Barneteye Guest Blogger John Sullivan has letter published in the Guardian

Barnet Eye guest blogger, star of  A Tale of Two Barnets and campaigner for disabled rights John Sullivan had a letter published in yesterdays Guardian. Here it is :-

Click on image for more readable version

Guest Blog - Open Letter to the Leader of Barnet Council from the local traders from Helen Michael

Helen Michael with Barnet Traders

Open Letter to Councillor Richard Cornelius, Leader of Barnet Council from Helen Michael, on behalf of the Barnet Traders.

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Dear Councillor Cornelius 

                                                                                                                          20^th April 2012

Re Parking Issue

Further to our meeting and subsequent business forum meeting last week, I have been approached by a large majority of traders from Barnet and North Finchley town centers and residents with some very strong views which I thought I should convey to you.

These cover most of what we discussed, as follows;

Aldi and Sainsbury’s offer 1 hour free parking and the cost is £1.00 per hour thereafter. The pay and display meters are still being used and work perfectly well. These car parks are oversubscribed yet the Council’s 5 car parks in North Finchley are in the main empty for most of the day. The Spires car park is virtually full, yet the Council car park in Barnet Town Centre is empty. Charges in the Spires are £1.00 per hour. The car parks are full in North Finchley on Sundays when they are free (and no, this is not an invitation for the Council to start charging on Sunday)

The High Streets’ have empty bays for large parts of the day which used to be full.  The turnover of cars was 7-8 times per day on average, before the Councils parking regime was introduced. If someone wants to pull over for a newspaper or a pint of milk, even a prescription from a chemist, they incur a penalty charge notice as the traffic wardens are waiting in the wings to pounce on anyone who is naive  enough to want to pull over for 2 or 3 minutes and pick something up.  Your current system does not allow for this. There are only two pay points in each of the town centers, but no one knows where they are, and of course there is the issue of leaving ones vehicle unattended in order to get the voucher.

I often witness traffic Wardens hiding in shop doorways ready to pounce invariably having already written the ticket, ready to be placed on the windscreen of the offending vehicle immediately the driver turns his back.

People tend not to come back to the high road if they have a bad experience or find it less then straight forward to park.

The Councils argument that the charges cannot be reduced as this will in turn reduce the Councils revenue does not stack up. These car parks are empty for most of the day producing very little revenue.  There is not the turnover on the bays there once was.

The on street parking is not user friendly to anyone, as we discussed. We have a large aging population.  40% of our elderly population doesn’t have a mobile phone and even if they did most are audio challenged. The instructions are long winded and not easy to follow.  One lady approached me to tell me that she has a wheelchair and cannot see the signs even if she wanted to pay by phone to park.

There is also of course the security aspect.  Standing in the street with a credit card and mobile phone, whatever age you are, is hardly to be encouraged never mind if you are elderly, a mother with her children or female.  People often distracted by the instructions and the request for information are a prime target for criminals, which I am sure will increase as the area is used less and becomes more run down.You already know that the incidence of mobile phone theft in the area has increased dramatically.

In these difficult times with the worse trading conditions on the high street in living memory, where is the logic in increasing parking charges to an eye watering level for shoppers, who can park for free in the abundance of car parks supplied by Tesco, Brent Cross and the like, from a council who maintains it wishes to support the High Street and small local businesses.

As a business man I am sure you are aware that the cost of doing business is increasing dramatically, for most retailers big and small turn-over is going down.  Speaking from a personal point of view I know the cost of my products have increased by on average 40% a cost that I cannot pass onto my customers. Turn-over has also gone down which means I am absorbing these increases.  Of course business rates have also gone up.

You will also recall that I advised you of the number of businesses closed in Barnet and North Finchley since your parking regime was introduced.  Not only has this impacted on employment in the area those traders still open for business are reducing their staffing levels, again, having a negative impact on employment in the area.    You were kind enough to tell me that the council were also cutting back on staff but alternative jobs were being found  We are not so fortunate in the private sector.

I also advised you that shops were not being re-let once empty, a point reiterated by Simon Gerrard of Martin Gerrard Estate Agents, who attended the meeting last week and informed the panel that the feedback from landlords confirmed this.

