Barnet's Labour Council screw up again over Church Farmhouse Museum Sale

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Lets file this under the "you couldn't make it up" folder in the Barnet Council litany of cock ups. A local historian alerted me to this advert >>

Dodgy developers have long been in the habit of posting notices about dodgy developments in the locality just before Xmas. It appears that our Labour Council have adopted this strategy with contentious local developments. This advert was apparently posted in the December 18th edition of a local papers. 

In a rather bizarre move, the Barnet Council is trying to sell the grounds of the Church Farmhouse Museum separately to the building.

Readers of this blog will not be surprsied to learn that the Council has cocked up again. The Advert is defective, in a rather basic manner. The postcode of the Museum is listed as  NW9 4JR. This is actually an address in Colindale. I suspect that the residents of Coxwell Boulevard NW9 will be surprised to find that they live in an open space and the council wants to sell it!

Of course the correct post code os NW4 4JR. It is yeat another example of the slapdash nature of Barnet Council, where nothing is checked. The council must now repost this notice to be legally compliant, costing yet more money to hard pressed taxpayers. This is the second major cock up that Barnet's Labour Council have made as they try and get shot of a building they promised to save when they were in opposition.

They disgust me

I sent this objection to the Council today

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Dear Barnet Council

 

My attention has been drawn to an advert posted in press concerning the sale of Church Farmhouse museum. I trust you are aware that this notice is defective and requires reposting. I attach details

As I hope you are aware, the museum is in NW4, not NW9 as advertised. 

 

I would like to place on record my objection to this assaut on the heritage of Barnet and Hendon. Do councillors and council officials not value the heritage and history of our Borough.

 

I would also like to place on record my disappointment at the lack of even the most basic proofreading of such adverts. Such mistakes leaves Barnet Council open to legal challenge and demonstrates a cultire of slapdash incompetence.

 

I rather hope this sale will be abandoned now, although I suppose that a new advert will simply be posted to avoid legal challenge.

 

Regards

Roger Tichborne

The Barnet Eye saves council tax payers from yet another expensive legal cock up over Church Farmhouse Museum

 As you know, this blog has been following the sad story of the destruction of the heritage of our Borough and the failure to protect important buildings. It came to our attention that Barnet Council had listed Church Farmhouse Museum for sale by auction. We reviewed the paperwork and also visited the building to see what state it was in. We were horrified by what we saw. This is a grade two listed building. Here is what we found, when we inspected with a retired expert.

We also found defects in the legal papers that would have potentially opened the council up to lawsuits, for non disclosure of important legal details. I wrote to the council leader and the CEO to express my concerns.

Dear  Cllr Rawlings, Cllr Clarke and Ms Shaw

 

I am writing to you on behalf of an urgent legal matter that could incur a large financial penalty for Barnet Council. I have reveiwed the papers for the sale by auction of CHurch Farmhouse museum. I believe that the paperwork is materially incorrect and misleading to potential buyers and the council may be at risk should the property be sold on the basis of information the council has provided.

 

I refer specifically to the paperwork concerning the public right of way through the grounds. The law states, in relation to a legal right of way

 

A de facto public right of way in England is a route that is legally considered a public right of way (a highway) due to a presumption of dedication by the landowner, which arises from long, continuous use by the public. This is established under Section 31 of the Highways Act 1980 and requires the following conditions to be met: 

• Public Use: The path must have been used by the public generally, not just a specific group of people (like friends or employees of the landowner).
• Duration: The use must have been continuous and without interruption for a full period of at least 20 years. The 20-year period is calculated retrospectively from the date the public's right to use the way is challenged (e.g., by the landowner putting up a locked gate or a clear notice).
• "As of Right": The public must use the way "as of right" (a term meaning "as if by right"). This means the use must be:
  • Without force (e.g., not breaking down fences or gates).
  • Without secrecy (e.g., not using it only at night).
  • Without permission (i.e., the landowner did not give express permission, or there was no clear indication of 'permissive access', which would defeat the claim).

It is clear and documented that this right has been exercised for long in excess of the 20 year period legally required. The paperwork suggests that Barnet Council are not aware of a public right of way through the property. This is clearly incorrect.

