We asked, you said, we did

Read more about this engagement

We asked

We asked for your views on our proposal to extend the existing Barnet Hospital (BH) Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) to include Brett Road, Farm Close, Hackforth Close, Raebarn Gardens, Ryecroft Crescent, St Peter’s Close and West Close.

This proposal was in response to feedback received on parking displacement caused by non-residential parking

You said

We received 36 responses out of 167 letters sent to residents outlining the proposed extension. This represents a response rate of 22%.

When asked about how often they experienced parking problems on their road:

• 25% of respondents answered “always”
• 42% answered “sometimes”
• 33% answered “never”

In total, 67% stated that they experience parking problems on their road.

When asked about whether they were in favour of being included in the CPZ:

• 17% were in favour of being included in the CPZ
• 78% were not in favour
• 6% were not sure

Over half of those that were not in favour of being included in the CPZ responded stating they experience some sort of parking problems in their road,.

We also received numerous comments on our proposals including:

• Parking bays on the ground would result in shortages of parking, due to some roads being narrow and would affect traffic flow and could result in collisions. Surrounding area has bays and there is now reduced parking.
• Other roads in the area such as Quinta Drive has parking controls, so they park on our roads instead.
• Visitors will not be able to park.
• Proposed times are too excessive and would prefer 1 or 2 hours.
• Cost of living is high and would struggle to afford permits.
• No issues in parking

We did

We have reviewed all feedback.

Based on the responses received during the parking engagement and the high levels of parking stress identified during the parking stress surveys, t has been agreed that officers will proceed with the extension of the BH CPZ, on an experimental basis, to include the seven additional roads, which will operate from Monday to Saturday between 8am and 6.30pm..

The parking controls will be designed to mitigate the concerns raised and we will review the impact of the measures after a six-month statutory period and any feedback received will help determine the future of the scheme.

To support the CPZ, we will:

• Introduce Permit Parking Areas (PPAs) to allow residents with an existing valid BH CPZ permit to continue parking as they were.
• Introduce Double Yellow lines at junctions or bends where identified to improve traffic flow and ensure larger vehicles such as the emergency services can navigate the area safely.

We will write to residents with further details on how we will implement the BH CPZ extension on an experimental basis.

Read more about this consultation

We asked

We asked for your views on proposals to implement bus lanes on A598 Regents Park Road.

You said

We received 67 responses to our questionnaire which is a response rate of 12%, based on the number of letters we sent out.

We asked how important elements were of the design. It showed:

• 52% thought Northbound bus lane was important with 45% stating not important (3% don’t know)
• 58% thought Southbound bus lane was important with 39% stating not important (3% don’t know).

We also requested written thoughts on the proposals. The main themes mentioned within the public consultation can be found below.

• Bus Lane is a good idea (6% of respondents)
• Bus Lane should be longer / include a larger area / more hours (14% of respondents)
• Bus Lane is dangerous for pedestrians / cyclists (2% of respondents)
• Bus Lane will impact parking / loading negatively (8% of respondents)
• No need for bus lane / poor use of council resources (30% of respondents)
• Increased congestion (30% of respondents)

We did

Based on the feedback received, we have amended our proposals and will proceed to a statutory consultation on 28 November 2024. You can view our new plans here: A598 Regents Park Road Statutory Consultation Plan

Letters have been sent to residents in the vicinity of the proposals informing them of the statutory consultation. You can view this letter and have your say on the statutory consultation here: Resident Letter - A598 Regents Park Road Statutory Consultation

Read more about this consultation

Read more about this consultation

We asked

We asked for your views on our updated proposals for Watling Avenue Car park, Burnt Oak Library and 41 Barnfield Road.

The consultation website was updated with the latest design material and a dedicated feedback form for respondents to comment on the material. 1,300 leaflets were posted by first class Royal Mail to local addresses to advertise the consultation and in person events.

You said

Two separate public drop-in events were held at Burnt Oak Library (Saturday 20th July and Friday 26th July). The team engaged with over 40 local people at the two events, discussing their experiences of living in Barnet and thoughts around the updated design proposals. The designs and proposals were shown on a series of banners, and paper surveys were available for people to provide feedback. The design team and client group attended the sessions to answer questions.

Following the event on Friday 26th July, the team stood outside Burnt Oak tube station during rush hour 5.15pm – 7pm, handing out over 60 additional leaflets that signposted to the project website and shared more information on the scheme.

An additional 55 responses were received during the Stage 2 consultation and the results can be read on the dedicated consultation website for the project here: https://wcp-consultation.co.uk/

We did

The stage 2 feedback has been recorded in full as part of a Statement of Community Involvement that accompanies the planning application.

Read more about this engagement

We asked

We held two public workshops to gather insights from the local community on a range of transport-related issues in the borough. These workshops aimed to ensure community perspectives were central to shaping future transport policies.

You said

We received 49 requests from individuals to participate in the workshops, and all those who expressed interest were invited to attend. The workshop covered a range of transport-related topics, including the aims of the strategy, transport habits, 20 mph zones and kerbside priorities. The feedback will play a key role in shaping the borough’s transport strategy moving forward.

