I kid you not. Belmont Childrens Farm, Barnets best zoo, has been told by Barnet Council that it has to close, due to lack of planning permission. It is owned by local celebrity Mr Andrew Reid, racehorse owner and big time lawyer. Mr Reid was previously a deputy chairman of the Hendon Conservative Party, with a special role for membership and fundraising. Following the enforcement notice being upheld this week, Mr Reids Farm have issued this press release on their website.
You will surely note the fourth paragraph and it's reference to the residents of Dale Farm. Is the press release a rather unsubtle attempt to use the Dale Farm situation to get Barnet Council to drop their objections? Surely not?
You can check for planning applications here -
http://planningcases.barnet.gov.uk/planning-cases/acolnetcgi.exe
I put in the Belmont Centre's postcode and could not find the planning permission for residential use referred to below - NW7 1QT - so I'd be very interested to see where this is?
Anyway, we'd welcome a guest blog from Mr Reid or one of his staff explaining the background to the case and why Barnet Council have been so horrible to him, in making him close the zoo, purely because he didn't apply for planning permission. As ever we'd print this with no editing or alterations (assuming it was legal and decent).
There's more about the zoo here - http://www.belmontfarm.co.uk/save.php
and here - http://www.belmontfarm.co.uk/
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You will surely note the fourth paragraph and it's reference to the residents of Dale Farm. Is the press release a rather unsubtle attempt to use the Dale Farm situation to get Barnet Council to drop their objections? Surely not?
You can check for planning applications here -
http://planningcases.barnet.gov.uk/planning-cases/acolnetcgi.exe
I put in the Belmont Centre's postcode and could not find the planning permission for residential use referred to below - NW7 1QT - so I'd be very interested to see where this is?
Anyway, we'd welcome a guest blog from Mr Reid or one of his staff explaining the background to the case and why Barnet Council have been so horrible to him, in making him close the zoo, purely because he didn't apply for planning permission. As ever we'd print this with no editing or alterations (assuming it was legal and decent).
There's more about the zoo here - http://www.belmontfarm.co.uk/save.php
and here - http://www.belmontfarm.co.uk/
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Belmont Staff Press Release
The appeal decision hearing held 21st June 2011 by Diane Lewis an inspector appointed by the secretary of state for communities and local government has finally come back with a decision on 27th September to decline our appeal.
We, the staff of Belmont Farm, feel so let-down by Barnet Council and the planning authority and feel we have been unjustly set upon. How is the council now going to provide 15 jobs for us in the present job desert? Especially when in this current financial depression a business focused toward community adhesion and education, providing apprenticeships and work experience, all fitting towards the BIG SOCIETY OBJECTIVES – sitting within an ever declining child friendly borough – is privately funded and is to be closed within 6 months.
We are a farm and have always have been a farm! It has been stated that in the conclusion Belmont Children’s Farm has become a primary use as opposed to an ancillary to the existing planning for agricultural or equestrian uses. Yes it has become a necessity as a main income generator for the agricultural and equestrian as farm diversification IS a necessity to survival within an ever changing business climate, we are still farming – our animals are mainly breeding stock for resale, we have no toys or gimmicks, just animals and education. And the farm has been loved by over 60’000 visitors.
We feel we should unite with Dale Farm as we understand their plight foe homes as being the same as ours for a job. If they close the farm maybe they could come here, after all we have residential planning
Does the council and neighbours prefer the car park, which has always been there, to go back to a farm storage area with hay and silage and Machinery parking? How is the closing of Belmont Children’s Farm helping the community use of the greenbelt?
We are desperate for Belmont Farm to stay open and, in reading the appeal decision; it is seen in our view that if we apply for new planning then this will be granted now the Inspector has corrected Barnet’s unreasonable conditions. The inspector Diane Lewis has weighted the decision in this way with a large number of the council’s objections getting a slap on the wrist. We the staff plan to ask the council that if an application is put in following the inspectors recommendation that it will be granted in eight weeks so as not to affect the closure of the farm and loss of jobs?
We still have so much to give to the community and London. The NFU is coming to Belmont Farm on 27th and 28th October to emphasize the need for farming and food production education.
PLEASE HELP is all we can say!
