Update from the friends of the Hendon Midland Hotel concerning Hendon developments

 Hello Friends and Supporters of Midland Hotel Pub, NW4

Hope that all is very well with you.

Your full and timely support for The Midland Pub has helped save our beloved pub from demolition in 2018. 

We have been asked to share this news about proposed developments in The Burroughs and Church End NW4 and to seek your support if you are interested/affected. 

1. This website explains the imminent threat of losing our Grade 2 listed HENDON PUBLIC LIBRARY as Barnet's flagship library; it is to be gutted, extended to join with a new building at the rear and leased out to Middlesex University as their business school. 

It also explains why the Hendon Hub scheme's extensive building and expansion proposals are harmful and how residents have not been listened to regarding the future of the area. 

https://www.savehendon.org/

2. This Facebook page is dedicated to the efforts to SAVE THE LIBRARY and to SCALE DOWN THE DEVELOPMENTS so that it protects the heritage, character and community of the area and beyond. 

Some of you may already be in this group. You can see updates on what is happening in the civic centre of Barnet and follow the action. 

 https://m.facebook.com/groups/3701819566549833/?multi_permalinks=4396551017076681%2C4394211490643967%2C4393820887349694%2C4393689130696203%2C4382765181788598&notif_t=group_activity&notif_id=1630581082256769&ref=m_notif

3. This link is for crowdfunding to pursue the legal challenge that was initiated by Hendon residents on 12 August 2021 to take Barnet Council to court. 

Any donation, no matter the size, will be greatly appreciated to take the challenge to the next stage. 

The target to raise in the NEXT TWO WEEKS is £20k for this stage. 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/hendon-residents-v-barnet-council

4. This link is for T shirt sales to help with the legal challenge costs and to raise awareness of the Hendon Hub issues. 

https://m.facebook.com/SaveHendon/?refid=52&__tn__=C-R

5. This link is for the Save Hendon Library petition which will remain active till the time Barnet Council moves it out to temporary accommodation.

https://www.change.org/p/barnet-council-last-chance-to-save-old-hendon-library

We really hope that, after looking through these informative links, you can support by donating and sharing this community action with family and friends.

Helping with this action will also mean that when we need help to save the pub, we have another group of residents ready to support us.

THANK YOU FOR READING. 

If you do not wish to be contacted regarding the Hendon Hub matters, please reply to this email to have your email removed.

Stay safe, 

Midland Hotel Community Group 

Update from the Midland Hotel Community Group

Hi All

The owners of The Midland Pub, EEH Estates Ltd, employed a PR consultant, Mr John Stafford-Mills, in the summer. Mr Stafford-Mills asked to meet with interested stakeholders and four of us met with him and their planning consultant, Mr James Singer, from Nexus planning (the agents for last year's application) in September.

We reiterated our staunch support for the pub and made it very clear that demolition of the pub will be totally unacceptable by the group, the local residents and the wider community.

I recently asked for an update on events and this is his reply sent on Tuesday 26 November 2019.

Dear Mr Paterson

Thank you for your message.  Apologies for the radio silence. 

I haven’t been back to you as yet because no decisions have yet been taken on the way ahead.  The client has been considering the feedback we gave him from the various discussions we had locally, and James, the architects and I met with them last week to discuss next steps.  We have a design meeting with the wider consultants team next week and will then meet the council officers for a pre-app discussion.   At that stage we’ll have a good idea of the scheme we will wish to take forward and consult on, at which time I’ll contact you to suggest that we meet again.

I will let you know as soon as there is further news.      

Best regards

John Stafford-Mills

It is important that we spread the word that development plans are afoot. 

We do not know what they are and there is NO requirement for the owners, their PR man or their planning consultants to let us know what they the are proposing.

It may well be that the first sight of the plans will be via the planning application on Barnet website.

Note that the PR guy's reply came after John Teahan (pub licensee) had been told in writing of the rent demand of £10,000 per month. 

As supporters of this pub,

• Please encourage others to register their interest by replying to this email so that we can mobilise objections quickly if a planning application is submitted to Barnet Council.
• If you have social media, please publicise this via Facebook and Twitter.
• Like the pub's Facebook page and contribute photos and reviews to show that it is a popular pub.
• https://www.facebook.com/TheMidlandHotelHendon/ 
• There will be a Christmas and Community Awards Party hosted by Barnet Eye on Friday 13 December 2019 at The Midland Hotel Pub. 8pm. Please come!!
• Please encourage friends and family to visit to support the pub as often as feasible to demonstrate its 'ASSET OF COMMUNITY VALUE' listing
• If any of political candidates or their representatives should visit you in the coming days prior to the election, please make them aware that The Midland Hotel pub is a well cherished community pub and they must robustly challenge any development plans to demolish the pub.

Cheers and Thank you!

Dave Paterson
Midland Hotel Community Group

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Barneteye comment -  following the previous blog from the MHCG last week, we've had over 2,000 views of the post and a huge number of comments have been generated and fed back to group. 

JUST A SELECTION OF THE COMMUNITY'S REACTION TO THE BARNET EYE GUEST BLOG by DAVE PATERSON:

Devastating news and I can’t believe that the landlord can do this - absolutely disgraceful and outrageous. What is Hendon coming to? Faceless buildings with no character or soul. History being bulldozed over to line the pockets of the wealthy.

