Category: Services

Posted on by — 5 Comments

A switch from weekly to fortnightly bin collections is one of the options as Barnet Council struggles to reduce a £200 million deficit

Barnet Council’s dire financial position has led to a warning that “very painful” decisions will have to made within weeks to find ways to reduce a predicted shortfall of £200 million.

A five per cent increase in council tax and a switch from weekly to fortnightly bin collections are two of the most likely options.

In an official statement the council says it needs to have a “brutally honest conversation with residents” about how to balance the books to find £200 million of savings.

The warning follows release of a government commissioned review which says the Borough of Barnet is in “a highly fragile financial position” and its deficit is projected to increase to £243.5 million by 2030-31.

By next year Barnet will have the largest budget gap of any London borough and it is one of nine councils relying on exceptional financial support from the Treasury.

East Barnet councillor Simon Radford, who is Barnet’s cabinet member for financial sustainability, says their budget for next year assumes there will be a council tax increase close to the legal maximum of 5 per cent and the council will review its waste collection service.

A failure to save costs by switching bin collections from weekly to fortnightly – a measure already introduced by many other councils – was a “missed opportunity” according to analysis conducted for the government by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountability.

Cost savings were not being implemented by Barnet Council at the “pace of scale required” because of “cautious decision making” and being slower to implement difficult reforms.

Recommendations about a switch to alternate weekly bin collections, as well reforms to the provision of temporary accommodation, children’s services and adult social care, needed to be in place by the end of September ready for a meeting of the council cabinet on Monday 12 October.

Barnet Council faces difficult decisions over need to reduce £200 million budget short fall with 5 per cent council tax increase and switch from weekly to fortnightly bin collections likely options

When the possibility of switching Barnet’s bin collections from weekly to fortnightly was last considered in 2019 under the previous Conservative administration, moving the waste collection to an alternate weekly service would have saved an estimated £400,000 a year.

At the time three quarters of English local authorities had already moved to fortnightly collections, and the CIPFA report says this was “a missed short-term opportunity.”

Barnet’s productivity and recycling performance in its waste services was weaker than in other comparable London boroughs.

The report also identified what it said was evidence of “savings fatigue” and the deferral of difficult decisions.

Another significant factor had been the council’s previous approach to council tax increases.

“Due to historic decisions to increase council tax by less than the maximum permissible, the council’s low tax base further constrains income flexibility.”

Previous Conservative administrations had taken pride in their policy of keeping Barnet’s council tax as low as possible – but the CIPFA analysis suggests this failed to acknowledge that Barnet faced “materially higher demand and cost pressures” than other comparable boroughs for adult social care, temporary accommodation and children’s social care.

In his response to the CIPFA findings, Councillor Simon Radford said reaching financial sustainability was Barnet’s top priority and the council welcomed recognition of the “scale and pace of change” required to solve our £200 million structural deficit by March 2029.

The need for services which the council had to provide was growing twice as fast as its income and far outstripped government funding.

“We have brought council spending under control, maintained high standards of adult social care while reducing the cost below national average, stabilised in-year spend on temporary accommodation and reduced our call on exceptional financial support by £10 million.

“The reality is that none of the levers in our control can tackle the scale of future demand without national policy intervention.

“Even if we were to cut all non-statutory spend, the short-term impact would be an £18 million budget reduction compared to the £200 million forecast gap.

“The report recommends reviewing council tax levels and waste collection, which we will do.

“Our budget assumes a council tax increase close to the maximum of 5 per cent. Anything further would need permission from government or a referendum in favour.”

Residents can have their say on moves to put Barnet’s finances on a sustainable footing at the next Barnet Question Times on Monday 26 October.

To apply for tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/barnet-question-time-budget-special-meet-the-leader-and-cabinet-tickets-1998956822667?aff=oddtdtcreator

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Concern over added pressure which new housing developments in Barnet area will place on already busy GP surgeries

New housing developments around High Barnet and New Barnet are likely to lead to an increase of well over 2,000 in the local population but residents’ groups say there is no sign of health authorities delivering on promises to boost capacity at already over-stretched doctors’ surgeries.

Of the five GP practices within a two-kilometre radius, three already have fewer doctors than recommended by the British Medical Association.

