I was interviewed by a national paper five years ago, in regards to why I write the Barnet Eye blog. As often happens, the quotes they attributed to me were the ones I felt least important. One question they asked and did not publish was "what do you hope to achieve?". Well I've had four years to think about it. Here are the answers!
I have four political goals and one person goal for the blog. The four political goals are as follows.
1. To Persuade the councillors running Barnet Council that they can run a better organisation if they listen to local people.
2. To persuade the councillors running Barnet Council that they will be better able to do their job if they do their homework and read the background paperwork.
3. To persuade the people of Barnet that they need to make their voices heard.
4. To make sure the people of Barnet value the fantastic things our Borough has to offer, so we don't easily give them up, when vested interests wave cash or use influence to try and take them away.
The personal goal is as follows.
1. To write an entertaining and informative blog, that I personally can be proud of.
Now of course, a blogger cannot change anything, a blogger can only write a blog and hope that other people connect with it, enough to do something about the points raised. This blog has a track record of extraordinary success in doing this. One of the things which historically has been a strength is the guest blogs we publish. These always reach a wide audience. I have some excellent ones coming up, so watch this sI also produced two films (A Tale of Two Barnets and Barnet - The Billion Pound Gamble) both of which gained national TV coverage and both packed the Phoenix cinema. I am starting work on a new project,to coincide with our tenth anniversary next year. This will catalog ten years of Barnet blogging. This film will be rather different to the last two. They were made for a specific goal, in a campaign. The new film will be a different beast, a far more thoughtful and less polemic film.
I really want to show more of what is good in Barnet. It would be great to get some proper interviews with the local politicians, but I really don't think most really 'get' what the blog is about. However most of it wont be about politics, most will simply be about what a great place we've got and the people who make it so good. That is the plan, it should be done by next May!
Here's a just few things I'd like to feature, although this will no doubt change as the project evolves.
Saracens, the best rugby club in Europe and a huge asset.
Mill Hill Music Complex, North West Londons leading music studios.
The University of London Observatory.
The Chandos Arms, Colindale, finalist for UK community pub of the year.
Thameslink and The Northern Line
Barnet museum and The RAF museum
The Arts Depot
The Bull Theatre
St Paul's Church and the Wilberforce legacy
I'd also like to look back on a few changes.
The closure of Church Farmhouse museum
Parking Issues
The Railway hotel in Edgware
Redevelopments in Colindale and Brent Cross
The Torrington
And finally, a look at various subcultures in our midst. Sound good?
Showing posts with label saracens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label saracens. Show all posts
Friday, 1 September 2017
Sunday, 11 September 2016
The tweets of the week in the London Borough of Barnet
It's Sunday, so it's time for our regular weekly feature.
1. We like a fine sunrise! Nice pic from one of our regulars
3. Fancy a bit of folk in Colindale this coming Monday?
10. It's not just sport in our neighbourhood! We also have great music facilities, which the lovely Xsara seems to rather like!
1. We like a fine sunrise! Nice pic from one of our regulars
— Mark Amies (@Superfast72) September 8, 20162. And here's one we couldn't ignore!
