Daily Telegraph: "'Repossession hot spot' map reveals homeowners most at risk of losing their houses"

Link to web site

"Families living in the London borough of Barking and Dagenham are twice as likely as the average British person to have their homes repossessed, a study has revealed. 

"Research compiled by homeless charity Shelter found those living in the borough are at the highest risk of having their houses repossessed, closely followed by Knowsley in the North West and Thurrock in the East of England. 

"The charity has now constructed a map of repossession 'hot spots', and claimed to have revealed a 'strong link' with rising unemployment."

BBC: "What future for social housing?"

Link to BBC web site (see other tabs also)

"... Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government built more than a million homes, 80% of which were council houses, largely to replace those destroyed by Hitler.

"The house-building boom continued when the Conservatives returned to power in 1951, but the emphasis shifted at the end of the decade towards slum clearance, as millions were uprooted from cramped, rundown inner-city terraces and re-housed in purpose-built new towns or high rise blocks.

"A generation was introduced to the joys of indoor toilets, front and rear gardens, and landscaped housing estates where, as the town planners boasted, a tree could be seen from every window."

Barnet Times: "Fun day for Grahame Park residents in Colindale"

Link to Barnet Times

"An annual fun day was held for the residents of Grahame Park on Saturday.

"Nearly 500 people attended the event, which took place in Heybourne Park, and was organised by Genesis Housing Group who are managing the regeneration of Grahame Park."

Evening Standard: "Why buying a house in London is still CHEAPER than renting"

Link to Evening Standard

"Stepping on to the property ladder instead of renting will save people almost £200,000 over a lifetime, according to research today.

"The report by Barclays showed that the average total of buying, paying mortgages and maintaining a home costs £429,000 over 50 years, not even accounting for the value of the home at the end, compared with £623,000 in rent."

What House: "New homes launched in Colindale"

Link to web site

"Genesis has announced the launch of The Tower, the latest collection of brand new apartments, at New Hendon Village in Colindale, North West London, featuring a total of 39 one- and two-bedroom apartments, with prices starting from £195,000.

"All new homes at The Tower, a seven-storey building situated at the head of Heybourne Park, will include at least one large balcony or terrace, many looking out onto the parkland."

---

Link to:

"Famous Five Barnet Bloggers"

Brent & Kilburn Times: "Fri 15, Sat 16 June: Consultation on Oriental City site in Colindale"

Link to Brent & Kilburn Times

"Developers will be holding a two-day exhibition where they will showcase their plans for the former Oriental City site in Colindale.

"Proposals for the land in Edgware Road, which had been dubbed London’s ‘real China Town’ before its closure in 2008, will see it transformed into a new Oriental and Far Eastern shopping centre.

"The mixed-used development will include a state-of-the-art Morrisons foodstore, 223 new townhouses and apartments, including family and affordable housing, a 270-seat restaurant, 600-seat foodcourt, and 11 other outlets dedicated to oriental and far eastern retail.

"There will be 580 car parking spaces for shoppers and residents."

Daily Telegraph: "Housing market is 'broken'"

Link to web site

"The housing market is broken and overcrowding is getting worse, a report warns, as official figures show the number of new homes started by house builders in England fell again in the first three months of the year.

"... Housing minister Grant Shapps said housing plans were taking centre stage in the economic recovery. But he added:

"I am under no illusions that we still have a long way to go. That is why we are continually striving to introduce measures to help those in need.

I am determined to ensure support is available to those not wanting to buy, which is why I want councils to use the full range of powers at their disposal to help those at risk of homelessness."

Barnet Times: "Crashed wartime fighter winging its way from Sahara to Hendon RAF Museum"

Link to Barnet Times

"A Second World War fighter plane that crash landed in the vast abyss of the Sahara desert almost 70 years ago could be winging its way to a Hendon museum after it was miraculously discovered largely intact.

"The stray Kittyhawk P-40 (similar to the one pictured) went down over Egypt on June 28, 1942, as British RAF pilots came under attack from German general Erwin Rommel."

Barnet Times: "Colindale charity launches anti-domestic violence campaign"

Link to web site

"An anti-domestic violence charity has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the issue.

"Domestic Violence UK, which is coordinated from Colindale, hopes its 'Inspire Hope – Be A Voice' campaign will shatter the silence surrounding domestic abuse.

"The campaign, which will run throughout May, includes awareness-raising and the launch of a new publication called Mutual Support Magazine."

