We asked, you said, we did

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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 are now developing our new external, community focussed equalities policy. An equalities update report will be reviewed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 5 March. The EDI Policy is due to be finalised in summer 2024.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the initial proposals for Watling Avenue Car Park.

You said

Thank you to everyone who has participated in the community engagement activities to date for the proposals for Watling Avenue Car Park in Burnt Oak. During October and November 2023, there were 847 website visits, along with around 150 responses through feedback forms, emails, and calls. The public drop-in events engaged over 60 local residents, while a session with 25 young people provided insights into their needs.

In addition to this, Linkcity spoke to businesses and completed a leaflet drop to 650 homes, supplemented with an in-person leaflet distribution along the high street, at local venues and outside Burnt Oak tube station in the evening.

Linkcity have thoroughly analysed all the feedback on the proposals for Watling Avenue Car Park and the top three comments were:

• concerns about the loss of car parking, specifically regarding the implications for commuters and residents. Respondents anticipate challenges in finding parking spaces and express broader concerns about the impact on Watling Avenue and its surrounding roads.
• building height and density were noted, with some respondents referencing the scale of development as excessive.
• another key theme focused on the capacity of existing services, particularly the ability to access GP surgeries and schools to accommodate the increased number of residents in light of the other schemes coming forward in the area.

In addition to these three main themes, the community asked about enhancing the safety of the area and ensuring the sustainability of the scheme. Suggestions were provided for the new park, including advocating for improved safety features such as CCTV and lighting. Some respondents favoured a play area and there was also the endorsement of a variety of wildlife and plants.

You can read the feedback received so far in full on the consultation website.

We did

To engage with residents further, Linkcity will be hosting another in-person event at Burnt Oak Library late spring. At the event, they will present more detailed designs and gather feedback.

The consultation website will be updated with the date and time of this event and we will add the information to this page. If you have any questions or comments in the meantime please get in touch with the Linkcity team.

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We asked

We asked for your views on a proposal to end council funding towards waking night support for all tenants at Deborah Lodge, Gadsbury Close and Speedwell House, but to make sure that any individuals with eligible care and support needs will continue to have their needs met. 

You said  

29 people responded to the consultation.

Eight respondents strongly opposed (37.9%), four respondents tended to oppose (13.8%), four strongly supported (13.8%), two tended to support (6.89%), eight neither supported nor opposed (27.6%) and three were not sure or did not know (10.3%)

Of those who opposed, the primary reason given by most respondents was that they found having a waking night service reassuring.

We did

We took all the feedback into consideration, and we decided to end the waking night support service at all three sheltered schemes, to align the council offer with the other sheltered housing schemes in the borough. We have written to all tenants to advise them that if they feel they need additional support can have a Care Needs Assessment by our Adult Social Care Teams, who can tailor support to them individually. They can do this by telephoning Social Care Direct on 020 8359 5000.

Upon the review of all comments, we have provided information to tenants of the three schemes about community services which support residents with:

• Befriending
• Digital inclusion
• Finance
• Community activities
• General wellbeing.
• Digital Care Technology they can source directly themselves.

We have also reminded sheltered housing providers of their obligation to support their tenants, to report any concerns to the council and tell us if they feel individuals need additional support.

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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 on Mays Lane and its surrounding roads. This also included the proposed removal of the existing width restriction at Manor Road junction following concerns raised by residents.

You said

We received 194 responses from approximately 3441 properties, which equates to an overall response rate of 5.63%.

The most common objections were for the proposed:

• Bus-gate at the junction of Quinta Drive
• No entry into Connaught Road from Mays Lane
• Removal of the width restriction at Manor Road junction
• No-entry from May’s Lane onto Vale Drive (Vale Drive to be converted to one-way)
• Double-yellow lines on Chesterfield Road
• No right turn from Elton Avenue
• Introduction of the 20mph zone.

We did

Our decision on the proposals we progress will be based on our road safety report as well as feedback and objections received from residents.

We will make our recommendations to the Director of Highways who, as decision maker for this Local Implementation Plans (LIP) scheme, will have ultimate authority as to what proposals we proceed with.

We will write to residents again and update this page with the aspects of the scheme that will be delivered.

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We asked

To address road safety concerns, we asked for your views on the implementation of the Queenswell School & Surrounding Areas– 20 mph Zone.

The introduction of a 20-mph zone in the area surrounding Queenswell Infant and Nursery Schools aims to improve road safety and tackle significant safety concerns that will affect the following roads: Friern Barnet Lane, Myddelton Park, Queens Avenue, Oakleigh Road North, Oakleigh Park North, Oakleigh Avenue and Oakleigh Park South.

