We asked, you said, we did

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We asked

We asked for your views on our proposed Friary Park Flood Alleviation Scheme.

The scheme proposes to:

• construct a wetland / flood storage basin in the upper section of the Blackett’s Brook in the north-western corner of the park.
• carry out river restoration works including removal of artificial banks, constructing two stage channel (river widening) and a series of small ponds, and introducing leaky woody dams (natural barriers) to hold back flow along the middle reach of Blackett's Brook as it further flows down the park.

You said

We received 20 responses to our online questionnaire. Below is a summary of the results:

• overall, 94.74 of respondents supported the proposed Friary Park Alleviation Scheme
• 78.95% of respondents strongly agreed that the scheme would deliver flood risk benefits / reduce flood risk to properties and infrastructure.
• 89.47%% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that the scheme would improve water quality.
• 84.21% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that the scheme would deliver benefits beyond flood risk (social, environmental, amenity benefits)
• 100% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that the scheme would improve habitats and local wildlife
• 68.43% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that the scheme would increase awareness and involvement from local communities
• 75% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that the scheme would encourage people to spend more time in the park

Concerns were raised in the comments section over the potential removal of trees and shrubberies around the scheme.

Alongside the online questionnaire, the council in partnership with Thames21, organised two events:

• an online meeting on 9 October 2023
• a consultation event in Friary Park on 21 October 2023. Approximately 62 people attended the consultation event in Friary Park, with 27 completing a feedback form.

Feedback at the events was positive, with 23 of the survey respondents choosing, ‘I love them!’, in response to the question: “What are your first impressions of the proposal?”

We did

We have considered all the feedback received and final designs are now being developed ahead of progressing with a tender process for construction. The scheme is expected to go out to tender in spring / summer 2024.

The concerns raised about the potential removal of trees have been passed on to the council’s tree officers who oversee this area.

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We asked

We asked for your views on our proposal to introduce a second phase of selective licensing scheme for all privately rented properties that are not covered by licensing of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), in a total of ten wards in Barnet.

You said

We received 369 online responses to the questionnaire and seven written responses via email.

• overall, the majority (70%) of respondents opposed the introduction of the selective licensing scheme for privately rented properties in Barnet
• opposition, however, was stronger amongst managing or letting agents and private landlords (100% and 94% opposing respectively) and support was stronger amongst owner occupiers and those renting from private landlords (63% and 43% support respectively)
• the majority (45%) of respondents were private landlords, with 8% stating they were a managing or letting agent or work for a managing or letting agent. Only 20% of respondents said they rented their home from a private landlord. A further 14% of respondents were owner occupiers.

There were also several comments made by respondents completing the questionnaire and in written responses in relation to the proposals.

Those who opposed the proposed scheme gave reasons which included:

• landlords would exit the market
• the number of rental properties would reduce and so increase homelessness
• rents would increase as the cost of the licence would be passed on to tenants
• it is just a money-making exercise for the council
• it penalises good landlords, whilst bad landlords will not get a licence
• unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy
• concern that the council would not be able to adequately resource the scheme
• fees are too high.

Respondents who supported the scheme gave reasons including;

• too many poor properties
• poor conditions affecting tenants’ health
• landlords need to be better regulated
• to make landlords maintain their properties
• landlords making short-term profit at the expense of tenants
• to identify more rented properties
• reduce crime and anti-social behaviour
• to protect tenants .

A large number of people objecting to the proposals did not give reasons for their objection other than indicating their disagreement with licensing. Other comments related to issues that were already explained in the consultation documents.

More information is available in the full consultation report.

We did

Comments objecting to the scheme were primarily from landlords. The extent of the objections from respondents has been carefully considered and it is deemed that the data and reasons established that led to the proposal in the consultation remain sound and, although there are strong representations from one category of respondent, these do not undermine the original intentions to introduce the scheme. Whilst the council acknowledge the specific responses received from the consultation, the evidence held by the council highlights the issues in the condition and management of private sector accommodation in the ten wards in the borough, and therefore a selective licensing scheme to address poor property conditions in those wards remains a justifiable approach.

Amendments have been made in response to comments received:

• although not strictly an amendment to the proposals, we have clarified that the council intend to inspect the majority, if not all licenced properties during the life of the scheme
• we have removed the proposed additional fee if the second element of the fee isn’t paid in a timely manner
• we have undertaken that the operation of the fee structure in Phase one of selective licensing, due to be implemented in early 2024, will be carefully monitored and propose that alternative models of fees and discounts given by other authorities will be closely examined with the potential for an alternative fee structure, whilst still covering costs of the scheme
• we took on board various comments relating to the licence conditions and have amended them accordingly, where we thought this was appropriate.

