Guest Blog - Barnet Council rides roughshod over Local Community Association

This week I received a very disturbing email from the Barnet South Community Association which I am happy to publicise on this blog. 

 

"The Barnet South Community Association (BSCA) in Mays Lane Barnet, is a local community association that has been in existence for 50 years and has 250 + members, Sadly, very soon, it will no longer exist.  Barnet owns the land on which the BSCA is built, although they do not own the building.  As part of the Dollis Valley regeneration scheme, this land has been included in their plans.  Despite a number of meetings and promises of alternative premises being sought, we have now been notified that  that we have to vacate the site in March next year.

This news is devastating to the members of the BSCA, many of whom are elderly and a visit to the BSCA is their only form of socialisation. Barnet have shown absolutely no concern about the loss of this community association and the fact that over 250 local residents are losing their local community association seems to have fallen on deaf ears. 

The members, all local residents, feel badly let down by the London Borough of Barnet."

It is quite clear to me that this is just another example of Barnet pushing through a scheme irrespective of the views of the community. I hope the local Councillors will take note and ensure this hall is either preserved or replaced with a comparable building before the old one is demolished.