Barnet Council have published the draft Masterplan for the Copthall Sports Hub and Open spaces. It is a very interesting document and there is much to commend about it.
We have not studied it in detail therefore we do not wish to comment in too much detail at this stage. Clearly there are concerns about aspects of the masterplan, with Green belt issues and cycleways being two areas that aroused most interest and comment. It is good that the issue of a shared cycleway/walkway between Copthall and Mill Hill East has been explored. We would like to see a more ambitious use of the available space, with the cyclewalkway route following the old railway all the way up to Mill Hill East station and to the Broadwalk Shopping Centre in the other direction (where possible).
The wetlands proposal is interesting and adds a new dimension to the space.
Clearly there is a need for far better sports provision. It is good to see the BMX provision in the scheme, although I am not so convinced that a "public square" is a step in the right direction.
The section on Mill Hill Park is interesting. I am rather averse to the term "hub". In building terms, to me this says "Jack of all trades". What Mill Hill needs is specific proposals to address specific weaknesses in local community offering. I am not saying the Hub is a bad scheme, but I am not a believer in "open a building and they will come". I've made that mistake myself in the past in my own businesses. We need specific offerings for specific needs.
But this is a draft and so have a read and feed back your comments.
You can read it by clicking here or using the version we've embedded below.
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