We asked, you said, we did

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We asked

We asked for your views on the Brent Cross Cricklewood Experimental Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ).

You said

We received 53 responses to our consultation via email or telephone. Feedback included:

• the hours of control are too long
• unsafe parking on Claremont Road around the north side of Clitterhouse Crescent
• there are no safe access points from Clitterhouse Crescent into Claremont Park for pedestrians with mobility issues
• cost of permits are a concern
• more parking enforcement is needed.

We did

Based on the feedback received we have reviewed the current restriction hours and have amended these to 9am to 6pm. A new 6-month consultation, with amended timing changes to the Experimental Traffic Order, was launched on 26 October 2023.

To prevent unsafe parking, we have recently implemented yellow line restrictions on Claremont Road between Clitterhouse Crescent and Whitefield Avenue.

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We asked

We asked for your views on our proposal to adopt a more strategic, cost-effective and sustainable approach to maintaining safer footways through a defined Highways Tree Root policy framework.

You said

We received 73 responses to the online questionnaire.

• over 70% of respondents agreed with the council's proposed new approach
• the use of rubber crumb as a solution was the primary reason for disagreeing with the policy
• most of the comments indicated that tree removal should be a last resort.

We did

Following feedback, the council are adopting the Highways Tree Root policy framework and are currently in the process of developing the final policy document.

Once the Tree Root policy document has been developed, it will be available on the project page linked at the top and on our website.

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We asked

We asked you to give us feedback on our first draft Dementia Strategy.

You said

We received 76 responses to the consultation. We had feedback from people living with dementia, their carers and families as well as providers both commissioned and non-commissioned and also from the voluntary community. These have been translated to priorities and outcomes in our final Dementia Strategy.

We did

We now have a final strategy which can be viewed here Dementia Strategy 2023-2028 which includes the six priorities and three outcomes we will be focusing on for the next five years.

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We asked

We asked residents and local stakeholders to suggest local topics that would benefit from scrutiny involvement. All suggestions would be considered by councillors and selected topics would form part of the work programme for the year ahead. The consultation ran for five weeks.

You said

We received 58 topic suggestions from 22 participants to the online questionnaire. All of the respondents are Barnet residents. Feedback came from across the borough covering over 50% of wards. 57% of respondents were aged between 25-64 with 24% stating they have a disability.

We did

Road maintenance and NHS services emerged as the most popular topics from the survey.

Councillors considered your suggestions at the Full Council meeting 11 July 2023. It was agreed that the Overview and Scrutiny committee will undertake a task and finish group to review road and pavement maintenance including future investment options. This will involve councillors looking at the way the service is currently run, speaking to council officers, looking at best examples of services from around the country and speaking to experts. The councillors will then make recommendations on how services can be improved.

You also raised concerns about GP appointments including use of out of hours services. You also want councillors to look at the process of well-planned discharge from the hospital to their homes along with the support patients need to live independently. The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee will undertake a task and finish group to review these issues, working closely with NHS colleagues and will hold focus groups with service users.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the replacement playground at Barnet Playing Field.

You said

We received 112 responses to the online questionnaire, we spoke to 65 people at the two events we ran in the current playground and we received 4 direct emails. The key themes from the public consultation were the following requests:

• to keep the existing basketball hoop
• to install monkey bars
• for a roundabout
• for a second baby swing
• for surfacing under the picnic benches
• to improve and extend the basketball facilities.

We did

Following the feedback received, we developed a revised plan, which includes:

• the shape of the new playground has been changed so the existing basketball hoop can be kept. We have added a gate into the playground from the side with the basketball hoop
• we have removed the turbo carousel and replaced this with monkey bars
• we have added a roundabout to the design
• we have added a second baby swing to the design
• the picnic benches have been better incorporated into the design, with surfacing under the picnic benches.

The order has been placed for this design, and it is likely to be installed in late autumn 2023.

We are not able to improve and extend the basketball facilities within the playground project. However, we have noted this request for future improvements to the facilities at Barnet Playing Field, when funding becomes available.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the implementation of parking controls, including the introduction of a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in Blundell Road and neighbouring streets HA8, to address local parking concerns and demand.

You said

We received 99 responses from approximately 900 properties, which equates to an overall response rate of 11%.

87% of the respondents told us that they or their family or visitors always or often experience parking problems near their property during morning, afternoon, and evening on weekdays. They stated that parking problems are mainly caused by commuter parking, multiple car households, or trade vans/trucks.

Overall, 68% of the respondents indicated they are specifically in favour of a Controlled Parking Zone being implemented with 64% preferring an all-day hours of operation.

The response for the days of operation was about equally divided with 32% preferring Monday to Friday while 33% preferred 7 days a week.

We did

Following the informal consultation feedback, we are developing proposals that would help to improve parking situation in Blundell Road and the surrounding area. The proposals will be discussed and agreed with your Ward Members and subject to funding availability, will be progressed to statutory consultation and implementation.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the implementation of parking controls, including the introduction of a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) Underhill, in order to address local parking concerns and demand.

You said

We received 291 responses from approximately 1700 properties that were consulted, which represents an overall response rate of 17%.

46% (135 respondents) of the respondents told us they, their family or visitors always, often, or sometimes experience parking problems near their property. They stated that parking problems are mainly caused by multiple car households, commuter parking, or trade vans/trucks.

Of those properties consulted, 15% objected to the introduction of a Controlled Parking Zone.