— North London News (@NrthLondonNews) September 7, 2016
3. Fancy a bit of folk in Colindale this coming Monday?
4. It seems we've got some well behaved Police dogs being trained in Hendon!On Monday, 12th September we welcome Bernard Hoskin, https://t.co/OfhscchL5y. Enquiries for floor spots welcome. pic.twitter.com/lX7YteuQIn— Colindale Folk Club (@ColindaleFolk) August 27, 2016
5. A sad anniversary yesterdayDog Support Unit out for the inauguration of the new parade square #parade #Hendon making history. pic.twitter.com/1lapKqMAPx— Supt Robyn Williams (@SuptRobynMPS) September 9, 2016
6. Proud congratulations to two Barnet Copthall swimming club Olympians!Today marks the 10th anniversary of the death of our striker Simon Patterson. Rest in peace Simon 💙 pic.twitter.com/rK7pbPLGND— Wingate&Finchley FC (@WinFinchleyFC) September 10, 2016
7. Seems like we've some exotic livestock in Totteridge!Congratulations to two of our Barnet Olympians, Gaurika & Haris, who have returned from Rio to training at Copthall. pic.twitter.com/ny2B0OiHQ9— Barnet Council (@BarnetCouncil) September 9, 2016
8. This week we had the regular Federation of Small Business get together at Cafe BuzzEnglish #longhorn cattle are helping us keep Totteridge Fields in #Barnet great for wildlife https://t.co/eslorDqXmR pic.twitter.com/PgLiiK76C9— London WildlifeTrust (@WildLondon) September 8, 2016
9. Our local Rugby club and league champions have a new pitch!Great networking meeting @FSBNorthLondon at @BuzzingHelen. Great meeting @LesleyTrenner @SueCoh and others #N12 pic.twitter.com/QHLOcy040R— Anne Iarchy (@Barnettrainer) September 5, 2016
Great to see the squad training back on the fresh new pitch at @AllianzPark this afternoon! 🏉 pic.twitter.com/5SJBAC3Wyt— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) September 6, 2016
10. It's not just sport in our neighbourhood! We also have great music facilities, which the lovely Xsara seems to rather like!
Had a lot of fun playing this earlier in #rehearsal @MillHillMusicCo First time visiting, great place! pic.twitter.com/75QAsZs8V1— XSARA (@XSARA_) September 5, 2016
Friday, 7 September 2012
Saracens RFC CPZ in Mill Hill - The lie that conned a community
I was not particularly an opponent of the Saracens proposal for Copthall Stadium. The stadium was derelict and needed investment and whilst I felt Barnet Football Club should have been given first refusal as they are local and well established, I felt that Saracens was probably the best option likely with our totally anti football council. I have now changed my opinion. The reason? I hate it when we are lied to and conned into supporting proposals on false pretences.
When the plans for a huge CPZ, covering over 3/4 of Mill Hill was announced, I was shocked. Even more so by the totally oppresive timings of this from 1pm to 6pm on match days, even though Rugby matches last 80 minutes. The truth is that Saracens RFC distributed a leaflet throughout Mill Hill claiming that there was no need for a CPZ. It said that the council didn't want one, the police didn't want one and they didn't want one. This is the biggest porkie that has been told in Mill Hill.
If Saracens cannot conduct their business without telling the truth, then as far as I'm concerned they are not welcome in my neighbourhood. I will be writing to the council, to demand that they annul the planning permission, as it is clear that local people were mislead. If the CPZ had been explained properly, then the local opposition would have been overwhelming.
Here is Saracens own leaflet. How does it feel to have been conned? This leaflet was distributed all around Mill Hill prior to the planning hearing. Check point no 2 it says "The truth is .... nobody believes a controlled parking zone is required, not the council, not the police and not Saracens. It is not on the agenda because we believe the match day travel plan will work." It is now clear that the Police, the Council and Saracens believe it won't. If this is the case, the surely the planning permission is invalid as this was based on the fact that the plan was robust. Or like everything in "One Barnet", will private companies tell a stack of porkies to get their way and then shaft us. It is sad to see the local papers have said nothing. Is this because they expect hufe advertising revenues from Saracens? I can think of no other explanation.
When the plans for a huge CPZ, covering over 3/4 of Mill Hill was announced, I was shocked. Even more so by the totally oppresive timings of this from 1pm to 6pm on match days, even though Rugby matches last 80 minutes. The truth is that Saracens RFC distributed a leaflet throughout Mill Hill claiming that there was no need for a CPZ. It said that the council didn't want one, the police didn't want one and they didn't want one. This is the biggest porkie that has been told in Mill Hill.
If Saracens cannot conduct their business without telling the truth, then as far as I'm concerned they are not welcome in my neighbourhood. I will be writing to the council, to demand that they annul the planning permission, as it is clear that local people were mislead. If the CPZ had been explained properly, then the local opposition would have been overwhelming.
