Andrew Dismore

All six Conservative members of the Barnet Council Planning Committee voted to approve a new waste depot in Cricklewood last night, despite objections from residents, Councillors and London Assembly Members. The five Labour members of the committees voted against the proposal, supporting the residents.

Residents had objected to the aggregate rail transfer site on the grounds of noise, pollution, traffic and congestion. The approved scheme will see an average of 38 heavy goods vehicles per hour enter and leave the site. Residents’ Associations for NW2, Fordwych Road and the Railway Terraces opposed the scheme, and at the hearing Camden Councillor Lorna Russell was joined by Brent Councillors Liz Dixon and Lia Colacicco in making objection representations.

Andrew Dismore AM, Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden also spoke to object to the scheme. Mr Dismore said:

‘This scheme will see a massive amount of aggregate and building waste – equivalent to 1.5 times the volume and weight of the Great Pyramid at Giza- transferred through the site every year. Residents in Cricklewood have been fighting hard for a long time to rid themselves of one unwanted waste site at Donoghue’s, yet now the Conservatives have awarded them another.  The three Labour candidates for Childs Hill joined me in submitting written objections but none of the sitting councillors, nor the local Conservative MP bothered to write in on behalf of their constituents.

Even though my own written objection was the very first on the Council’s planning website, for some reason it had not been included in the committee report- and not for the first time have they tried to overlook my comments in a planning report when it is inconvenient to them

The Conservatives have let Cricklewood down yet again, and residents will now know the only party they can rely on is Labour’.