Finchley Central Draft Town Centre Strategy

We asked

We asked for your views on our Finchley Church End Town Centre Strategy.

The strategy identified several key proposals which ranged from improving and establishing civic spaces to improving pedestrian and cycling movement through a revised key junction.

The consultation was carried out on the 30th November 2016 and involved an evening exposition at the Wohl Centre in Finchley Church End with the architects, LBB and large printed copies of the strategy for people to read. The session was a great success with over 100 locals attending to let their opinions known and a large number of people completing the online survey.

You said

The opinions were fairly varied and diverse, bringing into consideration all of the different elements of the strategy. However there were certain elements of the strategy that had an overwhelming response from multiple respondents.

A lot of respondents agreed that there was a real issue with the lack of parking in the local area and thought the idea of more development in the area would make this issue a lot worse than it already is.

There was a mismatch of opinions when it game to potential junction changes and the introduction of cycle lanes through key junctions and roads throughout Church End. A lot of people agreed with the proposed cycle lanes as the current roads are not suitable/safe for cyclists. However, the introduction of cycle lanes mean narrower lanes/less lanes for traffic which many people frowned upon due to the high level of traffic currently.

All of the feedback from the consultation evening was considered, resulting in many of the respondent’s issues and comments being added into the revised strategy

With regards to parking, a full parking study will need to be undertaken prior to the redevelopment of the station car park and other public realm enhancements. Where there is a demand, parking will be reprovided.

The strategy proposes that the junctions and carriageway along Ballards Lane should be remodelled to prioritise creating wider pavements and cycling lanes. A comprehensive traffic modelling study needs to be carried out to ensure a positive outcome for all users of the town centre.