I was intrigued to read the section on air quality in the Council papers for the Brent Cross regeneration scheme, which is being debated next week - Read page 51 of the report.
"Air Quality
The outline permission is subject to pre commencement conditions that aim to secure
an acceptable air quality environment during the construction phase and for the
lifetime of the development. Condition 30.6 requires that no less than 3 months prior
to the commencement of construction works south of the A406, details of the type and
location of equipment to monitor the levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate
matter (PM10) need to be agreed with the Councils Scientific Services.
This has taken place and the necessary monitoring stations are in place. Further,
Condition 30.1 requires a scheme for pollutant and dust management to be submitted
to the LPA prior to the commencement of works within a sub-phase identifying the
arrangements for monitoring dust and pollutants over the construction period in
relation to the nearest sensitive premises. These obligations are required to be fulfilled
for the duration of construction works for the regeneration and so is a long-term
objective. In addition, these activities are required to be in accordance with the
approved Code of Construction Practice (COCP) (LPA ref:18/2380/CON).
Further to assessing air quality for the Plot 14 proposals specifically, it should be noted
that Condition 30.4 of the S73 Permission requires details of all extraction and
ventilation equipment to be submitted to and approved in writing by the LPA prior to
commencement of any building. This will include details of any flues and odour
filtration systems for the A3 units to ensure that odour can be adequately controlled. "
Air quality issues are perhaps the greatest health risk in our city. The current development by Barratts on the Ridgeway has seen numerous complaints by various residents about air quality issues. After speaking to residents in 2019, a meeting was arranged with the Council, which I was invited to. I wrote here about this here and there is a video documenting the dust pollution etc. There has not been the slightest recognition from the council that their monitoring of the dust and health impacts of the NIMR development on local schools, houses and businesses are. Interestingly, one of the attendees of the meeting, Mr Laurence Bard, who runs an aquaitic business at Finchley Nurseries, found that the planning permission had not listed his business, describing it as "open fields to the north".
If you follow the above link, you will see that planners can hire planning officers from the Council to assist them. I flagged this up as a conflict of interest. I am of the opinion that Barnet Council should have a 'clean air policy' and that no planning permission should be approved without the developer proving that they can meet stringent guidelines. The paragrpahs above show that this is not the case and the rules are there to be flexible and to be bent to suit developers. Monitorings station locations should not only be agreed with the council (ie council officers paid for by the developer), but also by the local community. They should be placed where they can monitor the real life impact on residents, school children and local businesses, and these stakeholders should have a say in where they are placed. Sites where there are breaches should be closed down until the builders and developments are complaint.
Please take a look at this video from 2018 filmed at the NIMR site and tell me whether you think adequate care was taken with regards to dust and particle suppression. I would urge all residents to lobby the council strongly to ensure they don't suffer the same fate with dust as Mill Hill. Sadly, I can see this scenario being repeated again at Brent Cross.
When the name of "The London Borough of Barnet" is mentioned, many people think of leafy suburbs, mock tudor semi's and lush parks with au pairs walking the family Chihuahua. The mere name Barnet refers to a little town, traditionally part of Hertfordshire, bereft even of a London postcode, stuck on the extreme North Eastern corner of the Borough. At the diametrically opposite end of the Borough is Cricklewood, in the South East. The council ward is known as Childs Hill, which contributes to the fact that many don't even realise that Cricklewood is in the Borough.
Cricklewood is probably the most interesting area of the Borough historically. The arrival of the railways in the 1860 provided the impetus for a thriving manufacturing base. Bentley Motors, Handley Page aircraft, Staples furniture and a whole array of other manufacturers sprang up. Central to this was the railway. As a transport hub, it even boasted an airport in the 1920's, supporting Handley Page. The iconic Smith's Industries clock and precision instruments factory was also located in Cricklewood as were Smiths crisps.
The railway and these factories lead to a large Irish immigrant population, who frequented pubs such as The Crown and The Cricklewood Hotel and the iconic Galtymore nightclub. Many worked on the railways, as a huge depot, marshalling yards and freight sidings grew. Cricklewood is located on a junction between the Midland mainline, which served the Midlands and Scotland in the north and Southwards, St Pancras, Farringdon, Smithfield market and the south (via the Snow Hill tunnel and what is now known as The Thameslink route). A line, known as The Dudden Hill route heads westwards, providing a freight route to the western rail network and just down the line at West Hampstead to the South, there is another link to Barking, Tilbury and Southend.
The marshalling yards would receive freight trains from all of these locations and marshall them for despatch to destinations across the country. This all required a huge workforce. The railway ran on coal, which was brough down from the Midlands. Coal was king, it was the main source of heat in most homes. Cottages were built for the workers around the such places, known as Midland Cottages at most locations. These were small, unfussy homes designed for the convenience of workers, at a time when employers recognised the common sense of having workers living near their workplace.
Local industrial historian Mark Amies has a fascination with Cricklewood and recently appeared on The Robert Elms show detailing the lost factories. Mark also put several fascinating tweets on the subject on his timeline.
Cricklewood not only had a rich industrial history, it also has a great cultural heritage. In the 1920's and 30's it had its own film studio. Between 1979 and 2000 a new studio operated at The Production Village site. Most famously the film Breaking Glass was produced at the site.
But as we all know the sands of time move on. As London moved from coal to gas and electircity and rail moved to diesel and electric power, the sidings declined. As British Rail phased out wagonload freight, the marshalling yards disappeared. With the advent of the Thameslink route in the mid 1980's, even the maintenance depot disappeared and all that was left of the huge railway works disappeared. The Thameslink trains were now serviced at Selhurst, near Crystal Palace and the mainline Inter City 125 units were serviced in Leeds. All that remained was a few carriage sidings.
The factories closed, one by one, as the land values soared. In the 1970's the adjacent Brent Cross site, formerly home of Hendon dog track became Brent Cross shopping Centre. This was the UK's first big "out of town" shopping centre. Despite being only a mile from Cricklewood, it was extremely difficult to get from Cricklewood Broadway to the centre. The railway and the North Circular made it one a very difficult walk and a rather arduous drive for such ashort difference.
The GLC decided that Cricklewood was the ideal place to send all of Londons rubbish to. Ken Livingstone's GLC built a huge waste transfer plant. Dustcarts from across London arrived to have the rubbish loaded into containers for shipment to Sandy in Bedfordshire for burial in pits excavated to produce bricks. Skip hire and reclaimation firm Donoghues also moved in, making Cricklewood the waste capital of London. The waste trains were noted for their pong, especially in summer. If you were unlucky enough to be on the platform at Mill Hill when one passed, you were in for a gut wrenching experience. Seasoned commuters avoided the trains that exposed you to this.
Fortunately for Mill Hill, London produces so much waste that these pits were filld. A new dump was found, and the trains now are taken down to West Hampstead, and then sent down the Dudden Hill route to a site elsewhere. Apparently the residents of the luxury flats next to the railway are none too impressed. Having a pongy train full of rubbish next to your house for an hourm whilst the engine changes ends of the train is no fun.
Cricklewood is blessed to have an amazing community spirit. The Cricklewood Town team have worked tirelessly to make the best of what the town has to offer. I know them well. My company helps them with musical arrangements for the numerous events they stage at the Cricklewood village green (a large sloped grassy area, next to B&Q). Town fairs are held and music and childrens entertainers are laid on in the summer. The station has been decorated and is perhaps the most interesting of all stations on the Thameslink route. These tweets give a flavour of how the community has come together.
Best of luck to Cricklewood Town Team members @anne_clarke and @ClaytonCrabtree in the local election tomorrow. Different parties, different boroughs but dedicated friends of Cricklewood, the station and our green space. pic.twitter.com/uVYVDIJOir
But there are huge changes being planned for Cricklewood. I like to think of the local railway station as the heart of Cricklewood, and the rail lines as the arteries, bringing in the lifeblood. But Cricklewood is about to have a heart bypass. A brand new station is being built and the preparatory work has already started. Cricklewood station, due to its layout, cannot accomodate the 12 carriage trains which now operate on the Thameslink route. A huge scheme to regenerate the 1970s shopping centre at Brent Cross and build approx 30,000 new dwellings has been prepared. To facilitate all of this a new station is being built half a mile up the railway line. The whole scheme will be the largest building site in Western Europe if and when if comes to fruition. What is not in doubt though, is that the new railway station will be built.