The final proposals were considered by the council’s Cabinet on 12 December 2023 and the amended proposals described above were agreed. The designation will not be made until the council is satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate strong outcomes, efficient delivery, robust enforcement and adequate resourcing for the existing mandatory and additional licensing schemes and the proposed phase one selective licensing scheme. Once these safeguards are deemed to be met, which is anticipated to be early 2025 at the earliest, then the designation will be signed. After signing, the designation must be confirmed by the Secretary of State for The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities before it can be implemented.

You can view the final report on the consultation and the summary of comments and the council’s response to them, as well as the final licensing designation (once signed) on the council’s website,

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We asked

We asked for your views on proposals to introduce a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in Neeld Crescent, Rundell Crescent and Edgeworth Close.

You said

We sent letters to 236 properties on all three roads as part of the statutory consultation. We received 10 responses which included objections, comments and suggestions as summarised below:

• Neeld Crescent - we received three responses from Neeld Crescent. Two respondents objected to the CPZ proposals and two respondents requested an introduction of double yellow lines at the junction of Neeld Crescent with Vivian Avenue. We also received a petition requesting longer times of the proposed CPZ of operation.
• Rundell Crescent - we received one response in support of the proposed CPZ in Rundell Crescent.
• Edgeworth Close - we received six responses from Edgeworth Close. Five respondents were in support of the proposed CPZ while one was an objection.

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.

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We asked

As part of Barnet Council’s campaign to become London’s 2027 Borough of Culture, a ‘cultural canvas movement’ was launched in the summer of 2023, inviting residents, students, artists, community groups, businesses and anyone with a current or past interest and connection with Barnet to share their ideas on transforming Barnet into a Borough of Culture.

The ’Our Barnet Canvas’ consultation was carried out from August to October 2023, comprising two major surveys and a number of events and workshops.

You said

We received 689 responses to the online questionnaires which ran for eight weeks from August to October. Almost 80% of responses were from Barnet residents.

We received 732 responses to the schools questionnaire, aimed at pupils aged 14 and above and teaching staff, which was open from 18 September to 3 October. 579 responses were from students and 153 from members of staff.

We held eight engagement workshops between July and September with the Arts&Culture Network, and with wider arts, culture, heritage, community and faith groups in the borough, hosted at artsdepot, Middlesex University and the RAF Museum.

We ran pop-up workshops at Barnet Pride in the Park and Urban Gamez, Grahame Park Estate Colindale.

We set up A Borough of Culture Bid working group, made up of around 20 arts, culture, heritage and community partners across the borough. Individual sessions were also run with specific groups and forums such as the Barnet Youth Board, Barnet & Culture for Youth Steering Group, Youth Advocates and students at Middlesex University.

Overall, support for the bid was high, with 82% saying they support Barnet’s bid to be the London Borough of Culture 2027.

We did

The key themes that emerged from the engagement programme were summarised into six sets of challenges and opportunities, to be addressed within the Borough of Culture bid and throughout the borough’s wider cultural strategy:

Cultural Infrastructure, Provision & High-Profile Events: Barnet needs a more ambitious cultural offer for its communities, to create an exciting culture-led place identity, and to build a cultural visitor economy.

Sleeping in Barnet, Living in London: residents leave the borough to seek cultural experience and / or careers in the creative industries, for example: 68% of respondents had been to the theatre outside Barnet but just 19% within; 60% had seen live music elsewhere, but only 23% here.

Place Perceptions & Pride: local people likely identify with their local town/neighbourhood rather than with London Borough of Barnet area.

Growing Grassroots Culture: grassroots providers need support to grow their ambitions and skills, strengthening partnerships, networks and capacity to support arts and culture in the community.

Connecting Communities & Towns: Barnet’s tradition of sanctuary and interfaith tolerance was celebrated throughout engagement. However, participants spoke of a lack of cultural activities celebrating and promoting Barnet’s diversity.

Underused Assets & Unknown Histories: Barnet has a rich history; the home of flying heritage, early film, and London’s oldest tree alongside an archives service with collections dating from 1600. Respondents spoke of the opportunity to celebrate more and uncover heritage and history of the borough.

In November 2023 we submitted our bid for London Borough of Culture 2027 and the winners will be announced in March 2024.

