We asked, you said, we did

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We asked

We asked for your views on our proposals to changes in how we charge for Highways Licences.

The council charges for ‘each’ highway licence issued which can last up to 6 months. We proposed to change the unit of measure so that licences are charged for ‘each month’ the works are in place.

You said

We received eight responses to our questionnaire:

• 75% of respondents agreed that developers should be encouraged to clear the footway / carriageway of works as soon as possible
• 66.67% of respondents agreed that developers should only pay for a Highways Licence for the period it is required
• 55.56% respondents agreed that charges should fairly reflect the cost of administering the licence
• 87.5% respondents disagreed that we should change the way we charge for Highways Licences. Every objection to our proposal was received from a contractor who has worked in Barnet in the last 12 months.

We did

We took all feedback into consideration prior to taking our final recommendations to the Council meeting on Tuesday 9 July 2024. Special consideration was given to:

• the impact the proposed changes will have on contractors working in the borough
• the need to clear the footways and carriageways of works as soon as possible
• the cost of administrating Highways Licences to the council.

Following approval at the Council meeting, we will implement the proposed changes to the charges for Highways Licences HW3, HW4, HW5 and HW6, with effect from 1 August 2024.

You can read more information in the full consultation report.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the draft of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy. We specifically wanted to know your thoughts on the priorities and principles set out within the strategy with the aim of better supporting Barnet’s young people in their mental wellbeing.

You said

Throughout the consultation period, 39 feedback forms were received, along with the eight participants who attended two focus groups.

• the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with significant support for the proposed principles and priorities
• respondents and focus group participants expressed a sense of urgency around the publication and implementation of the strategy
• actions suggested as part of the strategy’s implementation included involving Barnet’s schools in the final ‘A System for Success’ priority, along with highlighting the impact of physical wellbeing on the mental health of children and young people within our communications campaigns

We did

In response to the feedback received, several changes have been made to the strategy, including the use of clearer language in some parts of the document, along with noting the suggestions to be included within the strategy’s action plan.

The strategy was approved for publication by Cabinet in May 2024, and is currently in the pre-publication design stage.

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We asked

We asked for your views on Brent Cross Town Plot 22, and the road adjacent to it, to support two Reserved Matters Planning Applications submitted to Barnet Council.

Over 4,300 newsletters were distributed to local residents, supplemented by 10 hours of public information events. The project's website garnered 200 views, and two event pages were created on social media.

You said

Throughout the consultation period, 36 feedback forms were received.

• the overall feedback was positive, with significant support for the proposed Integrated Retirement Community
• the consultation revealed strong support for the retail parade units, with 69% of respondents agreeing with the approach and praising the design
• 82% of respondents support the concept of specialist housing for older people in the heart of BXT, and 77% believed the Plot 22 design would be a positive addition to the area.

We did

In response to the feedback received, several changes have been made to the application, including adjustments to the brick colour at the café corner as a direct result of community comments.

The Reserved Matters applications also seek flexibility in ground floor uses, which means that the spaces will accommodate most of the shops and services suggested in the feedback, as well as a variety of other options. Further detailed information on all matters raised during the consultation is available in the Statement of Community Involvement submitted as part of the Planning Application.

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We asked

We asked residents and businesses for their views on parking issues, the implementation of parking controls, and the introduction of a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in Daws Lane, Hammers Lane, and the “Poets Corner” roads, in order to address local parking concerns and demand.

You said

We received 214 responses from approximately 631 properties, which equates to an overall response rate of 34%.

73% (156 respondents) told us they experience parking problems near their property.

In response to our questions on introducing a CPZ in the area, 32 respondents (15%) were in favour of a CPZ being implemented.

A further 9 respondents who said no to a CPZ said they would support the proposal if neighbouring street were included in a CPZ.

The issue raised the most was the introduction of charging for parking in Daws Lane and Wise Lane car parks; Other issues mentioned were drop off and pick up from 2 local schools and the increasing number of flats.

We did

Following our informal engagement, we have listened to residents and will not be progressing with proposals for a Controlled Parking Zone in Daws Lane, Hammers Lane, and the “Poets Corner” at this time.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the revised Gambling Statement of Principles, which The Gambling Act 2005 requires the Council to review and publish every three years.

You said

A total of 16 responses were received.

The analysis of the responses indicated that 54% of the respondents thought positively about the introduction of a more detailed Local Area Profile and gambling vulnerability zones within the draft Gambling Statement of Principles. 38% were not in favour of any Gambling being carried out in the borough and 8% neither agreed nor disagreed with the content of the same document.

Of the 38% of respondents who were not in favour of the draft Gambling Statement of Principles the respondents either did not wish for any Gambling taking place in Barnet or sought for the Licensing Authority to restrict the number of licensed premises being granted.

The Gambling Act 2005 does not give the Licensing Authority the ability to restrict the number of licensed premises opening in a particular area. We believe that the additions to the Local Area Plan will go some way to ensuring that any licences granted, do not attract additional criminal activities. In addition, the risk assessment submitted with each new application should seek to address issues such as the location of its premises to vulnerable groups and set out ways in which it can limit its potential negative impact upon an area.

