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

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐃𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 - A message from the Mill Hill Preservation Society

This application has been PENDING since September 2020. As a reminder, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗦𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

However, 𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 as a response to objections raised regarding the area’s Ecology. However, MHPS notes that the applicant has chosen to measure itself against Natural England’s Biodiversity Metric 2.0 that was in fact superseded by a more rigorous metric 3.0 in July 2021.

MHPS has written to the Council highlighting this misleading submission and reiterating our previous objections (see our post of 30/9/20). MHPS continues to believe that there is no justification for this as a suitable location for a battery storage system that would be better located alongside an actual renewable energy installation, preferably on a brownfield site.

MHPS believes that this facility will damage the local ecology, increase flood risk and cause light and noise pollution.

We suggest that residents use this opportunity to write again to the council at https://publicaccess.barnet.gov.uk/online-applications/ quoting ref 20/4241/FUL.

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Note: This message was posted on the Mill Hill Preservation Society Facebook page

The Barnet Eye has been following this story since the news broke. Our most read blog of 2020 was one featuring an impassioned speech by local wildlife expert Samuel Levy. We are pleased that we played a major part in creating awareness and getting objections from local residents. If you havent' seen Samuel's video, please watch it now. This explains why this development should be rejected.

Why we must oppose this eyesore battery storage plant on Partingdale Lane Mill Hill green belt land

The site

The Totteridge Valley and Mill Hill has an amazing natural habitat, with all manner of rare, threatened and unusual species. The area sees many migratory birds pass through and has a unique biodiversity for London. 

We are most disturbed to learn of plans to destroy a huge swathe of this green belt nature reserve area to build a 'Battery Storage facility' on land to the North of Partingdale Lane. There is an existing eyesore transmission substation adjacent to this sit, but this is a massive increase in scale and potential destruction of the area. 

It is vital that we preserve our local nature reserves for future generations. Schemes like this should be located on Brownfield sites, not in important nature reserves of great natural beauty. 

It is vital that as many local residents oppose these plans as possible, so that such developers know that local residents will not allow such schemes to despoil our local beauty spots. 

Location plan

This is the second such plan in recent months. If we can defeat this one, it is far less likely that there will be further attempts to add to what is already a large blot on the landscape. 

Our objection is based on solid planning reasons for opposing the scheme. Whilst we may feel quite emotional about such plans, solid planning grounds are the best way to secure a rejection. Please object. Please get the other members of your household to object. The more people who object, the more likely the council are to listen. 

Our objection is as follows below.

The proposed facility would be a "major development" under the Development Management Procedure (England) Order 2015 because the sum of the total number of units would exceed 1,000 sq m. The area a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. Granting the planning application would also violate BS 42020, NPPF, the London Plan and the Barnet Local Plan according to the Wildlife Trust. Section 5 mentions that the closest nature reserve is Totteridge Fields which is 2.2 km away. Darlands Nature Reserve has been omitted. It is only 700m away. Further paragraph 5.2.4 reads 'No aquatic habitat is present within the Site or surrounding land, and no ponds are present within 250m of the Site', yet Folly Brook is 150m away and Darlands Lake is 750m away. This proposal will result in the loss of 0.49 ha of grassland habitat equal to 6% of the nature reserve area (not 0.28% as the ecologist has stated) .The proposed security fencing will connect to the existing substation compound & proposed power facility to the east creating a barrier across much of the nature reserve, fragmenting habitats, damaging ecological networks and hindering terrestrial wildlife movements so vital to their feeding and breeding. The ecological survey fails to identify the importance of this habitat. The secluded habitat attracts over wintering birds such as Woodcock (Red List), Snipe (Amber list), Jack Snipe, Common Gull (Amber list) and flocks of Fieldfare & Redwing (both red list). Noise, heat & light disturbance from the plant and auxiliary equipment will result in the loss of these threatened species. Grass snake, adders & slow worms are found here but no measures are proposed to protect them from harm. Proposed ecological mitigations are inadequate & will not address the likely impacts on the reserve or the wider Folly Brook valley. There will be significant biodiversity net loss contrary to NPPF & Barnet Policy DM16.