Infrastructure projects such as this fascinate me. I was delighted when Robin Morel of Network Rail offered me a tour of the carriage sidings and an explanation of how the new station would affect the railway. I hadn't appreciated the scale, size and timescales of this. I asked Mark Amies to join me. We made a video with Robin to explain just how major these changes are. What is clear is that the impact on the area will be huge. Robin is one of the good guys, a life long rail man, who worked for British Rail, Railtrack and Network Rail. He has a huge passion for his job and his enthusiasm for the railway is infectious. He is also highly knowledgable.
There were many things that Robin told us that were of interest to anyone who lives near the site. The Waste Transfer station is closing. This will mean no more smelly trains annoying the residents of West Hampstead. Apparently, with recycling, there is not enough waste to fill a train, so it will now be moved by road. An aggregates depot for the Brent Cross development will open on the other side of the tracks this year. This has been delayed as DB Rail forgot to apply for planning permission and there was not enough noise and dust suppression planned.
There is also a freight siding operating, removing spoil from local developments. This will go. The whole railway will need to be closed to build the new station, as tracks are moved eastward to accommodate the platforms. The carriage sidings and old shed at the north end of the complex will go completely.
Robin also explained that the proposed West London Orbital Route will not be stopping at the station and will have its own station. It has proven impossible to integrate this into the current scheme. Robin explained that there are currently low speed freight lines that run from West Hampstead to north of Hendon station. These don't have overhead wires, so cannot be used by Thameslink trains. There is a proposal to electrify these and increase the linespeed to 100 MPH. This will massively increase the capacity for passenger trains through this section. In short, the whole area is in for a massive change. Robin assured us that there is no proposal to close Hendon or Cricklewood station, but it is clear that the new station will get a vastly superior service.
Robin also explained how a massive bridge across the rail lines from Cricklewood Broadway to the Railway terraces had been descoped. It had been part of Boris's master plan. Clearly, if the Brent Cross scheme is ever built, the station will become a vital hub. With the West London Orbital route opening, it will be an important interchange for passegers wishing to access West London from the Borough, if the conundrum of platform layouts can be resolved.
The bottom line for anyone concerned with the environment, rail is the greenest, safest option for urban travel. The work and dedication of people like Robin make it happen. Robin invited us back in two years to see how it has all panned out.
The Barnet Eye will be returning to Cricklewood for this series, to focus on the social history for our next instalment in this series. The final part will be a return with Mark, to have a look at the non rail industrial heritage. Our view is that the Environment should be harnessed to make the lives of the people who live in it as good as possible. This means lowering pollution, giving people healthy options and building communities. We believe that the Cricklewood has the best community spirit in the Borough, and it is essential that we all support them. It is amazing that Network Rail are happy to be open and transparent about their plans. I asked Robin if he wanted to see the film before I published it, but he said "No, there are no secrets". That is how public bodies should be.
Barnet Lib Dem Leader this morning announced that Brian Coleman is to join the Liberal Democrat Party. The deal has been brokered by Nick Clegg and David Cameron, in an attempt to revitalise the coalition in Barnet. The existing Lib Dem candidate for the GLA elections has agreed to step aside to allow Mr Coleman a free run at the seat.
The Barnet Eye suggests that this is clearly a panic move, sparked by recent reports that Labour candidate Andrew Dismore is a shoe in for Barnet. Jack Cohen added "Although Brian and myself have had our run ins in the past, we are really the best of friends. Brian and his mum often pop in for tea and scones on their way to functions in London". The Barnet Eye rang Mr Coleman for a comment but got the phone slammed down on us. Conservative Leader Richard Cornelius said "I urge everyone in Barnet to support the Coalition candidate. This arrangement is great for Conservatives and great for our partners"
************* Updated 11.20 *****************
In a surprise announcement this morning, the local Barnet GMB branch announced that it is dumping Labour candidate Andrew Dismore and will be backing Lib Dem candidate Brian Coleman. Local branch sec Avi Newon said 'in the GMB we like to back winners'. In a seperate move, Coleman was seen in Brent Cross with Ceo Tom Nathan shopping for wooly jumpers and was heard to say 'i suppose i'll have to grow a beard'
Is this a cynical ploy to boost Brian Coleman's popularity ahead of the GLA elections? It is telling that the shopping centre expansion is still set to go ahead. As I think it was a rotten scheme which would have destroyed the character of a large part of the Borough of Barnet, I am quite pleased. I predicted all along that the scheme would never actually see the light of day and that the shopping centre element would be the only element retained. When Brian Coleman came out against the scheme a couple of years ago it was clear this was the only likely outcome.
