I INTERRUPT THESE PLANNING APPLICATION BLOGS TO BRING YOU ... THE SAVE HENDON "MINIFESTO".
I joined the Hendon Residents Planning Forum, a Facebook Group, shortly after the Burroughs and Middlesex University Supplementary Planning Document (The SPD) consultation began back in January 2021.
In the group's own words in their "About" section:
This was a community group for residents of The Burroughs, Burroughs Gardens, St Joseph's Grove, Brampton Grove, Egerton Gardens & surrounding areas but is now open to anyone in Hendon who wishes to oppose Barnet Council and Middlesex University’s latest development plans.
The admins live in Hendon and have no political affiliations. We love our local area and believe residents should have a say in how it is developed.
Our objectives:
1) To ensure Hendon residents have a voice in how the area is developed.
2) To actively object to any development plans we believe are ill-researched and that will obviously wreck the area and our daily lives.
3) To find a way we can genuinely work together with Barnet Council and Middlesex University to come up with a plan as positive and constructive as possible.
I've found the group really useful. The admins have kept us informed during the pandemic, organised a petition, demos, invited the university for talks, hosted some great discussions online and they are the ones who have organised and raised the money to take Barnet Council to Judicial Review. They are supported by people as wide-ranging as our Conservative MP Dr Matthew Offord and our London Assembly Member Labour Councillor Anne Clarke.
This week, based on ten months worth of discussions with hundreds of residents, they've shared this counter plan to the current Hendon Hub one. So simple. So spot on:
Is this all too expensive? Maybe.
Have Barnet Council considered residents' suggestions for funding some of this? No.
Will any of these ideas make Capita, Barnet Council and Middlesex University the same amounts of cash as the current ones? Unlikely.
Do we wish Barnet Council had spent the £2.28 million (at least and goodness knows how much more) they did on making some of this happen rather than giving it to Capita to come up with the current proposals and try and relentlessly flog them to us? Absolutely.
Barnet Council. You asked us what we wanted. And we told you. You've tweaked some of the frills (although it's hard to trust you even on that as you've reneged on so many promises you made at planning stage in your recent developments).
But you've addressed NONE of the fundamental issues.
THAT'S WHAT I THINK. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Facebook Group
The SPD
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