Newsletter January 2008

Last year brought a number of successes: our comments on the plans to redevelop Barnet College were all taken on board, we had some influence in getting free evening parking re-instated at The Spires, and Barnet Hospital has made some modest attempts to improve the parking situation there. Most importantly, the council are aware of our town centre and this is firmly on their agenda. This will undoubtedly feature as our main issue for 2008.

Contents

(These are all links to sections further down this page)

More misery on the High Street

Planning Issues

Old market, new market

The Spires

Crime and disorder

More misery on the High Street

In our last issue we wrote at length about the decline of our High Street. The Council is aware of our concerns and is planning to conduct a review. Little has happened so far, so we have decided to take the initiative ourselves. On the last page of this newsletter you will find a questionnaire asking for your opinion on the state of our High Street. Please complete this and return it with your membership renewal. We have also delivered the questionnaire to a sample of streets in High Barnet and Underhill to ensure that we are armed with a good cross-section of local opinion.

Meantime the situation has markedly deteriorated with several shops in prime central locations closing down - Auto Market, Tally Ho Discount, Mothercare and Vue Estates have all gone in recent weeks. The proliferation of empty shops in the lower part of the High Street is particularly depressing. And the fewer shops there are, the less likely people are to venture down there unless they are seeking an estate agent or one of the handful of specialist shops. Students using the fast food outlets now seem to be the mainstay of this area. When we last counted there were ten empty shops along the length of the High Street.

Planning Issues

With Barnet College plans approved except for some details to be clarified, and Barnet FC having got planning approval and then built their new south stand in a remarkably short time, we have recently had a much quieter time keeping an eye on major developments. The amendments to the large Park Rd Industrial Estate redevelopment to create over 100 residential units have proved to make little material difference, whilst the massive Dollis Valley redevelopment remains in the same comatose state as it has been for the last couple of years, but maybe it will come alight in 2008. Also coming up is the new school at Whitings Hill and, who knows, maybe some exciting proposals for The Spires.

Old market, new market

Barnet's historic stall market finally closed its doors on the last Saturday of 2007. In truth it was looking very sad and would probably not have survived much longer if left to whims of commercial pressures. We still have hopes that the redevelopment of the site will provide the revitalisation that is necessary to guarantee the future of this highly valued amenity.

We have to wait until summer 2009 for the market to re-open, but in the meantime the temporary market on the Stapylton Rd car park has got off to a good start. Though much reduced in size compared to the old market, many of the most popular stalls have re-appeared, especially the fruit and veg suppliers. The overall impression of the site is quite impressive and we hope the traders are successful in their temporary home. In this context we suppose it should be encouraging to overhear the comments of some shoppers expressing surprise and delight that High Barnet had now acquired a market! Well, they only had 600 or so years to find the old one………

The Spires

The actions of The Spires management have been decidedly depressing in recent times. Whilst we have no issues with the local management, who do a good job maintaining the day-to-day standards, the distant 'suits' are another matter (Savills are the managing agents with UBS Bank the freeholder). We have previously commented on the contracting out of the management of the car park to Britannia. The car park is no longer a service to encourage shoppers - it is a 'profit centre' in its own right. No surprise then that the change of management immediately led to the minimum charge increasing from 20p to 50p. Watch out for more increases given Barnet Council's sky-high charges for short-term parking elsewhere in Barnet.

Removal all the planting from one of the two courtyards was also disappointing, leaving a once attractive area rather stark and unwelcoming. Admittedly the outdoor seating area allocated to Costa Coffee has been popular - but did they need to destroy everything else for this? We think not, and overall the result has diminished the attractiveness of The Spires. Rumours that the planting in the other courtyard may also be removed is yet more cause for gloom.

We can also now reveal that negotiations conducted by ourselves over the past year to try and establish a farmers market in the bandstand area have come to nought. This has been a major disappointment. Waitrose raised no objection and we offered to organise the market ourselves, but our efforts fell on deaf ears. We were told that a farmers market would be 'downmarket' and tarnish the image of The Spires. Funny that. We thought farmers markets were rather up-market affairs and one here would enhance the Spires. And we are still trying to puzzle out why the occasional French market is acceptable but a comparable English market is not.

What could turn out to be much more encouraging is the rumour that thought is being given to expanding The Spires into what is now the car park and service area to the north of Waitrose. This could turn out to be the kind of boost that our shopping centre needs. We are keeping in close touch with events should something positive emerge.

Crime and disorder

Things are relatively quiet on this front as well. Reflecting the national trend, the long -term decline in crime levels has continued, down 11.8% in the Borough with the even better news that locally we have done better than the average. A lot of people tell us they find this difficult to believe. It is a fact of life that newspapers have always given extensive coverage to sensational crimes and this leaves many people with the impression that we a living in a very lawless society. Asked about their own direct experiences however, then people usually acknowledge only rare or no experience as a victim. Crime will always be with us, but we agree with the police when they assure us that High Barnet is a safe place to live.

The problem of stolen purses on the High Street has got better of late, but safety on the High St. remains a priority for the Safer Neighbourhood Team. Burglaries have recently edged up, and there is a current fashion for stealing sat. navs. from cars.