So should we thank Coleman for all his "behind the scenes" lobbying of Boris? Not on your nelly, what he's done is tried to drive another nail into the coffin of local small traders. Where will all the customers for the new improved Brent Cross come from? From the local High Streets, currently being ravaged by the Councils car parking policies. The traders I met yesterday, along with all their families and friends will see straight through this.
I hadn't realised just how hated Brian Coleman was by the local small business community until yesterday. Hearing natural Conservatives describing Coleman in the terms I heard, just reinforces the fact that he has lost the dressing room (in football terms). I wonder how many people will ask Boris why he supports the small traders in Westminster against the Tory Council, but in Barnet he indulges Coleman. I suspect both Boris and Brian will find there is a price to pay in May.
Brent Cross Shopping Centre Capitalise on Brian Colemans Parking Policy
Do you live in the London Borough of Barnet? Do you celebrate Christmas? If the answer to the two questions are yes and yes, have you bought any presents in local shops on our High Streets? It seems that this year over 30% less people have. Why? Because Councillor Brian Coleman, Conservative candidate for the GLA chose the run up to Christmas to abolish Pay and Display parking. In this weeks Jewish News, Councillor Brian Gordon, a long term cronie of Coleman stated that all 38 Tory Councillors are equally to blame. I've spoken to a couple of Tory Councillors who are livid with Councillor Gordon, because they told me they opposed the move and their views were ignored by Brian Coleman, who has the authority to push it through as cabinet member. Sadly none have had the balls to go public and put on record their opposition.
Lodge Lane Car Park lies virtually empty on first Saturday in December
One local trader who I know yesterday described Coleman as "The grinch who stole Christmas". In the coming year, I predict many small shops will cease trading. The boarded up shops will be a testament to Coleman and his incompetence. Sadly as it's peoples livelyhoods which are being destroyed, this is
not just a "policy debate". I wonder how many will be wishing Councillor Coleman a merry Christmas.
If you support your local traders, please sign this now
28th October 2010. This could be the day when the London Borough of Barnet as we know it changed forever. The huge Brent Cross/ Cricklewood redevelopment was signed off today. This will mean a huge increase in the number of cars on the road, with no discernable improvements to public transport. Bestways are threatening to take the decision to judicial review. If it ever gets built, we'll have a waste incinerator on the doorstep.
As far as I can see the battle to build the project has been between big business on the one hand and local people on the other. Sadly it seems our local Conservative Council came down on the side of big business. A sad day for the London Borough of Barnet
Brent Cross and Cricklewood Application number C/17559/08
There are too many major unanswered questions to allow this scheme to proceed in its present form.
The need by the Officers to get some cash into the Councils coffers quickly has obscured the longer term best interests of the residents of Barnet and the wider community of North London
There are a number of questions that need satisfactory answers:-
Is there a need for another new town and extended retail centre?
Why has the council relied on the developers assessment of the need for more retail space?
Why has the council not carried out its own assessment in light of the large new Westfields development at White City and the imminent opening of Europe’s largest shopping mall by Westfields at Stratford?
Why has the council not had regard to the change in shopping patterns eg the rapid growth of internet shopping?
Why has the council not considered the impact of a new town centre and extended retail mall at Brent Cross on the other 22 town centres in Barnet plus others further afield?
Why is the council ignoring the impact of 29,000 extra cars a day coming to the site?
What evidence do the officers have that leads them to believe that 70% of all current Brent Cross users plus 70% of all future users will leave their cars at home and travel to the centre by bus?
Do you as Councillors with knowledge of your electorate honestly believe this will happen?
Do you believe that the Edgware branch of the Northern line will be able to cope with tens of 000s of shoppers for Brent Cross, 20,000 occupiers of the new high rise flats at Brent Cross, 30,000 new residents at Colindale plus c 20,000 for other new residents up the rest of the Northern Line every day?
Why are the officers refusing to safeguard the route for a possible future light rail/rapid transit system?
