Barnet Architecture Special - what the hell is going on

What is the biggest story in Barnet right now? Actually it's not the Allowancegate scandal where Councillors voted themselves a huge rise. Sadly though this is disgusting, I doubt anyone will remember is in ten years time. The same cannot be said for the Brent Cross regeneration scheme. That will be around to haunt us forever. This is a huge scheme, one of the largest in the UK. What has interested me all along, is whether it will be as bad as the prophets of doom are making out?

Architects are normally keen to "Big up" there work. They normally shout from the rafters about it. Given this huge project, I found a rather strange fact out. There is an organisation called Open City which promotes good architectural practice. They hold an annual festival promoting their aims - you can find out about it here -  http://open-city.org.uk/vision/index.html . There are only two London Boroughs not participating. Barnet is one of these. What does it tell us about Barnet and it's architecture that they are just not interested. I suspect the reason is that they think the less we all know about the proposal, the better. The protestors seem to agree - here's their latest press release
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Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross Cricklewood Plan - Press Statement

Barnet Rushes Through Brent Cross Plans

For immediate release 26^th July 2010

This Thursday 29^th July, Barnet Council planning and environment committee will be discussing the controversial Brent Cross Cricklewood planning application.  The proposals have been recommended for approval by the committee.   The Coalition of groups opposing the controversial scheme is questioning the need to rush through the detailed proposals, given that the planning application has to come before the committee in October in any case.  A number of Brent Cross Coalition members have applied to speak in opposition at the meeting, and the opponents will be holding a demonstration outside Hendon Town Hall at 6.30pm .

David Howard, Chair, Federation of Residents Associations in Barnet and BXC Coalition spokesperson, says:

“Barnet Council’s decision to rubberstamp plans for the Brent Cross Cricklewood redevelopment at the end of an ordinary planning meeting this week is suspicious, but not surprising.

“The scheme has been inadequately negotiated between the Council and developers, and reneges on conditions applied in November.  Given that section 106 documents have largely been rewritten, it is completely unclear what the Council is being asked to approve at this week’s meeting.

“We would like to know why Barnet have brought the Brent Cross report to committee this week, with barely a week’s notice and at the end of July, when it could have been more fully considered in October. We believe that documents sneaked through without proper scrutiny now will become more difficult to challenge at the October meeting - or at least, that is the Council's intention. ”