Consultation on the future management and maintenance of Darlands Nature Reserve

This consultation has now closed. You can view the Expressions of Interest document here and the responses to consultation questions here.

Darlands Nature Reserve Consultation

Overview

Barnet is lucky to have the Darlands Nature Reserve in Totteridge Village. The nature reserve comprises of 80 acres of land situated in Totteridge. It was previously farmland yet has been unoccupied since 2006. The land and lake requires significant maintenance and as such the council is proposing to grant a long lease to an appropriate not-for-profit group. In return the group will be expected to invest in the land and maintain it for public access.

Full details of the land the council is proposing to lease is provided in the map here (Appendix A). The map also outlines a ring of land around Darlands Nature Reserve which will be retained and maintained by London Borough of Barnet to prevent the risk of encroachment or development once the site is transferred to a not-for-profit group.

It is also proposed to link the lease to a separate agreement that will set out the obligations of the not-for-profit group, outlining the nature of the maintenance to be undertaken, both regular and specific, and the requirement to enable access to the site by the general public.

You can read further information on our proposals in the Committee Report.

We want to give everyone – regardless of whether they currently use Darlands Nature Reserve or not – the opportunity to have their say on the current proposals before a final decision is made. We also want to hear your ideas on how you would like the land enhanced so that we can ensure the not-for-profit group maintains the land in a way that meets the needs of local residents.

Give us your views

Please take the time to give us your views on our proposals by completing the online questionnaire.

For any further information, or to request a questionnaire in an alternative format, please email

estates.businesssupport@barnet.gov.uk

Alternatively, you can write to us at Estates Team, London Borough of Barnet, Building 2, North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, London, N11 1NP