Partingdale Lane Electricity planning application - Councillor admits in Council that they only listen to residents on planning issues 'before an election'

 Last night I attended the Barnet Council planning committee, who were deciding on the application concerning a National Grid application for a battery back up supply station on green belt land in Partingdale Lane. This blog first drew attention to the application, when it was initially submitted. We worked with local ornithologist Samuel Levy to publicise the application. As a result, there were over 900 objections. Last night, the committee listened to presentation. The Mill Hill Preservation Society and a local residents group spoke at the meeting.

We recorded Roger Selby of the Preservation Society outline the societies objections. 

Several councillors, including former council leader Richard Cornelius and retiring veteran Mill Hill Councillor John Hart also made decent speeches opposing the scheme. The opposition to the scheme was cross party and well thought out. The developers agent stated several times that the scheme was part of the "Conservative governments energy strategy". Several Tory councillor winced as this (You can listen to the whole meeting by clicking THIS LINK and clicking on the audio feed). Given that there is no argument that we need such facilities, only whether they should be put in green belt areas of special scientific interest bordering nature reserves, he was very badly prepared and addressed none of the planning concerns. 

When he finished his speech, he was questioned by the committee, one of the most crass, stupid things I've ever heard at a council meeting was uttered by one of the Conservative Councillors on the committee. (I'll spare his blushes and not name and shame). He was almost immediately dressed down by veteran councillor Melvin Cohen, who realised exactly what he'd done. He started his questioning, by asking the planning consultant how long he'd been doing his job. The consultant immediately replied he'd been in the game twenty odd years. The councillor then said he was "incredibly foolish to submit this just before an election". \(You can listen  to this at 34.22 to the recording in the link above). Every councillor looked horrified. A Councillor had not only given the game away that the planning committee only listen to residents just before an election, he'd possibly invalidated the commitee's decision. Councillors are not allowed to take decisions to ensure they don't get booted out. I actually wondered if maybe he'd taken a bung to say that, as it could do the developer a big favour. It would certainly feature in any half competent appeal by the developer. If you listen at 37.43, Melvin Cohen made it clear that any decision would be taken purely on planning grounds, clearly trying to mitigate the damage. Given that the committee was unanimous in their rejection and none of the councillors voting had a vested interest in the wards affected, hopefully the damage was mitigated by Cllr Cohen, but I simply couldn't believe that all the good work done by the residents, councillors and campaign groups could be undermined by such idiocy. Clearly the young councillor thought he was jolly clever scoring points in such a way, but in truth he's a blithering idiot. 

If he only listens to public concerns and would only consider genuine planning objections, as were clearly demonstrated in this case, with an election looming, he is not fit to be a councillor. I do hope that Mill Hill senior Tory Val Duschinsky and Richard Cornelius take action to ensure he's never allowed near another Council committee again. 

I was pleased that the committee was unanimous in its rejection. This was a bad plan. If you want to find out why, watch Samuel Levy explain

Mill Hill Preservation Society newsletter attacks One Barnet

To illustrate just how dangerous and divisive the One Barnet program is becoming, the highly respected and influential Mill Hill Preservation Society have an article full of scathing criticism of the process on the front of their latest newsletter. They correctly identify the fact that this could spell the wholesale destruction of Barnet.

The Preservation society have correctly identified that there is no evidence or logic which suggests One Barnet is anything but bad for the people who live in the London Borough of Barnet. You can find out more about the Mill Hill Preservation Society here - www.mhps.org.uk - as they correctly state, this is not a political issue, it is one of common sense.

Barnet Council sneak through plans for a new Highway through the heart of Mill Hill

As ever, if Barnet Council want to sneak through a highly contentious and divisive issue, they do it on the sly. Typically they will do this as a Delegated Powers Report, which doesn't require discussion by the Council, which is done by officers with no democratic discussion. Secondly, they will do it in the middle of August, when no one is looking. Thirdly they will give the DPR a very neutral name, which disguises the real meaning of what is being done.

So it is again this year. I happened to notice this DPR -  http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=4259 - entitled "Highway Improvements to Bittacy Hill". Who could possibly think that such a DPR, signed off by Pam Wharfe, Interim director of Environment, Regeneration and Planning could possibly be in any way contentious? Nothing in there to worry about?

