‘Local democracy is being dismissed’

Our North Finchley campaigners held a public meeting last week and promised to keep fighting after City Hall overturned Barnet Council’s refusal of planning permission for Arada’s Great North Leisure Park regeneration project, reports Leïla Davaud

Campaigners against the controversial development of a North Finchley have held a meeting signalling their determination to keep fighting as they await news from Greater London Authority.

Held at St Alban’s Catholic Church in Nether Street, last week’s Our North Finchley public meeting was somewhat bittersweet. It comes months after London’s deputy mayor for planning and regeneration Jules Pipe decided to grant planning permission to Arada for the Great Northern Leisure Park (GNLP) regeneration project following Barnet Council’s refusal to do so.

As it stands, the campaigners are still holding on to hope and planning their next steps as they await the official written planning permission decision from the GLA, which is conditional on the agreement of the Section 106 details between the council and Arada.

“But once the final decision is made, we will have six weeks to make our move,” explains Jed Holloway, Our North Finchley’s planning solicitor. “The ongoing delay is frustrating. We are in limbo, but it is not necessarily a bad thing. When the decision drops, we will be challenging its legality. We can’t tell you much more right now, but believe that we are pursuing every angle.”

He continues: “You can still make a difference. This is the most effectively organised campaign I have seen. What you are doing takes a lot of free time and intense work from all of you. It is very inspiring.”

From her seat in the middle of the crowd, Helen Searby applauded the solicitor. “To be completely honest, I am disgusted. It is not just a place on a map. We live here, we use the facilities; this is our life. Even my 16-year-old daughter is wondering why the leisure park has to disappear. It’s the only affordable and safe place she can go around here.

“City Hall said it is doing this for young people, but apparently, they have no idea what the kids need. More than that, by overturning the council’s decision, they make it clear that local democracy is being dismissed, thrown out of the window. Jules Pipe acted as if our local councillors don’t have a say any more. It’s shocking!”

At the public meeting, Green Party councillor Charli Thompson, whose Woodhouse ward includes the GNLP, said: “One of my first major pieces of work as a councillor was opposing this development. I worked alongside many people here, submitted objections and spoke against the scheme at the GLA hearing.

“Although the scheme has now been approved in principle, that doesn’t mean the work ends. Approval doesn’t mean they get a free pass on everything that was promised.”

She also mentioned national changes to the planning system: “The government is introducing a national scheme for delegation, meaning more applications will be decided by officers rather than elected councillors. There will also be changes to councillors’ ability to call in applications for committee consideration. I find that really concerning.

“Communities already struggle to have a meaningful say in developments that fundamentally change where we live. We need more democratic involvement, not less. At full council, we passed a cross-party motion, which I was really pleased about, calling for planning to be more democratic.”

Conservative councillor for Finchley Church End Josh Mastin-Lee also raised concerns about this loss of power: “The planning committee becomes a sort of shadowy committee. It is there in person, but it is not there in power. It’s excluded from smaller and medium-sized applications, but then gets steamrollered on the largest ones. I do not think we could credibly be called a local planning authority any more after this legal change.”

He continued: “Meanwhile, Barnet has been given the highest housing target in London by some margin, representing a rise of 39% on our already considerable current target and bringing it to 32,730 homes over 10 years.

“We have been told to build 7,000 of those homes on our Green Belt. The government wants to build, baby, build: 850,000 homes in London over the next 10 years, and the burden falls on the outer boroughs. These boroughs, the donut, need to unite more than ever.”

Other campaigners spoke to the public, such as Amy Fox, the mother of a Northside Primary School student and Filip Spelak, focusing on the ecological impact of Arada’s GNLP plan. 

The final written decision should be revealed by the end of December. In the meantime, Our North Finchley is looking for donations to pay the legal cost of the fight. 

For more information, visit: www.ournorthfinchley.org

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