Any buyer who attempts to block this will face legal action and may claim remedy from Barnet Council. I would strongly suggest that Barnet Council removes the building from sale at this time. 

 

My personal view is that Barnet Council should not be selling off the heritage of the Borough. However if this folly is to be persued, at least ensure that the paperwork is in order and the council is not likely to face future lawsuits. I am concerned that due diligence does not appear to have been done. In the event that Coucil was previously genuinely unaware of the right of way, you have now been informed. I can obtain testomony from numerous locals who have used this over the last 35 years and are willing to confirm this in writing.

 

I have cc'd the opposition leader as a courtesy for visibility

 

Regards 

Roger Tichborne

 

I have to say that the response from Barnet Council's head of property asks more questions than it answers. I won't comment, as I am sure readers of this blog are more than clever enough to make up their own mind.

Dear Mr. Tichborne,

 

Thank you very much for your email last week to Cath Shaw, the Leader Barry and councillors regarding the proposed sale of Church Farmhouse.  I want to assure you that we are already aware of the potential issue you raised and have been working with our legal team to ensure that an appropriate response is included within the Commercial Property Standard Enquiries (CPSE).

 

The information you have seen was therefore incomplete, rather than incorrect, because the associated CPSE had not yet been uploaded. However, as the legal pack is still being finalised and the auction date is now just over a week away, we have decided to pull the property out of the upcoming auction. Rest assured, the property will be entered into a future auction once the full marketing details are available.

 

Thank you once again for taking the time to write to us about this.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

Sal Waheed MRICS

Head of Property and Portfolio Management I Growth Directorate

(Property Services, Facilities Management, Print and Mail Services)

 

London Borough of Barnet, 2 Bristol Avenue, Colindale, NW9 4EW

I will simply draw attention to the previous blog I wrote about the subject on 4th November and the letter sent to Barnet, which I received no response to - barneteye.blogspot.com/2025/11/breathtaking-dishonesty-and-hypocisy.html

It is clear to me though that the intervention of this blog has potentially saved Barnet Council taxpayers a fortune in legal bills. This is one reason I still write a blog. Of course I doubt any Labour Councillors will thank me for doing their job of scrutinising what the Council officers are doing. The only difference is I don't get a ten grand allowance for doing this. 

Breathtaking dishonesty and hypocrisy from Barnet Labour over Church Farmhouse Museum

 My attention was drawn to an article in the Evening Standard, stating that Barnet's Labour council are auction off the building that used to house Church Farmhouse Musuem. I immediately sent this email to several senior Barnet Labour councillors.

From: roger tichborne  

To: cllr.b.rawlings@barnet.gov.uk; cllr.a.clarke@barnet.gov.uk; cllr.a.schneiderman@barnet.gov.uk 

Sent: Tuesday, October 28th 2025, 14:35 

Subject: Church Farmhouse Museum
 

Dear Senior Labour Councillors,

In 2014 Andrew Dismore said the following when the Barnet Tories closed Church Farmhouse Museum 

“This is the inevitable consequence of the Conservative Council’s closure of the museum, and after over 3 years, their inability to find someone to take it on. Their so-called negotiations with Middlesex University are going nowhere, as it is clear they are not really interested in taking over this historic listed building because  its uses are so limited. An empty unused building like this is an open invitation  for thieves. The Council has been and is spending thousands on security at the former Museum, for little  good it does;  and Boris Johnson’s cuts in the police service haven’t helped either.The Council should be ashamed of themselves. they will have to replace the missing flags at no doubt considerable expense to the council taxpayers of Barnet, but it is difficult to see  how new stones will be able to replicate the appearance of the stolen old ones. Conservative Barnet could not care less about our Borough’s history and historic buildings”. 

https://barneteye.blogspot.com/2014/05/church-farmhouse-museum-national.html

I note that the Labour Adminstration is planning to sell it by auction. Do we now conclude that Labour are as bad as the Tories. I find it heartbreaking that the Labour Party is seemingly just as bad as the party I worked so hard to get kicked out. Before I launch a campaign on my blog to shame your adminstration, I am writing privately asking you to reconsider. I would appreciate a response. This is an important community asset. Dismore was right in 2014. 