Here is Saracens own leaflet. How does it feel to have been conned? This leaflet was distributed all around Mill Hill prior to the planning hearing. Check point no 2 it says "The truth is .... nobody believes a controlled parking zone is required, not the council, not the police and not Saracens. It is not on the agenda because we believe the match day travel plan will work." It is now clear that the Police, the Council and Saracens believe it won't. If this is the case, the surely the planning permission is invalid as this was based on the fact that the plan was robust. Or like everything in "One Barnet", will private companies tell a stack of porkies to get their way and then shaft us. It is sad to see the local papers have said nothing. Is this because they expect hufe advertising revenues from Saracens? I can think of no other explanation.
Monday, 5 September 2011
Barnet FC accuse Barnet Council of failing football in Barnet
Today the Chairman of Barnet Football Club, Tony Kleanthous issued a statement accusing Barnet Council of failing the club. Here is his statement in full (originally printed here on Barnet FC website - http://www.barnetfc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10431~2441820,00.html)
The Barnet Eye fully supports Barnet FC. We believe that Barnet Council has behaved in an atrocious manner towards the club. Association Football is the national game. Barnet FC are a successful club and it is atrocious that their role in the community is not valued and cherished. The Barnet Eye has no arguement with Saracens Rugby Football Club, but we believe it is unfair to seemingly favour a club with no ties to Barnet over our local team. The local Conservative party in Mill Hill have shown a complete disdain for football, opposing an application for a pavillion and clubhouse for Kentish Town FC (ave attendance 30) at Chase Lodge playfields, whilst backing a 10,000 seat Stadium proposal for Saracens Rugby Football Club.
Barnet Council are also trying to force football away from various locations, such as Mill Hill Sports Club and have sold off many playing fields for redevelopment. It is time for Barnet Council to start treating our local clubs with the same respect they treat the multi millionaire backers of some of the schemes forcing well loved local facilities out. Please sign the petition to Save Mill Hill Sports Club (at the top of sidebar), once you have read this blog
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Barnet chairman Tony Kleanthous has broken his silence about the much publicised multi-million pound Saracens relocation plans for Copthall Stadium in a statement issued by the club today. He accuses Barnet Council of contravening the Local Government Act which states that the council MUST obtain best value for any site it disposes of in the borough.
The statement also accuses the council of using delaying tactics, failing to resolve assurances made to Barnet FC in recent years and making it impossible for Barnet FC to operate at Underhill. The council have told the club they do not have any land for it to develop a stadium ... even though they were secretly agreeing to go ahead with plans for Saracens to relocate.
"It is quite clear they want to push football out and move rugby in", says the hard-hitting statement. "Despite Barnet FC having more than 120 years of history as a community club in the area, they seem to want to clear us away".
The chairman reveals in the statement that the football club had an application for a new stadium at Copthall almost ready to go before the Planning Committee but the council would not provide the club with the land assurances needed. The club now realises this was because they had already committed to give the site away to the Saracens, who want to take over Barnet FC's home turf.
The football club was not advised in advance of the Saracens plans, which appeared out of the blue in a Press announcement during last season, despite ongoing discussions with councillors and officers over the years about the long standing Barnet FC wish to build a new stadium in the borough.
Saracens have been offered a virtual freehold for the multi acre stadium site at Copthall for free; Barnet FC have been asked for more than £200,000 just to renew the lease of their 5 - acre cricket club site to the south of Underhill.
When the current Saracens plans were revealed last season, the council asked Barnet not to object to the planning and promised to deal with outstanding land issues at Underhill, including the car park area and access and lighting for Priory Grove whilst finding an alternative site for the football club, which has been in Barnet since 1888. However, the issues at Underhill were left unresolved and the club were then told that NO site was available for them.