Long-standing Save New Barnet campaigner, John Dix –above – says assurances given by developers when recent planning applications were approved have turned out to be misleading and so far, have not been honoured.

Despite the absence of any plans to expand GP practices, developers are continuing to claim that these five local surgeries are accepting new patients indicating that there is “some spare capacity in the local area”.

Mr Dix told the Barnet Society that these assurances are not supported by the latest Barnet-area statistics from the General Practice Workforce for the ratio of patients per doctor.

A failure to get meaningful replies from the integrated care board for north Lonon highlighted what he believes is the failure of the health authorities to address the extra demand being placed on doctors’ surgeries by the scale of housing redevelopment underway in High Banet and New Barnet.   

When permission was given for nearly 500 new flats which are being built on the site of New Barnet’s former gas works, local residents were led to believe that there were proposals to merge three nearby doctors’ surgeries to create a combined practice to be housed at the East Barnet Health Centre.

Concern over the extra demand which will be placed on doctors' surgeries in High Barnet and New Barnet as a result of new housing developments adding over 2,000 to local population.

To his consternation Mr Dix has discovered that the original proposal to increase the number of doctors and enlarge East Barnet Health Centre – at an estimated cost of £1.4 million – appears to have been shelved.

He has now been told by the integrated care board that it disputes whether there was ever a proposal to merge The Addington and The Village surgeries with the practice at the East Barnet Health Centre.

“Apparently the developers Fairview did offer some of the retail space in the Park Quarter development for a new GP surgery, but this was considered unsuitable and the board said it did not get the money it needed to enlarge the East Barnet Health Centre.

“So, the net outcome is that we are going to have 486 new flats at Park Quarter   and no additional GP services for 1,000-plus new residents.”

Mr Dix said the GP shortfall had been acknowledged by Berkeley Homes when it obtained planning approval for 80 new homes next to Park Quarter on the site of the former gasometer.

“Berkeley Homes’ consultants recommended that Barnet Council should undertake measures to increase GP capacity through the use of community infrastructure levy money, but again there is no sign that any action is being taken.”

The GP shortfall in New Barnet is likely to be mirrored in High Barnet where major housing developments could add nearly 600 new homes – 145 in Moxon Street; 115 at Whalebones in Wood Street; and 328 at High Barnet tube station.

There is still the possibility of a High Court challenge to the decision by the Deputy Mayor of London to approve the construction of five blocks of flats on the station car park and adjoining land, but Mr Dix says consultants for Transport for London relied on the same assurances given by other developers.

A consultants’ report for TfL’s subsidiary, Places for London, said there were “five GP surgeries within 2 kilometres of the site, all of which are accepting new patients”, and that any increase in demand could be offset through financial contributions from Barnet Council’s income from the community infrastructure levy.

Mr Dix believes the failure of the integrated care board and Barnet Council to address the local GP shortfall results from their concentration of resources into the provision of primary care facilities for major housing developments at Brent Cross and Colindale.

“Unfortunately, the health authorities and the council are failing to look at the bigger picture and recognise that all the infill developments around High Barnet and New Barnet are having a significant cumulative impact on already over-stretched GP services.

“To be fair, the integrated care board insists it continues to keep local primary care capacity under review and remains interested in exploring future opportunities to expand services at East Board Health Centre should funding become available.

“The new draft London Plan says we need to build 32,730 new homes in Barnet so there is real concern that the health infrastructure, including hospital beds, will not be in place to meet the demand.”

General Practice Workforce statistics published in June indicate the strain current demand is placing on GP services at the five surgeries which the developers have referred to in their planning applications:

(The British Medical Association recommendation is 1 full-time equivalent qualified GP per 1,800 patients.)

The Old Court House Surgery, Wood Street – 10,239 patients; 5.2 full-time equivalent qualified doctors; 4.2 qualified doctors; ratio of patients to qualified GP, 2,420.  

Longrove Surgery, Vale Drive Primary Care Centre – 17,186 patients; 11.5 full-time equivalent qualified doctors; 9.5 qualified doctors; ratio of patients to qualified GP, 1,793.