You said

We received forty-nine (49) responses from approximately one thousand seventy-seven (1077) letters dropped to the residents, which equates to an overall response rate of 4.55%.

Furthermore, 30.61%, fifteen (15) respondents, were unsatisfied with the current proposal for different reasons; in comparison, 48.98%, twenty-four (24) respondents, were in favour of introducing the proposed changes. 12.24%, around six (6) respondents, expressed their willingness to support the proposal if further actions accompany the proposed measures.

We did

After having reviewed the objections received and having evaluated the potential impact (road safety, community support and project goals) of the valid objections raised through this engagement exercise, the following are the suggested next steps that the design team recommends implementing:

• Engage with MP: Reach out to MP Theresa Villiers to discuss her concerns in more detail, explore alternative solutions, seek common grounds, and reach compromises.
• Review Proposal: In light of the significant objections received and having into consideration the low participation, it is recommended to exhaustively review the proposal presented to incorporate the comments we have received so far and to prepare the ground to conceive a better proposal that can be presented again to the public.
• Consider an extension on the consultation: Assess the possibility of allowing further discussions and obtaining a more representative response from the community that supports the proposal presented.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the experimental Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) named Burnt Oak North (BON). The experimental zone ran for 18 months, with the initial 6 months constituting the statutory consultation. Initially the zone would run from Monday to Sunday between 8am and 6.30pm.

You said

198 residents responded to the statutory consultation, with 97 objecting.

The primary cause for concern was that the operational days and times were excessive across the zone due to the inconvenience this is causing for those visiting on weekends. 62 responses were received on this matter.

The requests received and approved were:

• Not enough general permit bays near amenities
• More parking bays needed for those visiting amenities
• Additional drop off facility for a local school
• Restrictions to be reviewed in the North Road Estate area
• Double yellow lines to be reviewed to increase parking capacity
• Loading bay to be implemented in Deansbrook Road to assist the businesses.

The key comments and objections can be found on our resident letter dated Friday 22 March 2024.

We did

Upon the review of all comments, the experimental CPZ will be made permanent with the following changes:

• The operational days will be reduced from Monday- Sunday to Monday - Friday.
• The shared use bays in Orange Hill Road, Deansbrook Road and Watling Avenue will be changed from ‘Resident permit holders and Pay by Phone’ to ‘Permit holders and Pay by Phone’ to enable all permit holders, including those with business permits to be able to utilise these bays to visit local amenities.
• The ‘residents permit only’ bay outside no.35 Abbots Road will be converted to a shared use bay to further assist visitors to the area and increase parking capacity.
• A single yellow line will be added within a parking bay in Orange Hill Road, which will operate between 8am to 9.30am and 3pm to 4.30pm to further assist with drop off and pick up in this area.
• Double yellow lines will also be added in Market Lane to enhance road safety due to its narrow width (loading will still be permitted).
• A loading bay will be added in Deansbrook Road to assist businesses within the parade of shops
• Various amendments to parking restrictions in the North Road Estate and Brearley Close are to be made

Following on from concerns raised in relation to non-residential parking it has also been agreed to introduce a new CPZ called Burnt Oak Central (BOC), which is located to the south of BON. You can view details of the BOC CPZ here.

The operational times of BON will remain the same to reduce the likelihood of the new zone (BOC) causing displacement of non-residential parking into BON.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the emerging designs for Burnt Oak Town Centre public realm which has been developed according to four community design principles:

1. Promote safety & security through targeted improvements
2. Create a pleasant and clean town centre which attracts and welcomes visitors
3. Enhance the experience of moving through & dwelling in the town centre
4. Connect into and enhance green and blue network (Silk Stream & neighbouring parks)

We presented design ideas aimed at delivering each of these themes and asked for your feedback and suggestions to improve the proposals further.

You said

We received a total of 247 responses including hardcopy and online to the questionnaire including 36% local residents, 33% local businesses and 23% often visited Burnt Oak or lived and worked in Barnet. Most respondents strongly supported or tended to support the proposals.

Through the consultation period, we engaged with:

• 45 people via a high street public pop-up event on 10 June 2023
• 66 businesses via 1:1 drop ins and interviews
• 32 people at In person workshops targeting protected groups with UNITAS Youth Group, Harrow Elder’s Group, Romanian Culture and Charity Together.