The previous Barnet FC application to move to Copthall was called in and turned down by the Minister (John Prescott) ten years ago after Barnet Council and Ken Livingstone, leader of the Greater London Council at the time, had given approval. Copthall was kept on the agenda in recent months during ongoing talks between the club and council but the council constantly refused to back a stadium for Barnet FC on the site.
"Our supporters should know what's going on", said the chairman, "Life has become very difficult since Mike Freer left as Leader of Barnet Council to become an MP. To compound matters we also have Saracens regularly approaching our sponsors and commercial partners driving money out of Barnet FC and the local Barnet community".
In the last few months the club has sent legal letters to Barnet Council, to which they have yet to receive a full response, and have lobbied the London Mayor's Office. "The Mayor seems very well informed and has a good grasp of the importance of a community based sports club like ours, we hope we can rely on his officers' intervention to prevent this appalling situation from going any further" said the chairman.
Barnet FC employs nearly 200 local people on a full and part - time basis and has 11community officers working in the borough for the community. The council have consistently attacked the club's existence since 2002 and efforts to gain the support of MP Theresa Villiers have failed to resolve the difficulties the club faces.
Barnet FC has had a volatile, even hostile, relationship with the council in recent years. This improved when Councillor Freer was the leader but the latest developments suggest that it has slipped back.
"Now the dust has settled on the new football season we feel our supporters and the community should know what is going on behind the scenes", says the chairman.
The Barnet Eye fully supports Barnet FC. We believe that Barnet Council has behaved in an atrocious manner towards the club. Association Football is the national game. Barnet FC are a successful club and it is atrocious that their role in the community is not valued and cherished. The Barnet Eye has no arguement with Saracens Rugby Football Club, but we believe it is unfair to seemingly favour a club with no ties to Barnet over our local team. The local Conservative party in Mill Hill have shown a complete disdain for football, opposing an application for a pavillion and clubhouse for Kentish Town FC (ave attendance 30) at Chase Lodge playfields, whilst backing a 10,000 seat Stadium proposal for Saracens Rugby Football Club.
Barnet Council are also trying to force football away from various locations, such as Mill Hill Sports Club and have sold off many playing fields for redevelopment. It is time for Barnet Council to start treating our local clubs with the same respect they treat the multi millionaire backers of some of the schemes forcing well loved local facilities out. Please sign the petition to Save Mill Hill Sports Club (at the top of sidebar), once you have read this blog
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barnet chairman Tony Kleanthous has broken his silence about the much publicised multi-million pound Saracens relocation plans for Copthall Stadium in a statement issued by the club today. He accuses Barnet Council of contravening the Local Government Act which states that the council MUST obtain best value for any site it disposes of in the borough.
The statement also accuses the council of using delaying tactics, failing to resolve assurances made to Barnet FC in recent years and making it impossible for Barnet FC to operate at Underhill. The council have told the club they do not have any land for it to develop a stadium ... even though they were secretly agreeing to go ahead with plans for Saracens to relocate.
"It is quite clear they want to push football out and move rugby in", says the hard-hitting statement. "Despite Barnet FC having more than 120 years of history as a community club in the area, they seem to want to clear us away".
The chairman reveals in the statement that the football club had an application for a new stadium at Copthall almost ready to go before the Planning Committee but the council would not provide the club with the land assurances needed. The club now realises this was because they had already committed to give the site away to the Saracens, who want to take over Barnet FC's home turf.
The football club was not advised in advance of the Saracens plans, which appeared out of the blue in a Press announcement during last season, despite ongoing discussions with councillors and officers over the years about the long standing Barnet FC wish to build a new stadium in the borough.
Saracens have been offered a virtual freehold for the multi acre stadium site at Copthall for free; Barnet FC have been asked for more than £200,000 just to renew the lease of their 5 - acre cricket club site to the south of Underhill.
When the current Saracens plans were revealed last season, the council asked Barnet not to object to the planning and promised to deal with outstanding land issues at Underhill, including the car park area and access and lighting for Priory Grove whilst finding an alternative site for the football club, which has been in Barnet since 1888. However, the issues at Underhill were left unresolved and the club were then told that NO site was available for them.