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We asked

As part of Barnet’s ambition to be a net zero borough by 2042, we asked for your views on introducing a Library of Things to East Finchley. A Library of Things is just like a normal library except instead of books you can borrow things like lawnmowers, carpet cleaners, air fryers and games consoles – for a small daily fee.

You said

A total of 372 questionnaires were completed. Most responses were from residents, and approval for a Library of Things (LoT) was overwhelmingly positive: 365 out of 372 (98%) selected that they would borrow at least one item. Out of the seven who would not use it, four said they didn’t need the items available, and three would buy them directly.

From a selected of all LoT items, the top five most popular that people would like to borrow were carpet cleaner (288), pressure washer (239), gazebo (180), extendable Ladder (171) and hedge trimmer (148). 38% said they would use a LoT every two to three months. 20% said monthly and 19% every four to six months. 13% said as and when needed.

Respondents are mobile and happy to travel short distances. A LoT doesn’t have to be on their doorstep but must be accessible from a car as well as walking and cycling. Almost 50% would be happy to drive up to 5 miles to get to a LoT. Over 40% would prefer only to walk or cycle.

Tarling Road Community Hub in East Finchley is an option for the first LoT location. Although not an ideal location, comments are mostly positive and identify the strengths of that site. 62% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that this was a good location. Based on comments many respondents live near to Tarling Road Community Hub or felt that the location was highly accessible by car or bicycle. Only 9% disagreed that it was a good location and felt that it was out of the way, and not near a town centre. Other popular locations mentioned were Colindale, Edgware, Finchley Central, High Barnet and North Finchley.

You can read more information in the full consultation report.

We did

We have listened to feedback and will work to bring a Library of Things to the borough.

Although not a site under consideration when the consultation opened, Barnet Council will first pursue Edgware as a priority site. The site (a vacant Argos Unit on the high street), managed by partners TfL and Ballymore, is in a better location with higher footfall and greater public transport accessibility. A library of Things will initially be installed and run for approximately three years (in lieu of the site’s long-term reconstruction as part of proposals for Edgware’s regeneration).

This will help to test the usage of a Library of Things in Barnet and will also benefit Edgware adding a new amenity to the town centre that could become permanent. The Library of Thing’s performance will be monitored, and the council will revisit the Tarling Road Community Hub site pending the Edgware site’s success.

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We asked

We asked for your views on the implementation of a controlled pedestrian and cycling zone during school pick up and drop off hours, or ‘School Street’, on Great Strand (between Lower Strand and Everglade Strand). The proposed times are 8.15-9.15am and 2.45-3.45pm, Monday to Friday, term time only.

You said

We received 77 responses to this engagement. 19.48% of respondents supported the scheme. 79.22% of respondents opposed the scheme. 1.3% of respondents neither supported nor opposed the scheme.

10% of respondents thought the scheme would improve safety. 7.7% of respondents thought the scheme would reduce traffic. 4% of respondents thought the scheme would encourage people to walk, bike or scoot to school.

27% of respondents were concerned that the School Street would affect access to services on the road such as churches, nurseries, and businesses. 12% of respondents expressed concern that the scheme would impact working parents’ ability to get to work after dropping their children at school. 20% of respondents expressed concern that it would affect access to the road for people who needed it, like residents, carers, teachers, taxi/trade/delivery vehicles, friends and family.

8% of respondents did not give reasons for their opinions.

We did

We have considered the feedback and will be proceeding with the School Street scheme, alongside measures to mitigate the highlighted concerns.

We asked

We asked for your views on making the pavement wider on Great Strand.

You said

We received 59 responses to this engagement.

8% of respondents thought the footway widening would improve safety. 8% of respondents thought the footway widening would reduce traffic. 5% of respondents thought the footway widening would encourage people to walk, bike or scoot to school.

24% of respondents were concerned about the reduction in parking as a result of the footway widening. 7% of respondents were concerned about the impact the footway widening would have on driving on the Great Strand. 5% thought there would be no improvement from the measures.

24% of respondents did not give reasons for their opinions.

We did

We have considered the feedback and will not be proceeding with the footway widening in Great Strand.

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We asked

In October we facilitated a range of engagement sessions with children and young people to gather their experiences and perceptions of violence and exploitation that may have affected them in Barnet. The sessions were designed to engage young people, residents, professionals and businesses working and living in Barnet and to understand the following:

• perceptions of violence and exploitation in Barnet
• factors that support feeling safer or more at risk
• areas and priorities that people feel the council should implement / drive to improve, safety, and response to violence and exploitation.

