Andrew Dismore

Dear Editor,

The news that Barnet Council is to make it more difficult for residents to fight  unwelcome planning applications by increasing the minimum number of objections needed even to get a hearing should not be seen in isolation:  it is part of a course of action that, as usual with Conservative Barnet,  puts residents’ interests at the back of the queue.

Last year, Barnet Council changed the rules for area forums, including  forbidding planning concerns being raised by local residents, despite planning until then  being one of  the most featured subjects, reflecting the importance of the issue as it  affects local communities.

Now, the Conservative led Government has changed planning law, to create a presumption in favour of giving planning permission, to the great benefit of developers and not residents.

Given the approaches of Barnet Council under the present administration and of the Conservative Government, it is clear that the interests of existing residents come a very poor second, even when they  only want  to object to a proposal which may impact to their detriment  on their own homes or areas, never mind when it comes to the way the council rides roughshod over them when taking planning decisions.

 And  as for enforcement, developers know that they can get away with almost anything in Barnet, given how under resourced planning enforcement is and how  risk averse Barnet  is,  when it comes to  challenging developers who have built without  planning consent  or in breach of what they have been given. 

Yours sincerely

Andrew Dismore

Labour London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden