We asked, you said, we did

We asked

A review of the previous consultation showed that although respondents to the Halliwick Rec SuDS questionnaire stated they generally supported the scheme, some felt they needed further engagement and education to understand the benefits fully.

In summer 2023, we engaged a specialist to work alongside the project team and consult with the local residents about the scheme. In September 2022, over 1000 educational flyers were distributed to houses locally as well as to shops and businesses along Colney Hatch Lane with posters erected at the park entrances. Further to this a series of engagement and consultation sessions were delivered at Halliwick Rec Ground and St Peter Le Poer Church between October 2022 and January 2023 to increase awareness and understanding of the local flood risk and the scheme itself. During the sessions, designs and images were on display and the local community were given the opportunity to have their say during the design process, ahead of construction of the scheme.

We asked for your opinions on the concept design and for you to engage with us to inform the design development from concept design through to the final detailed scheme.

You said

Across the three dates between October 2022 and January 2023, 267 people engaged with the designs for the Halliwick Rec SuDS and joined in the activities.

The consultation process proved invaluable in raising awareness of the scheme and improving understanding of the need for flood risk management and the wider benefits that the project will deliver. It also enabled the those who attended the sessions an opportunity to help shape the final detailed design so that it met the needs of the local community.

The general consensus from the consultation process is that the wetland is welcomed, along with a new central footpath, the resurfacing of existing footpaths, and the new landscaping including the mounding, tree planting and informal children’s play.

Some concerns were raised during the consultation sessions in relation to maintenance, health and safety and privacy. These have been addressed in the design process and in consultation with the Council’s Parks and Flood Risk Management teams.

We did

Suggestions made by the local community throughout the process have been taken on board and designs have been amended accordingly.

A summary of the outcomes of the engagement sessions and comments made can be found here.

Key amendments to the designs as a direct consequence of the consultation outcomes have included the reshaping of the mounds, the inclusion of a viewing platform as opposed to an imposing boardwalk, the number and location of tree planting and additional wetland edged planting. Much of the highly desired wider park landscaping and infrastructure improvements have also been incorporated into the scheme including new seating and bins, the creation of a new central footpath and resurfacing of the existing footpaths following the securement of additional funding by the Council and the Friends of Halliwick Rec.

The scheme has been carefully designed to reduce the flood risk to nearby properties and highways and to increase the amenity and biodiversity. Designs have been shaped in accordance with the outcomes of consultation delivered between June 2022 and January 2023 and in line with available budgets. The final designs for the SuDS at Halliwick Rec Ground were presented during the sessions on 29 January 2023 and can be viewed here.

Construction is set to commence on site in the Spring/Summer 2023 with completion anticipated by the end of 2023.

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We asked

We asked for your views on our draft Barnet Food Plan 2022 - 2027.

You said

We received 56 responses to our online survey asking for feedback on the Draft Barnet Food Plan. In addition, public health officers delivered presentations and led discussions with seven community groups and council stakeholders. Notes from these sessions as well as written submissions from six community groups and individuals were received and incorporated into the final draft of the Food Strategy.

Some of the key findings from the consultation were as follows:

• top priorities identified: addressing climate change across our work on food and ensuring access to healthy, affordable food for all residents especially during the cost-of-living crisis
• significant desire for more community gardening and growing initiatives and spaces, and more community food initiatives
• the food environment and unhealthy high streets are seen as a barrier to healthy eating
• the Draft Food Plan is too vague and uses too much jargon
• the Draft Food Plan is ‘data-light’ and needs more data
• the council should lead on promoting plant-based foods and diets to people in Barnet and where it sells and provides food .

We did

We reviewed the Draft Food Plan and added more data, including Barnet-specific data on the health of adults and children, and deprivation and food insecurity. Where data is not immediately available, such as information on procurement by Barnet Council, gathering this data has been added to actions outlined in the Food Plan.

We reviewed the Draft Food Plan to remove jargon and clarify specific areas and phrases that were flagged as unclear.

We reviewed the three themes and associated actions. We streamlined the thematic areas in line with the priorities of stakeholders and residents. Amending the thematic areas to Healthy People, Healthy Place and Healthy Planet allows for greater emphasis on actions which aim to make Barnet a healthy food place, such as community gardening and growing spaces and coordination and support of the local food system.