Why has the Council ignored the opposition in writing to the proposals from the neighbouring Borough of Brent?
Why have the officers misled the Councillors in respect of recent changes in National and Regional Planning policies?
Are you aware that only phase one with the retail mall extension, the rubbish dump and a few flats are guaranteed to be built if permission is granted?
Are Councillors aware that the developer can build the most profitable first phase and then use the flexibility they persuaded the officers to build into the legal agreement to walk away from the remaining phases?
Are Councillors happy to proceed with a £4.5billion scheme on the basis of a deal with a shell company eg no assets or parent company guarantees?
Have the councillors seen the evidence that “the air leaving the 140 metre high chimney will be cleaner than the air entering the plant” as stated by Cllr Freer last year?
Have the developers been given examples of successful pollution free heat from waste plants as promised by the developers last year? We have only been able to find examples of the new technology failing in the UK, Germany, Austria, Norway, America and Australia. Is that why the developers are keeping quiet?
More point to ponder:
· the regeneration scheme does not conform to a number of national planning policy issues. For example, the Government’s Climate Change Law has agreed to reduce CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050. However, this scheme will generate thousands of extra car journeys per day, and this will only detract from the required reduction in CO2 emissions. In addition, residential buildings will only achieve a 3-star rating under the Code for Sustainable Homes, further contributing to CO2 emissions.
· the adverse impacts arising from this scheme (the large increase in noise, traffic congestion and air pollution) extend far beyond the London Borough of Barnet boundary, so decisions concerning the scheme should not be left to Barnet councillors alone
· there is increasing confusion over what is being proposed. For example, the large waste handling facility is unspecified. Arguments abound concerning incineration and gasification; both could have adverse effects on the health and safety of residents.
· there has been a significant lack of adequate and meaningful consultation concerning this scheme, including with Brent and Camden residents. Although Barnet Council mostly adhered to the letter of the law, they did not adhere to its spirit.
· Barnet Council are unable to take an impartial view of the scheme due to a conflict of interest, since they are supporters of the scheme, major landowners in the area, and acting as ‘objective’ Local Planning Authority decision-makers.
· the current scheme is simply a way of extending Brent Cross Shopping Centre, a proposal that was strongly opposed and thrown out by a public inquiry in 1999, and a Judicial Review and a High Court judgement in 2003. The recent reduction of other elements of Phase One, but still allowing the doubling of the shopping centre, seems to support this view. No other phases are guaranteed to be delivered by the developers.
I attach a letter with a series of questions relating to the Brent Cross development that are a matter of concern to residents and I suggest should be of concern to Councillors also. Please consider the questions carefully and refer the item back for answers to be provided.
----------------------------
Federation of Residents Associations in Barnet
Chair: David Howard
19th September 2010
Open letter to all councillors on Barnet Planning and Environment Committee
Dear Councillor,
Brent Cross and Cricklewood Application number C/17559/08
You have been given one more chance at the PEC on Monday night for sanity to prevail and to prevent the council incurring large sums in defending an expensive Judicial Review, then paying out costs to the winning plaintiff,.
There are a number of questions that need satisfactory answers:-
a. Is there a need for another new town and extended retail centre?
b. Why has the council relied on the developers assessment of the need for more retail space?
c. Why has the council not carried out its own assessment in light of the large new Westfields development at White City and the imminent opening of Europe’s largest shopping mall by Westfields at Stratford?
d. Why has the council not had regard to the change in shopping patterns eg the rapid growth of internet shopping?
e. Why has the council not considered the impact of a new town centre and extended retail mall at Brent Cross on the other 22 town centres in Barnet plus others further afield?
f. Why is the council ignoring the impact of 29,000 extra cars a day coming to the site?
g. What evidence do the officers have that leads them to believe that 70% of all current Brent Cross users plus 70% of all future users will leave their cars at home and travel to the centre by bus?
h. Do you as Councillors with knowledge of your electorate honestly believe this will happen?
i. Do you believe that the Edgware branch of the Northern line will be able to cope with tens of 000s of shoppers for Brent Cross, 20,000 occupiers of the new hutches for hobbits at Brent Cross, 30,000 new residents at Colindale plus c 20,000 for other new residents up the rest of the Northern Line every day?
