Evening Standard: "After the Games, all this will belong to guinea pigs"

Link to Evening Standard

"Forget Poundbury. A tramp round the monumental Olympic village on Monday in chill sunshine allowed time to reflect that here, covering 67 acres, stands a 3.2-million-square-foot laboratory the size of St James's Park. A place where 6000 humans will fill 2800 homes by late 2014, to begin the biggest experiment in mixed-community living ever conducted in Britain.

"... Could the East Village become a mixed-use template to build mixed communities where the property owner rents rather than sells, just as is normal with office blocks? Sceptics say not. The £825 million the taxpayer has received for 2800 homes and land is at least £200 million less than it cost to build the village and all its infrastructure.

Genesis Greener Properties on sale

"Genesis has unveiled a collection of new homes at New Hendon Village in Barnet, which tick all the right boxes when it comes to living in a ‘greener’ home. A recent survey by the Energy Saving Trust states ‘carbon appeal’ is attracting homebuyers to properties with 53% of householders willing to pay up to an extra £3,350 for a home with greener features.

"In today’s economic climate, making energy saving improvements to your home will eventually reduce the bills, but by buying a new ‘EcoHome’ rated home at New Hendon Village, all those features and more are already included.*

"Even more of a plus for homebuyers, New Hendon Village is green on the outside too, with apartments overlooking Heybourne Park, which opened earlier this year. The swathe of green open space sits at the heart of the development providing an ideal place to relax and unwind, all year round. Fryent Country Park [in Brent] is also on the doorstep, comprising 250 acres of undulating countryside, conserved woodland, hay meadows, and ponds.

"The apartments themselves are set within an attractive array of buildings featuring private galvanised and painted metal balconies with thermowood timber decking or a terrace and views of the newly reformed parkland.

"All the apartments boast the same high-spec finish with sleek modern kitchens featuring solid granite worktops, ‘Roman Cherry’ units complete with stainless steel oven, hob and integrated extractor fan. Bathrooms and ensuites have chrome fittings, heated towel rails and recessed downlighters. For peace of mind, each apartment has an audio/video entry system.

"New Hendon Village is part of Barnet’s ongoing regeneration, with excellent retail, social and transport facilities helping to make this part of north London the place to live in the capital. New cafes, restaurants and bars are creating a lively, cosmopolitan atmosphere.

"Colindale and Hendon have a good selection of eateries and shops, ideal for everyday needs, while Brent Cross [and its] Shopping Centre is the perfect place to go for that something extra, with a large Fenwicks and John Lewis, and fashion stores such as Banana Republic, Levi, Topshop, LK Bennett and Hobbs.

"New Hendon Village is near Colindale Underground Station, which offers Northern Line services to Brent Cross in five minutes, Hampstead in 12 minutes, Camden Town in 19 minutes and London Bridge in a little over half an hour.

"Prices for apartments start from £190,000. For further information, visit genesishomes.org.uk.

* EcoHomes is an authoritative credential for new home developments. Genesis is pleased to announce their homes have been awarded ‘Very Good’. [Very good.]

The Guardian: "First-time buyers may be the losers in shared equity scheme"

Link to The Guardian

"The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) claims that government interventions in the housing market 'make another lost decade of market stagnation more likely'.

"But the IPPR says the biggest beneficiaries have been large housebuilders, which have used the scheme to sell an oversupply of properties, particularly one- and two-bedroom city centre apartments, at a time when house prices have been falling. The result is that the government has in effect propped up weak housebuilders."

Barnet Eye web site: Shoppers 'forced' from high streets to Brent Cross

Link to 'Barnet Eye'

"Councillor Brian Coleman, Conservative candidate for the GLA, chose the run-up to Christmas to abolish 'Pay and Display' parking."

"One local trader who I know yesterday described Coleman as 'The grinch who stole Christmas'. In the coming year, I predict many small shops will cease trading. The boarded-up shops will be a testament to Coleman and his incompetence."

RAF Museum: "Barnet's Finest - RAF Museum London Event"

Link to RAF Museum

7 July 2012 - 8 July 2012  ("More details to follow.")

"A weekend of events dedicated the best that the London Borough of Barnet has to offer the local community in terms of businesses, advice and entertainment. 

"Details are currently being finalised, but activities will include concerts, family fun plus seminars for business owners or members of the local community looking to set up their own businesses."

The Guardian: "The housing crisis is not yet solved"

Link to The Guardian

"David Cameron has woken up to England's housing crisis. A Tory party once wedded to a "home-owning democracy" now finds itself presiding over a significant fall in home ownership, hence a new housing strategy unveiled this week.

"David Orr, chief executive of the NHF, summed up the dilemma when he said the system is working for the top 10% of earners at one extreme and the 15% in social housing at the other – 'And, to be frank, unless you're already housed it doesn't really work for anyone else.' 

"The challenge now facing providers is to develop properties for rent at part-subsidised and full market rates to fill the gap in the market left by the uncertainty. That is the new reality."

Evening Standard: "'Be on your guard or lose playing fields' "

Link to Evening Standard

"Londoners are urged today to 'be vigilant' to their local playing fields being lost amid fears that new planning laws could make it easier to build on them.

"Charity London Playing Fields Foundation has launched a register of at-risk fields warning: 'Once lost, a playing field isn't coming back'."

Barnet Times: "Arrogance of this leadership"

Link to web site

"It is clear from the letters you publish every week that the residents of Barnet have the worst, most inefficient, uncaring local authority in London, perhaps the country.

"The letters illuminate a culture of arrogance and bullying of both individuals and organisations trying to represent the views of residents."

Barnet Press: "Residents fight to save their car park"

Link to Barnet Press

"RESIDENTS from the Grahame Park Estate turned out yesterday morning to protest against the scrapping of a car park, which they say will leave disabled and elderly drivers 'prisoners in their own homes'.

"Choices For Grahame Park, a housing company currently working alongside Barnet Council to regenerate the estate, plan to permanently close the car park on the north side of Lower Strand. The work will also see the bungalows next to the car park replaced with multi-level social housing."

Vickim57: "Great People Everywhere, Or: How I learned to stop worrying and love Grahame Park Estate"

Link to vickim57 web site

"Today is the final day of an exhibition at the RAF Museum put together by young people from Grahame Park estate. The exhibition is called the Grahame Park Estate Story. It's housed in the Aeronauts Interactive hall. The space rather dwarfs the exhibition, which is a shame, but the organisers are looking for new venues to host it, now that its run at the RAF Museum has come to an end. 

"... Grahame Park estate was built on an old aerodrome. The history of development in this area is very much tied up with the history and development of aviation, both civilian and military. (I live in old RAF married quarters, of all places.)"

Barnet Times: "Colindale pupils unveil new school building"

Link to the Barnet Times

"PUPILS at Colindale Primary unveiled their new £13 million school to visitors this week.

"After waving goodbye to the school’s former 78-year-old building in July, parents and guests were welcomed to view the school’s new building in Poolsford Road."

Daily Telegraph: "Planning reforms: Greg Clark admits changes 'could have been clearer' "

Link to Daily Telegraph

"In the first sign of a climb-down over the reforms, the planning minister Greg Clark admitted that some of the most controversial proposals on brownfield land, housing targets and 'sustainable development' could have been clearer. 

"Mr Clark told a seminar organised by the British Property Federation that it was difficult to express the Government's intentions at the same time as reducing bureaucracy. 

"Mr Clark is pushing through plans to replace 1,300 pages of planning regulations in England with just 52 pages in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)."

Young people work for 18 months on exhibition showing the story of the Grahame Park Estate

"There is an exhibition, open until the end of September, by young people working with charity Catch22, to show the history of the Grahame Park Estate. Built on RAF land in the 1970’s, it explores the area from the residents’ perspective. 

"The young people want to show the positive side of the estate, and challenge the negative image that it often has with the wider community. For almost 18 months, they have worked on the project, supported by a £25,000 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant, awarded under the Young Roots scheme, learning skills such as archiving, interviewing, and curating.

"The exhibition is at the RAF Museum, Grahame Park Way, NW9 5LL until Friday 30th September, in the Aeronauts Interactive Centre in the Museum. Entrance to the exhibition and the Museum is free, and is open from 10am to 5.30pm every day.