The final draft of the Barnet Food Plan was approved by the Health and Wellbeing Board in January 2023 and you can view it here Barnet-Food-Plan-2022-2027.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the support services on offer for unpaid carers in Barnet. Through pro-active engagement with residents and community organisations, our aim was to co-produce a shared vision for carers in Barnet.

You said

We received 270 responses to the online survey. A further 30 carers and young carers were engaged via remote and in-person focus groups, led by Barnet Carers Centre.

Feedback from the above co-production and engagement activity has informed the development of our new Carers Strategy.

Key themes from the survey feedback are as follows:

• carers have struggled during the pandemic - often not being informed when there is a change to the care and support of the cared for person (e.g., plan for the reopening of day opportunities)
• the majority of respondents to the survey have reported caring for over 10 years and spend over 21 hours a week on average in their caring role
• young carers often take on huge amounts of responsibility and need support to balance competing responsibilities and demands. Priorities for young people included pursuing their education, timely mental health and wellbeing support as well as time for themselves and socialising
• carers value activities that enable them to have regular breaks from their caring responsibilities to support balancing their caring roles with their own personal lives and interests
• parent carers have emerged as a prominent carers group.

We did

The co-production and engagement feedback will be included in the new Carers Strategy 2023 – 2028 and have informed the new priorities and outcomes in the strategy. The next step is to translate this strategy into action so that it makes a real and lasting difference to the health and wellbeing of carers of all ages.

A Carers and Young Carers Strategy Implementation board will be developed to have oversight of strategy implementation including the action plan. Actions to deliver the strategy will be informed by feedback and recommendations from carers.

We will be publishing the new Carers Strategy and carrying out another round of consultation in February 2023.

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We asked

We asked for your views on cultural and community activity in Golders Green Town Centre, and how you navigate and find your way around the High Street.

You said

We received 75 responses to the online questionnaire.

The summary of the responses:

the majority of respondents walk to the town centre when they visit

• over half of respondents visit the town centre in the evenings
• the most commonly identified buildings and features that make Golders Green unique were the War Memorial, the Hippodrome and the main high street buildings.

Suggestions for activities to encourage more people to spend time in the town centre in the day included:

• Green spaces
• Markets
• Children’s activities
• Seating.

Suggestions for activities to encourage more people to spend time in the town centre in the evening included:

• Theatre
• Cinema
• Music.

Suggested locations that need better signposting include the Library and parks.

We did

The results will be utilised to produce Cultural Activation and Wayfinding Action Plans. A number of projects identified within the Action Plans will be delivered in 2023/24.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the proposals on how Barnet’s Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) is be allocated to Area Committees and the priorities on which they spend NCIL.

You said

We received 47 responses to the online questionnaire.

The summary of the responses is:

• most respondents are supportive of the proposal to allocate Neighbourhood CIL to Area Committees based on the population of that area
• most respondents are supportive of the proposal to broaden how NCIL may be spent
• most respondents are supportive of the proposed NCIL spending priorities:

• Community Engagement

• Sustainability

• Community Safety

• Public Health

• respondents set out the following as additional priorities for NCIL spending:
  • improvement in parks & greenspaces
  • restoring town centres & public realm
  • bringing community assets back into use
  • enhancing youth services and provision
  • improving air quality
  • making public spaces and streets safer for everyone and working with partners to reduce crime
  • contributing to the use of library services
  • addressing poverty & deprivation and alleviating social isolation/exclusion
• most respondents are supportive of the proposal to continue the management of the Barnet Road Safety & Parking fund at the borough level.

We did

The consultation results will be reported to the Policy and Resources committee with a recommendation to approve the proposals, and to implement them for the Area Committee meetings in the spring.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the revised location for the additional play equipment in Princes Park, and views on the revised equipment, as well as the provision of football goals.

You said

We received 36 responses to the online questionnaire, and we received five direct emails.

The summary of the responses is:

• all respondents were happy with the revised location of the additional play equipment
• almost all respondents were happy with the revised equipment
• almost all respondents wanted no football goals.