Please click here to register your objection and feel free to use any text above. Please pass this on to your friends and family and ask them to add their voice. 

***** Update 

I was given this information by my brother, who is a chartered electrical engineer. I would suggest that further research is urgently needed

Roger, Large battery storage is normally put away from brownfield urban areas because of the large concentrated energy stored which can cause toxic fumes, or even explosions if it catches fire. The best place is near wind farms as they are mainly used to smooth their energy flow. Generally battery storage is quiet though, so the noise argument is thin. I agree it seems an odd place to put it, a much better place would be on one of the coastal decommissioned nuclear plants where power connections already exist. Good luck with the campaign. 

The Barnet Eye weekly Roundup - Doom and Gloom **** Updated 4/4/2011

Photo courtesy of Vicki Morris

Before I start with the round, a little trailer ......

Keep you eyes on the blogs of Barnet this week. There is going to be a very important piece of news launched.

Onwards to the local news. First the sad news that Barnet Council, in an act of Philistinism and stupidity, closed the Church Farmhouse museum. A team of activists from the Barnet Alliance 4 Public services marked this with a demonstration as the museum doors shut for the last time. Church Farmhouse museum Curator Gerrard Roots said...
Church Farm received 9,000 visitors in 2010. Since 3rd January 2011 to its closing date it has received 3,500 visitors, all of whom wanted the museum to survive. RIP to this fine museum.

Many staff at Barnet Council were also made redundant. The head of legal services, Jeff Lustig, took the unprecedented step of emailing all councillors to draw their attention to the fact. This email was leaked to the Barnet Future Shape blog and you can view it here - http://barnetfutureshape.blogspot.com/2011/03/barnet-council-risk-to-democracy.html - either Barnet haas been hellishly overstaffed for the last eight years of Tory misrule, or it now lacks the number of staff to function effectively - make your mind up.

Other news in Barnet. 57 local citizens were honoured by the mayor for their outstanding contribution to Borough life. The council put out a press release to mark this -
http://www.barnet.gov.uk/press_releases.htm?id=2337 - now I happen to know one of the winners of the award who attended. A lavish buffet was laid on, a photographer took pictures, the Mayor made a fine speech and every winner was given a glossy booklet detailing their outstanding work. Now, I don't begrudge these citizens their day out, even in these tight times. What I think is bizarre is that the press release makes no mention of the winners, what they did or why they won the award. As a glossy book was produced, why wasn't this loaded onto the council website for display as a PDF and why didn't the press release link to it?
I rather suspect that we need details of such inspirational citizens. The fact that 57 peoples outstanding efforts warrants only a four paragraph press release is an insult to these hard working citizens. The press release is extremely patronising -  the final line of the press release :-

“It is heartening to know that we can count on so many wonderful people.”

Other news. I've just been called by a local Tory Councillor who told me Matthew Offord was on the BBC at lunchtime saying that the Jewish School in Mill Hill - Etz Chaim - will be opening in September. Now I was under the impression that this was subject to planning consent. Does Mr Offord have some inside information that the process has been in some way knobbled? Offord Twittered he was on the Politics Show, so I guess this is what he meant. The most damaging thing about Etz Chaim, which in many ways is a good proposal, is the fact that there is a perception that Barnet Council has in some way subverted the normal process to ease it through. Offord making announcements such as this surely cannot help. The school would be well advised to steer clear of political controversy, or jumping into bed with local politicians. Schools are community resources.
******** Updated 4/4/2011 -  I was contacted by a representative from Etz Chaim School who suggested that I may have misrepresented what was said by Matthew Offord. Thanks to the Barnet Bugle, who have provided a clip of Mr Offord's contribution on the show. Please watch the clip (in sidebar at the top) and decide for yourself. Many thanks to the representative of Etz Chaim as we are always happy to print corrections and clarifications where necessary ******** Ends ********

Another interesting mystery is the fact that Partingdale Lane was closed to through traffic yesterday (Sat 2nd April). No one seems to know why. This country lane was famously re-opened by Brian Coleman following legal challenges which cost Barnet Council nearly £1 million. It had been closed by the previous Labour/Lib Dem adminstration on safety grounds. Since Coleman reopened it, there have been a string of accidents.