The Village Surgery, New Barnet – 6,339 patients; 3.1 full-time equivalent qualified doctors; 3.1 qualified doctors; ratio of patients to qualified GP, 2,016.

Addington Medical Centre, New Barnet – 9,806 patients; 3.4 full-time equivalent qualified doctors; 3.4 qualified doctors; ratio of patients to qualified GP, 2842.

East Barnet Health Centre – 11,290 patients; 7.1 full-time equivalent qualified doctors; 6 qualified doctors; ratio of patients to qualified GP, 1,859.

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Reprieve for Mays Lane traders as Barnet Council lifts all day parking charges outside their parade of shops

Retailers in Mays Lane have welcomed Barnet Council’s decision to remove all but one of the parking charges which were introduced at the end of last year outside their parade of shops.

Charges now apply for only one hour between 2pm and 3pm which aligns with the restrictions and charges which operate in the rest of the Chipping Barnet (D) controlled parking zone.

Imposing a parking charge between 2pm and 3pm is aimed at deterring all-day parking and the Mays Lane traders accept that this is a possible compromise.

When the council imposed six-day-a-week pay-by-phone parking charges on the Mays Lane parade from 8am to 6.30pm the shopkeepers said it would kill off their passing trade and threaten the viability of their businesses.

Local residents rallied to their support organising a petition which attracted over 1,300 signatures.

A case for lifting the restriction was presented to Barnet Council by Gina Theodorou, chair of the Quinta Village Green Residents Association and Jon Wolfson, lead organiser of the Underhill Residents Group.

Mays Pets shop assistant Sarah Burley – who helped to collect signatures for the petition – said the traders were pleased the council had seen sense and recognised the dramatic impact which all-day parking charges were having on their passing trade.

She thought imposing charges for only an hour each afternoon was a step in the right of direction, but the shopkeepers still had concerns because the changes only lasted for a trial period.

They apply for an 18-month experimental period with a six-month consultation period from 3 August 2026 to 3 February 2027.

A notice says this period will give the council time to consider any comments received and to assess the effectiveness of the amended controls.

Nonetheless the traders still have worries about the restrictions as they know shoppers can be easily put off by any risk of incurring a penalty notice.

Mays Lane retailers welcome Barnet Council decision to lift parking charges on their parade of shops

Mohinder Dhingra, proprietor of Coopers of Barnet, who was distraught at the loss of trade when the charges were introduced, said he was “very pleased” the council had changed its mind.

“We can see how applying a parking charge between 2pm and 3pm does fit in with the CPZ for the surrounding area.

“Getting the council to back down is all due to the work of Gina and Jon who we cannot thank enough.”

Barnet Council is still considering protests about the imposition of a new Underhill South CPZ.

After a receiving a deputation to the council, the cabinet member responsible for parking, Councillor Alan Schneiderman said staff were analysing data received during a consultation period and the council hoped to make a decision by the end of December.  

To comment by 3 January 2027 on changes to the Mays Lane restrictions see:

https://www.barnet.gov.uk/chipping-barnet-d-controlled-parking-zone-cpz-paid-parking-experimental-consultation

Posted on by — 28 Comments

Promise of 100 affordable new homes influences final go ahead for tower blocks at High Barnet tube station and loss of car parking

Approval has finally been given by the office of the Mayor of London for the redevelopment of land around High Barnet tube station with five blocks of flats despite warnings this would cause irreparable damage to an historic skyline.

A deputation from the town’s community groups told a hearing at City Hall that squeezing 328 new homes into a narrow strip of land between the tube line and the Barnet Hill trunk road was the “wrong scale in the wrong place”.

Objections were overruled by Jules Pipe, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Regeneration, who said that although three of the blocks would exceed the seven-storey limit agreed in the Barnet local plan – and one block would be 11 storeys – the impact of the height and massing of the flats would be negligible on the neighbourhood and no reason for refusal.

Building more affordable homes was the mayor’s priority and the High Barnet Place scheme would provide 100 new homes at low-cost rent or shared ownership.

“We must take advantage of sites which offer a high proportion of affordable homes and where the key travel infra-structure is in place,” said Mr Pipe.

“Inevitably schemes like High Barnet Place would be visible, including long range views…but the alternative would be to drive such schemes to the green belt and to less sustainable sites.”