Key themes people would like to see addressed further includes:

• Safety is a key objective for most respondents and many people expressed the need to support any physical interventions with a strategy for ongoing management and enforcement to protect safety.
• The shopfronts along Watling Avenue have a big impact on the character of the town centre and the experience of shoppers and high street users. Many respondents wished to see the relationship between the shopfronts and the pedestrian space addressed to improve accessibility for all.
• Parking within the town centre was raised by a number of respondents, some were concerned about the impact of losing parking and others wanted to see greater enforcement against illegal parking and vehicle dominance along Watling Avenue to be addressed.
• Adding trees and planting to the town centre was welcomed by many respondents but with the note that safety, cleanliness and accessibility are the transformation priorities, and these aims should not be compromised by the addition of new greenery.

We did

The design team are developing the lighting and CCTV proposals for the town centre to respond to the feedback regarding safety. Working closely with Barnet Community Safety and Metropolitan Police Safer Neighbourhoods teams, we are refining the designs to target hotspots identified by respondents including Back Lane and Market Lane, Burnt Oak Underground Station entrance and the southern entrance to Watling Park.

To address the feedback raised regarding parking within the town centre we commissioned a travel survey to better understand how people travel to and from Burnt Oak.

This survey asked 480 people how they travelled to Burnt Oak and found that on that day 50% walked, 25% took a bus, 14% travelled by Tube, 9% used a car, 1% took a train and 1% cycled. A majority of 91% used public transport or active travel to go to Burnt Oak.

Using this data, we will develop a ‘Kerbside Strategy’ for Burnt Oak Town Centre which balances provision for different modes of movement (walking, cycling, public transport, loading, car travel, etc). This will help to make sure the interventions best reflect current and future needs for users.

We will use your feedback to develop the Public Realm Design Framework and more detailed design stages. There will be further co-design activities taking place, if you would like to be involved or join the Burnt Oak Partnership Board to help monitor the project, please email towncentres@barnet.gov.uk.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the council’s parklets scheme. This scheme has seen small seating areas take over car parking spaces in the borough’s town centres. Parklets was first implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2020, as businesses had their trading spaces reduced due to government restrictions. They provide more outdoor seating space, either for a business or the wider community.

The council embarked on an evaluation of the programme in October 2023, and as part of this wanted to get the views on it from residents and other users of Barnet’s town centres. This evaluation sought to look at the effects and the success of the programme.

We asked questions linked to the objectives of the programme, such as whether you thought the parklets had improved the pedestrian environment or the character of the town centre was improved. We also asked for feedback on what people liked, disliked and would change about the parklets, along with suggestions for winter uses of parklets, when the weather is often too cold to sit outside.

You said

Many thanks to residents and businesses for taking the time to provide feedback.

There were 931 responses to our online questionnaire, along with an additional seven emails sent feeding back directly on the scheme.

In terms of the following statements:

• ‘The character of the town centre is improved with the parklets in place’: 72% of respondents disagreed, 22% of respondents agreed and 7% neither agreed nor disagreed or did not know.

• ‘I like having the parklets in place in Barnet’s town centres’: 74% of respondents disagreed, 21% of respondents agreed and 6% neither agreed nor disagreed or did not know.

• ‘The overall environment for pedestrians has improved with the parklets in place’: 70% of respondents disagreed, 20% of respondents agreed and 9% neither agreed nor disagreed or did not know.

• ‘I am more likely to frequent a business if it has a parklet in place’: 74% of respondents disagreed, 14% of respondents agreed and 12% neither agreed nor disagreed or did not know.

• ‘I would use a parklet as a seating area without using the business (such as when it is closed or if it was not linked to a business)’: 70% of respondents disagreed. 16% of respondents agreed and 15% neither agreed nor disagreed or did not know.

When asked what they disliked or would change about the parklets, major themes in the responses included: preferring the spaces being used for parking, that they are not well maintained, and that some are used for anti-social behaviour. Comments on what people liked about the parklets included the added greenery on the high street and having somewhere outdoor to sit in summer. There were more comments stating what people disliked or would change about the parklets than what they liked.

Notable suggestions on winter uses for parklets included market stalls, or the reversion to parking bays.

We did

This engagement has formed part of a wider evaluation of the parklets programme. Alongside this, we have also engaged with other stakeholders, and surveyed local businesses.

All feedback will now feed into the wider programme evaluation, as well as recommendation for how to progress the programme. A further update will be given on the evaluation and next steps on Engage Barnet at a later date.

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We asked

During the third pre-planning consultation round, we showcased the final design proposals for Clitterhouse Playing Fields, demonstrating how feedback from the second round had been incorporated.

