The scheme in Regents Park Road had attracted opposition from hundreds of local residents writes Rebecca Pattni

Barnet Council has “paused” a bus lane in Finchley following protests from local residents and politicians.

The implementation of the scheme in Regents Park Road, which the council had decided to make permanent in January this year, provoked over 350 local people to join a WhatsApp group to discuss their opposition.

While the council explains the scheme was introduced to “improve bus journey times for 13, 125, 221 and 460 bus routes”, which aligns with its long term transport strategy to create a “Net Zero borough by 2042” many residents were concerned about the potential safety and congestion issues the lane was causing.

Finchley Church End Conservative councillors Jennifer Grocock and Josh Mastin-Lee told Barnet Post that local residents were having “great difficulties” accessing side roads and added that for “people who aren’t local, they’re not sure whether it’s live or not.”

They claimed the scheme was part of an “active campaign to make driving as painful, expensive and difficult as possible”.

The councillors added that they had concerns about the quality of the consultation carried out by the council and said that, based on a consultation they had carried out, they believed residents wanted “the whole scheme removed back to normal”.

Finchley and Golders Green MP Sarah Sackman was also approached by residents seeking to have the bus lane removed.

Asked about her involvement, she told Barnet Post: “My caseworkers met with residents immediately to see first hand the issues they were raising. They told me of the problems caused by narrow lanes and gaps between parked cars and traffic islands.

“My team and I acted on their concerns. I demanded that the Council reexamine the safety of these measures and review the case for these works. With the efforts of campaigners, councillors and my office we have achieved progress by pausing the second phase of works and securing a review into the initial works.”

As a result of this pressure, Barnet Council has now decided to review the scheme. A spokesperson said: “Following feedback from residents, work has been paused on the new bus lane on Regents Park Road while we undertake a full review. The review will be holistic, covering all parts of the project including but not limited to safety, line markings, and parking spaces.

“Once all the information of the review is collected it will be assessed by Barnet Council and TfL officers, and the outcome shared with residents.”

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