Think again. Behind the bland title, there is a huge scheme being implimented, by stealth and with no democratic debate or accountability. This scheme will effectively divide Mill Hill in two halfs and threaten a nature reserve. It will blight many homes and will have a huge effect on traffic levels through the Borough.

The real intention of what is being done is only mentioned briefly in section 8.3. It says

The proposed highway works will entail the reconstruction of the existing Bray Road access to the proposed development as part of the proposed East-West link road at its junction with Bittacy Hill

If you look carefully at the map associated with the plan, their is a big arrow at the edge of the development, directing traffic down Sanders Lane. If you look at Google, this road is shown as one long road. The road actually becomes a footpath, through a nature reserve shortly after Brownsea Walk. Barnet Council Highways department have long dreamed of making a highway from the Mill Hill East development, down Sanders Lane, into Tavistock Avenue, across Pursley Road, Down Ashley Walk, across Copthall Open Space and down to the A1, making a major intersection. This road would effectively divide Mill Hill and Mill East in two. Traffic would proliferate and huge numbers of homes, which are currently quiet roads in cul-de-sacs would become blighted by constant traffic.

The fact this is being snuck through is typical of the way Barnet Council operate. I will be writing to our local Councillors to insist they call this in and get the Highways department to explain their true intentions. I will also be notifying the Mill Hill Preservation Society and other local pressure groups.

If the council persist with this plan, I would suggest that this would spell the end of the Conservatives in Mill Hill and the end of Mill Hill as a nice place to live. I will publish the response from Councillors Hart, Schama and Khatri in due course. I will also be emailing Councillor Brian Coleman and Dean Cohen. I wish to know the true intentions of the Council in this respect and I suspect only Brian Coleman really knows. Finally, I will be emailing Pam Wharfe for the full details of the plan. As ever, nothing surprises me with Barnet Council. The Email to Ms Wharfe will be under the auspices of a Freedom of Information request.

1742 - Highway Improvements at Bittacy Hill


Map Bray Road

A new strategy for Green Belt destruction in Mill Hill

Make no mistake, the Green belt faces a  massive threat in Mill Hill.  I was incredibly disturbed to read the following article in yesterdays Mail on Sunday :-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1280275/Solsbury-Hill-Local-residents-fight-property-developers-save-rural-icon.html

This article contains the following two paragraphs near the bottom of the article.

And the alpaca farm ruse is an easy way of getting round planning restrictions in areas with toothless councils. GVP has three other sites in the South-West where it is using similar schemes to justify mobile and permanent residences.

Marc Willis, agent for GVP, has set up more than 35 alpaca farms for people wanting to build houses in restricted areas. Willis is the only Chartered Town Planner who is also a member of the British Institute of Agricultural Consultants, giving him a rare specialism in rural planning.

So what has all of this got to do with Mill Hill? Well check out this picture of Mill Hill Childrens Farm, on the green belt fields of the Ridgeway. See the animals on the right of the picture, drinking from the pond. Any prizes for guessing what they are? That's right, they are Alpacas. 

So is Barnet Council one of these toothless councils referred to by the Mail on Sunday? Well to date it has taken no enforcement action against the owner of this establishment, despite having concluded that the changes to the site require planning permission which has not been applied for.

Now many parents have visited the Childrens farm, the waffle cafe and the other attractions at Barnets newest theme park. Those I've spoken to quite liked what they have seen (and eaten). I am sure that many parents relish the opportunity to take their children to see the animals and would not like to see the theme park shut down. This isn't the point. The point is that the owner of the facility hasn't submitted a request for planning permission. Whilst many people throughout the London Borough of Barnet have to go through the process for their loft conversions, extensions, etc, a theme park has been built on a field on the green belt without a scrap of official planning permission. Not only this, but as the Mail on Sunday has shown, it may be using a ruse specifically designed to circumvent such planning legislation in farming Alpacas.

The threat to the Green Belt won't come from one single rich landowner concreting over the whole lot in one go. It comes incrementally from developers using loopholes to nibble away at the edges. It comes from dodgy schemes to circumvent the rules designed to prevent all of this from happening. It comes from planning specialists such as Marc Willis inventing ruses which allow such developments to take place, so developers can get around the rules.

