A welcome edition to the blogs of Barnet

Gordon Kerr has started blogging on the Hendon Times website under the title "Save Claremont Road".

In his first Blog, Gordon states the following :-

If you are concerned about developing and enhancing sports facilities in Barnet then please comment on the LDF by January 11th. Recreation and sports facilities are summarised in just three short paragraphs out of a document over 100 pages long. Sadly, most people would recognise that the current provision of sports facilities is simply not adequate for a borough of over 330,000 residents. Please comment by emailing the following address:

forward.planning@barnet.gov.uk

Make sure to include your name and address, and state that you are commenting on the LDF. Then ask that the word “adequate” should be added to Policy CS9 first line. It should then read: “The Council will work with our partners to ensure that adequate community facilities including schools, libraries, sports centres and pools, community meeting places and facilities for younger and older people, are provided for Barnet’s communities.” and ask Barnet Council to include some specific targets for developing new sports and recreation facilities so that the Council and its partners can be held accountable. 

 I hope Gordon doesn't mind me nicking the best bit of his blog wholesale, but it is important that everyone is aware of this. If you care about our children and our future, then you really should say something. If you don't the Council can quite honestly say "The parents of Barnet couldn't be bothered about their kids" if questioned in years down the line.

Far be it from me to try and swing the debate, but here are a few things that could be done to massively improve sports provision in Barnet. I believe these should be written in stone in the LDF.

a) Restore Pavillion Road playing fields as a proper sports facility
b) Protect by law all playing fields in the Borough of Barnet
c) Upgrade Copthall Swimming pool to have an Olympic standard 50 meter pool, to allow our young swimmers to compete on an even footing with other clubs. Barnet is the 9th Largest authority in teh Country and there is not a single 50m pool.
d) Install an Olympic specification diving board at Copthall Pool. It is ridiculous that our atheletes have to travel to Crystal Palace to train.
e) Place a legal requirement on the council to maintain all spors pitches to the highest standard. Many youngsters are missing vital exercise due to poorly maintained Council Facilities.
f) Renovate Copthall Stadium so that our athletes have suitable training facilities
g) Fix all Council rents for non profit making sports clubs for the next 100 years.


Nice one Gordon and I look forward to future posts.