“ I always thought Residents Association's were supposed to help their residents not propagate for the developer, with such past headlines as;
“A Hotel Worthy of Historic Site”,
“A Premier Inn with a Difference?”,
“Barnet Market & Premier Inn – An opportunity Slipping Away”,
“Premier Inn _ Market Place Confrontation”
Again Barnet Society paints the wrong picture, and makes it out that only "Residents of Chipping Close were out in force to express their continuing opposition to the construction of a 100-bed Premier Inn..." if Barnet Society would care to look at those residents that took the time to look at the hotel plans and submitted formal objections to the last proposal they would see the majority of objectors were from other streets in the area, Strafford Road, St Albans Rd, Alston Rd, Calvert Road, Wrotham Road, Salisbury Road, Puller Road, Bruce Road, Bartletts Cottages, Wyburn Avenue, The Drive, Hadley Ridge, Byng Road, Sebright Road, Lucan Rd etc... After all Chipping Close is only 10 cottages.
Yes the previous plan, (which was supported by Barnet Society), was refused by the planning committee mainly because of the detrimental impact on the residents of Chipping Close, but there are many other concerns that were not addressed. This new plan does little to amend the bigger issues with the build such as, it will now have a new entrance, pick up/drop off point on Bruce Rd which will not even visible from the street and turning in and out of it a certain times will either be impossible or plain dangeous.
And why in Barnet Society articles is the hotel continually linked to the move of the market? I guess it is no surprise that both the hotel and the market move applications are by the same developer, but surely these have to be two independent plans, you wouldn't overlook problems in one application to benefit the other would you?
The idea is frankly scary, as their should be no quid pro quo in planning especially when it could permanently affect the amenity of residents and the local area forever
But yet they openly state, “ The Barnet Society supports the proposed Premier Inn, but only on these conditions:
1. The application (18/2483/FUL) to relocate the market to The Spires bandstand site must be approved.”
The plan to move the market to the bandstand area has been approved and in the planning submission it states that "the Market will relocate as soon as planning permission is granted", it has been granted but yet it has not begun to phase over. I really hope the conditions of the market move aren't based on a hotel being built because that would seem like a bit of conflict of interest to me.
Either way it is win/win for the Spires; they sell the car park, get footfall from the hotel and get to keep the market, just a pity they didn't want to keep it where it was and try and really rejuvenate, as there is nothing like a good market to bring people to a town centre. ”