You will recall at our meeting I advised you the bay along the High Road, outside WH Smith has two location numbers and often drivers get caught out not understanding which is the correct bay number, yet there is no proper signage nor indeed any indication that within a space of a few inches there is a difference.  I note no action has been taken to rectify this, two weeks on, yet when the signage was vandalized recently it was replaced immediately.  Call me cynical but this suggests to there is a lack of will to correct the wrongs.

At the meeting last week we were advised of the route of the Olympic torch and that the traders were expected/invited to come on board in order to make the borough look good.  Whilst most of the traders are happy to do this there is the general view that unless there is a positive outcome to the parking issues they will be using the Olympic procession as a platform to highlight their plight.

Local people are going to be invited to line the streets and support the event, which we all think is great, however, I, and the other traders were amazed to be told that the parking restrictions will remain in force throughout, on this day and in fact many traders believe that this will be open season for the traffic wardens to be out in force.  I refer to party in the park in Mill Hill where parking tickets were issued on a Sunday whilst a community event was taking place!

Most Traders and residents I have spoken to feel that because we agreed to take action after the Mayoral elections you are effectively palming me off and have very little faith that you will actually take significant action on the parking issue. 

I have recently visited and carried out research in Whetstone and Finchley Central, both a mile from North Finchley.  There are very few parking restrictions in Whetstone and unless one chooses to park on the main road, the parking restrictions on the side roads around Finchley Central are only an hour a day.  Why is this?  I am sure that you have noticed these areas have regenerated recently whilst North Finchley and Barnet are in serious decline.

I would therefore suggest the following

1.        Half an hour free parking

2.       £1 per hour thereafter

3.       Scratchcards to be made available to buy in bulk to the shop keepers at a discounted rate so they can be sold on to shoppers

4.       An advertising campaign to advise locals that our Council is listening and inviting people back to the High Street

5.       An amnesty for at least part of the day when the Olympic torch is carried through the borough

I would like your comments on the Federation of Small Business parking policy and what you intend to do to bring Barnet in line with these recommendations. You talked about some changes and for all concerned let’s make these significant.

I am happy to meet with you and discuss these issues at any time, please feel free to call me.

Kind regards.

Yours sincerely

Helen Michael

For and on behalf of the Traders of The London Borough Of Barnet  

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Helen Michael has sent this letter on behalf of Barnet Traders. The Barnet Eye is always pleased to publish guest blogs and other community related information. Send via the email link at the top of the right hand column 

Yesterday I learned the harshest lesson of my life.

It is 00:52 on Satueday morning. I am going to write this blog, then drink myself to oblivion. Today I learned a very harsh lesson. Let me explain.

Today I spent the day with my three dearest friends. One I have known since I was four years old. I can't remember the last time I exchanged an angry word with him. Whenever we meet it is always a joy and the only regret I have (and that is shared) is that we don't meet enough. We both have families and we have neglected our friendship. The second friend I have known since I was seven. We were alter servers togther at the Sacred Heart Church as kids. We went to the same secondary school and both developed a love of music and football together. Although he is a Chelsea fan, we've never argued about football. We have however argued about other issues and until today had not met for fourteen years and until last monday hadn't spoken to each other for twelve years. In fact until a last monday, we were not on speaking terms. The third friend I have known since I was seventeen. He was the bassplayer in my band for 28 years. He was the most musically gifted and good looking bloke I'd ever known. We never exchanged a cross word. Yesterday for the first time in my life, I held his hand and told him I loved him. Today he died.

Three dear and beautiful friends. Each one taught me a lesson today. A lesson I hope I'll never forget. My first friend taught me that we should never, ever take our friends for granted. We should ring them up, invite them for a beer. Have a chat. We should never say "it's been too long".  Mys econd friend taught me that if we love people, we should never cast friendships aside. It took a terrible situation, where we were both forced to confront the stupidity of our behaviour, to realise that true friendship has a depth which is unfathomable. My third friend taught me that we shouldn't have to wait until the final hours of our friends lives to let them know our feelings. As I held my friends hand, his beautiful girlfriend held his other hand. We both loved him, her as a partner, myself as a dear friend. When the word "love" is used, the tendency is to snigger and draw the conclusions. True love is not about sex, money or jealousy. It is about being glad someone is in your life and hoping they never leave it.

Yesterday I learned something. It was the harshest lesson of my life. I learned that love is something that transcends death. I only wish that it hadn't taken the death of one of my three dearest friends to learn it. Ring that friend you haven't spoken to in ages, sort out your differences and don't wait until it's too late to do all of this.