As you tuck into your waffles, show your kids the Alpacas and park your car on the car park, (much of which was a green belt field last year), you are unwittingly helping to ensure that your kids won't have the same luxury in Mill Hill when they are your age. It is essential that we all support organisations such as The Mill Hill Preservation Society in their struggle to preserve the best of Mill Hill  - http://www.mhps.org.uk/ - if we don't Mill Hill could become the new Elephant and Castle.

One of the reasons I write this blog, is because I want to ensure my children can appreciate Mill Hill in the way I appreciate it today. Walks on green fields. Spectacular panoramic views of London and the Totteridge valley. Diverse wildlife and greenbelt fields. If we want this to continue to be the Mill Hill we love we'll have to fight for it. This means supporting campaigns which fight to preserve it and shunning those who seek to destroy it. (the field shown to the left is the ground of Mill Hill Village FC which recently had a massive rent hike from Tory Barnet Council).

The lines have been drawn.
Who brought the Alpacas to Mill Hill? The man who was elected to be Deputy Chairman of the Hendon CONSERVATIVE Party with responsibility for fundraising and membership. What did Brian Coleman, the CONSERVATIVE cabinet member on Barnet Council in charge of the ENVIRONMENT say his top priorities were for making Barnet a nice place to live? "Roads, Roads, Roads" (strangely this commitment was absent from their manifesto and absent from all of the leaflets which helped them win in Mill Hill) - check this press release from Barnet Council if you don't believe me - http://www.barnet.gov.uk/press_releases.htm?id=2212.

****** Update 18:27 ************
Further to the comments left by the management of Belmont Childrens Zoo, I've added a link to their website :-

http://www.belmontfarm.co.uk/index.php

It appears that there may be a misunderstanding as to the nature of my comments and I've added the link to allow anyone wishing to find out more about the establishment. As I thought I'd made clear above, in many ways the establishment is an asset to Mill Hill and many people are pleased it has opened.

As such I think it is only fair to the establishment to qualify my comments. The only issue I have with the establishment is the dispute with Barnet Councils planning department as to whether it requires planning permission. As the site is on green belt lands within the conservation area, I am of the belief that it should rigorously and pro-actively comply with these rules, before it even considered opening. This should have been sought and obtained through the usual channels.

If this had been sought and obtained, I would be championing the work done in preserving rare breeds.

I must say I find it odd that they claim not to be a theme park, given that their website has an entire page devoted to "Parties" which is clearly a "fun" activity and not educational or related to farming.


 http://www.belmontfarm.co.uk/parties.php

When I visited the "farm", they were hosting "face painting" which again is an activity unrelated to farming or education. It struck me as being a commercial leisure activity. I also see from the website that "tractor and trailer rides" are available as part of the "theme park" activities for May. I must say that advertising ride does reinforce the image of a theme park, rather than a serious commercial farm.

As to the comments about Alpacas, as the establishment calls itself a farm and keeps Alpacas, which are specifically described in the Mail on Sunday article, one must presume they were being farmed.If they are not being kept for farming purposes, then surely it again lends credence to the claim that the establishment is not a farm in the true sense of the word.

In short, my concern is protection of the green belt. If the Belmont Childrens farm has complied with all of the planning rules and regulations, this blog would be fully supportive of it as it would be an asset to Mill Hill. If it hasn't then I'm afraid that we'll have to campaign for the Council to enforce planning regulations, just as we would for any other usage where full permission had not been obtained on the green belt. Maybe the management would be so kind as to update us on their view of the situation regarding planning permission as they have with other activities.

The changing face of Mill Hill

On my travels through Mill Hill recently, I've noticed that a few changes are taking place to well known local landmarks.The Union Church at Mill Hill Circus on the corner of the Broadway and the A41has been surrounded by hoardings. I was aware that there were plans to redevelop this site and it seems that soon this distinctive brick building, with the adjoining Harwood Hall will soon be no more. The Harwood Hall has a special place in my heart as my band, the False Dots played our first three gigs in this building. I organised these gigs in 1979 to give local young bands a chance to play. This clip is of "The Vektors" from Edgware school performing "Sound of the Suburbs" by the members. A grainy clip from the early days of video, but highly entertaining none the less.


