Both Labour and Conservative councillors backed a report responding to Our North Finchley’s proposals for a more inclusive planning system reports David Floyd

A group of people standing outside Hendon Town Hall holding banners and placards — Campaigners from Our North Finchley outside the town hall before delivering their deputation to last month’s council meeting – (Credit – Sammi Davis Photography)

Barnet Council has agreed to review its approach to public engagement on major planning developments in response to proposals from a North Finchley campaign group.

Representatives from Our North Finchley, a resident-led campaign challenging a series of local developments, brought a deputation to a council meeting on Tuesday, 21st October calling for “complete and open public engagement and information in major developments” in the borough.

The group claimed that the council’s current approach to planning engagement does not live up to the promises made in the borough’s participation strategy to “work with residents, not just for them” and put “residents at the heart of decision-making”.

Citing examples from other boroughs including Camden and Wandsworth, they called for “the implementation of a new framework for meaningful community participation in planning” which would include a participation audit and a requirement for planning applications to include a summary of the key aspects of the application “that can be understood by residents and decision-makers”.

Speaking at the meeting in favour of the motion, Our North Finchley’s George Ttoouli said: “Time and again residents are presented with glossy plans and vague surveys by developers but have little or no influence over decisions that shape our neighbourhoods. Developers meet with officers behind closed doors while communities are left in the dark.”

Describing the current approach to engagement he said: “This isn’t just bad process, this leads to bad outcomes and it’s undermining trust in local democracy.”

Responding to deputation on behalf of the council’s Labour administration, cabinet member for housing Ross Houston said: “We fully support the principle of inclusive engagement” before highlighting Labour’s record on affordable housing compared to the Conservatives and citing the council’s recently adopted statement of community involvement.

He proposed bringing a report to the next meeting “responding to the issues that you raise”.

For the Conservatives, opposition leader Peter Zinkin said that although he did oppose the plan to produce a report Cllr Houston’s response was “an exact example of how we have lost the ability to communicate with residents” due to his initial focus on policy rather than the points raised by residents.

He added: “I agree with the deputation to the extent that I don’t think we do communication particularly well.”

Following the debate, Cllr Houston moved a motion asking officers to prepare a report for the next meeting in response to the deputation. This was supported by Cllr Zinkin and the motion passed by 47 votes to 0 with 2 abstentions.

Responding to the vote in a statement on its website, Our North Finchley said: “We are pleased with this result, but we are not naive.”

It added: “The next step is crucial: we will be holding the Council to account every step of the way to make sure this report leads to action, not another dusty document on a shelf.”

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