I have cc'd Gerrard Roots, former curator. A staunch Labour supporter, who is deeply upset with the turn of events. I have also copied local author and historian Mark Amies. Both are taking a keen interest in this matter.

Regards

Roger Tichborne

It may, or may not surprise you to learn that none of the listed councillors could be bothered responding. Out of fairness, I have given them a week to reply. I had private messages of support from both of the other people mentioned. I have arranged to meet with former curator, Gerrard Roots to discuss further. A video showing the appalling state of the building and detailing the history is being compiled. On the day the Barnet Tories closed the building, I made this video with Gerard.

At the time, Barnet Labour promised that they "would be different and would respect the heritage of Barnet". These words were completely hollow. I believe the auction is being held later in November. Our Labour Council still has time to reconsider (although I doubt they care at all).

Former Labour Assembly member Andrew Dismore's criticism of the Barnet Tories does sound rather hypocritical and dishonest now, doesn't it? There is still time for Barnet Labour to change their mind, but the fact they can't even be bothered to respond to emails is not encouraging, is it?

.

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CHURCH FARMHOUSE MUSEUM (1955- 2011) R.I.P - A guest blog by Gerrard Roots

On 1 April 2011, Church Farmhouse Museum, despite protests from people locally, and far beyond, was shut down by Barnet's Tory council. Since then, the Museum's collection has been sold off, and the Grade II* Listed building, one of the most significant in Barnet Borough, has become offices for Middlesex University. A small but important gateway into the rich and varied past of our area was barred to the public forever. Today is a dismal anniversary, and one which Barnet's Tories are marking with plans to shut down yet another public amenity in Hendon. Hendon Library, on the Burroughs, once the purpose-built flagship of an extensive and much-admired library service, is to become Middlesex University's Business School, whilst local readers will have to make-do with a library in a shed on a car-park.

When I have described the actions of Barnet's Tories to people who live outside this Borough, they have often commented that they must be corrupt. I always answer 'no'. Barnet's Tories do not need to be bribed to do the dreadful things they do. They do these dreadful things because they WANT to do them. (When Church Farm was fighting closure in 2010, a member of the Friends of the Museum said to then then Barnet Cabinet Member for Culture: 'but you really can't close the Museum'. His response: a gleeful 'Oh yes we can'.) The closure of Church Farm was the proving- ground for all that was to come over the next ten years.

Barnet's Tories are not corrupt- they are lucky Since the closure of Church Farm a sucession of horrendous national governments- from the Coalition onwards- have brought us the needless brutality of 'austerity', the farce of Brexit, and the shambles of the response to the pandemic. All have created a useful smokescreen for the Tories in Barnet, behind which they have continued their self-appointed task of turning much of our Borough into a joyless concrete wasteland, whilst ensuring that enough dainty green enclaves survive to accommodate their wealthy Tory power-base in comfort. I hope their luck at last runs out in May 2022.

Gerrard Roots

Ed Note - I made this video with Gerrard ten years ago on the day of the closure. This shows what we've lost. It is the saddest video I've made for this blog. 

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Gerrard was curator of Church Farmhouse Museum at the time of it's closure.Guest blogs are always welcome at the Barnet Eye

Hendon Development - A guest blog by Gerrard Roots

Hendon in recent years seems to have become a mere adjunct of Middlesex University (MU). It now appears that MU's domination of the area is to be extended even futher. Plans are afoot to demolish the former Meritage Club (now Well-being Hub), and adjoining buildings (including the Citizens Advice Bureau and the Mencap respite house) at Church End NW4, to be replaced with halls of residence for some 260 students; to demolish the Ravensfield House and Fenella buildings (currently used as MU offices) and nearby shops on the Burroughs, to be replaced by halls of residence to house twice that number of students; and to create a new office block behind Hendon Library (on the site of the old children's clinic) to accommodate the MU staff displaced from Fenella and Ravensfield. (The plans claim that the essential services, and the shops, will - eventually- be reinstated.)