Sadly the situation for young bands wanting to do gigs in Mill Hill is no better. Another landmark building undergoing a huge change is the distinctive government building in Bunns Lane. This has a typical 1960's appearance with regulation blue tiles. This building featured in several film/TV shows in the late 1960's after it was built, where they wanted to feature "a man from the ministry". Sadly I don't have information as to which films these were, so if you know please post a comment. I notice that the distinctive blue tiles have been painted grey???? Why????

On the subject of TV shows, Station Road was featured in an episode of the late early 1970's TV series Budgie, featuring Adam Faith. I remember arriving back on the 240 bus fromSt Vincents school and watching the filming. A scene was also shot in the alley afrom Millway to Hale Grove Gardens, featuring the footbridge Bridge over the M1. I saw the footage a couple of years ago and came over all nostalgic when I saw the front of "The New China Garden" Chinese restaurant, which has been replaced by the Hees takeaway outlet. Next door is the Launderette, which has also recently closed and is up for sale. Pondering these recent changes, I thought I'd run through a few other distinctive landmarks which have gone forever.

The Sacred Heart Church on Mill Hill Broadway was rebuilt in the mid 1990's. There is an interesting write up on the church website.

The Methodist Church in Goodwyn Avenue was also knocked down. This was on the corner with Newcombe Park. A little bit of Mill Hill rock and roll history. I first saw The Polecats, Mill Hills Rockabilly sensation, who had several chart hits at the youth club on this site. The site is covered in houses.

Another landmark which has long gone and who's site is being developed is "The Royal Scot" pub. This was at Apex Corner. The site is currently being turned into a Kentucky Fried Chicken. When I was a youngster, the Mill Hill Churches used to have their Easter procession from Mill Hill Broadway to the Royal Scot pub on Good Friday. A short service would be held in the car park, with the Priests, vicars et all on the 1st floor balcony of the pub. This ended the year Fr Dowley, Parish Priest of the Sacred Heart announced that "Jesus said I Thirst". The assembled Irish contingent decided they also thirsted and nipped in for a pint. The walk now ends in a more appropriate setting in a Mill Hill Church.

Another local landmark which disappeared is Featherstone Garage on Bunns Lane. I guess it's fair to say that not too many people are nostalgic for garages, unlike churches. No one gets married in a garage. It does strike me that many sites which used to provide work for people have gone. So many more people and so many less industrial sites? Is this healthy.

Another thing which has disappeared from many parts of Mill Hill are front gardens (see picture left). I think I'm one of the very few people in my road who still has a front garden and hasn't paved it for a car port. People come from miles around to admire it. This is one aspect of the changing face of Mill Hill I hate. I'd love to see people get a huge council tax discount if they kept their front garden, but I doubt that anyone would ever adopt this bonkers idea.


Should we have frozen Mill Hill in time and never allowed any of these things to change? Of course not. There has to be progress and development. Whilst I hate the destruction of front gardens, there simply wouldn't be any parking in Mill Hill if people didn't have car ports. Keeping a Methodist church which no one attends would quite clearly not be in anyones interest. We need to get the balance right. As I talk to people in Mill Hill, a reprise I hear all the time is "Isn't Mill Hill getting ugly". The sad truth is that the answer is yes. How many of the changes I listed above have resulted in an improvement to the street scene?

Recently the I had an exchange of correspondence with the Mill Hill Preservation Society. They posted a guest blog explaining how the organisation is evolving. I realised that what Mill Hill needs isn't "preservation" but "protection". There is no point preserving purely for the sake of it. There is a massive point in "protecting" the best bits, improving the worst bits and most of all rebuilding the sense of community we are losing. We most certainly had this when I was growing up. Earlier in this blog I mentioned the Methodist Church Youth Club. Whilst the church wasn't well attended, the youth club most certainly was. A lady called Rene Bampton ran it and was one of the things which kept me on the straight and narrow as a teenager.  The Sacred Heart Catholic Church has in recent years started building a youth club on Sunday night at 7pm. Youngsters play table tennis, pool, table football etc. Betty Turner (who's husband Steve was at the Polecats gig with me at the Methodist Church hall all those years ago) runs it.  I was out with Steve discussing the whole issue over a few beers recently. We both believe that the local community, through Churches, youth clubs, community groups and organisations such as the Scouts, guides, cubs etc are needed now more than ever. My nine year old son plays for Watling FC and I can see how much good this has done for the boys involved in the club.