j. Why are the officers refusing to safeguard the route for a possible future light rail/rapid transit system?
k. Why has the Council ignored the opposition in writing to the proposals from the neighbouring Borough of Brent?
l. Why have the officers misled the Councillors in respect of recent changes in National and Regional Planning policies?
m. Are you aware that only phase one with the retail mall extension, the rubbish dump and a few flats are guaranteed to be built if permission is granted?
n. Are Councillors aware that the developer can build the most profitable first phase and then use the flexibility they persuaded the officers to build into the legal agreement to walk away from the remaining phases?
o. Are Councillors happy to proceed with a £4.5billion scheme on the basis of a deal with a shell company eg no assets or parent company guarantees?
p. Have the councillors seen the evidence that “the air leaving the 140 metre high chimney will be cleaner than the air entering the plant” as stated by Cllr Freer last year?
q. Have the developers been given examples of successful pollution free heat from waste plants as promised by the developers last year? We have only been able to find examples of the new technology failing in the UK, Germany, Austria, Norway, America and Australia. Is that why the developers are keeping quiet?
r. There are many more unanswered questions but the above give an idea of why we are concerned
There are too many major unanswered questions to allow this scheme to proceed in its present form.
The need by the Officers to get some cash into the Councils coffers quickly has obscured the longer term best interests of the residents of Barnet and the wider community of North London.
This is your last chance to reach the right decision as Councillors. If you fail the Courts will take over and we will not only lose the projected income but also incur large legal bills.
We urge you to refer back the scheme tonight for a full review of the above issues.
Yours sincerely,
David Howard
Chair of FORAB
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David Howard is the Chair of Forab and an occasional contributor to the Barnet Eye. All relevent guest blogs and open letters are welcome for publication without comment or editing. In this case, I have removed Davids address and phone number from the letter.
I attended the Hendon Residents forum on Tuesday night. The subject of the Brent Cross redevelopment came up. Why was the meeting hurriedly announced. Barnet planning officer Martin Cowie told us that the discussion on Thursday was only to allow more time for the proposals to be fully fleshed out, which is a legal requirement. Nothing was being approved. At least that's what I thought was said. Then I read this
Here it says that the whole thing has been approved and that Martin Cowie has the power to order section 106 benefits. I must apologise for not listening properly. If anyone was there who could confirm whether I just got the total wrong end of the stick or whether Martin Cowie has spun a complete porkie, I'd be really grateful. I'm going to email John Hart and ask him what he thought had been said, as he's the chairman.
Tonight Councillor Maureen Braun's planning committee is again discussing the Brent Cross redevelopment. This hugely unpopular scheme is yet again under the spotlight and the BBC have threatened to turn up to interview protestors outside the meeting.
What's this all got to do with Lynne Hillan and her troughing? Well sadly quite a lot. Hillans leadership has created a climate where no one trusts our local politicians and everyone believes they are on the take. When Maureen Braun and her chums discuss the proposal, no one actually believes that they give a monkeys about the local residents. This sour bunch voted themselves huge rises, whilst urging everyone else to show restraint. Have the developers and our local councillors got, shall we say, a "too cosy relationship"? Who knows, ,but given how they've shown where their priorities lie, how can anyone trust them?
You may recall Lynne Hillan spoke up at a previous planning meeting for the scheme, something leaders don't usually do. Sadly Lynne is the last person to sell a scheme as in the interests of the Barnet public. She is damaged goods
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 26th July 2010
This Thursday 29th 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.”
I asked one of Barnets leading Conservative Councillors whether they supported the Federation of Small Business manifesto for Barnet. As a small businessman who employs 9 people, I believe that this is the best way to reinvigorate the local economy. His response :-
I don’t think it would be appropriate for the Council to be supporting any particular lobby group’s manifesto.
Fair enough you may say. It is not an unreasonable position to take. Whilst I had hoped for a more positive response to a sensible set of proposals, in the dull, unimaginative world of Barnet council, it is probably to be expected. I talk to many other small businessmen in Barnet. Many run shops in our High Streets. The story I am told time and time again is that they get no support from Barnet Council. When the Barnet Lib Dems proposed changes to parking fees, making the first hour free in Mill Hill Broadway, a move supported by all of the traders, the council refused point blank on cost grounds.
Parking wardens seem to approach CPZ ticketing with a military precision. If the CPZ starts at 11am, they pounce at 11am and get as many tickets in as possible, knowing some peoples watches are a couple of minutes slow. All of this pushes shoppers away from the High Streets, towards large shopping centres such as Brent Cross, where parking is free. It has long seemed to me that Brent Cross shopping centre and the large chains which inhabit it operate under a completely different set of rules to the rest of us. Whilst I understand the need for Barnet to encourage a thriving business, such as Brent Cross, this cannot be to the exclusion of small business and small shopkeepers. The question I've often wondered is "Does Brent Cross get special treatment from Barnet Council". Until yesterday I thought that this was unlikely. Now I'm not so sure. Let me share with you a response to an FOI which I was shown.
There are no such committees. They meet informally with the CE, Deputy CEs and Assistant CE.
Non-Executive Directors of Barnet Council
a) How many Non-Executive Directors does Barnet Council have?
None in the usual sense of the term, but the executive heads of the five principal partner bodies advise the Council's Chief Executive and senior colleagues on an informal unpaid basis. They are referred to as Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), although they have none of the usual responsibilities associated with this function.
b) Who are they?
• Tom Nathan, Commercial Director, Brent Cross Shopping Centre
• Cameron Ward, Chief Executive, NHS Barnet
• Stephen Knight, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Middlesex University
• Neil Basu, Borough Police Commander
• Marilyn Hawkins, Principal, Barnet College
c) What organisations do they represent?
See above
d) What criteria does Barnet Council use to engage these Non-Executive Directors?
They are not "engaged" but have accepted invitations to meet with the CE and senior colleagues on an informal advisory basis, the only criterion being their posts as heads of the five principle partner bodies listed above.
e) How often do they meet?
Monthly
f) What is the name of the Council Committee(s) in which they assemble?
The CE of NHS Barnet attends Cabinet meetings in an advisory capacity.
g) How much are they paid to fulfil this Non-Executive Director role?
Nothing
h) What influence do they have on Council Policy?
The Council has a role of civic leadership amongst the above partner organisations. The NEDs informally advise the CE and his senior colleagues in fulfilling this role.
i) How long has Barnet Council had Non-Executive Directors?
Since 2006
j) Do these non -executive Directors represent Barnet Council in any capacity on Committees outside the Borough?
No
k) Which Council Officer appoints them in their role as Non-Executive Directors?
No appointment is made - they are invited to take part in this advisory process by the Chief Executive.
l) What is their period of Office as a Non-Executive Director and how do they cease to become a Non-Executive Director?
The arrangement is purely informal. No period of office is stipulated. Their position as NEDs is consequent on their appointment as heads of their respective organisations.
As you can see, one name sticks out. Mr Tom Nathan, Commercial director of Brent Cross shopping centre. All of the other NED's are members of public bodies. The sole commercial representative is Mr Tom Nathan, from Brent Cross. As you see, this job is the gift of the CEO of Barnet, Nick Walkley. Although unpaid, Mr Nathan gets unprecedented access to the chief executive. I attended a Leader Listens business breakfast with Mr Nathan last year. He was a fine speaker and I'm sure that in many ways he's an asset have in Barnet. It's just that I can't possibly agree that letting Mr Nathan have an executive position within Barnet Council is good or healthy. Just suppose the Lib Dem proposal to allow free parking comes up before Mr Nathan in his meeting. If local shopping centres get more trade, Brent Cross gets less. How will he use his influence with the CEO? I was rather concerned about the issue of democratic scrutiny of these NED's. I asked the Leader of the Lib Dems, Jack Cohen for a comment. He was shocked. He wasn't aware of this arrangement. So it seems there is an executive arm of senior management within Barnet Council which is completely outside of Democratic control.
The biggest, most fundamental change to take place in the London Borough of Barnet is the Brent Cross redevelopment. There are many Borough wide issues which this impacts. Barnet Council wheeled out the Leader of the Council to support the planning application. The only senior Tory to oppose it was the Mayor, Brian Coleman, who has since been marginalised. Do you feel comfortable in the knowledge that someone as closely associated with Brent Cross and the redevelopment as Mr Nathan has a position of executive responsibility on Barnet Council, purely by way of his job?