And now the red wine......

A nice John Lennon song to cheer up Councillor Robert Rams

I hear that Councillor Robert Rams had a nasty accident and has shattered his shoulder. He tells how in his blog here - http://robertrams.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/im-a-one-handed-blogger/ .  Get well soon Robert. As you are laid up with nothing to do here's a song to cheer you up by John Lennon. Personally I think this is Lennons finest compostion. Hope you enjoy it. Such times are good to catch up on all the music which we should have listened to. Put it to good use.

I must admit, unlike many of his colleagues, Robert at least displays a sense of humour. For those of you new to the Barnet blogging scene, in 2009 the Finchley and Golders Green MP Mike Freer called myself and David Miller "One handed bloggers". He added "I call them this because you can imaging what they are doing with the other hand whilst they write them". Sadly it seems, poor old Robert won't be able to do that for a while. It is a crying shame that in the middle of his election campaign Brian Colemans team of supporters has been depleted by 50%.



Instant Karma

Instant Karma's gonna get you
Gonna knock you right on the head
You better get yourself together
Pretty soon you're gonna be dead
What in the world you thinking of
Laughing in the face of love
What on earth you tryin' to do
It's up to you, yeah you

Instant Karma's gonna get you
Gonna look you right in the face
You better get yourself together darling
Join the human race
How in the world you gonna see
Laughing at fools like me
Who on earth d'you think you are?
A superstar? Well right you are

Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Every one, come on

Instant Karma's gonna get you
Gonna knock you off your feet
Better recognize your brothers
Every one you meet
Why in the world are we here?
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on earth are you there?
When you're everywhere
Come and get your share

But we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
And we all shine on
Come on and on and on on on

Yeah yeah, alright, ah haa, aaaahh

But we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
And we all shine on
On and on and on on and on
But we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
But we all shine on

Friern barnet Library Update - The hypocrisy of Councillor Robert Rams

Councillor Robert Rams is fast establishing  a reputation as the most slippery character in Barnet Politics. The man will say anything at all if he thinks it makes him sound good. At the Barnet Eye we say "judge a man by his actions, not his words"

In an article in todays Barnet Press, Councillor Robert Rams said

“I’m delighted that residents have taken the initiative to create such a library. It’s the Big Society in action.”

If Rams was delighted and believed it was "Big Society in action" why did he?

Refuse to attend the event
Refuse to respond to an email inviting him to the event.
Refuse the offer of financial assistance to help reopen the library.
Close Friern Barnet Library which was clearly well supported and set up a temproary library a mile and a half up the road, at huge expense.
Mislead the cmapiagners fighting to preserve the library for months on end about his intention
Ignore a consultation where 95% of people asked to retain the Friern Library

Well Robert, if you are so delighted about residents protesting about your policies and having to open a peoples Library because you won't listen, please post this film on your on your blog to show it !


The Friern Barnet Peoples Library will take place this Saturday from 11am until 1pm in the Friern Barnet Royal British Legion if weather is inclement  Please come down, borrow a book, sign the petition and tell us what you think of Barnet's slipperiest character. The Peoples Library can never replace a real Library, but we can use it to bring our community together to tell these dodgy chancers exactly what we think of their crass attempt to hijack the concept of civilised society and subvert it for their own political agenda.

This week we extend the invitation to Councillor Rams to come down and tell us what part of  the "Big Society" concept involves riding roughshod over the opinions of local people, ignoring consultations and deceiving genuine people trying to help their community?


If the video fails to appear on Rams blog, then it is clear to the world exactly how slippery Rams really is and the fact that he'll say anything to the press to try and look good. Rams may have the spin, Me? I'll just settle for the evidence.

The many achievements of Brian Coleman in Finchley and Barnet

Helen Michael, owner of Cafe Buzz and a staunch Barnet Conservative until Brian Coleman was put in charge of Barnet Council parking policies has released a leaflet for local Conservative voters. Helen is unashamedly a fan of Boris. She tells me that he must be a very sweet fellow because anyone without such a big heart would have sacked Brian Coleman years ago.

Last night at the screening of A Tale of Two Barnets, someone of the left suggested she shouldn't urge people to vote for Boris on her leaflet. She replied that she was seeking to influence only staunch Tories as everyone else would rather boiled alive in molten vomit than vote for Brian Coleman (well actually those weren't her exact words, but you get the drift).