The previous Barnet FC application to move to Copthall was called in and turned down by the Minister (John Prescott) ten years ago after Barnet Council and Ken Livingstone, leader of the Greater London Council at the time, had given approval. Copthall was kept on the agenda in recent months during ongoing talks between the club and council but the council constantly refused to back a stadium for Barnet FC on the site.
"Our supporters should know what's going on", said the chairman, "Life has become very difficult since Mike Freer left as Leader of Barnet Council to become an MP. To compound matters we also have Saracens regularly approaching our sponsors and commercial partners driving money out of Barnet FC and the local Barnet community".
In the last few months the club has sent legal letters to Barnet Council, to which they have yet to receive a full response, and have lobbied the London Mayor's Office. "The Mayor seems very well informed and has a good grasp of the importance of a community based sports club like ours, we hope we can rely on his officers' intervention to prevent this appalling situation from going any further" said the chairman.
Barnet FC employs nearly 200 local people on a full and part - time basis and has 11community officers working in the borough for the community. The council have consistently attacked the club's existence since 2002 and efforts to gain the support of MP Theresa Villiers have failed to resolve the difficulties the club faces.
Barnet FC has had a volatile, even hostile, relationship with the council in recent years. This improved when Councillor Freer was the leader but the latest developments suggest that it has slipped back.
"Now the dust has settled on the new football season we feel our supporters and the community should know what is going on behind the scenes", says the chairman.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Saracens Stadium : The Tories, John Hart, Brian Coleman and the big Tory lie
Exactly a year ago today, I was about to find out that I'd failed in my bid to become a Barnet Councillor in Mill Hill ward. The jubilant Tory victor, John Hart gloatingly told me that "You know the leaflet about Kentish Town FC at Copthall got us 1,000 votes". Basically the Tories had distributed a leaflet claiming that local Lib Dems (who at the time had 6 out of 63 councillors) were planning a massive stadium for Kentish Town FC (average gate 27 people) at Copthall. This scare tactic worked. It was a complete load of bollocks, but as it won John Hart and his two Tories the seats, he thought it was a jolly ruse.
Here is a scare story planted by the Tories in the press before the election
http://www.times-series.co.uk/your_local_areas/edgwarenews/5066966.Stadium_fears_for_playing_fields_site/
What Hart told no one was that the local Tories were planning a 10,000 seat Rugby stadium for Saracens there. Local residents are outraged and many have told me that the Tories have breached their trust for good. This is why Matthew Offord and Brian Coleman now are pretending to be against the proposal. They both know that the 1,000 votes they won from the Lib Dems would see them out on their ear. In Colemans case, he stands for the GLA next year, just as the Rugby stadium would be opening.
This is why they both announced a sudden conversion to the cause of the local opponents, as detailed on the Times website today.
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/9006454.Two_Tories_oppose_Saracens_Copthall_plans/
Strangely for someone who is keen to fleece CPZ residents throughout the rest of the Borough, Coleman has denied plans at Copthall, could this again be due to the GLA elections next year. Rather like the Saracens Stadium, I wonder what nasty shock will greet us if he gets re-elected?
The truth is that if the local Tory regime, which these two are senior members of, wanted to stop the stadium, they would. Coleman has already made his position on CPZ's well known
These two are purely shouting to save their skins. Please don't be fooled by their posturing.
Here is a scare story planted by the Tories in the press before the election
http://www.times-series.co.uk/your_local_areas/edgwarenews/5066966.Stadium_fears_for_playing_fields_site/
What Hart told no one was that the local Tories were planning a 10,000 seat Rugby stadium for Saracens there. Local residents are outraged and many have told me that the Tories have breached their trust for good. This is why Matthew Offord and Brian Coleman now are pretending to be against the proposal. They both know that the 1,000 votes they won from the Lib Dems would see them out on their ear. In Colemans case, he stands for the GLA next year, just as the Rugby stadium would be opening.