These plans were inadvertently revealed when a 'restricted' document, appended to a report on the Hendon Development, to be discussed at Barnet's Assets, Regeneration and Growth Committee on 13 June, appeared openly online. The document was overnight retrieved, and resticted once more. However, I had read the plans and felt that as now they were in the public arena they should be discussed by the ARG Committee in public. I submitted a question about the plans, was asked- courteously- by the Head of Governance- to withdraw it ,but refused to do so. (How could I 'un-read' what I've read). My question was put on the agenda, with a written reply saying that the plan had been revealed by 'human error'. I attended the meeting, asked a supplementary question, only to be told that as the document had only been revealed by mistake there could be no response from the Committee The whole agenda item (initially designated as 'public') was then discussed only after the removal of the press and public from the meeting.

This raises two points. Church End is one of LBB's Conservation areas. With St Mary's Church and Church House, the Model Farmhouse and its former Milking Parlour, Rose Cottages, the Greyhound pub, and Church Farm House (formerly LBB's museum) it is one of the few tangible reminders of Hendon' s rural past. Its survival is essential. No-one would argue that the 1970s Meritage, etc, buildings, were in themselves attractive, but they are small-scale, and they currently house important services to the public. Their replacements will be three four-storey blocks ('world-class' of course as so obviously all MU new buildings are) which will overshadow everything around them and largely serve only the University. There will be no parking places, as MU's policy is that that its students should not have cars. Any resident of Church End/ Greyhound Hill and envirions will know that MU students have, shall we say, a different view.

The second point regards Barnet Borough's attitude to this farce. I have been told that the agenda item was merely to allow councillors to vote to approve a Strategic Outline Case or SOC: i.e an exploration of the financial impications of the plan. I was told that there would be extensive committee debate once the plans were fully framed, and a public consutation before any final decisions were made. So what? The scheme will happen because the scheme suits Middlesex University, and this small, senstive area of old Hendon will beyet further bombarded with buildings and traffic. I have no grudge against MU, far from it, but the University is just one other organization that Barnet's Tories are in thrall to. In Hendon it's MU, elsewhere in the Borough, it's the major building developers,' free' school chains, even Saracens RFC. (Of course, internally, Barnet is under the thumb of Capita.) This suits Barnet's complacent, ignorant and idle Tory councillors perfectly. Let such organizations decide what they want, and then simply vote in favour of it. Curiously, the only group that Barnet's Tories are not in thrall to is the Borough's ordinary residents; they are of no importance and may be safely ignored.

Here is a small film I made with Gerrard on the day Church Farmhouse museum closed.

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Gerrard Roots is a resident of Hendon and the former curator of Church Farmhouse Museum. Guest Blogs are always welcome

Guest Blog - Open Letter to Barnet Councillor Melvin Cohen - Treat the public with respect by Gerrard Roots

A guest blog by Gerrard Roots, 
Former Curator of Church Farmhouse Museum



Dear Cllr Cohen

I have been attending LBB Council meetings for forty years, but last Tuesday's meeting was unquestionably one of the worst.

John Dix and I had submitted, within time, questions about agenda item 8 (* Barnet Eye note:  Agenda item 8 concerned the proposal by Barnet Council to require ten objections before a planning application is referred to the planning committee for approval. Applications where there are less than ten objections will be decided under delegated powers by the Capita lead planning department) , and had both indicated that we would be present at the meeting and would ask supplementary questions. 

However, at the beginning of the meeting, you suddenly announced that item 8 had been removed from the agenda, and so questions could only be addressed to it at some future- unspecified- time. Although your decision must have been made well beforehand, no one had had the courtesy to inform Mr Dix or myself about it: we wasted our time in coming to the Town Hall.

That, in itself, was a discourtesy, but more importantly, your decision to disallow any discussion- by councillors or by the public- on proposals designed to yet further reduce the ability of Barnet residents to comment on Barnet Council's actions was simply shocking.