Incidentally our London Mayor forgot in the London Plan to make mention of children’s farms in green belts. What is he going to do?
Shane Harrison
PH: 02073184420 Email: sharrison@belmontfarm.co.uk
3 comments:
As someone who is partly of gypsy and traveller descent I find the attempt by Mr Reid's staff to allude to Dale Farm in this way frankly disgraceful. The whole subject of travellers, gypsies and the racist abuse they endure is a very sensitive one and should not be dragged into this issue and sensationalised. Gypsies have faced centuries of exclusion and prejudice and been forced to the far margins of society and continue to be persecuted and vilified. It is because of councils like Barnet, who deliberately ignored the statutory requirement to provide even one single stopping place in this borough - and still do, as you mentioned in the previous post - that travelling people have had to resort to the use of sites like Dale Farm, without plannng permission.
Mr Reid has had an enforcement notice served on him because he chose to open a business on Green Belt land without permission. He is not being evicted from his home, or being denied access to education, health care and the rights which every citizen in this country is entitled to expect.
I am the manager of Belmont Children's Farm and this press release was issued after a staff meeting during which we agreed its contents on what we the staff would like to say. Mr Reid was not present.
ITs VEIWS HAVE NO CONNECTION WHAT SO EVER WITH MR REID . These are our views and not his AND HE WOULD NOT TRY TO STOP US EXPRESSING THEM. PERHAPS YOU CAN NOW UNDERSTAND OUR ANNALOGY ASLO WOULD YOU PLEASE CHANGE YOUR SIGHT TO STATE THE CORRECT POSITION AS WE KNOW TO DATE MR REID HAS NOT EXPRESSED HIS VIEWS OTHER THAN TO SAY TO US HOW DISAPOINTED HE IS THAT A CHILDREN'S FARM HAS NO PLACE IN THE GREENBELT DISPITE IT BEING SUSTAINABLE AND EDUCATIONAL.
IF YOU READ THE DECISION, WHICH WE THE STAFF HAVE, YOU WILL NOTE THAT BARNETS CONDITIONS WERE FOUND TO BE UNREASONABLE AND UNWORKABLE BY THE INSPECTOR
Shane Harrison
OPn behalf of the staff of Belmont Farm.
Soon to lose our jobs!
Shane,
I have every sympathy with you guys losing your jobs. As I stated in the post, I hope a solution can be found. I am sure the Zoo has a place in Mill Hill and many people will be saddened by it's departure.
As I stated, you are welcome to place a guest blog putting your views across.
However, I cannot accept your statement that Mr Reid is not responsible for what is on the Belmont Farm website. The facts of the matter are :-
a) Mr Reid owns the farm, the land and it's website. You specifically state that you are considering forming an alliance with Dale Farm travellers on this and inviting them onto the site. You state that they may take up residence at the farm. I run a business in Mill Hill. If one of my staff placed such a message on my company website without my approval, I would sack them for gross misconduct. What you say may or may not represent the personal view of Mr Reid, but by allowing you to publish it on his website, without a heavy disclaimer, he clearly is associating himself with what you have to say. If a company has a website, unless it is 100% stated otherwise, it is taken as read that the views expressed on it represent the business and it's owner.
b) It is Mr Reids land. It is not credible to say that a message on his website, concerning the future usage of his land, issued by his staff is nothing to do with him. As the statement is likely to arouse the interest of travellers wishing to find a new home, especially as you state you have planning permission for them, it is not credible to state that the statement cannot be associated with the land/ website owner.
c) If you had set up an independently hosted website and stated "This is the view of the staff employed by Belmont Farm and in no way represents the views of the owner" you would be within your rights to say it didn't represent him. This is not the case, it's on his website without a disclaimer
d) I published the full details of the appeal findings on this website on 27th september without comment. I also linked this post to your website & your message, so people could hear what you had to say. If Mr Reid wants to disassociate himself from the statement, I'm more than happy to clarify the situation, if he gets in touch.
e) Get over your persecution complex. I listed the Zoo as the top attraction in Barnet in an article on the top 10 things to do in Barnet for the Londonist. I think it's a great place to visit and it's just a shame you have fallen foul of the law.
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