This is why they both announced a sudden conversion to the cause of the local opponents, as detailed on the Times website today.
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/9006454.Two_Tories_oppose_Saracens_Copthall_plans/
Strangely for someone who is keen to fleece CPZ residents throughout the rest of the Borough, Coleman has denied plans at Copthall, could this again be due to the GLA elections next year. Rather like the Saracens Stadium, I wonder what nasty shock will greet us if he gets re-elected?
The truth is that if the local Tory regime, which these two are senior members of, wanted to stop the stadium, they would. Coleman has already made his position on CPZ's well known
These two are purely shouting to save their skins. Please don't be fooled by their posturing.
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Proof that Barnet Council is run by a bunch of C**ts who don't give a S**t about the people who live here
Tow stories dominate the Hendon Times website right now. This one
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/8938701.Hopes_of_recreating_community_centre_dashed/
This story details how a plan to set up a community centre in one of the most deprived parts of Barnet (Burnt Oak) was rejected last night by Barnet Council and the sale of the site to Property developers was approved instead. The reason for rejecting the proposal
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/8939086.Saracens_granted_99_year_lease_on_Copthall_site/
This details how the site of Copthall Stadium has been sold on a 99 year lease to a bunch of South African businessmen, to bring a Rugby team to Barnet. They are getting a massive site in the heart of Mill Hill for £1 a year. This is in effect a massive subsidy to a commercial venture. This just sums Barnet up. They won't support local groups who have 100% community support, but they'll bend over backwards to accomodate rich businessmen from outside of the Borough who have slick PR operations.
Barnet Council have done everything they can under the Tories to drive out Barnet FC. They ran an election campaign in Mill Hill opposing a development of Kentish Town FC on the grounds that a stand for 50 people would "damage the green belt". I have nothing against Rugby clubs or Saracens, but Barnet FC are established in the Borough and offered a far better deal for the residents. Both schemes bring huge traffic issues and disturbance for local residents. The difference is that Barnet are a part of the community already. Saracens are not.
As for the 30 hours community use our South African friends have promised. We've all seen what happens to these sort of deals once the facility is up and running. This whole business makes me feel sick. When even Brian Coleman says he has reservations, you have to wonder. I don't suppose the Fat Controller would be so good as to share these reservations with us, would he.
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/8938701.Hopes_of_recreating_community_centre_dashed/
This story details how a plan to set up a community centre in one of the most deprived parts of Barnet (Burnt Oak) was rejected last night by Barnet Council and the sale of the site to Property developers was approved instead. The reason for rejecting the proposal
rejected because they wanted a “substantial” council grant in order to transform the buildingThe other Story :-
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/8939086.Saracens_granted_99_year_lease_on_Copthall_site/
This details how the site of Copthall Stadium has been sold on a 99 year lease to a bunch of South African businessmen, to bring a Rugby team to Barnet. They are getting a massive site in the heart of Mill Hill for £1 a year. This is in effect a massive subsidy to a commercial venture. This just sums Barnet up. They won't support local groups who have 100% community support, but they'll bend over backwards to accomodate rich businessmen from outside of the Borough who have slick PR operations.
Barnet Council have done everything they can under the Tories to drive out Barnet FC. They ran an election campaign in Mill Hill opposing a development of Kentish Town FC on the grounds that a stand for 50 people would "damage the green belt". I have nothing against Rugby clubs or Saracens, but Barnet FC are established in the Borough and offered a far better deal for the residents. Both schemes bring huge traffic issues and disturbance for local residents. The difference is that Barnet are a part of the community already. Saracens are not.
As for the 30 hours community use our South African friends have promised. We've all seen what happens to these sort of deals once the facility is up and running. This whole business makes me feel sick. When even Brian Coleman says he has reservations, you have to wonder. I don't suppose the Fat Controller would be so good as to share these reservations with us, would he.
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