Barnet Times: "New planning group to decide what the future should hold for Mill Hill"

Link to web site

"A new planning watchdog marks an 'important milestone' for Mill Hill as the group decides on what the future should hold for the area.

"The new Mill Hill Neighbourhood Forum, launched earlier this week, will oversee planning matters and ask people for their views on new developments.

"Barnet Borough Council's planning committee approved the new independent advisory team at a meeting on September 17, and it has now officially started work."

The Observer: "The solution to the UK housing crisis? Build on the green belt"

Link to web site

"Housing prices have become a prime driver of inequality. First, between generations: a thirty-something professional worker will now find it harder to buy a house than their exact peer 10 years ago. Second, within generations: the majority of people my age who own a house have drawn heavily on the Bank of Mum and Dad.

"They often end up letting out a spare room to a friend and the ultra-low interest rates of the last five years can mean the rent their mates is paying them is more than their mortgage. So the already well-off get an extra boost.

"Having parents who live in London also confers a huge advantage if you want to work in the arts, media, finance or law, because you can bunk up in the family home while you slog through unpaid internships or further study.

"This state of affairs should worry all the political parties. For Labour, there's an obvious story about social mobility going into reverse and about the rich becoming richer. For the Lib Dems, there's a chance to win back some of the young voters who defected over tuition fees.

"But perhaps the Tories have most at stake. The assumption has long been that homeowners become more conservative. More importantly, the Tories' core message – that with hard work comes rewards – is dented by a quick look at the housing market."

Daily Telegraph: "Mafia-style behaviour [over Green Belt] in the planning system is traumatising villages, suggests Sir Simon Jenkins"

"Chairman of National Trust says planning decisions have led to eyesore developments that could only have happened in Sicily"

Link to web site

"Mafia-style behaviour in the planning system is ‘traumatising’ the English countryside, the head of the National Trust has suggested.

"Sir Simon Jenkins, the Trust’s chairman, said the planning decisions that have led to eyesore developments getting the go-ahead could only have happened in Sicily, the historic home of the mafia.

"In an interview with The Telegraph to mark the two year anniversary of planning regulations in the new National Planning Policy Framework, Sir Simon laid bare the damage being done to the countryside.

"He spoke of his sorrow at some planning decisions he says have wiped out scenes of countryside beauty and invoked the Mafia when he questioned how they have been allowed to proceed."

Barnet Press: "Property website boss changes ‘cheap’ benefits-bashing advert"

(Click on either image)

Before, and after...

"A PROPERTY website has agreed to alter a 'cheap shot' marketing campaign after it was slammed for using Mill Hill’s lack of benefits claimants as a selling point.

"An 'infographic', put together by estate agent marketing site Needaproperty.com, included the fact that less than three per cent of the ward’s working-age residents received jobseeker’s allowance, alongside statistics highlighting the proximity to central London and average earnings.

"However, following the image’s release online on Tuesday, chairman of Barnet Citizens’ Advice Bureau Tim Clark attacked the advertising campaign for playing on people’s prejudices about benefits claimants."

“Borehamwood is full” ... "There is no future of building in Borehamwood, the future has to be green belt sites.”

Link to Borehamwood & Elstree Times

" 'Borehamwood is full' was the overwhelming message as more than a hundred people gathered to make sure their views on development in the town were heard.

"Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council last night held a public meeting at The Ark Theatre in Thrift Farm Lane to answer questions about the recent draft of the Elstree Way Corridor Area Action Plan.

"Councillor Pat Strack, who chaired the meeting with Councillor Graham Franklin, made it clear the council had no control over development but could pass on the views of the townspeople to those who did."

The Guardian: "'Affordable housing' does not mean what you think it means"

Link to web site

"In the good old days, councils and housing associations built social rented housing – often called council housing. It was a simple idea in which rents were based on a formula that combined local wages and local property values so that, for much of southern England, rents would be set at around 50% of local market rents – even lower in very expensive areas. Social housing rents allowed people to work without being dependent upon housing benefit.

"No more. Now, councils and housing associations have been told to replace social rented housing with a new product called, confusingly, affordable housing.

"In a move worthy of George Orwell's Ministry of Truth, affordable rent will be higher than before, set at up to 80% of the local market rent. Across whole swathes of southern England affordable rented properties will simply not be affordable to people on low incomes."

Barnet Society: "Green belt 'critical to the health' of Barnet"

Link to web site

"Barnet has probably more to thank the politicians and planners of the 1930s and 1940s for than any other town in north London. With protected Green Belt land on three sides, the High Barnet of today is blessed with some unrivalled countryside on our door-step.

