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.
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.
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.
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.
East Barnet village is in danger of losing its one and only public house: The Prince of Wales is due to close in mid-February and the premises are in the process of being sold.
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.
St Peter’s Church, Arkley, has a new vicar, the Reverend Cindy Kent — and few women priests have a back catalogue of experience that stretches to the 1960s and fame as lead singer in the pop-folk group The Settlers.
A new block of changing rooms is the latest in a series of improvements due to be carried out by Hadley Football Club in a continuing upgrade of their ground at Brickfield Lane, Arkley.
Barnet Council’s decision to refuse a planning application for a two-acre paddock at the Arkley end of Mays Lane to be converted to a site for residential caravans has been hailed by local campaigners as a significant boost to the protection of the Green Belt.
Transport for London’s aim of completing coverage of its ULEZ cameras on approach roads in and around High Barnet is being repeatedly thwarted by protestors who are still angered by the introduction of the new anti-pollution vehicle charge.
After standing empty for almost three years, one of High Barnet’s historic High Street buildings has been re-opened as the flagship cafe in a local chain of Costa Coffee houses.
High Barnet’s great tradition of Christmas carol concerts and services was given a boost with what was described as a marvellous musical performance by the choir and orchestra of Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School.
Two years in the making but all the better for that is a detailed plan to repair and refurbish the abandoned pavilion in Tudor Park, in Tudor Road, New Barnet, so that it can be reopened for public use.
Two regulars at the Ye Olde Monken Holt in Barnet High Street have transformed one wall of the pub into an illuminated display in readiness for a series of Christmas and New Year fund raising events.
High Barnet’s celebrated road sweeper Dougie Shrubb, who carried on working long after retiring age, has finally called it a day at the age of 71.
A residents’ campaign to “Save The Spires” is urging Barnet Council to intervene to provide safeguards about the long-term future of High Barnet’s shopping centre amid continuing uncertainty about the financial status of its owners.
The deadline for comments on the planning application to build 114 homes on the field shown above is Tuesday 12 December. Barnet planners have already built them into the draft Local Plan, and we must work on the basis that they are likely to recommend approval of the plans. If you haven’t submitted your comments yet, there’s still time – you can do so here (or go to Barnet Council’s website and search for planning application 23/4117/FUL).
Residents successfully fought off the previous scheme in 2019, and since then public and political attitudes have significantly changed. Covid-19 greatly enhanced our appreciation of the value of open space and the natural environment. And in 2022, Barnet Council declared a climate and biodiversity emergency. We can fight this off too.
For a full description of the latest plans, see my web post in October.
Before finalising its opinion of the plans, the Barnet Society consulted its membership, some 750 in number. 17.5% responded – a good rate for organisations like ours, and better than in some local elections. Of those, 88% agree that we should object; only 7% support the development – an overwhelming majority.
On the Council’s planning portal, the weight of opposition is even more decisive. As I write, 306 have objected and only 19 have expressed support. But that may not be enough to see off the application. Over 500 people objected to the previous application in 2019. So your vote still matters!
Below is the Society’s submission:
The Barnet Society objects to this planning application on three main grounds: (1) overdevelopment, (2) harm to the Conservation Area, and (3) breaches of policy on open space, the environment and farming.
Overdevelopment
The 114 homes proposed far exceed what is necessary to fund reprovision for the artists, bee-keepers and farming by tenants, and for maintenance of the estate. We accept that some enabling development may be necessary to fund reprovision and maintenance of the estate, but that need only be a small fraction of the number of units proposed.
This is a large development on land which the Inspector described as a ‘valuable undeveloped area of greenspace’. The remaining open space would have the character of an urban park, not the rural character it has now – part parkland, part agricultural smallholding. There would be greater encroachment into the central area than was proposed in the 2019 application. Some buildings would be of 5 storeys, i.e. the same as the tallest of the hospital buildings. Setting back the building line from Wood Street would not be sufficient a visual break between Elmbank and the new buildings on the south side of Wood Street, and would blur the current separate identities of Chipping Barnet and Arkley.
Harm to the Conservation Area
The resulting loss of green space would seriously harm the Wood Street Conservation Area (WSCA) and set a very bad precedent for Barnet’s other conservation areas.
The Whalebones fields are integral to the history and character of the WSCA, and so must be preserved or enhanced. The WSCA extends this far west specifically to take in Whalebones, and defines its ‘open rural character’ and ‘views in and across the site’ as key. Building over the last remaining fields would brutally contradict several statements in Barnet’s WSCA Appraisal Statement and result in major harm. The Planning Inspector’s dismissal of Hill’s appeal against refusal of the previous application in 2021 recognised that the harm both to the Conservation Area and the setting of the listed house ‘is of considerable importance and great weight, sufficient, in my view, to strongly outweigh the public benefits which would flow from the development.’
Breaches of policies on open space, the environment and farming
A development of this type and scale would contradict other Council and national planning policies in relation to open space, the environment and farming. It would also be contrary to New London Plan policies G4.B.1 (no loss of protected open space), G6.D (secure net biodiversity gain) & G8, 8.8.1 (encourage urban agriculture), as well as the Mayor’s Environment & Food Strategies.
Disregarding all these would send Barnet residents a most unfortunate message about the Council’s understanding of the increasing value we increasingly attach to the natural environment – not to mention other issues such as healthy eating and food security. It would also be inconsistent with Barnet’s own declaration of a climate and biodiversity emergency.
Other matters
We support public access to at least part of the estate and enhancement of its natural qualities. But the previous owner Gwyneth Cowing allowed access by means of a permissive path, so providing a Woodland Walk is only replacing what has been withdrawn.
The application is unclear about the long-term ownership and management of the public space.
Notwithstanding the technical reports, we remain concerned about the poor ground conditions and the possible impact of the development on the drainage of neighbouring areas.
Conclusion
This site is precious: a unique historical survival and a living reservoir of biodiversity. Not only would the current proposals severely harm it, their approval would expose the eastern part of the site to further development. Their implementation would be a humiliating reminder of the Council’s failure to protect its past and plan constructively for its future. Please refuse the application.
I have requested to speak at the Planning Committee on behalf of the Barnet Society.
Barnet’s iconic and historic Tudor Hall — originally the schoolhouse for the free grammar school granted a charter by Queen Elizabeth I in 1573 — is up for sale and is being advertised by the agents Colliers as an “exceptional investment opportunity”.
Barnet’s annual Christmas Fayre defied the weather and brightened up a rainy Sunday as crowds thronged the High Street and supported events and attractions at venues around the town centre.
Revealing and then photographing the faces and spaces behind the front doors of shops and traders in and around Barnet High Street became the 2023 project for local resident and photographer Simon Hollins.
Residents of Salisbury Road could hardly believe their eyes when they saw contractors re-installing white lines and parking bays — the long-promised final task before the re-opening of their road after five miserable weeks of mayhem.
Copies of a picture book which the Princess of Wales donated to High Barnet’s newly opened baby bank proved a popular choice once children from needy families started choosing presents at its Christmas pop-up shop.
Original scripts, lyrics and music all bringing to life the rich history of Barnet Fair combined to provide a memorable production of “The Boy I Love” which delighted packed audiences at The Bull Theatre.
Final preparations are being made for the annual Barnet Christmas Fayre on Sunday 3 December which will fill the High Street with over 100 stalls and feature a wide variety of seasonal events and attractions in nearby venues around the town centre.
High Barnet’s community dance group D2D — Dare to Dance — are one of the groups preparing for a North London dance festival early next year.
BYM Capital, owners of High Barnet’s shopping centre The Spires, have become insolvent. Administrators appointed by the High Court are now in charge of the company.
High Barnet is being asked to nominate its change makers –inspirational figures with local connections whose contributions to society deserve to be highlighted as part of a borough-wide celebration being organised by Create London.
Bugler Alexander Hill sounded the Last Post after wreath laying at the Remembrance Sunday service at the High Barnet war memorial at the parish church of St John the Baptist.
Continue reading Remembrance Sunday parade and wreath laying at High Barnet war memorial
Zimmer frames, crutches and surgical boots left unused in lofts and garages around Barnet are just some of the surplus mobility aids which are being rounded up and sent off to help amputees injured in the war in Ukraine thanks to the efforts of a Friern Barnet pensioner.
A government U-turn on plans for the closure of railway ticket offices across England will come as a relief to passengers, especially the elderly and the disabled, who use stations around High Barnet on the Great Northern Railway and Thameslink lines.
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