We did

Following the consultation feedback, we amended and updated the draft document where appropriate/possible to do so. In addition to these amendments the Licensing Team are now working with our Insight and Intelligence team and looking to develop, in advance of the next revision of this Statement of Principles, a comprehensive intelligence led local area profile dashboard. This dashboard will enable applicants, licence holders and any other interested parties to consider relevant issued faced in the specific area that the premises in question is located.

You can view the Full Council decision to approve the revised Gambling Statement of Principles here.

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We asked

We asked residents to give us their views on the proposals to increase the charges for the garden waste collection service.

You said

The consultation received 2,439 responses. At least 2,093 (85.8%) of these responses were from current service users.

The majority of respondents opposed an increase in charges (92.74%, 2,262 out of 2,439 respondents). A minority of respondents supported an increase in charges (4.18%, 102 out of 2,439 respondents). 27.64% of respondents opposed a concessionary rate being applied for residents claiming Council Tax Benefit which would freeze the current charge at £70 (27.64%, 623 out of Garden waste charges consultation 2024/25 5 2,254 respondents). 38.77% of respondents supported a concessionary rate being applied for residents claiming Council Tax Benefit.

We did

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change in consultation with the Chief Officer for Customer and Place took all the feedback into consideration and agreed to increase the charges. The revised charges and the offer of a concessionary rate via a rebate for residents in receipt of Council Tax Support at Band 1 level applied from 27 March 2024. You can read more information in the full consultation report.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the Brent Cross Cricklewood Experimental Controlled Parking Zone (ECPZ) at Brent Terrace, Clitterhouse Crescent, Clitterhouse Road and a section of Claremont Road put in place in March 2023.

Following feedback from the initial Brent Cross Cricklewood Experimental Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) consultation, which started 20 March 2023, we proposed changes to the operation times which required the ECPZ to be extended for a further 6 months.

Initially, the ECPZ operated every day of the week from 8am to 10pm. Resident feedback indicated that reduced operation timings were preferred. We proposed that the ECPZ would be in operation every day of the week from 9am to 6pm from Thursday 26 October.

You said

We received five responses to the consultation:

• Three respondents requested further reduced hours; and
• Two respondents objected as they feel the scheme would cause parking stress.

We did

In line with the experimental process, we have reviewed all correspondence received.

After reviewing all feedback and observations from the experimental period and both consultations, the council has decided to make the CPZ permanent starting from Thursday 20 June 2024. The CPZ will operate on every day of the week from 9am to 6pm.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the proposed schedule of fees and charges for Building Control Service, to be implemented from April 2024.

You said

We did not receive any responses to the online questionnaire.

We did

The fees and charges were authorised under the delegated authority of the Leader of the Council, Cabinet Member for Resources and Effective Council. You can read more in the report authorising the new fees and charges.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the proposal to reduce the Published Admission Number (PAN) for the three community primary schools named below, on the grounds that these schools have experienced a significant fall in pupil numbers in recent years and are expected to see a continued decline in the demand for school places for the foreseeable future.

• Deansbrook Infant School, from 90 to 60 places
• Moss Hall Infant School, from 120 to 90 places
• Wessex Gardens School, from 60 to 30 places

You said

We received a total of 17 responses. Of those who expressed an opinion, mostly were in favour of the proposed reduction to the schools’ PANs. Only one respondent felt inclined to disagree with the proposed reduction to Deansbrook Infant School’s PAN and two respondents were inclined to disagree with the proposed reduction to Moss Hall Infant School’s PAN. No respondents disagreed with the proposed reduction to Wessex Garden School’s PAN.

Respondents in favour of the proposed PAN reductions acknowledged the issue with falling pupil rolls and the financial implications associated with a growing number of surplus school places. Those who disagreed expressed a preference for smaller classes.

We did

The PAN for all three schools has been reduced as proposed, with effect from 1 September 2025.

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We asked

We asked residents, community groups and wider partners to help us develop and co-produce our new Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Policy for Barnet. To build on the Phase 1 engagement in 2023, Phase 2 involved more focussed work to develop and test the emerging EDI priorities and objectives.

You said

Between September – December 2023, we delivered a series of workshops in collaboration with local groups. Over 80 people shared their views on the emerging EDI themes and priorities. Through this phase, we learned that residents wanted us to:

• emphasise the understanding of residents’ individuality which includes their lived experiences
• recognise differences not only between communities, but within communities
• acknowledge that services are going to need to work harder to become more accessible
• think about our community development offer
• promote respect for all and foster togetherness in addition to celebrating diversity.

We did

We analysed the insights gathered and produced an EDI policy engagement (phase 2) report which included the following recommendations:

Refine the emerging EDI themes and priorities

• embrace the emerging themes and priorities, incorporating resident feedback to enhance comprehension e.g. outlining actions that will be taken
• explicitly demonstrate how the themes and priorities are integrated into the overarching Corporate Plan priorities.

Create a unifying EDI vision

• develop a concise and easy to understand EDI vision
• ensure the vision is adaptable, allowing for varied articulations while maintaining a strong unifying message.

Follow inclusive language principles

• demonstrate that consideration of diverse perspectives and outline guiding principles in the use of collective terms to foster transparency and understanding.

We have developed ‘Towards A Fair Barnet – Our roadmap to create a more equal Barnet’. Work is underway to working identify and agree a set of actions across the Council to ensure the commitments laid out in the roadmap lead to a positive impact.