BARNET AREA FORUM
MEETING HELD ON 21 MARCH 2007
FORUM OFFICERS’ ACTION NOTES
held at: FouldsPrimary School, Byng Road, BarnetEN5 4NR
Chairman: Councillor AndreasTambouridesVice-Chairman: Councillor DanielWebb
Issues Raised / Response at the Meeting / Update1. Regeneration of housing estates within the borough and an alleged waste of resources. A concern raised that despite plans to pull down dwellings in the near future, 2,000 yards of paving slabs were being laid in an area on the Dollis Valley Estate.
The resident also raised a concern that in preparation for the regeneration, officers had been employed to carry out tasks. However he felt that they had achieved nothing. / The timeframe for regeneration was over a number of years and it was understood that there were no immediate plans to pull down dwellings on the Dollis Valley Estate. This area was last on the list of regeneration initiatives and the whole programme had only just started.
Officers would check the details of the area under repair.
It was important to carefully plan the regeneration of estates and this was what officers were doing. The process was incredibly complicated for a number of reasons and these were outlined at the meeting. / Paving was carried out following estate inspections as it was deemed to be a health and safety requirement. The estate generally has vast areas of paved walk which, due to age, are deteriorating, causing possible trip hazards and insurance claims to Barnet Homes.
The area concerned was highlighted by a resident who complained on many occasions to resolve the lifted and damaged paving slabs and a subsequent inspection from what was the then Repairs and Maintenance Team prioritised this work accordingly. MartinDrakeford (Operational Inspector) was aware that the Dollis Valley Estate was under regeneration, but this does not alter the fact that repairs are on-going to the estate until such time that the redevelopment is complete.
2. A concern raised about the proposal to demolish BarnetHillPrimary School and build on the land, whilst it would have been possible for development to take place on a disused school site in Woodhouse Road, / Proposals for BarnetHillPrimary School fell within the Council’s School Investment Programme. A final decision had yet to be made. Any land to be disposed of would be sold to finance the project and not given away. However, it was probable that Barnet Hill would close, and that a decision / A decision had now been taken by the School Organisation Committee to close BarnetHillPrimary School.
N12 instead. This would exacerbate the current traffic problems experienced within the area particularly with school children being driven to alternative schools such as Whitings Hill. / would be taken by the School Organisation Committee There would be opportunities for members of the public to have their say and/or raise concerns once a decision had been taken
The Council was taking the traffic situation very seriously and every effort would be made to mitigate any future problems.
Not all children would attend Whitings Hill, however travel patterns would change. It would be a case of trying to change peoples’ habits and encouraging them to travel to school either on foot or by public transport. / As part of any future planning consent for the development, the Council would consider all highway issues including traffic flow assessments and their impact on the wider road network. Every effort will be made to reduce or mitigate potential issues on the public highway.
3. A concern raised by a resident that the King GeorgePlaying Fields were not being used by the Council in compliance with the covenants. In particular he had concerns about unauthorised land swaps and sales, the erection of riding school buildings and dwellings, roadways and barriers, loss of rents and the leisure use. / The resident had met with a Council Officer regarding his concerns. These had been acknowledged and responded to. The officer was investigating outstanding issues and would contact the resident again in due course.
The Council held the playing fields in trust and could, with the agreement of the Charity Commission, swap parcels of land out of the Trust.
A lease had been signed with East Barnet Old Grammarians and rents would be paid into the Trust. The cost of running the land was subsidised by the Council, as rents received did not cover this.
In general terms, fees and charges for leisure activities were subsidised in accordance with the Council’s investment commitment to sport. However, this general subsidy would be reduced in the coming year. / Investigations with officers from the Council’s Finance Section were ongoing. The resident would be contacted direct when the information was available.
4. A concern raised about the probable adverse traffic impact regarding the sale of EastBarnetSchool lower site and its redevelopment as a new Jewish School. The current catchment area was from the locality, however it was understood that there would be a ten mile catchment area in / There was a development strategy being formalised for New Barnet and talks were taking place with the new school particularly around the concerns raised by the resident. Green Travel Plans and dedicated school buses provided by the school were options being considered. Clear and positive responses from the new school to mitigate any traffic impact would be required. / Planning Applications would be going to Planning and Environment Committee on either 4th or 19th July for decisions on the new school.
respect of the new School. The school roll would increase from its present 600 on the site to approximately 1,350 plus staff. It was probable that the movement of students would change from those walking to school to those being transported by cars. The current public transport serving this school was viewed as being totally inadequate.
