We asked, you said, we did

We asked

We asked you to share your views on the draft Growth Strategy 2020 - 2030. Specifically, we asked for your views on each of the three guiding principles, the five key priorities of the draft strategy, and our character-led spatial approach to delivering growth and associated infrastructure priorities borough-wide and across three main areas. The five key themes of the Growth Strategy are:

• A Growing Borough
• A Connected Borough
• An Entrepreneurial Borough
• A Borough of Thriving Town Centres
• A Great Borough to Live in and Visit

You said

The survey received 142 responses. Overall, they showed support for the strategy, with 54% of respondents agreeing with the aims and objectives of the strategy to some extent, in contrast to 15% of respondents disagreeing. The guiding principles outlined within the strategy were strongly supported, and 61% of respondents confirmed their agreement with the principles.

The strategy’s approach to growth was outlined through the strategic themes, which was strongly supported by respondents. All five strategic themes received support from respondents, with the Connected Borough theme seen as the most important; 86% of respondents supported the theme and 87% of respondents agreeing that “enabling new and enhanced public transport connections” was the most important objective within the strategy. By contrast, the objective to “Establish Brent Cross as a destination” was not considered as important by respondents, and subsequently this objective was integrated within a wider objective around ‘growing the visitor economy’.

The survey invited respondents to provide their views on the spatial approach to growth developed, which outlines the Council’s approach to growth in Barnet until 2030, based upon expected development. These were also supported by respondents, with 56% of respondents agreeing with the spatial approach to growth. Furthermore, the six boroughwide infrastructure priorities underpinning the strategic approach to growth were supported by respondents (84%).

Across the three spatial areas in the west, centre, and east of the borough, the connectivity priorities were identified as the most important, supporting the strategic theme, but interestingly the growing borough theme was completely split being identified as the most and least important priority in all three areas of the borough to some extent or other. It is thought this may reflect the difference between respondents indicating a view that housing affordability is most important, versus respondents indicating that the overall housing target and proposal to increase housing supply went too far.

Alongside the questions outlined above, respondents also had the opportunity to provide qualitative comments on the draft Growth Strategy 2030, and the five most frequently given responses related to environmental sustainability, infrastructure provision, affordable housing provision, protecting Barnet’s heritage and avoiding overdevelopment.

We did

All of the comments received in the consultation were fed into the final strategy and accompanying consultation report, which both went to Housing and Growth Committee on 27 January 2020. The comments around connectivity emphasised the importance of the theme on ‘Enabling new and enhanced public transport connections’, as well as sustainability and transport and development concerns to promote healthier street design. These comments informed the development of the final version of the Growth Strategy approved by Housing and Growth, as well as the Local Plan (Reg 18), Long Term Transport Strategy, approved at Environment Committee in September 2020, as well as the forthcoming Sustainability Strategy currently in development. Based upon some of the free text responses, amendments to the guiding principles and some of the detail of the proposed projects and outcomes have also been made, which were also compiled through a delivery plan to more explicitly set out proposed projects and programmes of work.