Andrew Dismore

As it is a little while since I last sent an ‘NW7’ update, I thought you might like to have a catch up from me.

Planning and the Green Belt

There can be little doubt that Mill Hill is under considerable pressure from developers and the Green Belt is under threat like never before. I am pleased that the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has given a very strong lead as to the need to maintain the Green Belt. This policy will be under considerable challenge from developers over his term of office.

I refer below to a number of key local sites; you can see my detailed objections and comments on each scheme by searching the name of the site on my website http://www.andrewdismore.org.uk

 

Hasmonean School

The first of these will undoubtedly be the bizarre and some would say, perverse, decision of the Council Planning Committee on the Hasmonean School application to take a large slice of the Green Belt at Copthall, to move their boys school onto the same site as the girls school.

Despite an extremely strong report and recommendation from the Council’s planning officers, and considerable objections (including from me and various Mill Hill residents and the representative bodies), a majority of the committee approved the application.

This now goes to the Mayor for further consideration under the ‘stage 2’ procedure. The Mayor has the power to overturn the Council decision. I have made further representations to him.

 

The Land next to Westminster Cemetery

Barnet planning really screwed up, when the appeal to allow extra facilities on the land to develop the cemetery was recently heard by the planning inspector.

 

The way the Council defended the developers’ appeal can only be described as a fiasco. There was a catalogue of procedural and other errors and the Council’s barrister was completely out of his depth. Unbeknown to the residents present, the appellants approached the Barnet team at the lunch break and told them that if they (Barnet) capitulated they would not pursue them for costs. The Council then threw in the towel, leaving only residents and Ward councillors to speak. (I had spoken to my objections before the break). The four-day hearing was then ended; and at the site visit the following day the inspector refused to allow any questions.

 

The clear impression was that the Council gave in on grounds of avoiding a costs order rather than the strength of the case, which had been undermined by their poor preparation.

 

The inspector has still to report but I cannot see it coming out well.

 

 

Former National Institute for Medical Research Building

Equally strangely, the Planning Committee decided to refuse the application for the redevelopment of this site for housing, with a design which would keep much of the present appearance of the main building. Whilst there are some issues of detail, such as the number of parking spaces and the proportion of affordable homes, the scheme is an imaginative one and would have provided more public open space.

We will have to see if the developer decides to appeal, which I suspect will be likely.

 

Pentavia

The application for the Pentavia business park site, to build a new private market entirely rental housing estate, has yet to come to the Planning Committee. I believe this to be a misconceived scheme, with significant air quality and transport issues amongst others, and I have submitted objections to it.

 

Edgwarebury and the Golf Course

The appeal against the Council’s refusal to allow the application for a golf course to be built on the farmland is being heard now. I spoke to my objections to it at the inquiry hearing.

 

 

St Vincent’s

No application has yet been submitted by St Vincent’s School, though there are strong indications that there will be one soon.

Their scheme does not seem very different from that of a couple of years ago, but which did not end up with a planning application.

One key issue is the height of the mound they will create above Woodcote Avenue, the drainage (which is currently a problem) & the import of 33000 cu metres of landfill soil which would generate 6600 lorry movements in & out of the site on the Ridgeway.

One to watch!

 

Saracens

Their application for a new stand to replace the ageing west stand has recently been submitted. While the footprint of the new stand is slightly bigger, I do not see this as a major issue. The site will be used more intensively, especially by their partner Middlesex University’s students and staff, so there could be an increase in traffic, but overall I do not intend to table formal objections to the plan.

 

Copthall Pool and Diving Facilities

I expect you have seen in the local papers, coverage of the dispute between the diving club at Copthall Pool and the Council, over the redevelopment of the pool, which will mean that the facilities for diving will no longer be provided. I have met with and worked to support the diving club, but the Council will not help.

 

Transport issues

 

Thameslink

I am sure you will have seen the Transport Secretary’s decision late last year to go back on the Government pre-mayoral election promise, to transfer the suburban rail lines, including Thameslink, to Transport for London when the current franchises expire.  Apparently for party political reasons, this decision flies in the face of local people’s demands for the transfer, which on a survey I did early last year, was an extremely popular idea. TfL have done a good job turning round the Overground lines they currently manage, and I believe they would have done a good job with Thameslink. Unfortunately, under the present administration at the Department of Transport, this is not going to happen. The Mayor therefore has no say in how the appalling Thameslink service should be improved, nor the facilities, or lack of them, at Mill Hill Broadway Station.

 

Mill Hill East Station

I am happy to report that TfL have agreed to my request to install an additional ticket reader at Mill Hill East station, which I hope and expect to ease queuing.
TfL plan to deliver over 30 new step-free schemes in the next five years, which will be chosen for a range of reasons, including:

• previous commitments to deliver schemes which were cancelled under the previous Mayor
• addressing a historic lack of step-free access in the wider local area
• the availability of opportunities to work with others such as third party funding from local developers
• locations which serve designated Opportunity Areas or Housing Zones
• stations where access can be delivered quickly and at lower costs or where we have the ability to deliver the scheme now due to wider station improvements.

They are currently reviewing various station scheme options against these criteria, including Mill Hill East.

A recurrent problem for the tube shuttle service to Mill Hill East is drivers not waiting for the incoming connecting train at Finchley Central.  As the train comes in to Finchley Central going north to High Barnet, the shuttle service to Mill Hill East closes its doors and drives off leaving passengers with a 15-minute wait.  The Mayor told me that the Northern Line timetable schedules the departure of the Mill Hill East shuttle shortly after a train arrives into Finchley Central station.
However, occasionally, delays further along the Northern Line mean that a timetabled train will not arrive on schedule. In these cases, the Mill Hill East shuttle generally departs as scheduled to ensure any subsequent delays are prevented. However, Northern Line drivers have been reminded to wait a short time to allow passengers to transfer to the Mill Hill East service if another train is coming.

I have raised also the possibility of trying to co-ordinate better the buses and trains at Mill Hill East, but this seems to be beyond the abilities of TfL to deliver, especially since the bus route was extended into Millbrook Park.

 

Mill Hill Circus

TfL is progressing with acquiring the land required for the planned improvements at Mill Hill Circus. Barnet has formally registered the land under its ownership with the Land Registry and will transfer the land to TfL before public consultation on the planned changes takes place, due during the first half of this year.

Bus routes also serving Hertfordshire

Although Hertfordshire last year cut entirely their subsidy for the TfL buses which also serve their area as well as parts of Mill Hill, I am pleased to say that I secured assurances from TfL that the service will not be reduced.

 

I hope you have found this update of interest and use – if you have any comments or questions, please let me know,

 

Best wishes

Andrew Dismore AM

Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden