Up went the hands in favour of Barnet Society members contributing to any appeal to fund a legal challenge to High Barnet station flats

Barnet Society members have voted decisively to support and contribute to any campaign to mount a legal challenge against the Deputy Mayor of London’s decision to overrule Barnet Council and authorise the go ahead for blocks of flats on the car park at High Barnet tube station.

The deadline for an application for a judicial review is Tuesday 7 July.

Although Barnet Council has yet to announce if it has any intention of challenging the mayor’s decision in the High Court, Barnet Residents Association says it is seeking advice on whether there might be grounds for pursuing a judicial review.

When asked for their response at the annual general meeting of the Barnet Society, members voted unanimously in favour of the society contributing towards the cost of an application for judicial review.

There was also a unanimous vote by those who were present to contribute personally to a legal fund – and half the members who were there indicated they would contribute £100 each if necessary.

Robin Bishop (above), the society’s lead on planning issues, told the meeting that possible grounds for judicial review might be that the deputy mayor had pre-judged the application and ignored Barnet’s local plan which limited the height of any blocks to seven storeys – when the proposed scheme included one tower block of 11 storeys.

A High Court challenge would be costly: initial legal advice would amount to around several thousand pounds, and a full legal challenge could cost around £40,000, which might double if costs had to be paid to Transport for London.

Committee member Nick Saul (above, left) advised the meeting that the deputy mayor’s decision could be challenged on the grounds it was a test case when it came to applications to build on Transport for London land.

Calling in the High Barnet station scheme for the mayor’s approval was not a first in itself, but was the first to be considered and decided upon at a hearing at City Hall.

Similar applications for developments at Stanmore and Canons Park stations were called in, but both were withdrawn before a hearing took place.

An alternative suggestion made at the meeting was that local groups might launch a petition to persuade Barnet Council to declare the station car park as an asset of community value – a step which would prevent the land being developed by TfL’s investment subsidiary Places for London and developers Barratt.

Mr Bishop promised to keep the society abreast of any moves within the community to launch a judicial review and consider other options such as seeking ACV status for the car park to block the scheme – a safeguard that would remain in place for around 5 years.

The possibility of getting involved in legal action only served to underline the significance of a separate decision at the annual meeting to prepare the necessary documents for an application to convert the society into a company limited by guarantee.

Committee member Mahender Khari (above) explained the importance to voluntary community groups of taking advantage of the legal protection which this structure offered to committee members.

Increasingly non-profit groups such as charities and clubs were becoming a company limited by guarantee because it created an up-to-date and more stable financial structure and assisted when seeking grants or other funding.

Mr Khari thanked the annual meeting for their support and said the committee would now proceed with the preparation of the paperwork which would be needed to register with Companies House.

Once the documentation had been completed it would be sent out to members before being voted on at an extra-ordinary general meeting.

John Hay, the society’s chair – who is also trustee treasurer for the Friends of Tudor Park and Pavilion – told the meeting that there had been some progress at last on the bid to rescue and renovate the abandoned former cricket pavilion.

A head of agreement had been settled with Barnet Council and the friends’ committee was waiting to sign an agreement to lease the pavilion.

Once that step had been completed there would be a chance to examine the state of the building – at heightened risk because of a widening crack on the west elevation – and that could lead on to a signing of the lease itself.

Mr Hay acknowledged the frustration over the time this was taking but the council had now agreed that no rent would be charged on the pavilion for the first five years, followed by a pepper corn rent, and that £191,000 was available in a fund set aside by the council for repairs.