All of the shops pictured in Helens poster are ones closed down since Brian Coleman introduced his "SHAFT THE SHOPKEEPER" initiative. Helen is desperate to inform Conservative voters that they can vote for Boris and vote to sack Brian at the same time.

If you think that shafting hard working local businessmen is a sound Conservative policy, then you may want to vote for Brian Coleman. If, like the rest of Barnet you think it is terrible, then follow Brian Colemans advice and vote to sack Brian.

Let's turn the 3rd of May into a referendum on Colemans parking policy. A vote for Brian Coleman is a vote to destroy local business.

Barnet Council and the Army of Accidental Activists

John and Susan Sullivan

Last night, as I listened to the Q&A session at the House of Commons, a rather odd thought struck me. We had a few fantastic interventions from committed hard working activists, doing their best to prevent Barnet Council from ruining their lives. Perhaps the two who made the biggest impact on me were Helen Michael, de facto leader of the revolt by traders against outrageous parking charges and John Sullivan, campaigner aaginst the destruction of disabled services in Barnet.



They both made impassioned plea's for their causes. Helen told how the outrageous parking charges were destroying her business. She brought a leaflet showing all the closed shopfronts in North Finchley and Barnet. She explained that many people had lost their livelyhood, purely because the council had not given due consideration to the effect the charges would have on High St trade. John Sullivan talked about how the destruction of services for adults with learning difficulties had affected his 48 year old daughter. John is 71, he told how he was 21 when his daughter was born. Then there was nothing. Having seen society progress to a more civilised way of dealing with adults who need special requirements, he is scared to death of the effects this will have on his daughters health and wellbeing.

The point is that I don't believe that either Helen or John are natural political activists. They are people who have been forced to take up a fight by a council which has backed them into a corner. John Sullivan cannot walk away from this fight, because to do so would be to betray his daughter. Helen Michael is in a similar situation. She has spent years building a business and it is her livelyhood.

When you are backed into a corner and given no way out, all you can do is fight. If the idiots who are running Barnet Council think they can fob them off they are deluded fools. Both John and Helen are intelligent people who are more than a match for anyone I've seen at Barnet. A Barnet Tory quipped to me that the screenings of A Tale of Two Barnets brought "all the sad old lefties out of the closet". he could not have been more deluded. Helen Michael told a meeting hosted by a Labour MP that she was distributing leaflets saying "Back Boris, Sack Brian". John Sullivan said "I don't care what party anyone belongs to, it's about common decency". A Tale of Two Barnets is not about Labour activists, anti cuts protestors or vote Labour. It is about giving the people of Barnet a voice. The people have spoken. They want changes. In other circumstances, John Sullivan would be watching the telly on a Wednesday night, wearing his slippers and chatting to his wife about their plans for a summer Holiday. Helen Michael would be putting her feet up after a hard days shift in  a busy, well run cafe, swigging a decent glass of red wine and chatting to her friends.

The fact that they were in the Wilson Rooms at the House of Commons speaking of their problems with Barnet Council is a tragic accident. They are victims of the car crash that is Barnet Council under this Conservative regime


http://ataleoftwobarnets.yolasite.com/

A Tale of Two Barnets - House of Commons Premier

Last night there was a screening of A Tale of Two Barnets at the House of Commons. The screening was arranged by John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington. John is one of the busiest MP's, tirelessly campaigning for people affected by cuts and the effects of cuts on their key services. John got to hear about the film and recognised that the issues raised by the film go well beyond the boundaries of Barnet.

The Wilson room was packed with people interested to see the film. As well as a good number of people from Barnet, John was joined by Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington , who confessed to owning and allotment in Barnet. Other notable people present were Rob Lloyd, philanthropist and secret Millionaire, Gary Peak, former Aston Villa Footballer, Joe Egan, Boxer and Eastenders star and Russell Floyd, star of the Eastenders and the Bill. All had come to express their support for the film and people affected by the cuts. During the Q&A afterwards, Russell Flioyd made an impassioned speech, echoing the sentiments of Ken Loach in the film that people have to get out on the streets. He said " I am from South London and these issues affect everyone".

John Sullivan, campaigner for disabled rights, sat on the panel and explained how he was 21 when his disabled daughter Susan was born. He told how then there were no support services. He explained the difference these made and how they were being systematically destroyed.