Objections to the loss 160 spaces in the station car park – and the provision of only eight places for Blue Badge holders – were rejected by Mr Pipe on the grounds that encouraging tube passengers to walk to the station or take a bus would encourage “more sustainable means of travel and improve air quality”.

Developers Barratt and Transport for London’s investment subsidiary, Places for London, hope to start construction in February next year with the first affordable homes being available in February 2029 and the scheme completed by April 2030.

Mayor of London's office gives final go ahead for blocks of flats around High Barnet Station, Key factor 100 new affordable homes, a priority for the Mayor but station will lose its car park.

Simon Kaufman, a chartered architect (above, second from right), made a joint presentation on behalf of members of the Barnet Society and Barnet Residents Association.

He said many of the flats in the five tower blocks would be of poor quality, single aspect and reliant on mechanical ventilation.

The design of the scheme exemplified the social and management failures of high-density blocks of flats built across London in the 1960s and 1970s.

After Mr Pipe announced the scheme would go ahead, Mr Kaufman said the conscience of the objectors was clear.

“We listened to the lessons of history, and we are not prepared to see a repeat of the mistakes of the past. We did our best to prevent a development which we fear will become a disaster in years to come.”

Neil Smith, senior project planning officer for the Greater London Authority, opened the hearing by reminding the Deputy Mayor that Barnet Council had refused permission for the blocks of flats because of their excessive height and harm to the character of the surrounding area.

However, the GLA considered the height and massing of the blocks responded well to the immediate context and would make “a positive contribution to the local townscape”.

Given the loss of the car park, there would be nine drop off short-stay spaces and eight Blue Badge spaces, but otherwise the development would be car-free with an enhanced public footpath on the station approach.

A significant public benefit of the scheme would be 100 affordable new homes and there were “no material considerations of sufficient weight to justify refusal”.

In opening for the objectors Simon Kaufman said that when seen from the surrounding green belt countryside the proposed tower blocks harmed the historic skyline of High Barnet where the defining landmark on the hill had been the parish church.

“This is an over-scaled urban insertion imposed on to an historic hill town.”

An issue which eroded public confidence was that many residents were troubled by the fact Transport for London was effectively promoting development on its own land while the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London were the decision-maker.

Mr Kaufman criticised the removal of the station car park without providing a realistic alternative and the steep topography of the station approach meant that women, older residents and disabled users would continue to face intimidating routes, particularly after dark.

Janet Littlewood of Barnet Residents Association, speaking on behalf of Gordon Massey, said the blocks of flats on the site would add to the existing chaos on the station approach where there were often traffic jams.

The area around the station was isolated and many women would not leave the station unless they could exit by car.

Nick Saul, a retired civil engineer, warned that the loss of the car park and the failure to provide bus access to the station forecourt raised serious concerns for women and the disabled.

Serious assaults to passengers when on foot or on cycle were not uncommon where parking had already been lost at tube stations.

Flaws in the design and access in and around suburban stations were a key factor in the prevalence and location of attacks.

Dame Theresa Villiers, formerly MP for Chipping Barnet, who described herself as a resident and passenger, insisted that the loss of the station car park would damage the quality of life of many thousands of Barnet residents.

Anyone with impaired mobility would be at a disadvantage and the suggestion that more people might like to cycle to the station ignored the steepness of Barnet Hill – as she could testify personally it was “a tough climb for cyclists”.

“High Barnet station has been my station for 21 years. It is our get away to the world. Please don’t curtail the freedom of High Barnet people to live our lives the way we want to.”  

There was one speaker in support of the scheme, High Barnet student Yana Kostova, who said that given the pressure on local housing the only chance was to build upwards.

The prospect of more affordable homes was a relief. She thought High Barnet could “blossom and attract a younger generation with such schemes”.

In response to questions from the deputy mayor, Martin Scholar, head of planning for Places for London, said the developers Barratt Homes had maximised the number of affordable homes at High Barnet Place which would allow more people to get on the housing ladder.

“Forty per cent affordable homes at High Barnet is much higher than for most schemes in London” – a consideration that was given emphasis in the deputy mayor’s final decision.