You offered no justification for your decision, but, with the exception of one Labour councillor's comment, your Committee supinely accepted it. When, on leaving, I remarked that the meeting was a disgrace, you said that that was 'just my opinion'. I have since mentioned the meeting to a number of people, and they all agree with me: the meeting WAS a disgrace. You and your fellow Committee members should be ashamed of yourselves .

Yours

Gerrard Roots

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Gerrard Roots was the Curator of Church Farmhouse Museum in Hendon, until its closure by Barnet Council. The museum has been converted into offices for Middlesex University and much of the collections were sold off with some disappearing without trace.

Guest Blogs are always welcome at The Barnet Eye.

Here is a video we made at Church Farm Museum on the day it closed featuring Gerrard

Guest Blog - An Update from the retired Curator of Church Farmhouse Museum by Gerrard Roots

Dear All

As expected, Barnet's Assets, Regeneration & Growth (ARGhhhh!) Committee voted last night to offer Church Farm to Middlesex University on a 7-year lease, rent-free, and also cough-up £280,000 towards the costs that Middx has identified as necessary for refurbishments- refurbishments needed only because Barnet has so grossly neglected the building for many years.

I, Theresa Musgrove (blogger 'Mrs Angry') and Jeremy Teare submitted pertinent written questions to the Committee, and Theresa and I were present to ask supplementary questions. We might as well have stayed at home. One might have thought that with the consignment of Cllrs Rams & Coleman (the main architects of Church Farm's demise) to the political graveyard there could now be a sensible discussion about the future of Church Farm: but, no- the effluvia from their rotting corpses still permeates the 'debating-chambers' of Barnet council.

Chairman Cllr Daniel Thomas proved, if more proof was needed, that he had no understanding of history, of the importance of museums, or of the common good, but  ,perhaps, even more disturbingly, his new mantra,  'protecting services, not buildings,' revealede that he, like the rest of his cloddish Tory chums, is incapable of recognising that the Council has a 'duty of care' towards any listed buildings it owns. The responsibilty is statutory, not optional, but why should the Deputy Leader of the second biggest borough in London be expected to be aware of that?

Of the Committee members, only Labour Councillor Pauline Coakley Webb spoke about Church Farm as a much-loved museum, and as a significant historic building. In reply, Cllr Thomas stated that it was obvious  that nobody really cared about the Museum, because Hendon Ward (in which Church Farm is sited) had returned, yet again, three  Tory councillors at the elections last May. The fact that Church Farm, which had by that time been shut for three years,  was an asset not just for Hendon but for all of Barnet (and beyond),  and that his- increasingly beleagured and flouncingly defensive- collection of Conservative 'colleagues' snuck in to control Barnet in May by one seat seems not have impinged on this wannabe (anywhere-else-but-in- Barnet) Conservative MP.

After the meeting, a former Chair of the Friends of the Museum, aptly quoted Oscar Wilde: 'They know the price of everything, but the value of nothing'. Moreover, in Barnet, only Barnet's Tories actually know the price: the rest of us, the humble oiks who pay these posturing dolt's allowances, were excluded from the deliberations on the financial details of the lease between two publicly- funded bodies: Barnet Council and Middlesex University.

Middlesex  University has, despite Barnet's claims otherwise, no proven expertise in dealing with an old and 'vulnerable' (English Heritage's description) Grade II* building. But then two baboons with lump-hammers would have been more adept at preserving Church Farmhouse's fabric than Barnet Council has. Perhaps Middllesex will make a better job of it.

Now, to me, there remain two major issues: Barnet claims that the lease to MU includes 'community use' of the building in the evenings, and at week-ends. There were no 'consultations' with the 'community' before the Council report (after all, this is Barnet) but Cllr Thomas reassured us that these would be forthcoming at some unspecified time.  If such  'consultations' actually materialize  then we must engage withe them. More importantly, we need to know what Barnet Council ( if it is still in existence in 2021) intends to do with  Church Famhouse when the lease runs out. Perhaps we should make our overtures to London Borough of  Capita now: 'Please sir, can you return this lovely !7th century building that we have all paid for into a public museum? Please, sir! Oh, please, sir!'

