In his first campaign since becoming the Labour Party's prospective parliamentary candidate for Chipping Barnet, Dan Tomlinson has collected over 300 signatures in a petition opposing plans to close railway station ticket offices at New Barnet and Oakleigh Park.
Nationally there have been a record 680,000 responses to the extended consultation conducted by the Rail Delivery Group since it proposed the closure of most of England’s 974 ticket office counters.
Over 100,000 people – well above the necessary threshold -- have signed a petition calling for a debate in Parliament.
“Such is the level of protest, and the unsuitability of so many of the ticket machines, I think the government will have to retreat on this,” said Mr Tomlinson, who was chosen as Labour’s candidate in November last year.
“Ministers are trying to present ticket office closures as a step being proposed by the rail operators, but this a cut that has been handed down by the government.”
New Barnet is one of several stations in North London where despite the ticket office closure, the station would be staffed for ticket assistance for longer hours – from 06.15 am to 23.15pm.
Mr Tomlinson said it would be important to see the final proposals, but he hoped there could be flexibility at busy stations like New Barnet and a solution that ensured ticket offices remain open while there is also a member of staff on station duty.
Since his selection as prospective Labour candidate Mr Tomlinson says he taken time to meet residents to get to know the issues that affect the area, especially as there have been changes to the constituency.
The general election will be fought on new Parliamentary boundaries – and in the case of Chipping Barnet, the re-drawn constituency loses Friern Barnet and takes in Edgwarebury.
Earlier this month Mr Tomlinson spent five days in Israel as part of a delegation of Labour MPs and candidates on a visit arranged by Labour Friends of Israel.
“This was a chance for me to learn more about the concerns and issues which affect the Jewish communities of North London – and this is all the more important because as a result of the boundary change, the size of the Chipping Barnet Jewish community will increase from seven to ten per cent.”
Like the wider community in High Barnet, he is awaiting with interest the imminent release of updated plans for redeveloping The Spires shopping centre to provide space for the construction of blocks of flats of five to six storeys in height.
After having been shown round the centre and adjacent sites by Barnet Residents Association, he was aware of concerns about the proposed height and density of the new development and the impact this might have on High Barnet.
“I accept that the Spires is not very vibrant at the moment. But long term I think High Barnet should be sustainable as a shopping destination and it would be a failure to give up on the idea of keeping The Spires as a shopping centre.
“I want to see broader reform for town centres, so that we get a level playing field in High Streets on business rates.”
On the controversy surrounding the extension of the Ultra Low Emission Zone to outer London boroughs like Barnet, Mr Tomlinson said the priority for the Mayor of London was to go on doing all he could to build on the scrappage scheme to help residents and families replace older cars and vans.
“It is the government that failed to put the measures in place such as supporting a proper scrappage scheme. For this reason, introducing ULEZ is not something I would have done at this time.”
Having listened residents, their top concern was the state of the National Health Service, which he said was not surprising given that the waiting list for appointments and procedures had reached 97,000 within the Royal Free Trust, which includes Barnet Hospital.
Crime, policing, the broader economy, and the cost of living were the other issues identified by most voters.
Mr Tomlinson, who is 31 and who trained as an economist, is currently the principal policy adviser for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Previously he had worked for the Resolution Foundation and the Treasury.
He moved to London a decade ago and he and his wife purchased a house in Whetstone a month ago after having lived in Friern Barnet for a year and a half.
Given the proximity of the Green Belt in Whetstone and Totteridge, he said it would come as no surprise that if elected Chipping Barnet’s MP he would be a resolute defender of open spaces and woodland.
“My starting point when it comes to judging any potential development would always be to preserve and where possible enhance the Green Belt.”