In a statement issued after the hearing, Dan Tomlinson, MP for Chipping Barnet and Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, criticised the go ahead for a scheme which was clearly not in line with the local plan.

“Planning decisions aren’t mine to make as the local MP, but Barnet Labour has made it views very clear on these proposals.

“It is in black and white in Barnet’s local plan that seven storeys is the maximum for housing on this site.

“It is not right for the GA to overrule elected councillors to approve a scheme with an 11-storey block that contravenes the plan.”

Mr Tomlinson’s statement was followed by a statement from Barnet Labour Party expressing its opposition to the go-ahead for high storey blocks of flats at High Barnet tube station and GLA approval for the Great North Leisure Park development:

“It is extremely disappointing that two local planning decisions based on the local plan and London plan and with the backing of the local community have been overturned by the GLA.

“Local councillors should be trusted to make decisions based on the best interest of their communities.”

Posted on by — 6 Comments

Chipping Barnet MP launches petition to support TfL’s bid to extend London Overground to New Barnet and increase train frequency

After starting his parliamentary career with a petition to keep station ticket offices open at New Barnet and Oakleigh Park, a campaign to increase the frequency of train services has now been launched by the Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson.

His new petition is seeking support for a proposal by Transport for London to extend the London Overground network to include the Great Northern lines from Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City and Hertford North.

If the takeover was approved and the lines became part of London Overground, TFL has plans to increase off-peak services from two to four trains an hour.

A total of 26 stations that would benefit from more trains include Brookmans Park, Potters Bar, Hadley Wood, New Barnet, Oakleigh Park and New Southgate.

Mr Tomlinson (above in 2023) was the prospective Labour candidate when he launched a constituency petition to boost support for a campaign against the closure of railway station ticket offices – a campaign which produced 750,000 objections across the country and forced a government climbdown.

He said the current frequency of trains to London from New Barnet and Oakleigh Park was “not good enough”.

If the line became part of London Overground, TfL hoped to offer a more frequent service which would benefit residents across the Chipping Barnet constituency.

The results of the petition – https://dantomlinson.org.uk/better-rail-barnet/

will be presented by Mr Tomlinson to the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State for Transport.

Chipping Barnet MP backs bid to get increased train frequency at New Barnet and Oakleigh Park and to lines Welwyn Garden City and Hertford North being taken over by London Overground.

Mr Tomlinson, who was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury in September last year, the issued a photograph of himself with the Deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance, Barnet Councillors and local campaigners.

TfL announced last December that it had submitted a business case to the Department of Transport for London Overground to take over the Great Northern inner services from Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City and Hertford North.

These services are currently operated by Govia Thameslink Railways which is now under public ownership – opening the door to a possible government hand over of control to London Overground.

A TfL make over for the lines could cost £47 million – which would increase to £70 million if Crews Hill station was upgraded as part of the construction of the proposed Crews Hill new town.

Options for increasing the frequency of both lines include an estimate of £239 million to increase off-peak services from two to four an hour and £310 million for increases in peak services of up to eight per hour and off-peak up to six per hour.

Currently TfL is refining its business case for a London Overground take over and a more frequent service.

Posted on by

Barnet Council steps in with an exemption from council tax for residents who have a terminal diagnosis

Terminally ill householders in the London borough of Barnet will be removed from council tax if they qualify under a new relief scheme which takes effect in April.

Barnet, which has a higher proportion of the elderly than in much of the capital, will become one of the first London boroughs to ease financial pressures on residents with a terminal diagnosis.

Councillor Simon Radford, the council’s cabinet member for finance – see above – is anxious to promote the assistance which the council is offering when residents and their families face “the most difficult moments in their lives”.

If residents are already receiving council tax support – through discretionary relief or housing payment policies – they will not have to pay council tax if a clinician has confirmed a terminal diagnosis.

Charities have welcomed the move by Barnet – and other councils such as Manchester and Barnsley – which they say will help people cope with the emotional strain of end-of-life care by removing or reducing council tax from families who might be dealing with loss of income and increased care costs.

Barnet, which has the second largest population of any London borough, has over 22,000 residents aged over 80, including nearly 5,000 aged over 90.