25% respondents said they would like traffic issues to be investigated further to improve road safety at the road junctions and improve traffic flow along Mays Lane, Underhill, and Fairfield Way.

There were also concerns raised regarding parking issues associated with school traffic.

We did

Based on the feedback received we are developing proposals to improve parking, traffic flow, and road safety in the area. The consultation feedback and any measures proposed will be discussed and agreed with your Ward Members, and subject to funding availability will be progressed to statutory consultation and implementation.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the Barnet First magazine, to help us improve the magazine and ensure it includes more of the type of content you want to read.

You said

We received 48 responses to the online questionnaire. The responses included:

• four out of five respondents said they regularly receive Barnet First magazine at home
• more than half of respondents spent five minutes or more reading the magazine with more than a third spending ten minutes or more
• most respondents read and recycle the magazine but almost one in three keep it for future reference
• almost half of respondents cited local community social media as their main source of local news and information with local newspapers, community newsletters and word of mouth all mentioned by around a third of responders
• four out of five respondents would like to get Barnet Council information direct from the magazine and two thirds from an eNewsletter. A third of responders use the council’s website for information and one in five access Barnet’s social media
• almost 40% of respondents said they had accessed a service or attended an event they first learned about in the magazine
• at least 85% of respondents were happy with the content and 73% with the relevance of the content to themselves. Readability and design and layout both achieved 87% satisfaction.

You told us that the subjects of information you would most like to read about in Barnet First are:

• Community news 48%
• Council and democracy: meetings, councillors 38%
• Parks and open spaces: walks and trails etc. 35%
• Community safety: tackling anti-social behaviour etc. 33%
• Development & regeneration: housing, future plans etc. 32%
• Libraries services and events 31%
• Leisure: sports facilities, activities etc. 29%
• Consultations 27%
• Council Tax and budgets 26%
• What’s on: local venues, community events etc. 27%

We did

We aim to distribute Barnet First to every home in Barnet and we are working closely with our distributors to ensure as few homes as possible are missed. All missed addresses can be reported to barnet.first@barnet.gov.uk

We are strengthening the link between Barnet First magazine and Barnet First eNewsletter to ensure as many residents as possible are aware of and have access to the now weekly eNewsletter.

Going forward we will aim to include more articles on the subjects that you have told us you are interested in reading about.

We will also be running some focus groups in the autumn to find out more about your views on Barnet First magazine. We will add more information here when more details are available.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the Culture and Community Action Plan and the Wayfinding Action Plan for Golders Green Town Centre. The Action Plans have been produced in response to the priorities set out in the Town Centre Strategy, in consultation with the local community.

You said

We received 42 responses to the online questionnaire. 90% of respondents were Barnet residents. Over 60% of respondents have lived in the area for over 20 years.

The summary of responses to the Cultural & Community Action Plan

The majority of people strongly agree with the aims of the Culture & Community Action Plan.

The projects and actions that people would like to see prioritised include:

• boosting the visibility of existing cultural activities on the high street
• reviving under used spaces and encouraging better engagement with young people
• celebrating the unique local heritage of the area and promote its diversity; for example through commissioning of local artists and performers
• facilitating and encouraging new and existing groups to connect and expand their networks.

The summary of responses to the Wayfinding Action Plan

The majority of people strongly agree with the aims of the Wayfinding Action Plan

The projects and actions that people would like to see prioritised include:

• enhancing and celebrating the gateways and arrival points into the town centre

improving greening in the town centre and signposting to the surrounding parks and green spaces that are seen as an important part of the identity of Golders Green

• making the high street more welcoming and attractive – make it a destination by encouraging more independent retailers and celebrating the thriving food culture.
• creating more spaces to dwell and meet.

We did

We will be including the outcomes of the engagement into the emerging Public Realm Framework for the Town Centre and will also identify and deliver specific placemaking projects over the next 12 months.

The Golders Green Town Team was established was October 2022 and meet monthly to explore and establish initiatives for improving the town centre. We will be supporting the Town Team to activate the temporary space at Golders Green Crescent, and we will continue to do that to deliver on the community priorities above. The Town Team organised and hosted a family focused art workshop in mid-June 2023 in the new space and further activation is planned over the course of the summer.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the draft Air Quality Action Plan for 2023 - 2028, in particular, your views on the actions and strategies proposed within the action plan.

You said

A total of 111 questionnaires were completed, the majority of which were from residents.

Eight written responses were also received via email from individuals and interest groups.

The majority of respondents agree that poor air quality is an important issue within Barnet. The topics most important to people, or most often commented on, included the improvement of health and wellbeing, the reduction of pollution from traffic, and construction and development. Of particular concern was the health and wellbeing of vulnerable populations; elderly, children, those with chronic illnesses and the air quality impacts of busy roads (A-roads, motorways, high streets).

Respondents generally expressed that they see air quality as an issue which affects many areas of their lives. Overall, the majority of respondents agreed with the council’s plan to target particular sources of air pollution within the new Air Quality Action Plan, and the methods proposed to do so.

We did

Feedback from this consultation informed the final version of the new Air Quality Action Plan 2023 - 2028. The final version of the plan will be approved by the Greater London Authority, and then approved by representative Councillors.

The Action Plan will be published this Summer on the council’s website.

The Action Plan is a working document and will be updated yearly with the Air Quality Annual Status Report.