"Therefore, in the light of two reviews into the future of London’s open spaces, the Barnet Society is determined to remain at the forefront of the campaign to preserve the Green Belt.

"We trust our submission to the reviews being undertaken by the London Assembly and an All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Green Belt could not be any clearer:

"We believe the Green Belt to be critical to health and well-being, a defining part of the character of both Chipping Barnet and London, and likely to be even more appreciated as London grows."

Barnet Times: "Building work to start on 2,000 homes development by Countryside Properties and Annington Developments in Mill Hill"

Link to web site

"Countryside Properties and Annington Developments are holding a ground-breaking ceremony, to mark the start of the first phase of the project at the former Inglis Barracks.

"A total of 2,174 homes, as well as a new primary school and community facilities, are due to be built in 11 phases at the Drew Avenue site, off Bittacy Hill."

The Independent: "How much more expensive is it to live in a London 'village'?"

Link to web site

"Research from Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward and Zoopla suggests that there is a massive premium on properties in or near to a ‘village’ in London. Looking at 24 village areas across London, the data shows that on average there is a £200,000 premium – so that while they estimate the average value of a property in London at £456,802, a home in a 'village' is just over £690,000.

"Admitting that it's hard to pin down an exact definition of a village, KFH says their typical attributes are green spaces, independent shops, weekend farmers markets and thriving high streets, plus good schools, which together form close-knit communities."

The Independent: "Economic Focus: Does anyone think Help to Buy is a good idea?"

Link to web site

"A host of independent economists have criticised the Coalition’s decision to push ahead with a controversial mortgage guarantee scheme.

"George Osborne confirmed on Monday that the Help to Buy subsidies, which will offer state insurance for 15 per cent of the value of new mortgages, will be put into operation next week. The scheme was originally not scheduled to be introduced until January. 'We are the party of home ownership and we’re going to let the country know it,' said the Chancellor.

"But writing here in The Independent today, figures affiliated to institutions ranging from the Trades Union Congress to the Institute of Economic Affairs call on the Chancellor to reverse course."

Future orbital public transport in Barnet

Orbital Transport in Barnet, north London from sharestorage

Barnet Times: Trains via Mill Hill East

Sun 18 Aug: Walk on the abandoned Northern Heights route from Mill Hill East

2013-08-18 Finchley Society Walk

Barnet Times: "Barnet Council approves plans for multi-million pound Dollis Valley Estate regeneration in High Barnet"

Link to web site

"A major regeneration of a 1960s housing estate has been given planning approval, paving the way for the first phase of development.

"The Dollis Valley Estate in High Barnet will be demolished under the plans, submitted by developer Countryside Properties and commissioned by Barnet Council."

"Houses 'better than green fields': Minister's explosive claim as he unveils new plans to concrete the countryside"

Link to Daily Mail

"Building houses will create more ‘human happiness’ than preserving fields, the Planning Minister has claimed.

"Nick Boles says the Government is determined to speed up the rate of house building, despite opposition from countryside groups.

And he said communities who refused to support the initiative risked losing their hospitals and high street shops as their populations shrank."

The Guardian: "Prince Charles is not a dabbler – he's deeply committed. But he's naive"

Link to web site

"Revelations about the Duchy of Cornwall's accounts revive the debate over the scale of Prince Charles's involvement in fields other than waving, opening things, collecting art and accumulating rent.

He's often accused of exceeding the prerogatives of a constitutional monarch, most recently in successfully lobbying a fellow royal, the Emir of Qatar, to drop Richard Rogers as architect for a housing scheme in Chelsea. But, even if we accept the argument that he is only intervening in aesthetics and ethics, not politics, what do his interventions really mean?

Barnet Times: "Reporter Chris Hewett takes on training session with Saracens' conditioning coach at Allianz Park"

Link to web site

"Times Series chief reporter Chris Hewett travelled to Saracens' new stadium on Friday for a training session with the club's strength and conditioning coach.

"The result was a serious appreciation for the dedication of top-level athletes...

"When England rugby player Chris Ashton tells you, 'don’t worry, you’ll be fine', you like to think he’s speaking the truth."

Daily Telegraph: "Planning minister’s war on the countryside"

"Property developers have been privately promised that planning laws will be liberalised again within weeks, to allow them to begin a house-building boom backed by this week’s Budget.

Link to web site

"Nick Boles, the planning minister, attended a meeting with some of the country’s biggest property developers hours after George Osborne’s speech on Wednesday, in which he told them he was prepared for an acrimonious battle with countryside campaigners.