The traffic problems would be made worse with the redevelopment of the Gas Works site by Asda. / In respect of the Asda development, it would be important to ensure that traffic impact studies be carried out.
The planning brief process would include investigation of options to minimise the traffic impact.
The Council was considering an option whereby planning permissions for large developments would not be granted unless the supporting infrastructure was in place.
In the future, it could be possible that parental compliance with Green Travel Plans could become part of a school’s admissions criteria.
Another resident felt that sustainability should be at the forefront of the redevelopment of schools rather than economic grounds. She asked whether there would be any phasing in of students into the new school. / It was confirmed that planning permission had not yet been granted for the new school and there needed to be a reassurance that the infrastructure would be in place. If an application was lodged in April, this could be processed by September 2007. It was believed that students would be phased in, one year at a time.
5. The width restriction in Alston Road, EN5 was creating problems as the iron post had been stolen. / There was a requirement to lock these types of restriction with a particular lock to which the Fire Brigade held keys. It was the case that many people, including members of the public, held keys and the Council had asked the Fire Brigade if an alternative provision could be put in place. However, it would be very costly to replace all of the locks. This would have to be on a national level so that all width restrictions had the same specifications, and so was unlikely to proceed. / A new steel bollard was erected on 30 March 07
6. A Trustee of the Countryside Centre raised the issue of its future and that of FouldsSchool. She was concerned for the future of the centre particularly as environmental education was now becoming mainstream. / It was understood that the report to Cabinet on the redevelopment of schools did not include FouldsSchool in Phase 1. A newsletter was being produced to update residents and would be distributed locally.
Planning permission for the site was specific to education but was proving vulnerable at the present time to vandalism. Due to legal restrictions, it could not be let to non-educational use. However, the issue would be revisited to see whether the site could be marketed. / Investigations on the restrictive covenants on the land and the planning restrictions were ongoing.
7. A question raised about the very large potholes that have appeared over the past few years in Carnarvon Road, EN5 directly above the sewer. It was understood that there would have to be a barrier built by Thames Water in the cellar of a neighbouring dwelling to address the issue of flooding in that property. The resident was concerned that if a barrier were to be erected, the problem would move elsewhere. / Officers had no specific knowledge of this issue but it was agreed that there was little point in effecting structural repairs to a road that was already experiencing other problems. It would appear that the sewers were not adequate for their use. Erecting a permeable barrier could be intrusive and would not address the underlying problem. Officers would speak to Thames Water and get an update / The problem with the carriageway in Carnarvon Road was believed to be associated with the public sewer that is the responsibility of Thames Water Utilities (TWU).
A meeting was arranged with a resident in Carnarvon Road however the owner of another property involved was not able to attend the meeting.
The recent flooding problems have been raised with Thames Water. Thames Water had undertaken a CCTV survey of their foul water sewer to identify the cause of the flooding problem. Thames Water reported that the flooding was caused by blockages resulting from sewer collapse and other debris. They have repaired the sewer collapses and jet cleaned pipes to remove debris. Thames Water have currently no plans to upgrade sewers in the near vicinity.
Anyone wishing to discuss this matter further should contact DougNash (Senior Drainage Engineer) on 020 8359 2000.
8. A resident thanked the Council for laying down yellow lines in Byng Road. However, she asked whether the build out could be removed. / It was acknowledged that yellow lines were relatively inexpensive to install and that the removal of the build out would cost more.
Officers to feedback on the removal of the build out. / At present, the Council had no immediate proposals to remove the kerb build out. All measures associated with Traffic Management were usually reviewed as part of the planned highway maintenance programme.
9. A resident asked whether there had been any progress in respect of the planning brief for the Bull Theatre. A Town Centre brief for that area was needed, particularly to address the economic well being of businesses and traffic management. There was a particular problem with traffic around the north end of Barnet High Street. / The brief was due to start imminently and there would be public consultation. The Bull was a specific issue but would fit into the Council’s Town Centre Strategy planning brief. This process in respect of Town Centre Strategies had been started for all of the borough’s town centres. The brief would include all related issues including economic implications for businesses.
With regard to traffic management, funding had been secured from Transport for London to carry out a study later in the year. The study would be subject to consultation. / Head of Property Services (PeterCridland) –
Further update available at the meeting.
10. A concern raised that since the relocation of many Council offices, it had not been possible to access planning application plans at Barnet House and HendonTown Hall. A majority of maps were not available on the Council’s web site. This proved inconvenient as the offices at the NorthLondonBusinessPark were only open during office hours and it was almost obligatory to make an appointment. / The problems of posting maps on the web was outlined; it was mainly due to the fact that applicants did not supply these in the right format. There were also technical problems with scanning documents that varied in size and quality. / The NorthLondonBusinessPark move was now complete and an improved service available for on line access of plans and planning applications.
Any further problems experienced could be directed to SeanJohnsonat the NorthLondonBusinessPark.
(Phone No. 020 8359 4930))
11. A question as to when the Council would expand its recycling materials to include plastic bottles and cardboard and whether it was intended to introduce a fortnightly refuse collection. / The current recycling contract had a further 18 month to run. However, the Council would be looking to introduce new materials such as plastic bottles and cardboard within the terms of the new contract. The collection of these items would prove to be more costly than the receipts it would generate. Hence, there could be an impact on the overall budget for the service which will be evaluated as part of the contract award.
It was confirmed that there were no plans to introduce a fortnightly refuse collection within the borough. / Clarification requested by the Chairman
12. A resident asked whether block cleaning was to cease in the future and whether the contents of the borough’s skips were sorted. / Residents were informed that there would be no block cleansing as from the start of the new financial year. Areas would be cleansed every four weeks which was an increase to the current 6/7 weekly cycle. Skips would continue to be supplied. / It was confirmed that waste put into skips was NOT sorted. Any such waste went to a landfill site in Bedfordshire.
Special skips were provided for the collection and recycling of metal.
13. A resident from HillsideGardens, EN5 suggested that the Council part fund the purchase of speed guns so that residents could log speeding vehicles and pass the information on to the DVLA. The cost of a gun and training in its use was in the region of £5, 000 / This system would need the support of the Police. However, there could be problems encountered by residents who used these guns particularly from drivers who were against this activity.
The Cabinet Member would also have to agree to the proposals.
14. A resident referred back to the issue raised at the last meeting in respect of traffic management measures at the junction of Brookhill Road, and Crescent Road, EN4. It was his view that the measures taken so far had yielded no significant impact. / The traffic management measures put in place would be monitored with a view to ascertaining whether these were sufficient. / The traffic management measures implemented during March 07 would be reviewed later this year to assess their effectiveness and appropriate measures would be taken if the measures were found inadequate.
15. Query as to whether the relevant Cabinet Member had been asked to consider disallowing residents’ parking permits to residents with a crossover. / The matter would be raised with the Cabinet Member. However, such a policy was unlikely to be introduced on the basis of a single request. If the forthcoming consultation on the Controlled Parking Zone indicated support for such a policy, it would be considered further.
16. A question as to whether the Council would consider introducing more 20mph speed limits in the borough’s roads. / It was confirmed that by introducing more 20mph speed limits, extra enforcement would be required. Physical enforcement measures were required as the Police had insufficient resources to carry out enforcement. Officers were monitoring the introduction of 20mph speed limits to all side roads in Portsmouth to see whether this proved successful in cutting vehicle speeds/accidents.
It was suggested that residents could lobby their local Members of Parliament if they felt strongly enough. / No further update pending
Date and Venue of the next meeting:
The meeting started at 6.30pm and ended at 8.00pm.
Council Officers:
MikeFreestone, Director of Environment and Transport
Gangan Pillai, Highways
PeterCridland, Property Services
Police Sergeant GrahamGambrill
Flick Heron, Forum Administrator
Pauline Bagley, Forum Administrator
1
Updated 15 June 07
FORTHCOMING PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
AND SUB-COMMITTEE MEETINGS
(meetings usually start at 7.00pm)
- AREA PLANNING SUB-COMMITTEE:
Chipping BarnetThe Town Hall, The Burroughs, Hendon, NW4
Democratic Services Contact: NazyerChoudhury, tel: 020 8359 2031or email
HendonThe Town Hall, The Burroughs, Hendon, NW4
Democratic Services Contact: PaulineBagley – 020 8359 2023 or email
Finchley and Golders GreenThe Town Hall, The Burroughs, Hendon, NW4
Democratic Services Contact: MariaLugangira – 020 8359 2761 or email