This whole issue is a can of worms. Is it any wonder that Town Centre regeneration is bottom of the list of priorities for Barnet Council and its Tory overlords.
A huge glossy document entitled Cricklewood, Brent Cross and West Hendon Regeneration Development Framework arrived at my flat just before Christmas.
There we have it in full colour: a future for the western side of our borough involving various New Labour buzzwords such as "Sustainable Community", "Street Hierarchy", "Rapid Transit Systems" and other meaningless tosh designed to provide us with thousands of high-density homes for an ever-expanding population.
Call me old-fashioned, but I like our borough, with its rows of semi-detached houses and gardens and green spaces. I am the first to argue that we need to rip down the dreadful 1960s estates in which some of our council tenants live, but I fail to see the logic of replacing one failing flat-roofed estate with another higher density one.
The current proposals for the Stonegrove estate in Edgware, for example, completely fail to take account of the current environment on the edge of the green belt.
The proposals for West Hendon, including a 24-storey tower block, are inappropriate for the edge of the Welsh Harp, one of only two sites of special scientific interest in the borough, the other being Hampstead Heath. I suppose we should be grateful no greedy developer is suggesting we need social housing in Hampstead Garden Suburb.
Which brings me to Cricklewood. This, we are told, is the largest brownfield site in Greater London. When I was elected to the GLA I was told that development work on King's Cross would begin within months: well, it is four years later and nothing much has happened. The lesson to me is clear: allow development as the market dictates in manageable parcels, acceptable to the local community.
Before anyone tells me that you end up with no infra-structure, then point me to the new roads, improvements in public transport, leisure facilities and education in the document that landed on my front door mat.
Are we seriously suggesting we can accommodate 11, 000 extra residential units and 33, 000 extra vehicles between now and 2016 on the minimal infrastructure improvements proposed?
The real villain behind all this is Ken Livingstone, whose draft Spatial Development Strategy for London puts pressure on the boroughs to accommodate a projected increase in London's population which few experts believe will happen.
He talks of "landmark buildings" and indeed one of more than 40 storeys is proposed for Cricklewood. If you want to see a landmark building in this borough, visit North Finchley and see the monstrosity Labour foisted onto an unwilling community.
I have seen the future - and it is urban hell Let us all commit ourselves to preserving a greener Barnet in 2004 and send over ambitious developers packing.
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Brian Coleman is the Mayor of Barnet and GLA member for Barnet & Camden. This article was originally printed in "The Press" on January 8th 2004. Thanks to the NODIE archive for the story and Dont Call Me Dave for the Tip off and most of all, thanks to Brian Coleman for his words of wisdom about overdevelopment in Barnet.
The picture shown above is one that forms part of the artists illustration of the Brent Cross /Cricklewood redevelopment scheme. It was the one which they've been punting to the papers such as the Hendon Times.Now take a look at this picture taken from google earth of how it looks today. I've added a nice pink arrow to show which angle the artists impression is looking from.
As you may notice, the way it is represented by the artist, it looks like there's a lovely green area that is part of the development, however this is a bit of the land adjacent to the plan and unaffected by it.
Now look at this picture.
On this picture I've helpfully put a border around the part of the artists picture which actually shows the development. Now if I was an architect and I was proud of my designs, would I give greater promennance to the sky, the allotements and the playing fields than my lovely buildings. Well, yes I would, if I was trying to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. If I was trying to pretend the plan was a fantastic, green, innovative design, when really it was a high rise hell, comprising rabbit hutch flats.
The evidence is there. How can they possibly think this is a great plan, if they hide it like this. You'll note that the high rise element is in the far distance. I saw the picture and thought "that looks quite nice" until I analysed it. Then I though "cheeky B*******s".
What disturbs me is that when Councillor Maureen Braun chairs the planning committee, people might fall for this ruse. Her political master, Councillor Mike Freer is speaking in favour of the proposal. Of course, I'm sure this won't put her under any pressure at all. Interestingly enough, even Councillor Brian Coleman thinks it's a rotten plan and has come out against it. What is the difference between Coleman and Freer? Well Mike Freer doesn't come from Barnet and he's hoping to move to Westminster some time soon. Brian Coleman has lived in Barnet all his life and plans to hang around.
What does this tell you?