If you are a parent, if you have time on your hands, if you care about where you live, even if it's only an hour or two a month, please consider getting involved with a local group. If we can pull together and work together as a community, we can have a great future and guarantee a great future for our children. If we are too lazy, decide that we'd rather sit in front of the telly with a glass of wine and let our children run riot, then we only have ourselves to blame if it all goes wrong. A community centre isn't a bulding. It is the people in it, they are what matter. The old Sacred Heart Church, Methodist Church, Royal Scot pub, etc may have gone, but the people of Mill Hill are still here. Lets make the best of what we have got.

The Burnt Oak preservation society

I wanted to show my appreciation for the efforts my beloved has put in for me recently. I am not the easiest of people to live with with. I'm moody, I take her for granted. We have three school age children and I have to juggle running three businesses (employing 9 people), playing football twice a week, playing guitar in a rock and roll band, writing a blog, standing for Barnet Council, being the trustee of a charity and setting up a youth music project for disaffected youngsters. My daughter is a national swimming champion so has to be taken to the pool and picked up eleven times a week (usually at ungodly hours).My son plays for an under 10 team (as well as the school team) and also needs carting around.

So whats all this got to do with Burnt Oak? Well as I said, I felt the need to show my appreciation. I wanted to cook her a rather nice meal. Now you may think that as there is a M&S at the end of my road in Mill Hill, it would be a simple matter of buying a few tasty dishes and bunging them in the oven for 10 minutes. A nice posh bunch of flowers and viola ! Instant appreciation. Oh yeah? Where's the effort and appreciation in that. Nope, if I want to show I care, a trip to Burnt Oak is order of the day. My wife doesn't eat meat, but loves fish. Whilst M&S does a great line in pre wrapped, pre packed fish, there are two fantastic fishmongers in Burnt Oak (three on a Saturday with the van at the Market). Sadly there isn't one in Mill Hill. A quick perusal of the items on sale and three beautifully fresh sea bass were selected. All for £5. Then next door to the greengrocer. Again, whilst M&S does fantastic pre prepared vegetables, they don't do what I needed. I wanted fresh Okra (ladiesfingers). These require a trip to Burnt Oak. An Aubergene and a lemon were also procured. £2.65 for the lot.

Having obtained all of the necessary ingredients, over the road to the flower shop. Now despite my artistic pretensions, I'm not much of  a whizz on the old flower arrangements. For this, I turn to my middle daughter. She's the artist of the family. Sure, in Mill Hill you go in and you say "I'd like a nice bunch of flowers for the wife" and they say "that will be £50" and you get a magnificent spray. In the flower shop in Burnt Oak, you pick the individual flowers out of the buckets and they wrap them up for you. My daughter ensured I had a bunch far prettier and far superior to anything I could procure elsewhere, all perfectly blended to my wife's personal taste in colours.

Anyway, a dish was served up of Baked sea bass, spiced tomato and okra and fried aubergene and mushroom (in my very own sauce). The flowers have pride of place on our dining room table. Whilst shops such as M&S are superb and I'm glad to have one in Mill Hill, if you love food and you love cooking and you are serious about it, Burnt Oak is a goldmine. All of the shops are run by small traders, who work their nuts off for a living. People get on with their business and get on with each other. When I was a kid in the 1960's it was a white working class enclave. Places such as the Annunciation Church social club was the centre of the Irish Catholic community. Watling boys club hosted boxing and football. Stars such as Spurs Steve Perryman started their career there. Sadly both of these have long gone. Watling FC continues (my son plays football for them) at the Burnt Oak lesuire centre, but the clubhouse is derelict. Pavillion Way playing fields lay derelict and the market is on it's last legs. Why does this matter? What do youngsters do when they are bored, skint and demotivated? Well, everyone is different but some drift down the wrong path in life.

Burnt Oak has changed, but it is the most vibrant and edgy high street in the Borough. It has the best selection of small shops and the best selection people (it probably has the most culturally diverse make up of anywhere in Barnet) . It makes me sick to the core how Barnet Council neglects this community. My advice to anyone living in Mill Hill, who is struggling to make ends meet on a budget. Check out the shops in Burnt Oak. If you like fresh food you'll be amazed at what you can get there.