"Michelle Allen, Project Worker for Catch22’s Barnet Action 4 Youth, says:

"30 young people have been involved in putting this exhibition together, they have received training from the RAF Museum and Oral History Society, and worked with local residents to gather information and stories. The skills they have learnt will help them in all areas of their life. Far too often the estate is depicted in a negative way, and we wanted to show the positive side and the sense of community. This project has shown that young people do take pride in their community and they have worked hard to make this happen."

"In addition to the exhibition, the young people have put together an information and resource pack for local schools, youth groups and anyone interested in finding out more about the estate. For example, did you know that what is now the Concourse (shopping area), was once a runway? The pack includes a 10 minute DVD of interviews with residents.

"Anyone interested in obtaining one of the resource packs or wanting further information about the exhibition should contact the Catch22 Barnet Action 4 Youth office, on 020 8205 8341, or email ba4y@catch-22.org.uk"

There are many more planning articles at the

'Brent Cross Coalition'

Daily Telegraph: "A licence to build isn’t in the national interest"

Link to Daily Telegraph

"The problem is caused by the proposed new 'presumption in favour of sustainable development', which many see as too broad a concept and,effectively, a licence to build. The fear is that this will tip the scales too much in favour of developers – it is no coincidence that they are its most enthusiastic champions. 

"So far, the Government has taken the view that bureaucracy in the planning system is preventing young people getting on to the housing ladder. One good aspect of these reforms is the simplification of the regulations from 1,000 pages to 52. But in their article in the Financial Times yesterday, Messrs Osborne and Pickles focused more on the importance of these reforms to economic growth. They targeted those who were 'most vociferous in calls for government to bring forward a growth plan' as being 'among the most vociferous opponents to one of its central planks'.”
 

Plus: 

Daily Telegraph:

"Planning reforms are 'fundamentally wrong"

The Guardian: "This wrecking ball is Osborne's version of sustainable development"

Link to The Guardian

"Like the National Health Service and the welfare state, our planning laws arose from the great political settlement that followed the second world war, in which people of all classes gave their lives for their country. The intention was that Britain, saved by collective sacrifice, would never again be run for the exclusive benefit of the rich and powerful. That promise is being gnawed away by political parties controlled by the elite.

"In the Daily Telegraph last week, Geoffrey Lean claimed that the assault on sound planning has been caused by young metropolitan wonks in the coalition replacing 'the old grouse-shooting knights of the shires'. In fact, it is the grouse-shooting knights of the shires, through their Country Land and Business Association, who have led this attack on the planning system. When faced with a choice between its ill-defined 'rural values' and making buckets of unearned cash, there's no doubt about where the shot falls. This is the reassertion of old power against democracy."

Barnet Council regeneration plan: no great excitement

Click above to enlarge,
or link to Barnet committee report, 5/9/2011

Barnet Times: "History of Grahame Park Estate exhibited in Colindale"

Link to Barnet Times

"YOUNG and old converged at the RAF Museum on Tuesday, August 23, to launch an exhibition celebrating the history of Colindale’s Grahame Park Estate.

"The Grahame Park Estate Story exhibition is the culmination of 18 months of work by a group of 30 local young people, who interviewed residents and researched its development from the site of an aerodrome in 1910."

Barnet Times: "History of Grahame Park Estate by Barnet Action 4 Youth group"

Link to Barnet Times

"A GROUP of teenagers have put together a history of Barnet’s biggest estate to challenge its negative image. 

"The group have put together an exhibition of their work, which tells the story from the point of view of residents, and it will be on at the RAF Museum, in Grahame Park Way, from Monday, 22 August, to Friday, 30 September."

Barnet Press: "Windows were smashed at Colindale police station"

Click above for Barnet Press

"Barnet police say they have faced several “skirmishes” with groups of youths in copycat raids on shops, businesses and cars, but there have been few repeats of the scenes played out in Tottenham, Enfield and Croydon.

"Borough commander Neil Basu issued a stark warning to residents. He said:

"I never thought I would say this, but I urge law-abiding residents to stay off the streets."