We did

The findings from the workshops informed the next phase of our engagement and helped us refine specific aspects of our transport strategy survey. After analysing the results from all forms of engagement, we will share our aims and priorities, which have been shaped by input from both the various workshops and the survey.

Read more about this consultation

We asked

We asked for your views on our proposed Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDs) strategy. We specifically wanted to know if you thought the strategy would help reduce flooding and pollution, whilst also enhancing the biodiversity and aesthetics of Barnet.

Additionally, we wanted to find out if the purpose and vision of the strategy was clear and if the guidance to both residents and developers was easy to understand.

You said

We received 11 responses to our consultation questionnaire.

• 83% agreed the proposed strategy would help reduce the risk of surface water flooding
• 83% also agreed that the strategy would reduce pollution from urban run-off
• 66% agreed that the strategy would deliver wider benefits such as enhancing the biodiversity and aesthetics of Barnet
• Overall, 66% of respondents agreed with our proposed SuDs strategy, with 0% disagreeing with it.

With regards to our purpose, vision and guidance:

• 83% agreed with our:
  1. guidance for developers
  2. specific guidance for SuDs design
  3. design guidance for SuDs n Highways
  4. Guidance on SuDs adoption by the Council
• 66.67% thought that both the purpose and vision was clear, with 0% disagreeing with the vision of the strategy
• 50% thought that the guidance was easy to understand

We did

Based on the feedback received we are expanding the section within the strategy on ecology and biodiversity. Once the final strategy is complete, it will be presented to Cabinet for approval. Further details on this will be published on this page.

Read more about this consultation

We asked

The council conducted a consultation on Main Modifications to the Local Plan on behalf of the Inspectors who are examining the Plan.

You said

We received 343 representations to the consultation. A large number of representations were related to a major planning application in Edgware Town Centre rather than Main Modifications to the Local Plan, and we have passed these on to the Planning Inspectors for their consideration in writing the Inspectors Report which we expect to receive in November.

We did

The Inspectors asked the council to comment on the representations as part of our response back to them. Wel addressed points raised by representors although the majority of them did not relate to an actual Main Modification in the Local Plan. You can read more about our response.

The Council has highlighted those changes (proposed by representors) to the Plan which it supports. It is now up to the Inspectors to consider what changes should be incorporated into their Report.

EXAM 158A - NEW PROPOSED CHANGES TO MAIN MODIFICATIONS & ADDITIONAL MODIFICATIONS.pdf (barnet.gov.uk)

Subject to the Inspectors Report finding the Plan to be sound, we will proceed to adoption in early 2025.

Read more about this consultation

We asked

We asked for your views on the introduction of a number of new road safety measures that will reduce the speed of vehicles and also aim to address concerns raised via various petitions and requests by residents in Torrington Park and the surrounding area.

The proposals consulted included:

1. A new 20mph zone in the area
2. Introduction of speed cushions on various local roads with the aim to reduce vehicle speeds.
3. Introduction of raised speed tables, build outs and carriageway narrowing in places to reduce vehicle speed
4. Uncontrolled crossing points at side roads to provide a safer crossing point for pedestrians
5. Introduction of horizontal deflections, carriageway narrowing and surface colour/texture treatment on Torrington Park to reduce vehicle speeds and is suitable for a bus route
6. Introduction of double yellow lines (no waiting at any time) on localised sections of the roads. This aims to reduce parking obstruction and improve visibility especially for vulnerable road users.

You said

We received 388 responses from approximately 4771 properties, which equates to an overall response rate of 8.13%. Petitions, letters, Freedom of Information Act (FOI) enquiries and escalations to The Director of Highways and Transportation were also received.

Overall, 43% of respondents agreed that our proposals will improve road safety in the area, whilst 43% disagreed.

Full details of the responses to our public consultation, are available on pages 2 to 9 of the Consultation outcome report.

We did

Due to the differing responses to each proposal based on road, we have amended our proposals and made our recommendation on the final scheme. These amended proposals are outlined in the Consultation outcome report, pages 10 to 15.

Funding has been approved from the Road Safety and Parking budget to progress the safety measures to detail design and implementation.

Read more about this engagement.

We asked

Barnet Councillors asked the local community to put forward suggestions for topics that could be considered in scrutiny committees and by task and finish groups over the year ahead.

You said

We received a total of 51 responses.

There were a wide range of topics suggested including environmental issues, health services, and road and traffic concerns.

We did

The topics were collated by the Scrutiny Team who undertook further research to determine if they were suitable for a report to a committee or a task and finish group review, and if outcomes and improvements to services were likely to be achieved by scrutinising the issue.

A long list of all the topics were considered by scrutiny councillors at a special session on work programming with a trainer from the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny. This enabled the long list of topics to be shortlisted.

A further meeting to refine the suggested topics held with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The committee/sub-committee work programmes and task and finish group topics were agreed at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 4^th June 2024 Details of the shortlisting process and agreed subjects can be reviewed here: Agenda item - Overview and Scrutiny Work Programmes 2024-25 (moderngov.co.uk) At this meeting local councillors expressed their thanks to all local residents and community groups who had responded to their request for topics.

The work programmes 2024-25 for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and the Adults and Health and Children and Education Sub-Committees can be here: Browse Committee Work Programmes (moderngov.co.uk)