You said

We had over 50 young people who engaged in the focus groups, and over 200 people participated in our interactive online surveys. We were able to engage a range of residents and businesses in ‘walkaround surveys’.

We did

From the sessions, we have incorporated the key themes that emerged into two priority area:

• Tackling Serious Violence Strategy 2024 - 27
• Tackling Exploitation Strategy 2024 - 27

Both of these strategies will be published in March 2024, and will outline our collective approaches to how we are working together to support the safety of residents and young people living in Barnet.

From January 2024 we will be holding a range of further consultation sessions to support the release of our Tackling Serious Violence Strategy, and further sessions to support the co-production of our Tackling Exploitation Strategy.

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We asked

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

You said

We received 14 responses to the online questionnaire. 12 of the respondents made a comment and the comments were:

• Fees and charges, specifically service charges should be scraped for freeholders. We have lost amenities like parking and parks, land from the estate has been sold to Notting Hill Gensis, yet free holders are asked to pay service charges when you want to turn the estate from public to private. Not to mention the office is now on the estate! Please do not increase parking charges.
• Council tax is high enough already. Don't agree with charges automatically being increased each year.
• Families are struggling enough without you increasing prices. I will have to move out of Barnet if you increase yet again as I won't be able to afford to stay in the Borough.
• The document is too long you need to summarise key changes.
• This will be an extra burden on the people of Barnet.
• They should definitely not be increased - why should people have to pay more at this time when the cost of living is so high.
• I would not like it to rise, as I believe my council tax is already high enough; despite this, potholes on roads in my area remain not fixed.
• I understand that prices are being raised but I think it's really expensive to have a green bin and think it should be less.
• I think that charges should be as low as possible. i don't think they should be increased due to cost of living crisis. i think some fees should be scrapped.
• They are driving out local businesses - need time to recover from Covid and Brexit - hold back on increases.
• In such a hard time financially for people, when they are struggling to purchase food for their children to survive I do not think it is the right time to increase charges for basic things.
• I do not think the fees and charges are proportionate to the services they provide, particularly with service charges and parking. Also planning authority management staffer charging hourly for their advice.

We did

We reviewed the responses, and they were reported to the Council meeting on 17 October 2023. Council approved the proposed non-executive fees and charges. The executive fees and charges were authorised under the delegated authority of the Leader of the Council, Cabinet Member for Resources and Effective Council. The responses were also reviewed in this Cabinet Member Delegated Decision report.

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We asked

We asked for your views on our Children and Young People’s Plan that sets out our ambitions and priorities for children and young people in Barnet. It identifies what all partners will do to deliver this and how we will gauge our success.

You said

We received 31 responses to the online questionnaire. The majority of those responding to the questionnaire agree with all the themes the council is proposing to focus on for the next five years. Over three-quarters of those responding to the questionnaire agreed with all the objectives identified in the Children and Young People’s Plan.

We did

We have published the Children and Young People’s Plan and in response to the consultation feedback, an action plan has been developed and structured against key priorities. The monitoring of this Plan will be by the Children and Young People’s Partnership Board. Regular reports on progress will be presented to the Board for scrutiny. The Partnership, which includes young people representatives, will ensure that agreed priorities against objectives are reflected in partnership work to make certain the impact of the Plan is felt by children, young people and their families.

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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. Topics covered included format of the new policy, inclusive language, experiences of exclusion, EDI priorities and vision for Barnet.

You said

Between February – August 2023, we delivered a series of workshops and community outreach activities. Over 200 people shared their views on how we can create a place where people feel they belong and are respected. Here are the key themes of what people said they want to see:

• ensure everyone can access services and prioritise supporting those most in need
• use inclusive language, reflect Barnet’s diversity and promote EDI work
• more community events and initiatives that foster community togetherness
• education and training on EDI matters and ways to get involved
• protection against discrimination.

We did

We analysed the insights gathered and produced an EDI policy engagement (phase 1) report which included the following recommendations:

• keep the new EDI Policy simple, visual and accessible
• publish an EDI action plan and implement robust processes to monitor progress
• adopt an evidence-based approach to identify and support those most in need
• raise awareness of EDI work and consistently involve residents (living the Community Participation Strategy)
• work closely with voluntary and community sector organisations, businesses, schools, police, NHS and other partners to improve EDI in the borough.

We launched the EDI policy engagement (phase 2) in September 2023 to gather views on the emerging EDI priorities, vision, action planning and to further explore inclusive language. This builds on the insights gathered from Phase 1 and reinforces our commitment to co-producing our new EDI policy.