Oh and congratulations to Councillor Hugh Rayner. Seems to me (having read the Business management minutes, special committee) that he's just given himself a promotion and he's now the most powerful man in Barnet politics. Well done to Hugh for promoting himself - No one else would !!!!!!

Dangerous Drivers in Barnet

One of my favourite local blogs is Dennis Signy's blog on the Edgware Times. Dennis is always witty and always worth a read. His latest blog mentions a local character called Jimmy Cardash, who in the 50's & 60's had a reputation as a bit of what we now call a boy racer. My dad used to run a crash repairer in Mill Hill called MacMetals and used to mention one of his best customers of that name who had a reputation for speeding.

On the subject of speeding, one of the things my dad would always do (after the M1 opened to London) when a new sports car turned up for repair. Once they had finished the job, He'd get his stopwatch, start it, hurtle out of Bunns Lane, up Flower Lane, up the A41 to Edgware, Up the M1 to Watford, turn around and come back. As he reentered Bunns Lane works, he'd stop the stopwatch and if it was a new record, he'd chalk up the car, the date and the time on the wall of the workshop.

Occasionally a passing Police car would get the number of the car (they'd not have a chance of getting near, as my Father would drive like a maniac). A familiar scenario was the irate customer appearing with a speeding ticket. They'd say that it was disgusting that he'd taken the car and broken the speed limit. My dad would always ask "You have a sports car, can you honestly say you'll never break the speed limit?" He'd then explain that he'd asked one of his workmen to take the car for a spin to ensure that it was safe to drive following the repair, and as such it was prudent to check it's performance at speed. He'd tell the customer to explain this to the police. My dad would then claim to have a rotten memory and not be able to recall who tested the car. Once he got a visit from the plod to take him to task over this practice. The visit ended with the copper taking a newly repaired Jensen Interceptor for a spin.

Fast forward to 2008. I doubt that my Dad's run would be possible these days with the congestion, traffic lights, speed cameras etc. The laws regarding speed limits in this country is ridiculous. The speed limits for motorways were devised in the 1960's when cars were far heavier, brakes were inferior, cornering was far worse. As a result, wheras 70 mph is completely inappropriate for empty motorways, narrow slow roads are far more dangerous for pedestrians, as cars can travel far more quickly on winding roads. Boy racers treat roads like a formula one track. A typical case in point is Partingdale Lane, reopened at the cost of £1 Million by Barnet Council under Brian Coleman. I use the road regularly as it is a convenient rat run from the Ridgeway to Finchley. The speed at which vehicles travel down this road is ridiculous. Barnet put pinch points in the road and a completely ignored 20mph limit. From what I've seen, the pinch points are even worse than two way traffic. Cars actually accelerate through them to beat oncoming traffic. On Saturday, I saw some pedestrians forced into a hedge by a car refusing to slow down. If you look at the picture at the top of the page, ask yourself where the pedestrians go when two inconsiderate drivers pass each other (which happens all the time). This is taken on one of the wider, straighter sections of the Lane.

Another case in point is the no entry onto Mill Hill Broadway from Goodwyn Avenue. Councillor Matthew Offord revealed over a year ago that over 300 illegal turns were being made per day. When asked what Barnet planned to do about this, his reponse was "Nothing". When asked if this would change if someone was killed, he replied "It might".

Is it any wonder that Barnet is bucking the trend of decreasing road safety under this administration. Community safety chief Brian Coleman was banned from driving for speeding recently (accumilating the points whilst holding the Cabinet Transport portfolio). I'm not anti car, just pro road safety. I'd allow speed limits of 90mph on Motorways between 10pm and 6am. This would encourage drivers to make long journeys at less busy times, reducing congestion & CO2 emissions. As to suburban roads and traffic offence hotspots, I'd rigorously enforce speed limits where there is a safety issue. Drivers would soon get the message. How many millions are spent on looking after disabled victims of accidents. This is the hidden cost that is never mentioned.