regards

Gerrard


Editors Note : This is a video we made with Gerrard Roots Earlier this year

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Guest Blogs are always welcome at the Barnet Eye

Church Farmhouse Museum - The national treasure that the Barnet Conservatives Trashed

Of all the sickening acts performed in the name of austerity and cuts by the Barnet Conservatives, to me the saddest was the trashing of the beautiful Church Farmhouse Museum, now lying abandoned, unloved and unwanted. This museum is the oldest building in Hendon and for many years was a centre of civic pride in Hendon. Exhibitions detailing the local history of Hendon, the London Borough of Barnet and London were regularly held. Children from all over the Borough came to learn of the history of their hometown. Some of the exhibitions were iconic. The last one was the exhibition of London Underground memorablia in honour of Frank Beck, designer of the Iconic Underground map. The Tories made the decision to close the museum shortly after getting re-elected in 2010 and the museum closed its doors for the last time in 2011. I went up on the final day for a tour. I recorded this video with Gerard Roots, the curator. I wanted to preserve forever a little piece of what I consider to be priceless, but our Tory Council consider to be of no value at all.


Now I am no Francis Ford Coppola, but of all the video's I've made on my little home camera, this is the one I'm most proud of. It captures something which is gone forever. Even if by some miracle, the Tories are kicked out and Labour reopen the museum, the collection was flogged off soon after in a firesale auction.

This morning I was quite disturbed to read this email, forwarded to me. It had been sent to the Barnet Council officer responsible for property and maintenance.

Dear Suzanna

You will be concerned to learn that, overnight, someone has dug up and stolen nine or ten of the big Yorkstone paving flags from the paths around the front and the east end of Church Farm. I don't know whether the Ad Hoc 'Guardians' have reported the theft to the police.

regards

Gerrard Roots

Mr Roots, the retired caretaker, steeped in a tradition of public service was clearly uspet. Next I received a press release from Labour GLA rep Andrew Dismore.

Mr Dismore said 

“This is the inevitable consequence of the Conservative Council’s closure of the museum, and after over 3 years, their inability to find someone to take it on. Their so-called negotiations with Middlesex University are going nowhere, as it is clear they are not really interested in taking over this historic listed building because  its uses are so limited. An empty unused building like this is an open invitation  for thieves. The Council has been and is spending thousands on security at the former Museum, for little  good it does;  and Boris Johnson’s cuts in the police service haven’t helped either.The Council should be ashamed of themselves. they will have to replace the missing flags at no doubt considerable expense to the council taxpayers of Barnet, but it is difficult to see  how new stones will be able to replicate the appearance of the stolen old ones. Conservative Barnet could not care less about our Borough’s history and historic buildings”.

The Hendon Times have also covered the story

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/11224330._It_s_an_easy_target_for_thieves____paving_slabs_stolen_from_abandoned_museum/

When it comes down to it, do we care about our history, our traditions, our heritage. Church Farmhouse museum is a listed building and was a Jewel in the crown of the London Borough of Barnet. 

The Link below shows just how much Londoners valued this gem of a museum

http://londonist.com/2011/02/harry-beck-and-the-london-tube-map-church-farmhouse-museum.php

Please do me a little favour if you value the efforts I put into my blog. Watch the video and then tell all your neighbours, family and friends what the Barnet Conservatives did to the Borough to save a pittance. You may say that times are tight and sacrfices have to be made. Well ask yourself this. If this was true, how come the Barnet Conservatives were awarding themselves huge raises in allowances at the same time as approving the closure. Councillor Robert Rams, who made the decision and his cabinet colleagues awarded themselves huge rises. This money would easily have funded the museum, had they not been so snouts in the trough. 

Barnet Tories often say "What vital service would you cut to have saved the museum/" My answer is that I don't consider giving Tory Councillors a payrise to be a vital service. I don't consider the army of consultants who the Tories have engaged to privatise the Borough to be a priority either. 

Much as I despise the grotesque act of the thieves who stole the paving stones, they are not the real vandals. Those are the people who shut the museum, flogged the collection and let the building fall into rack and ruin. 

On Thursday you make a choice at the polls. As I am sure you can imagine, I've made mine.