Andrew Dismore

Cricklewood residents were left “aghast” during a meeting with Barnet Council’s Capita planning officers, as they were not allowed to feed views into a scheme for an aggregate waste transfer site along the Edgware Road. During the meeting, Capita officers would only discuss the controversial scheme for 400 Edgware Road, despite the invitation explicitly being for a discussion of the whole Thameslink Regeneration. The first social media communication by Barnet Council was made the evening of Friday 26 January for a meeting on Wednesday 31 January.

New supporting documents for the application continue to appear on the Barnet planning portal. The latest batch are dated 22/01/18, however the Road Safety Audit has not yet appeared on the website.

Local Resident’s Association chair Anne Clarke, a Labour Party candidate for Child’s Hill ward in the May Council elections said:

‘There was no actual consultation of local residents. Capita merely informed residents of their plans and there was no way to feed back to the planners. It was not a listening exercise and no one left feeling that their views would be taken into account.

‘Barnet Council failed to publicise the meeting. No one received a letter or any communication from the council ahead of the meeting. Attendees came from a variety of local roads and residents’ associations. The only way anyone in the meeting knew of it was via NorthwestTwo Residents’ Association. As engaged local residents, are very keen to have the existing community in Cricklewood at the heart of the regeneration project.’

Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden Andrew Dismore, who has objected to the scheme, wrote to the Chief Executive of Barnet Council requesting that consideration of the planning application is deferred from a meeting on February 8^th until residents have had a chance to see all documents.

Mr Dismore said:

‘As usual, Capita have made a mess of things. How can the Councillors determining this application make the right decision when not all the papers and studies have been made available to the residents objecting, including myself. They have treated the residents of Cricklewood appallingly throughout this regeneration scheme, and there is never any consideration of the impact on existing residents.’