We Asked, You Said, We Did

We asked:

We asked you to share your views on an initial draft masterplan for Barnet Playing Fields and King George V Playing Fields. This initial draft masterplan had been informed by the feedback received through the first phase of public engagement held in Summer 2018 where we had asked you what you would most like to see on the site. In this latest online engagement exercise, undertaken between 5 November to 2 December 2018, we asked you specifically for your views on the following:

· The facilities proposed within the initial draft masterplan

· The layout and location of the proposed facilities within the initial draft masterplan

· Any comments you may have on the overall initial draft masterplan.

You said:

We received 296 responses to the online engagement exercise. 82% of respondents said they were either supportive or very supportive of the initial draft masterplan and 16% said they were either unsupportive or very unsupportive. Of the proposed indoor facilities, the most popular were the café and community rooms and of the proposed outdoor facilities, improved play areas, pedestrian and cycle routes, outdoor gym, Multi-Use Games Area and improved sports pitches all scored highly. Less well supported facilities included the skatepark and gaelic football pitches.

79% of respondents said they were either supportive or very supportive of the location and layout of the proposed facilities within the initial draft masterplan and 19% said they were either unsupportive or very unsupportive. Some people felt that the skatepark could be better located.

In addition, a number of suggestions were made about the site which have been taken into account such as the need for strong management of the site to ensure it is well-maintained and a need to consider the impact of traffic movement to the site and surrounding area. You also said it was important to protect the peaceful character of the site and local wildlife, trees and plants.

We did:

The results of this further engagement were used to inform a review of the initial draft masterplan and to identify any required amendments. Taking account of the feedback received, the skatepark has been relocated to an area closer to the main Community Sports Hub and further away from neighbouring residential properties and the Ark Academy. In addition, further planting and landscape enhancements to the site boundaries have been included in the final version of the draft masterplan.

The final draft masterplan will form the subject of a report to the meeting of the Council’s Environment Committee on 14 March 2019 seeking approval to undertake a full public consultation on the final draft masterplan.