New Barnet Town Centre Framework - Vote Option 1

Having studied the Town Centre Framework in some detail, it strikes me that there are a number of very serious issues which don't necessarily come out clearly in the documents. Option 1, which is residential development on the Gasworks and Optex sites (something proposed by the Save New Barnet Campaign last year), seems to be portrayed in such a way as to make it look a rather negative option. By contrast, Options 2 &3, which favour retail development on the Optex and Gasworks sites respectively, are portrayed in much more favourable terms. However, as with some many things in life, the devil is in the detail. Options 2 & 3 don't talk about the size of retail development nor do they talk about the additional traffic that would be generated. Option 2 (Tesco own Optex site) could only be accessed from Victoria Road making life utterly miserable for anyone living on this narrow residential road.What is also tucked away in one of the appendices is the impact assessment on the Sainsbury's store in New Barnet. The Framework document suggests that if a 2,500 square metre store (a bit smaller than the current Sainsbury's) was openedon either of the sites, it would take half of Sainsbury's turnover potentially making the Sainsbury's store unviable. As a result, rather than generating competition, we would simply have Sainsbury's replaced by another single supermarket operator. Change but not competition. Overall, the only realistic option is Option 1.
Make your opinion count - Tell Barnet Council what you think - deadline 23 March.
Mr Reasonable will be voting for Option 1!

New Barnet Town Centre Framework

I have just come back from the exhibition at St Jame's Church. The problem is that the display boards were extremely superficial. Nothing about traffic or whether or not we need any more supermarkets. It will be incredibly difficult to come to a clear and rational conclusion based on the evidence presented. I just hope that people can see through the spin!

Tesco - What a Mess

Tesco own 7-9 Victoria Road but do not appear to want to do anything with the site. They fought for planning permission taking their case to the Planning Inspectorate where they won planning permission for a Tesco Express on 7 April 2009. They have sat on this site letting it rot but at the same time continue to develop other Tesco Express stores in the area. These pictures were taken on Saturday and reflect the current state of the building.

Come on Tesco. Either pull it down and build your new Tesco Express or sell the site and let someone else develop it. Show the residents of New Barnet some respect and do the right thing.

Tesco Takeover

Word reaches me that Tesco have taken over the old Barnet Marine shop at Greenhill Parade. Having checked the Land Registry database, Tesco have indeed taken a lease on the property. My question to Tesco is why are they developing a new shop when they have been sitting on a derelict property at 7-9 Victoria Road in New Barnet for 10 months but have failed to develop. Tesco refused to accept the judgement of Barnet Council and appealed to the Planning Inspectorate on the Victoria Raod property. With a slick barrister and an expensive team of advisors they managed to win planning consent. You would have expected them to start work pretty quickly, but no, the building continues to be in a dangerous, tumbled down state. The state of 15 East Barnet Road is an appalling eyesore, which they also own. Tesco are bad neighbours and seem to be oblivious to the continuing blight they are causing in New Barnet.

LDF Consultation

At last night's Residents Forum, Barnet Council disclosed that they had received 321 responses to the Local Development Framework consultation. Of particular interest is the fact that 271 of those responses related specifically to New Barnet. This must be a clear signal to Barnet Council that they must listen to, and take into account, the views of New Barnet residents.

Proof that New Barnet cannot cope with more flats

If ever there was proof that New Barnet will struggle to cope with more flats it is the total disaster that we have had with no gas and the electricity cables burning through. This shows that the infrastructure in New Barnet is running at full capacity already. The Council's strategy of increasing housing density will simply result in more occasions when the infrastructure can't cope.

New Barnet target for flats and retail development

Having read through the Local Development Framework (LDF)what is most shocking is how someone somewhere in the Council, has targeted New Barnet to be the dumping ground for lots of new flats and superstores. The LDF states on page 29 "The largest town centres Chipping Barnet, Edgware, Finchley Church End, New Barnet, North Finchley will be the focus for commercial development and residential growth as part of mixed use development". In fact New Barnet is the smallest district centre in Barnet as classified by either the number of shops or by the square meterage of the businesses. It also states that New Barnet is "considered suitable because of its accessibility by a choice of transport modes and having a
character more appropriate to higher density mixed use development".

I went to see my local councillor about the LDF this morning. Guess what? Cllr Burton had sent his daughter along instead because he was "away on business". I'm sorry but that isn't good enough. There are three councillors representing New Barnet. Couldn't one of them have made it. This LDF will impact on the area for many years to come and our elected representatives should be listening to what we have to say - a bit difficult if they don't turn up!