Perhaps the most controversial comments were from Finchley traders association campaigner Helen Michael. She urged all Tory voters to "Back Boris and Sack Brian (Coleman)" and distributed leaflets showing all the shops closed by Brian Colemans parking policies. Helen is a core Tory voter and completely alienated by Coleman.

All in all a night to be remembered. (TBC)

A Tale of Two Barnets - The film that went to Parliament !

Tonight we have a screening of the film A Tale of Two Barnets at the House of Commons. I've no idea how many films get this fantastic privilige, but as producer I'm truly honoured. I've been to thw House of Commons twice previously. The first time was as a guest of the then MP for Hendon, Andrew Dismore. he arranged a tour for local constituents and invited me. It was fascinating. I would urge everyone who gets the opportunity to go. Democracy has served this country well. Seeing the heart of the operation was inspirational. What was especially nice for me was the fact that the green benches in the House of Commons chamber were reconditioned by a company based next to our studios in Bunns Lane Works. Sadly they've long gone, but it was nice to have seen the benches which had been piled up in a workshop, in their proper setting. I've no idea if our local MP's Matthew Offord, Mike Freer and Theresa Villiers invite local residents down for a tour ever, if they don't they should consider it.

Interestingly, the night of my tour was the day Ken Livingstone announced his intention to stand for the 2000 Mayoral elections as an independent. That seems like a very long time ago. It is interesting seeing various twitters saying an independent candidate can never win. Livingstone turned this logic on its head. I don't think I'm alone in thinking he was a more effective Mayor when he was an independent. Maybe there is a message there for everyone.

The second time I visited Parliament was as a member of the Federation of Small Business, to meet Ed Milliband. This was interesting, in a completely different way. I happen to believe that Labour has served the small business community far better than the Conservative Party, but they are hopeless at engaging with them. The Labour Shadow Minister for small business is MP Gordon Banks. He is one of only three MPs  to have run a small business. I was highly impressed with Gordon.

Anyway, if you can come along, please make the effort. Email me via the link in the sidebar and I'll see if we can get you in. We have a couple of places left. We have a star studded list of people coming, including secret millionaire Rob Lloyd, Former Aston Villa footballer Gary Peak, Boxer and Eastenders star Joe Egan and actor Russell Floyd. We also have some of the stars of the film and the director Charles Honderick. Thanks to MP John McDonnell for organising the screening. A top MP who cares about the people of London.

To celebrate we have a new trailer on the film website !


http://ataleoftwobarnets.yolasite.com/

Friern Barnet Peoples Library - A Statement

The Barnet Eye has been instrumental in putting together the concept of Friern Barnet Peoples Library. I have been asked to clarify exactly what the purpose of the Peoples library is. This is simple

* To demonstrate the requirement for a local library for the people of Friern Barnet
* To show that the local community have been ignored and their concerns brushed aside
* To build a community spirit in Friern Barnet centered around the Library
* To retain the Friern Barnet Library building in public ownership until a more enlightened policy is adopted at Barnet Council

Let us also consider what the Friern Barnet Peoples Library isn't

* It is not a long term replacement for a properly run Library
* It is not a dry run for the amatuerisation of Library provision in Barnet
* It is not a model for a volunteer run library service in Barnet, which would be a disaster

Libraries are effective because they have professional staff. The Peoples library was set up to allow the local community to show their love of the site. The proposal to rent the site for three months was to demonstarte the fact that there is a requirement and it is well supported by the commuinity. If the council had taken up the offer, the next phase would have been to develop a proposal for a full scale re-opening in association with Barnet Council, using paid full time staff in association with volunteers.

The Barnet Eye believes that there is a place in the library service for support work by volunteers. These do not replace trained and paid staff but can help them expand the service at a time of financial difficulty.

The sad truth is that if Barnet Council sell the Friern Library site, then it is game over forever. Another local amenity will be lost forever. We will do everything we can to prevent that from happening. If that means an interim period of a volunteer library, then so be it. We ask the whole of Barnets communty to come together and fight for a well resourced Library service providing a fully staffed operation.

The Peoples library is a focus for the strength of feeling and passion for our library service. It is not some half cocked attempt at Big Society. We used reference to Big Society merely to illustrate the fact that the Conservative Barnet Council does not serve even it's own ideological constructs, let alone the needs of the wider community.

We thank everyone for their support in this matter.