Barnet Times: "BBC documentary explores Colindale restoration project"

Link to Barnet Times

"The restoration of two buildings in Colindale belonging to the Royal Air Force will feature in a television documentary.

"The Grahame-White Factory and Watch Office, in Colindale, both built in 1915, were dismantled brick by brick from their original site in Aerodrome Road, Colindale, and rebuilt at the RAF Museum in Grahame Park Way."

Barnet Times: "Exhibition of sport in the RAF opens in Colindale"

Link to Barnet Times

"Colindale’s Royal Air Force Museum will open its latest exhibition tomorrow.

"From 22 March until 20 September, the museum will display a free exhibition on sports in the RAF."

Barnet Times: "Three hundred new homes for Barnet"

Link to web site

"The borough’s Beaufort Park development [has been] announced as one of the successful bidders assessed by the Homes and Communities Agency.

"The news follows an announcement earlier this year that £5million has been allocated for a massive 3,000 home regeneration project in Grahame Park, Colindale."

Out-Law: "Barnet Council consults on proposed single flat rate Community Infrastructure Levy"

Link to web site

"Barnet Council has published its preliminary draft Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charging schedule for consultation.

"The preliminary draft states that 'the council has ensured that it is a rate affordable for all viable development proposals brought forwards' whilst recognising that this will secure, overall, a lower rate than under section 106 legal agreements, 'but sees this as its contribution towards ensuring growth in new housing can continue in Barnet'.

Barnet Times: "Outrage as housing association fells trees"

Link to web site

"The systematic destruction of ancient oak trees by Genesis Housing Association has outraged a Colindale woman.

"As part of the Grahame Park Redevelopment Scheme, Genesis has spent the last few days removing trees from Grahame Park Way. Sandhya Rahi, a freelance film-maker from nearby Beaufort Park, is distraught by the loss of these ancient landmarks."

The Independent: "5% deposits bid to aid homebuyers "

Link to The Independent

"The NewBuy scheme is forecast to help as many as 100,000 people locked out of the property market by heralding the return of 5% deposits rather than the 20% typically demanded by lenders since the credit crunch.

"But Jonathan Samuels, chief executive of Dragonfly Property Finance, said the scheme 'smacks of desperation', adding:

"The property market will come back when it is ready to come back, and schemes like this are mere tinkering around the edges. If the Government thinks this scheme will kickstart the property market, then it is in Cloud Cuckoo Land."

Evening Standard: "City house prices 'rise six-fold'"

Link to Evening Standard

"House prices in Truro, Westminster, Edinburgh and Brighton have seen at least a six-fold rise in the last 25 years, a study of the UK's top-performing cities has found. 

"House prices in cities have typically risen from £35,209 in 1986 to £169,707 in 2011 according to the survey, which used Halifax's housing statistics database, still putting them slightly below the UK average house price of £172,427 last year."

Flats available next to station

Link to whathouse.co.uk

"Pulse is a mixed tenure site located in Colindale, north-west London. A mixed tenure site located in Colindale [sic], the first phase at Pulse will give people living and working in Barnet the opportunity to buy a contemporary home at an affordable price."

Barnet Investment Plan (from way back in March 2010)

Barnet Borough Investment Plan 22 June 2010

24Dash.com: "Stalled site cash earmarked for London borough's largest housing estate"

Link to web site

"The regeneration of a London borough's largest housing estate has been earmarked for a slice of the Government's £420m stalled sites fund.

"The project to transform the Grahame Park estate in Colindale, Barnet is one of 18 schemes to potentially receive funding from the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) £420m 'Get Britain Building' programme."

Government restarts 127 Colindale homes

Link to web site

Project: Grahame Park P0E & P1bi

Developer: Genesis (GenInvest Ltd)

Total homes: 127

From "Get Britain Building":

"The Homes and Communities Agency has been inundated with more 170 applications for its £420m Get Britain Building programme to kick-start stalled housing jobs.

"As a result the agency has fast-tracked 18 schemes [including at Colindale] to unlock £46m to start construction of 1,300 new homes.

"The remainder of the bids will now be assessed with a shortlist of schemes to be taken forward released in mid-March.

"Launched less than two months ago, this multi million pound cash injection is expected to unlock up to 16,000 homes on sites that are currently stalled, and help create up to 30,000 jobs in construction and related industries."