Andrew Dismore

The Government’s scheme to allow building in the Green Belt again threatens its future

I also raised this at Mayor’s Question Time, when he indicated that he did not support building in the Green Belt, but failed to say what he would do to stop it.

I spoke at Barnet Council’s planning committee to oppose the scheme for a golf course on Edgware Green Belt land. I was pleased to see the committee rejected the scheme, despite officer recommendations to approve it.

Less satisfactory was the Barnet Council decision to approve the Abbots Way refuse site. I presented a petition from the residents to the Mayor, but he refused to intervene.

I also submitted representations to Camden over 112A Great Russell Street and the proposed hotel in the underground car park.

Three big schemes are also under development in Barnet: the redevelopment of the North London Business Park, the Pentavia site next to the A41 in Mill Hill; and the Medical Research Centre site in Mill Hill. I am concerned that all are about maximising housing with little in the way of affordable homes, and all involve large scale loss of employment. I will report further on these, as they come through into greater detail.

Finally in this section, I arranged for the Environment Agency to visit Colindale and Hale to look at flood prevention issues, as both areas had localised flooding in the summer. The EA has cleared obstructions out of the stream in Hale, which should reduce the problem; in Colindale they have agreed to do scoping works as to the extent of the risk. I have delivered a survey to residents, to help with this work.