to celebrate the original boundaries of Chipping Barnet with other ancient parishes

Almost 30 years have elapsed since there has been a Beating of the Bounds of the ancient parish of Chipping Barnet — an historic custom which volunteers at Barnet Museum intend to revive on the May Day Bank Holiday.

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Encouraging home cultivation of fruit and vegetables is aim of community garden close to High Barnet town centre

A community garden is being established on a small piece of spare land in the Old Courthouse Recreation Grounds with the aim of creating a meeting point for local people and encouraging a wider interest in gardening and the growing of fruit and vegetables.

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Road sweeper finds “unexpected item” in Stapylton Road — as High Barnet hit by fresh wave of ULEZ vandalism

Another two of High Barnet’s ULEZ cameras are out of action after having been cut down with an angle grinder in a fresh wave of sabotage by vandals protesting at Transport for London’s £12.50 charge on vehicles which fail to meet the new ultra-low emissions standards.

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Publican hopes easing of licensing laws — and chance to have a pint outside — is here to stay

A positive — and perhaps lasting — outcome from the covid emergency is that local councils relaxed licensing rules on outside seating for public houses, cafes and restaurants — and one High Barnet beneficiary hopes the changes will be made permanent.

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Controversial Mays Lane width barrier to be removed once Barnet Council introduces new road safety measures

A wide range of road safety and calming improvements are being proposed by Barnet Council along Mays Lane and in several surrounding roads to reduce traffic accidents and increase safety for pedestrians.

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Death of landscape architect who inspired planting of trees that bear his name on Barnet Hill

Barnet Society stalwart David Lee, who was renowned for his dogged determination to do all he could to enhance and preserve the character of Chipping Barnet, has died at the age of 93 leaving a unique and enduring legacy.

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Bus lanes in High Barnet and Whetstone to speed passenger journey times — but “would cause traffic congestion”

Installing bus lanes in Barnet High Street between the junction with Meadway and the parish church is one of the projects which Transport for London hopes to complete by March 2025.

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Strong fight back to stop closure of Prince of Wales — the one and only public house in East Barnet village

Within four days of hearing the shock news that the Prince of Wales is to close East Barnet village is fighting back with more than 2,000 signatures on a petition and a mass lobby demanding that the pub should be saved.

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British Empire Medal for High Barnet campaigner assisting patients and families with cancer care awareness

Increasing awareness about care for cancer and assisting women pursue careers in science have been the twin aims of a dedicated High Barnet campaigner who has been recognised in the New Year Honour’s List.

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Busy year ahead enhancing biodiversity at High Barnet’s wild life haven popular with visiting school children

High Barnet’s nature reserve near the Byng Road playing fields — which is now being visited by around 2,000 school pupils ever year — is embarking on a series of ambitious projects to increase its biodiversity.

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