News from The Barnet Society

People have again been enjoying the view from the top the tower of our parish church, St John the Baptist. The tower is reputedly the highest point between here and York.  Details of the tower openings and Saturday morning concerts are here.

The constitution of The Barnet Society requires us to seek to protect the Green Belt around Chipping Barnet. Indeed that was the Society’s founding purpose.

The Barnet Society has been lobbying the Council for some time for a Town Centre Framework for Chipping Barnet, in line with its promise to provide one under adopted Planning Policy.

Proposals for the phased redevelopment of the Dollis Valley estate are advancing.  The overall development will be in five phases, spread over a period of about five years.  There will eventually be approximately 630 new homes of which some 390 will be for sale, including intermediate sale, and at least 230 rented.

The Barnet Society has made representations to Barnet Council over the latest stage of the Core Strategy of the Local Development Framework (LDF). The Core Strategy is the principal document produced by the Local Planning Authority and guides the other planning policy documents.

Plans are underway. masterminded by the Barnet Residents Association, for a 10-day festival this summer to showcase local talent and places of entertainment. It will run from 17th - 26th June. This is a new venture and, if successful, could become an annual event.

The Fayre on the first weekend in December was a very good event this year – despite the weather being bitterly cold – with many people getting out and enjoying all that was on offer.

Planning applications have been made for the Barnet Market site - one for improvements to the site for market use and the other for use as a car park on non-market days.  The scandalously-neglected site will be due for a new surface, storage and welfare facilities for stallholders.

In spite of the Barnet Society having drawn up plans for improving the junction of the High Street and Wood Street at the top of Barnet Hill over a year ago and the new Barnet College having opened last September, the Council have made very little progress on the proposals.