Yet another Barnet Council Scandal - Lies about land for schools and playing fields revealed

Let me ask you a few questions :-

a) Do you think Barnet Council has enough school places for the ever growing population in Barnet?
b) Do you think that Barnet Council has not got any spare land to increase provision if it needs it?
c) Given the furore over the closure of the Garden Centre and the Mill Hill Sports club, both well loved local facilities, to accomodate new schools, do you think that there are any other site which could be found?
d) Do you believe the Barnet Tories, when they say that they do not want to get rid of playing fields?

Well depending on your answers, you may be shocked to know that Barnet Council is sneakily selling off huge sites for housing developments, which were school playing fields at Northway School and Broadfields School. It may shock you to find out that they are being extremely sneaky about this, doing it under delegated powers and not mentioning the fact that the sites are playing fields in the title of the document, preferring the description "surplus land". As they build ever more houses, the recreational green space is gobbled up. They don't think that the children who live in these buildings will require even more school places. Councillor Daniel Thomas made a video last month. claiming that we have a massive shortfall coming in school provision, but they are selling land whihc could be used to grow existing schools. There are so many things in this which are disgusting, that I don't know where to even start to analyse the stupidity of this plan. It is all about selling the family silver to pay for the gross mismanagement of Council resources by the incompetent Conservative regime in Barnet. Not only that, but they are selling these assetts when the property market is depressed, so they won't even get a decent price. It's all in here.

Here's the link to the document describing how Council Leader Richard Cornelius is squandering these precious resources  -
http://committeepapers.barnet.gov.uk/democracy/reports/reportdetail.asp?ReportID=10673

Or you can read it here.

DPR-6

We are clearly being run by people with no concern for the future and no sense of responsibility towards our children or our money.

Barnet Council are failing our young people - Wholesale sell off of sports facilities

I noticed this advert on page 28 of the Hendon Times

Yes, at this time when young people all over London have been rioting, Barnet Council are selling off the facilities which may give them a useful or creative outlet for their energies. In the week in which we launched the petition to save Mill Hill Sports club, we see the social vandalism of this Tory regime at it's worst. Do they ever wonder why we have social problems and youth crime. These facilities should be preserved and cherished as vital parts of our community, not flogged off with positive encouragement to build yet more rabbit hutch flats.

As if the whole sorry tale couldn't get any worse, I then clicked the link to the Barnet Online commercial properties page -


http://www.barnet.gov.uk/commercial-property


Imagine my despair to see these adverts?


Community Centre to let
Grange Community Centre, Red Lion Hill, N2 8EB

• Type: A single storey community centre of around 167sq metres, (1805 sq feet) located within a residential area. Suitable for community and other uses - subject to planning
• Expression of interest to: Amin Soorma
• Tel: 020 8359 7367
• Email: amin.soorma@barnet.gov.uk
• Grange Community Centre   (PDF: 486KB)

Land for Sale Former Watling Boys Club, Dryfield Road, Burnt Oak, Edgware HA8 9JU

• Type: We are offering for sale, by way of non-binding tender, the freehold interest in  the site of this former community use property which is suitable for redevelopment, subject to planning permission. Site Area Approximately 0.335 hectares (0.828 acres)
• Location: The site is located on the northern side of Dryfield Road approximately 130 metres north of the Deansbrook Road
• Expressions of interest to: Richard Malinowski, Property Services on:
• Tel: 020 8359 7539
• Email: richard.malinowski@barnet.gov.uk
• Former Watling Boys Club (June 10) (PDF: 163KB)

Community Centre for let - Noel Lounge, Great Field, Grahame Park Estate, Colindale, NW9 5TS (under offer)

• Type: A well constructed single storey community building with a gross internal area of 380 sq feet (35.30 sq meters) and in need of some work
• Location: The property is situated adjacent to the Noel residential block and close to The Concourse on the Grahame Park Estate.
• Expressions of interest to Amin Soorma, Property Services on:
• Tel: 020 8359 7367
• Email: amin.soorma@barnet.gov.uk
• Closing date for tenders 25 February 2011
• Noel Lounge Community Centre (Jan 2011) (PDF: 396KB)

Large Community Hall for let - Market Lane (off Watling Avenue, Burnt Oak HA8 (under offer)

• Type: A large community hall measuring 1,951 sq ft with outside space.
• Location: Adjacent to Burnt Oak’s commercial area and near to Burnt Oak Underground Station.
• Expressions of interest to Simon Shaer, Property Services on:
• Tel: 020 8359 7357
• Email: simon.shaer@barnet.gov.uk
• Market Lane former scout hall (July 2009) (PDF: 428KB)