We asked you:

• what you thought about the addition of new seating and picnic benches; new rubbish and recycling bins; and whether you liked the biodiversity and nature improvements
• what you thought about the new pavilion, which will include a café, indoor seating, public toilets and changing rooms
• whether you liked the variety of sports and play facilities on offer
• whether you were happy with the plans to deliver fewer pitches (compared to the original Reserved Matters Application (RMA)) - and for these to be all-weather pitches so that they can be used year-round
• what you thought about the plans to involve the community in the management of and decision-making around the playing fields
• what you thought about giving discounted pitch hire rates and priority booking to local groups/people
• whether you liked the plans to improve existing and create new entrances and pathways across and around Clitterhouse Playing Fields, to make it more accessible
• whether you agreed with plans for only Blue Badge holders to park at Clitterhouse Playing Fields, with other visitors encouraged to use public transport
• what you thought about the use of CCTV to help deter anti-social behaviour to make the playing fields a safer place for all.

You said

This third consultation phase, which included both in-person and online events, gathered a total of 442 feedback forms, 28 comment cards, and six emails. We engaged with a total of 693 individuals throughout the in-person events held.

You told us that the variety of sports and play facilities was welcome, along with the plans for lighting the pitches and courts to ensure they can be used year-round. You were overwhelmingly supportive of the proposed improvements to nature and biodiversity. You liked the addition of a new pavilion within the playing fields and the new seating and picnic benches proved popular among respondents. You told us that you had some concerns around the sports pitches, with the opening hours, location, noise, fence height and lighting among the issues raised (these comments came predominantly from residents living in the immediate vicinity of the playing fields, including Swannell Way and the Golders Green Estate). However, you were supportive of the plans to move the pitches further away from neighbouring homes and welcomed the fact that the designs included fewer pitches than in the existing RMA. You were supportive of the plans to include the community within the decision-making and management of the playing fields, and of the proposals for CCTV to deter anti-social behaviour.

Parking was another frequently mentioned theme, with concerns related to a lack of car parking space for non-Blue Badge holders, larger families with prams, and visiting teams who might be carrying heavy equipment (and for whom public transport or walking/cycling might not be an option). Respondents were also keen to understand the mitigations in place to ensure that visitors to the new facilities do not park on local roads.

We did

In response to your feedback, we incorporated an additional two drop-in sessions specifically for the residents of Swannell Way and Golders Green Estate – those living closest to the site and the proposed sports pitches. The session focused on our response to concerns raised during the consultation related to parking, lighting, noise, anti-social behaviour, and the number, location, and operating hours of the sports pitches. We made changes in light of this feedback, which included closing the pitches an hour earlier than originally planned, at 9pm rather than 10pm; lowering the fencing around the pitches from 4.5 to 3 metres, except where taller fencing is needed for safety reasons; moving the Blue Badge car park further away from people’s homes; planting more hedges and trees along the southern and northern boundaries; redesigning the coach drop-off point and removing an additional grass pitch that had been planned for use during the football season as part of the multi-use lawn area.

Following this third and final phase of pre-application public consultation, and the additional changes made to the proposals following feedback, a planning application was submitted for proposed improvements to Clitterhouse Playing Fields in November 2022 (application reference: 22/5617/FUL).

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We asked

Between February and March 2023, we carried out an informal parking consultation with the residents and businesses of West Hendon to review the parking situation in the area. This was in response to concerns raised regarding increased parking pressure on the roads within and outside West Hendon Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ).

Following the feedback to the informal consultation, we conducted the statutory consultation on proposals to introduce changes to the operational times on the following roads in the CPZ:

• Algernon Road
• Audley Road
• Bertram Road
• Dartmouth Road
• Montagu Road
• Park Road
• Vicarage Road

You said

We consulted approximately 700 properties as part of the statutory consultation, receiving 29 responses which included objections, comments and suggestions as follows:

• those objecting to the changes mentioned that the existing operational times are adequate, and the changes would affect parking for their visitors
• many respondents supported the proposed waiting restrictions (double yellow lines) at the road junctions, stating they would improve road safety
• several respondents indicated they would not mind the changes provided the parking controls are enforced, especially during late hours
• those in support of the proposals felt the changes would reduce parking pressure on their road
• respondents requested traffic calming measures in the area to improve road safety, especially for school children and other vulnerable road users.

We did

We will now consider the response to the statutory consultation and decide on whether to proceed with the proposals.

We will write again to the previously consulted residents and respondents to inform them about the outcome once a decision has been made, and we will publish the decision on this webpage.