"The Telegraph has obtained a recording of the meeting, in which Mr Boles discloses that he is poised to axe the planning permission requirement for many developments. He indicates that the main purpose of a £15.5 billion government package to support homebuyers is to create a building boom."

"Countryside at war as planning system collapses"

Link to Daily Telegraph

"Simon Jenkins, the Chairman of the National Trust, said every day another community is coming forward to complain of a new wind farm or housing development in a beautiful area.

"He said the last year is the worst he has ever known for threats to the countryside, with a number of key heritage sites in danger from not only wind farms but fracking, high speed rail and even nuclear disposal. He warned:

"Local Britain will be a warfare area. Everywhere you go people are fighting random developments. This can only be tackled by proper planning."

Daily Telegraph: "Right to light under threat in planning law shake-up"

Link to web site

"In a new assault on planning rules, the Law Commission began a consultation, which is backed by ministers, which could lead to the centuries-old entitlement to daylight being ditched to stop home owners holding up building projects.

Currently, households can object to developments, including neighbours’ extensions or new houses, if they threaten the amount of natural light that enters a home.

Removing the protection could leave almost three million households powerless to prevent large developments near their homes, reducing their value and appeal, campaigners warned.

Mill Hill Residents Association: "It was a dark and stormy night..."

"Join us if you care about protecting Mill Hill and wish to have your voice heard on the following matters:-

• Traffic problems such as congestion, air quality, parking and risk of accidents. In particular you are disappointed by the new-style phone parking system in Mill Hill Broadway
• The impact and direction of future planning developments in Mill Hill
• Ensuring we have adequate public transport in the area.

"Furthermore, MHRA will act as a network for you to link with your neighbours for further information about other local matters such as security, and we will schedule MHRA events with selected speakers. MHRA is here to strengthen existing community relations."

Link to MHRA web site

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"A wet and windy evening in Mill Hill, and the committee of the newly reformed Mill Hill Resident’s Association were unsure about just how many people would turn up at their inaugural open meeting at St Pauls’ School on the Ridgeway on Tuesday 29 January.

"Leaflets had been distributed and Chairman Richard Logue spent two hours on Saturday speaking to people at Waitrose supermarket, trying to garner support for the meeting, yet still the committee was slightly unprepared and very pleasantly overwhelmed by the numbers who showed up in force to hear about the Association’s plans and to air their own views and issues.

"The Mill Hill Resident’s Association was first established in 1909 and served the community in an effort to help the area retain much of the charm and heritage that still exists today. Longstanding Chairlady Joan Ellis recently retired from her very active role as head of the association, and has taken on the role of President, handing the baton of chairmanship to Hammers Lane resident Richard Logue.

"The Association has identified certain key areas for concern, including specific issues such as the unpopular pay by phone parking system, the chaotic Mill Hill Circus road works, parking problems on Saracens match days, the future of Mill Hill Fire Station and the redevelopment of Inglis Barracks, together with general issues such as crime and anti-social behaviour and public transport. There were presented to an attentive audience which squeezed in to the school hall, where there was standing room only.

"Councillors John Hart and Suri Khatri were both in attendance, as were residents representing all areas of Mill Hill. During an open-floor session, residents expressed their concerns for the erosion of our greenbelt, for the lack of public transport to Barnet Hospital and the lack of disabled access at Mill Hill Broadway Station, not to mention the difficulty getting up two flights of stairs for the elderly and those with heavy suitcases. Other issues included concern over the ongoing uncertainty at Belmont Farm, ......

"One lady suggested that the Association might also like to focus on the positive aspect of uniting the community and creating a network where we can help each other and try to be more community-spirited. This was met with much approval by the committee, and the room in general.

"Commenting on the extraordinary success of the meeting, Chairman Richard Logue said:

“I think it is very significant that 250 people care sufficiently enough about Mill Hill to come out on such a dreadful night, to attend this meeting and contribute to what was a very positive event. I am absolutely delighted with how the meeting went, and the committee and I very much look forward to following up on the suggestions and actions we have taken away from it.”

"At the end of the evening, the committee received over 50 household membership applications. Annual membership has been set at £10 per household or £5 per household for over 65s.

"The Association welcomes the views and concerns of residents and anyone with issues they would like explored by the Association should address them by email to: millhillresidents@gmail.com or visit the website at www.millhillresidents.org.uk."