Pavilion to let - West Hendon Playing Fields, Goldsmith Avenue, West Hendon, NW9 7EU (UNDER OFFER)

• Type: A two storey pavilion which can be let as a whole or in part for a variety of uses that may include a park café, community, leisure or business space uses (subject to planning)
• Location: The property is located in West Hendon, west of the Edgware Road and Brent Reservoir and is accessed from Goldsmith Avenue.
• Expressions of interest to Simon Shaer, Property Services on:
• Tel: 020 8359 7357
• Email:simon.shaer@barnet.gov.uk
• West Hendon Pavilion (July10) (PDF: 314KB)

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Words fail me. As cuts bite, what are these madmen doing? It is completely sick. I am totally disgusted to see the decimation of these facilities in some of Londons worst areas of social depravation. These are just the sort of facilities we desperately need as we battle social unrest, drugs and violence on the streets of our Borough.

I cannot possibly find the words to adequately describe my disgust at our council. I cannot describe my contempt for the people who make such crass decisions. And what makes me feel physically sick is the way buffoons like Brian Coleman, the man responsible for inflicting this anti family, anti society right wing dogma, never take any responsibilty for the mess they cause, as they sit in their church subsidised flat, siphoning over £114,000 from the public coffers for a string of non jobs. The man can find £400,000 from Boris Johnson to do up a churchyard in affluent Chipping Barnet ( http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/9177454.Church_green_investment_to__bring_buzz_back__to_Barnet/ )
  -, subsidising private business, whilst these vital community facilities are flogged off, lock stock and two smoking barrels to pay for his allowances. Sick, JF sick

Chase Lodge playing fields - The hype and the truth

This week there has been some hysterical coverage in the local press of the proposed transfer of Chase Lodge playing fields from Camden Council to Camden Community Football and Sports Association. Local Conservative Councillor John Hart has been vocally opposing the plan and talking about plans to "tarmac over the green belt" and "put a stadium on the site". He has been talking about the plans to relocate Kentish Town FC to the site. Lets just take a step back from Mr Harts hysteria and look at a few facts.

Firstly, Kentish Town FC is not Arsenal. They are in the South Midlands League Premier Division. they have an average attendance of less than 150 people. To accomodate this number of people, you don't need a stadium, you need a small clubhouse with a tea stall.Most shockingly, where do you think they play at the moment? They play at Copthall stadium and my guess is you didn't even know they were there. Now knowing this fact, had Mr Hart chosen to be present all the facts, he would have mentioned this. There is not traffic gridlock on the roads when Kentish Town FC play. They have submitted no plans for a stadium. If they do it will be subject to the normal planning process and the Conservative Council control the planning committee so they will have the final say. Is Mr Hart saying he doesn't trust his fellow colleagues to do the right thing?

One interesting thing about Mr Harts campaign is that by taking his stance, he now has a vested interest in the issue, so he has barred himself from the decision making process under Council rules. Has he done this as a deliberate ploy? In other words he's got himself out of the pickle of having to follow official Tory policy in Barnet on this proposal. It is quite noticable that Mr Hart hasn't chosen to involve his fellow Tory candidates in the campaign. Given that he's well known and they are not, why could this be? It would be a great chance to introduce them to the people of Mill Hill

For the absence of doubt, lets consider a few issues Mr Hart neglected to mention.

1. It is the official policy of Conservative Barnet Council to sell off it's playing fields. Unlike Camden Council, this usually isn't to charities which promot sport and football.

2. Barnet Council imposed a massive increase in rent on Mill Hill Village Football club this year, nearly forcing the club out of existence. To cope with the rise, Mill Hill Village have had to step up commercial activities and cut community work, just to balance the books.

3. The Deputy Mayor, Hugh Rayner is known for his anti football stance.

4. Any increase in usage of Chase Lodge playing fields for football is entirely due to the council selling off or closing other local pitches.

5. Barnet Council agreed to the Powerleague facility next door, which doesn't have adequate parking on site. This has resulted in most of the football related disruption locally. Mr Hart has done nothing and said nothing about his own Tory councils negligence in this matter.

If and when any plans are announced and submitted we should judge them on their relative merits. That is the way the law works and that is the way things should be done. There is only one reason Mr Hart has been scaremongering. He knows that he's likely to lose his seat on the Council in May so he's using classic "wind up and scare" tactics on the doorsteps of local voters.

Mr Hart may think he's clever, I think some people might interpret this as rather shifty, dishonest and desperate, as he's totally ignored other local green belt development issues which have been caused by promenent Conservative supporters. I hope local voters see through these statements.