High Barnet ward illustrates the significance of the age profile: over 2,000 residents are over 65 and 673 – roughly six per cent – are over 80.

Councillor Radford said the aim of the council and health authorities was to keep people in their own homes for as long as possible with care and support, so that they could maintain their independence.

There was more demand for adult social care in Barnet than in other London boroughs which underlined the need for the council to enhance its support for the terminally ill.

Marie Curie, the UK’s leading end-of-life charity hopes that more London boroughs – especially those in the north London care belt with numerous care homes – follow Barnet’s example in ensuring residents get clear and compassionate support.

Housing costs and council tax bills added to the financial pressures on those who are terminally ill and wished to continue living in their own homes.

Under the new criteria, Barnet residents may qualify for a council tax reduction if they receive council tax support and provide an SR1 medical form, completed by a clinician, confirming life expectancy is thought to be of 12 months or less.

Posted on by — 10 Comments

Barnet Council to reintroduce food waste collection service – households will receive new food caddies and bins over next few weeks

Householders might be forgiven for thinking they are living in a time warp in the coming weeks when Barnet Council starts to deliver homes with two containers ready for the re-introduction of a weekly food waste collection and recycling service which begins again in March.

Between January and March each home will be supplied with a brown kitchen caddy for collecting food waste indoors and a small brown outside food waste bin.

A much larger food waste recycling bin will be provided for bin stores and outside use in blocks of flats and in community housing.

Collections will take place on the same day as the regular recycling and waste collections and the service will start as from the week commencing 30 March 2026.

Food waste will be turned into clean energy and nutrient-rich fertiliser for local farmland.

“Barnet is proud to support residents to recycle efficiently – doing our bit for the environment and future generations,” says Councillor Alan Schneiderman, cabinet member for environment and climate change.

For many residents there will be a sense déjà vu about being urged to do their bit for the environment by recycling food waste. 

Until seven years every house across the borough had a kitchen food waste caddy and brown bin – see the full set above, circa 2018 – but the food waste recycling service was abandoned in a cost cutting drive.

Against the advice of the Mayor of London, Barnet Council cancelled food waste collections in November 2018 to save an annual bill of £300,000.

New government regulations now require local councils to collect food waste separately from other household waste, hence the reintroduction of the service.

Grants are being made to local authorities to meet the cost of new containers and collection vehicles.

New kitchen caddies and the kerbside bins for the borough will cost £1.3million and a food waste collection vehicle will be hired for five years from Riverside Truck Rental Ltd at a cost of £2.8million.

The first tranche of capital grant funding of £2.7 million has already been received by the council.

Currently Barnet’s recycling rate for household waste refuse is 27.3 per cent and that should increase by around 4 per cent with the recycling of food waste.

During the five years when there were waste food collections in Barnet, some residents complained about their properties lacking the space for so many bins.

When this service was withdrawn householders tended to find alternative uses for their waste food bins and caddies and there are large numbers of these repurposed containers still in circulation.

Food waste collection service being reintroduced by Barnet Council after it was abandoned in 2018. New food waste caddies and bins to be delivered to householders over coming weeks.

Barnet’s introduction of food waste collections in 2013 led to something almost akin to a game of musical chairs among the wheelie bins and containers which were already proliferating in the frontages of houses and flats across the borough.

2013 was also the year the previous black and blue recycling boxes – see above – were withdrawn and were replaced by a blue wheelie bin for all recyclable material, followed by the arrival of the kitchen caddies and bins that lasted for five years before being declared redundant in 2018 – and are now having to be replaced.

Posted on by

Green around High Barnet war memorial packed for annual Remembrance Sunday Service  

High Barnet’s Remembrance Sunday service at the war memorial at the parish church was exceptionally well attended.

The first wreath was laid on behalf of the King by the Deputy Lieutenant for the London Borough of Barnet, Martin Russell.

The green alongside Church Passage was packed for the ceremony and Mr Russell expressed his pleasure at the strength of support shown for the service.

Reservists from 240 Transport Squadron of the Royal Logistics Corps led the ceremonial march through the High Street from the Army Reserve Centre in St Albans Road.

Captain Chandra Pun – a former major in the Gurkhas – laid the wreath on behalf of the armed services.