We did

An order has been placed to refurbish the existing playground and install new equipment on the space where the long log currently lies. This is the location and play equipment described in the Phase 2 consultation. The estimated date for this work is April/May 2023.

An order has not been placed for football goals, so the one existing football goal will remain.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the proposed play facilities at the fenced-in playground at Stoneyfields Park.

You said

We received 33 responses to the online questionnaire and one direct email, and we spoke to 41 people at the two events we ran in the park. The key themes from the public consultation were request for:

• additional surfacing
• the swings to be placed together
• the picnic table to be moved from under the tree canopy
• a see saw, for dual play
• a zip wire.

We did

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

• additional surfacing, so the two largest play areas are joined together
• the picnic table has been relocated and will be near the new litter bin in the playground
• a frame on the tipi carousel so it can be used by multiple children at one time, and also by different physical abilities.

The order has been placed for this design, and it is likely to be installed in March/April 2023.

There is insufficient space to place the two sets of swings together. Only baby and toddler swings can be placed near the tree, as larger swings require deeper foundations, which would damage the tree roots. There is also insufficient space for a zip wire and a see saw.

We did look to see if a larger piece of play equipment such as a ship would fit in the playground, but unfortunately due to the shape of the playground and the roots of the very large tree, it would not fit.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the proposed schedule of fees and charges, to be implemented from January 2023.

You said

We received a total of three responses. The responses were:

• Very good

• Please do not increase parking charges

• I think it wrong that the council are increasing fees in line with inflation when residents are struggling with living costs.

We did

We reviewed the responses, and they were reported to the Council Meeting on 1 November 2022. Council approved the proposed schedule of fees and charges, and they will be implemented from 1 January 2023.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the future of the A1000 ‘pop up’ Cycle Lane, ahead of a Phase 2 formal consultation planned for November/December 2022.

You said

We received a total of 136 people registering for a series of ‘face to face’ and on-line’ workshops and all were offered attendance. A total of 60 of those people attended one of the six workshops.

A mix of opinions were expressed at the workshops, both in support of and opposition to the scheme and overall people were measured in their comments about the scheme, notwithstanding that some attendees would like to see the scheme removed and many made comments about how the scheme could be enhanced and improved in the future.

The high-level summary of the workshop findings is as follows:

• those who support the scheme had reservations about the quality of the provision, as it currently is – not great for cycling and not great for motor traffic
• those who oppose the scheme do so on the grounds of perceived traffic congestion that has arisen both on the A1000 and redistribution, to surrounding roads. Other opposition was more generalised e.g. facilitating cycling is not something that public money should be spent on, or that new infrastructure does not create new cyclists/cycle journeys
• a common issue was that the type and quality of provision is not seen as consistent along the route including. lack of segregation at junctions and confusion about the blue cycle patches as used on the A406 bridge
• there were some concerns around accessibility e.g. disabled parking bays being blocked by other users or insufficient supply of access for disabled people travelling by car
• people identified how and where improvements could be made including the quality of the surfacing and materials used (segregating bollards seen as cheap and of poor quality), widening of the cycle lane particularly in segregated sections to enable street sweeping, proper segregation on the A406 bridge, introduction of early-release traffic signals for cycles.

We did

Following the workshops, we have used the feedback to develop Phase 2 of the consultation process, which runs from 21 November 2022 to 21 December 2022.

The feedback from both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the engagement and consultation exercise will help inform recommendations for the future of the route, to be presented to Environment and Climate Change Committee in January 2023.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the refurbishment of the Ducks Island playground.

You said

We received 106 responses to the online questionnaire, and we spoke to 14 people at the two events we ran in the playground. The key themes from the public consultation were requests for the following:

• to extend the playground/have more equipment for older children
• steps to young multi play unit rather than a net
• facilities for disabled children including those unable to move from a wheelchair
• a splash park
• imaginative equipment and interactive equipment
• a roundabout.

We did

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

• the net to access the young multi play unit has been replaced with steps.
• a wheelchair accessible roundabout has been included.
• the play panels have been selected to be interactive.

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

In response to the requests, we will not be providing equipment for older children in this location, as when this was provided in the past there were issues of anti-social behaviour. We do not have sufficient budget to extend the play area. We also do not have the facilities or budget to maintain a splash park.