We have a Mill Hill Preservation Society, a fine organisation dedicated to keeping Mill Hill a green, pleasant, leafy town. We need a Burnt Oak preservation society as well. This should have a very different mission. To protect and develop facilities such as Pavillion way, Watling Boys club and the other facilities. Most of all it needs to preserve the community spirit in Burnt Oak.

The Mill Hill Preservation Society - Let them know your views

Last night I took a look at the website of the Mill Hill Preservation Society. I was interested to see what they have to say about recent developments in Mill Hill, especially along the Ridgeway. In the past, the society have taken the lead and proven a rallying point for protection of the Green Belt, the conservation area and the quality of life in Mill Hill. They have posted the following information on their website :-

STOP PRESS: Belmont Children’s Farm has opened. The Society would be interested to hear your views.

Their email address is - contact@mhps.org.uk

The postal address is   

 Mill Hill Preservation Society
 The Studio
 Nan Clark’s Lane
 Mill Hill
 London
 NW7 4HH

The telephone number is - 0208 906 0769

If you have any views, issues or concerns on this matter, let them know.

On the wider subject of development in Mill Hill, it seems to me that in recent months there has been a change in focus at the Mill Hill Preservation Society. I notice that the homepage of their blog now contains the following sentence :-

We try to make change worthwhile and to encourage all those involved in the process to hold a similar view. 

I'd really appreciate it if the Mill Hill Preservation Society would contact the blog to clarify whether this statement is a change of emphasis with their activities. It seems to me that the words "preservation" and "change" in the sense of planning and development are rather contradictory. I am an admirer of the work over the years of the preservation society. They have done stirling work in keeping Mill Hill green and keeping the lid on overdevelopment as best they can. Whilst I'm sure that they won't be campaigning any time soon for an ASDA superstore on the Ridgeway, I'd really appreciate some guidance as to what the MHPS consider "worthwhile change" in the conservation area and green belt.

We need local pressure groups like the MHPS. I'd urge any locals concerned about the issues in the green belt to join. There are many and varied threats to the Green Belt and the Conservation area. Only through concerted and organised action by concerned residents do we have any chance whatsoever of keeping preserving the character of one of the nicer areas of the great City of London

Sheepwash Pond and the Tory Deputy Chairman

Sheepwash pond on the Ridgeway is one of the Mill Hill's outstanding landmarks. Generations of children have come to admire the ducks and geese that nest in the island in the middle of the pond. There is a rich flora and fauna with a massive variety of fish, birds, bats and amphibians making their homes around the pond. Anyone familiar with wildlife and conservation will know that many of these species like a quiet environment.

Although the front edge of Sheepwash pond borders the busy Ridgeway thoroughfare, the back edge has trees and farmland (see attached picture from Google Earth). This sort of habitat is vital for the protection of native flora and fauna. Sites like these preserve the fragile ecosystem and form vital Oasis's in the frenetic and busy modern world. The vast majority of residents of Mill Hill recognise the importance of such sites. This is the reason that the Mill Hill Preservation Society in association with the Scouts and the Former owners of the Belmont Riding Stables renovated and cleaned the pond in 1990/1. Schools such as the neighbouring St Pauls use the pond to educate children about the environment. It gives children an opportunity to see native species in their natural habitat.

I've been appalled to see what Hendon Conservative Deputy Chairman and current owner of the Belmont riding stables has done to the pond.  I took some pictures on a visit on Sunday and was deeply upset to see how he's actually fenced off some of the pond to use as a watering hole for his recently installed zoo. This pond is an amenity (I thought for all generations in Mill Hill). What does it say about the Conservatives in Barnet when they treat a natural beauty spot in such a way? Do they not understand the impact that such invasive actions has on the fragile ecosystem and the native species. I am amazed that Barnet Council permits such actions, especially in the Conservation  area. What conclusions can we draw from this. Have a  look at these pictures.

This picture shows how a new fence has been installed IN the pond.In the background you can see non native animals from the "Zoo" drinking. Who knows what effect such a fence will have on the traditional inhabitants of the pond, such as the geese and ducks. I am also worried about the possible effect of the fencing posts on the clay base of the pond. Sadly we won't know until drier weather in the summer if this has been compromised.

