“ Never has such a factually compromised proposal for Chipping Barnet gone so far with so little critical scrutiny by anyone other than concerned individuals. Fortunately those individuals included the councillors sitting on the Chipping Barnet Planning Committee. The reapplication has now been moved to the borough Planning Committee, its wider implications having been appreciated. It should again receive the appropriate critical scrutiny such a momentous decision deserves. Many other bodies should have given it such scrutiny many months ago. Discussions behind closed doors before signing up as echo chambers for the applicant simply do not count.
Ironically the reapplication will be considered on Monday November 5... If approved It still will not save the market, or the Spires, or boost any other local businesses. It will blight Chipping Close and completely snarl up Bruce Road and surrounding junctions. Parking provision will be sacrificed as will the Marketplace itself, both gone for ever at a huge cost to local business, residents and heritage. It will quite probably not even be a Premier Inn. ”