Other local dignitaries who stepped forward with wreaths included Councillor David Longstaff, representing the Mayor of Barnet; Councillor Emma Whysall, representing the Labour group; and Olly Gough, a prospective Labour candidate for Barnet Council, who laid a wreath on behalf of the Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson, who was attending the Remembrance Sunday service in East Barnet.

The last post was sounded by bugler Jonny Tillett, a 14-year-old pupil at Mill Hill School – the first time he had performed at a Remembrance Sunday Service.

Sergeant Charlie Forster, who assisted in conducting the ceremony, complimented Jonny on his performance.

Father Sam Rossiter, team vicar at the parish church, led the service.

For the first time the full parish and evensong choir – plus the choristers – were in attendance under the church’s director of music Patrick Korczak.

Parish administrator Tony Long said a total of 31 organisations had asked to lay wreaths during the service, including Barnet police, Queen Elizabeth’s Girls School, Totteridge Academy, cadet corps, guides and others from a wide range of organisations.

Exceptionally well attended Remembrance Sunday service at Barnet Parish church

Another first on the day was a wreath on behalf of the Barnet Society which was laid by the chair John Hay – and which in itself was another first.

The wreath was made up of poppies left over from a production of Snow White, which Pinewood studios donated to Ursula Stone, founder of the much-acclaimed Flower Bank project in New Barnet, which re-purposes surplus flowers.

Among the others who stepped forward to lay wreaths were Kevin Callaghan, proprietor of the new Corner Cafe in St Albans Road, and representatives of the licensees and staff of the Sebright Arms, Monken Holt and Old Fold Manor Golf Club.

Among the stalls selling British Legion poppies in the lead up to Remembrance Sunday was one at the Spires installed by East Barnet British Legion whose branch secretary Lisa Partridge welcomed the support of Barnet Pearly Queen Evie Waldren.

Posted on by — 15 Comments

Bus lanes to be introduced on High Street approach to Barnet town centre — only six objections

A plan to introduce bus lanes along both sides of the busiest section of Barnet High Street — between the Wood Street junction at the Barnet parish church and Meadway — has been approved by Barnet Council and Transport for London.

Only six objections were registered after 456 letters were sent to nearby residents and businesses.

But an earlier council questionnaire and a petition organised by the former Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers indicated there was much wider opposition among local car drivers and other road users.

An official consultation process was launched in July last year after TfL surveys indicated delays to both southbound and northbound bus services using the High Street.

TfL says timings will be improved by the introduction of rush-hour bus lanes – operating Monday to Saturday from 7-10am and 4-7pm.

According to data published by Barnet Council around 6,700 bus passengers either board or alight each weekday at stops in this section of the High Street which is served by 11 bus routes.

The northbound bus lane would be from the junction with Meadway to the junction with Fitzjohn Avenue and the southbound bus lane would from the High Street junction with Wood Street as far as the junction with Normandy Avenue.

No loading will be permitted when the bus lanes are operational (7-10am and 4-7pm) but the inset parking bays on the southbound side between Wood Street and Meadway will not be affected and there will be no parking loss as a result.

To improve access for buses the kerb will be re-aligned outside the Red Lion public house and a bus stop on the other side of the road, near the junction with Park Road, will be relocated by seven metres.

In setting out the case for the introduction of three-metre-wide bus lanes, the council says that passenger numbers on bus routes passing through Barnet have increased to 208,000 trips per day.

However, passengers wait approximately 20 per cent longer than intended on high-frequency routes and travelling within the borough by car is typically two to four times faster than taking the bus.

A public questionnaire was distributed last summer which produced 439 responses – and 52 per cent of those replying thought a northbound bus lane was important and 62 per cent considered a southbound lane was important.

But 54 per cent of those who responded said they feared the introduction of bus lanes would lead to increased congestion.

The questionnaire was followed by a three-week statutory consultation which closed on December 19, and which resulted in only six objections, five of which warned of increased congestion.

While the consultation was taking place Ms Villiers says she received well over 4,000 signatures to a petition against the plans for bus lanes in Barnet High Street, Whetstone High Road and Cat Hill.