To lose the Midland would simply be devastating for Hendon and its local community.
Barnet Council can’t let it happen.  

 it is a great pub, with good beer and friendly bar staff. It should remain so.  

So very saddened by this horrendous news.  

I have just read this article in horror!!! The midland has been reinvigorated thanks to John and his team. It’s a buzzing place for locals to meet and celebrate. We cannot allow for this historic place to be destroyed and flats to be built. Please add me and my family to your list of supporters.  

I am in favour of the retention of The Midland Hotel as the going concern it is at present. Any attempts at imposing punitive, exorbitant rent rises must be opposed in order to support this valuable community resource.  

I used to drink regularly in the pub and know what a vital community resource this hotel is. The last thing the 

people of Hendon need is more luxury apartments!  

Very sad to hear about the Midland hotel. Should not be happening it is a focal point of the community.  A community is more than a block of flats keep the community alive by protecting the individuality of the community.   

This rent is a ridiculous sum to ask, it’s quite obvious what their intentions are. We support whatever will help to save the Midland and block another load of flats being crammed into West Hendon.  

It's bl**dy outrageous what they're doing to this pub. The history behind it - is there no regard for this? John and the staff have worked tirelessly to build up the clientele; it really is a great local pub, great food, company and staff can never do enough.

It's a disgrace!

You can keep in touch with the support group by emailing and registering at mhhendon@gmail.com 

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Please show support for the pub and join us on Friday 13th December at 8pm at The Midland Hotel, Hendon, for the Barnet Eye Community awards and annual Xmas party. We are also looking for nominations for our community awards, click here for details. Free admission

#SaveLondonMusic Campaign adds its support to campaign to save the Midland Hotel in Hendon

The Midland Hotel

This Morning the Roger Tichborne, author of The Barnet Eye, founder of The Save London Music Campaign, lifelong musician and local resident of 56 years, , wrote an email to Danusia Brzeicka (Danusia.Brzezicka@barnet.gov.uk) the Council officer responsible for putting together the case for listing the Midland Hotel as an assett of communty value.  We reproduce the letter below. If you have used the venue please email Danusia ASAP and letr her know why you are supporting the application. Please CC in the Save The Midland Campaign (mhhendon@gmail.com).

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Danusia,

Please would you add my support to the case supporting the application for Community Value for the Midland Hotel in Hendon.

Robert Elms - BBC Radio London

It is absolutely essential that this facility is retained for use by the public. There are many community users of the pub, of which I am just one. I am involved in a Campaign called “Save London Music”. This is a London wide campaign working to save grassroots music venues. The Midland Hotel was the site of our launch party in Feb 2015, and has been regularly used to hold music events since. The Campaign will be having its fourth Birthday party at the venue in February 2019. The Campaign has been recognised by BBC Radio London (especially award winning presenter Robert Elms) as a vital element of preserving Londons music scene and Robert recently read out a statement of support for the campaign on his show. In association with Robert, we have documented all of Londons grassroots venues and organised gigs at the majority of them (https://barneteye.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-big-london-venue-project-in.html  )

There is no other similar venue in West Hendon. Over the past two years, there have been regular gigs organised by a whole host of Barnet musicians – some of these are documented in this Facebook thread on the Barnet Music page, used by Barnet Musicians - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1045197652201290/permalink/2035103413210704/

I have also used the venue on several occasions to host The Barnet Eye community awards, which recognises local charities and community campaigners. Organisations such as Colindale Foodbank and Barnet Housing Action have been recognised. (https://barneteye.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-saturday-list-109-barnet-eye-annual.html )

As a venue for wedding parties, funerals and other family events the venue is a vital and sadly unique venue. A good friend of mine recently had the wake for both her brother in law and mother at the venue. As a relatively low cost and community pub, it is an option for many who can’t afford more expensive venues.

Finally, the pub has an important role as a meeting place for local people. I am aware that the argument that developers and owners often make is that pubs are under utilised and part of a dying culture. The Midland has seen a decent turnaround over the last few years especially as a result of the live music offering. There is a huge untapped market for such a venue. This has been demonstrated by the transformation in Colindale of The Chandos Arms from a failing pub on its last legs three years ago to a vibrant, profitable business that won the UK Brewing Awards National Community Pub. The Landlord of the Midland is keen to emulate the success of the Chandos but cannot sensibly make the investment necessary to move the pub forward until such time as the future of the pub is secured. He has made small changes, such as bringing in a well used table tennis table and working with me to provide live music, but cannot sensibly invest in his own sound system and changes necessary without a guarantee of the future.

The fact that the planning application to knock down the Midland attracted over 500 objections demonstrated just how strong the local feeling is to preserve the Midland Hotel. Now please give John and the Team the security they need to take the pub forward and ensure that future generations of residents of West Hendon have a great pub, a grassroots music venue for budding musicians, somewhere to celebrate weddings and mourn the passing of those we love and somewhere to organise community events.

Regards

Roger Tichborne


---- Don't forget to make a date in your diary for The Barnet Eye Xmas party and Community awards at Mill Hill Rugby Club on Fri 14th December at Mill Hill Rugby Club at 8pm. We really hope you can come down and say Hi. Admission is Free.