This next picture shows the view of the fence from the Ridgeway. Where previously there was an unresticted view of the Totteridge Valley, now we have ugly fences. Can anyone who knows the area possibly think that this is anything other than an act of gross vandalism? One has to conclude that the only people who don't are Conservative Councillor for Mill Hill, John Hart and the rest of the Hendon  Conservatives. As Andrew Reid who owns the Belmont stables and installed these fences is the Deputy Chairman of the Hendon Conservative Association, responsible for membership and fundraising (according to their website), they clearly think that this is marvellous.

Now just in case you think I'm over egging the case for this, lets just remind ourselves that this is in the Conservation area. This means that anything which materially alters the view has to undergo a stringent planning regime. Only in cases of urgent public need, are such alterations normally allowed. Whilst Barnet Council seem happy to let these fences go up, they were taking enforcement action against another fence just down the road (strangely the owner of this fence wasn't a deputy chairman of a local party). This fence is in the middle of a field. Tell me which you think has the greater impact on the look of the Conservation area?

This fence was replacing an existing barbed wire fence. Barnet Council served enforcement action on the owner. All of the rules on protecting the conservation area are there for a good reason. Once it's been destroyed, it's gone forever. Maybe the wealthy landowners of Mill Hill don't care about future generations. Maybe they don't care about conservation of wildlife. Maybe the local Conservative Party don't care what happens to the green belt and the conservation area.

I can assure you of one thing though. The people of Mill Hill care passionately about all of this.

Would you trust John Hart and the Hendon Conservatives to defend the green belt?

I've spent much of my life walking around Mill Hill. In my opinion it is one of the most beautiful parts of London and needs to be treasured and preserved. My son goes to school on the Ridgeway and is treated to spectacular views of London and the Totteridge Valley as part of his daily routine. How many children in London can be so lucky?  Much of this part of Mill Hill is within the Conservation area. This means that nothing which materially changes the views and scene of the area can be done without undergoing a rigorous process of planning permission. Even erecting a fence without permission will result in a visit from the Barnet planners. Mill Hill is lucky to have an exctremely active organisation called The Mill Hill Preservation Society which vigorously defends the Green Belt.

Until March this year, I believed that there was a consensus amongst all local political parties that the protection of the Green Belt was paramount. I believed that they all agreed that one of their highest priorities was to ensure that the green belt is safeguarded.


Then I saw this announcement on the Hendon Conservatives website (please click on the screenshot featured left for a readable version or click on the link).

This said the following :-

The officers of Hendon Conservative Association are responsible for the day to day management of the Association and are elected annually by members.

The following were elected at the Annual General Meeting held on 23 March 2009:

Janice Lavery - Chairman, Hugh Rayner - Deputy Chairman (Political), Andrew Reid - Deputy Chairman ( Fundraising & Membership) and Elliot Arwas - Treasurer.

 This announced that Andrew Reid, owner of Belmont Stables on the Ridgeway was appointed to be Deputy Chairman of the Hendon Conservative Association. It is fair to say that Mr Reid and the Mill Hill Preservation Society have not seen eye to eye over the issue of what constitutes acceptable "enhancement" of the green belt. Before Mr Reid owned Belmont Riding Stables, the image at the top of the page was an unrestricted view of the Totteridge valley. Now it is a view of the car park for Mr Reid's newly installed Zoo.

The view to the left is how it used to look before the Zoo was installed.  The grazing field that until recently had farm animals on, has been concreted over. A huge complex of buildings containing Owls and other birds of prey have been installed. Ugly steel fences security fences have been erected. All of this has happened since Mr Reid was elected as an officer of the Hendon Conservative Party. It amazes me that Barnet Council could possibly allow such a development on green belt land, designated for grazing.

 There are many aspects of the whole issue which require further investigation, but one thing is beyond all reasonable doubt. Mr Reid is well known in Mill Hill. John Hart has long been associated with the Mill Hill Preservation society. A leading Hendon Conservative personally assured me, in Mill Hill Broadway, less than three years ago, that he was a steadfast supporter  of the Green Belt. He told me that he would fight any development and passionately cared about conservation. You know what? I actually believed him. Here's another "view"which Barnet Council says is a protected view of the Green Belt, this is the after view. Mr Hart and  the Hendon Conservatives clearly believe that this is how the Green Belt should look, this is confirmed by their choice of officers for the Hendon Conservatives. I think it is awful.