Later, when TfL dropped the plan for bus lanes at Whetstone and Cat Hill, she maintained her opposition to bus lanes in High Barnet on the grounds that they offered no significant benefit and would only worsen traffic conditions at the already complicated junction of the High Street with Wood Street.

Although she was no longer the Chipping Barnet MP, she was still strongly opposed to the scheme and was anxious that residents’ views should be heard.

“I am a resident of Arkley and regularly use this route as a tube and bus passenger, car driver, pedestrian and cyclist,” said Ms Villiers.

“In my nearly two decades of representing Chipping Barnet no one has ever asked me for a bus lane in Barnet High Street.

“Barring cars and vans from using road space in this location would cause significant and unnecessary congestion.

“This would harm community life in our neighbourhood by leading to more empty shops.”     

Posted on by

Barnet Blue Badge fraud

Barnet a hot spot for lost and stolen disabled badges…but a woeful response.  More blue disabled badges were lost or stolen in Barnet last year than in any other London borough, but the latest government statistics show the council’s efforts to enforce the law against misuse are way behind that of some neighbouring local authorities.

Continue reading Barnet Blue Badge fraud

Posted on by

Signatures by the hundred in support of junior doctors

Junior doctors from Barnet Hospital spent their strike day collecting signatures in support of the British Medical Association’s petition to the Prime Minister urging the government to agree a contract that is “fair for doctors, safe for patients and provides a future for the NHS”.

Continue reading Signatures by the hundred in support of junior doctors

Posted on by

Challenging time for new head of Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School

Violet Walker, the new head teacher at Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School, has every justification for her assertion that she felt instantly at home on taking up the head-ship at the start of the new academic year in September.

Continue reading Challenging time for new head of Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School

Posted on by

North London Waste Plan

Some six or seven years ago the Barnet Society was solidly involved in the early public discussion and consultation on this project.  Now, after a hiatus arising largely from the difficulty of finding common ground and community concern, particularly against the possible use of a site at Pinkham Way, the project is again under way, and has clearly benefitted from wide input in the interval.

Continue reading North London Waste Plan

Posted on by

Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School best results ever

Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School has just recorded its best-ever GCSE results – a high point in the career of the retiring headmistress Kate Webster.

The school’s success has coincided with a plea by the Barnet Society for school’s oldest buildings, largely obscured by modern additions, to be given protected status by Barnet Council.

Continue reading Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School best results ever

Posted on by — 7 Comments

Queen Elizabeth’s Boys’ School – an academic hothouse at the expense of local boys?

Around 2,000 boys from across London and the Home Counties are again expected to apply to study at Barnet’s award-winning Queen Elizabeth’s Boys’ School, which has just begun the selection process for the 180 places that will be available in September 2015.

Continue reading Queen Elizabeth’s Boys’ School – an academic hothouse at the expense of local boys?

Posted on by — 1 Comment

34 bus route too costly to extend

Transport for London has turned down a suggestion by the Barnet Society that by slightly extending the final destination of the 34 bus service (Walthamstow Central to Barnet) there could be a reorganisation of bus stops at the top of Barnet Hill and an easing of traffic congestion.

Continue reading 34 bus route too costly to extend

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Loads of cash to improve Barnet’s traffic bottleneck

Barnet Council has almost £150,000 available which could be spent immediately on improving the road junction at the top of Barnet Hill, if only an agreement could be reached on how best to ease traffic congestion and make it safer for pedestrians.

Continue reading Loads of cash to improve Barnet’s traffic bottleneck

Posted on by — 1 Comment

New bus stops for High Barnet

A new layout for High Barnet’s bus stops could benefit passengers and speed up traffic flow.  Transport for London has been asked to consider reorganising the bus stops at the top of Barnet Hill in order to reduce traffic congestion around Barnet parish church and to provide easier access for bus passengers.

Continue reading New bus stops for High Barnet

Posted on by

No recycling w/c 7th October

As part of the preparations to deliver Barnet’s new waste and recycling service, Barnet Council will be training all waste service collection staff in the week beginning the 7 October.  A Press Release from Barnet Council stated today.

This means that residents will not have their recycling collected during this week while staff members get prepared for the new recycling service which starts on the 14 October.

Continue reading No recycling w/c 7th October