"Ferdinand Mount: Why we owe it to our children to build, build, build"

Link to Evening Standard

"Building houses is one of the things that the British used to be quite good at, like roasting beef and writing poetry. Before the war, we regularly built 300,000 houses a year, mainly private developments. In the Fifties and Sixties, again we built more than 300,000 houses a year, this time nearly half of them council houses. 

"But in the past few years we have struggled to pass the 100,000 mark. As a result, we have brought upon ourselves a dire housing shortage.

"The signs are unmistakable, certainly in London and the South-East. Private rents go on rising and so do house prices. If the price of food had risen at the same rate as housing over the past 30 years, a supermarket chicken would now cost £47 and a jar of instant coffee £20.

"Shelter reported last month that private rents in London rose by an average of £750 a year in 2012."

Barnet Times: "Saracens fan Louise Warr gives her first impressions of Allianz Park after test event against Cardiff Blues on Sunday"

Link to web site

"The day was described as 'like seeing children on Christmas morning' by Sarries CEO Edward Griffiths, and I can think of no better way of describing the atmosphere that surrounded Allianz Park on Sunday. [Don't be too gushing, though]

"It may still look like a building site in places, but it was home, something Saracens had craved for so long.

"As cliché as it may be, there really was a feeling that there was 'something special' about the place."

Daily Telegraph: "Mortgages cheapest since height of crisis"

Link to web site

"Reduced borrowing rates and lower house prices have combined to leave the average household with more of their after-tax income than at any time since 2002.

"Mortgage payments absorbed 28pc of a new borrower’s disposable income in the final quarter of last year, according to analysis out today from Halifax, which is part of Britain’s biggest lender Lloyds Banking Group. At its peak in the third quarter of 2007, the proportion was 48pc.

"... However, the cheap deals remain out of reach for many would-be homeowners due to the banks’ larger deposit requirements."

Barnet Times: "Saracens opens Allianz Park in Barnet for Hasmonean Boys' School PE lesson"

Link to web site

"The gates of Saracens’ new stadium were opened for community use for the first time this week.

"Hasmonean Boys’ School became the first to hold a PE lesson on the artificial pitch at Allianz Park, formerly the Copthall Stadium, on Wednesday."

Daily Telegraph: "Planning rule book is torn up"

Link to web site

"A review by Lord Taylor of Goss Moor has concluded that up to 80 per cent of the 7,000 rules governing where development can take place should go.

"Last year, the Government faced a major battle over proposals to simplify planning laws, because they appeared to create a bias in favour of builders.

"The proposals suggest changes to how that law is interpreted, in a process which could generate new pressure to develop more of the countryside."

Daily Telegraph: "MPs plot to stop rash of new housing squeezing local schools and roads"

Link to Daily Telegraph

"A group of twenty Conservatives and Liberal Democrats is seeking changes to the law to stop new housing being built in towns and villages without adequate infrastructure.

"The group wants an amendment to the Government’s Growth Bill, which would force local councils to consider whether there would be enough public services in the area to cope with new housing.

"The changes have been tabled by Nick Herbert, a former Conservative minister, who warns there is currently a lack of infrastructure to support development."

Evening Standard: "Taxpayer forks out £218m a year to have poor road resurfacing work done again"

Link to web site

"Taxpayers are forking out more than £200 million a year to repair street surfaces which are poorly relaid by utility companies' contractors after roadworks, according to research released today.

"The Local Government Association (LGA) said councils in England and Wales have to redo 340,000 shoddy resurfacing jobs a year - 17 per cent of all private companies' roadworks - at a total cost of £218 million to the taxpayer."

ConservativeHome: "Newly built neo-classical social housing in Islington"

Link to web site

"The picture above is of Union Square in Islington. It shows newly built social housing. As part of a redevelopment of Packington Estate, these houses, in sympathy with the rest of the square, replace the 1960s ugly slab blocks.

"The Hyde Group housing association who are responsible for the scheme says:

"The terrace of four and five bedroom traditional town houses on Union Square, are all for social rent. The 17 family homes on Union Square are designed to mirror the existing Edwardian street properties."

"Hyde is replacing 491 council homes, and adding 300 new homes which will be sold on the open market to finance the £130 million scheme (not completely - there is a £33 million "gap funding" subsidy from the Government.) There will also be new community spaces, a youth centre, retail units, and employment spaces." 

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Link to PDF file

"London is in the midst of a housing crisis, with demand having outpaced supply for too many years. London’s homes are also overcrowded. Building more, larger, family sized homes is one way in which we can begin to solve this crisis. We also need to build quality homes, designed to high environmental standards, in order that London plays its part in mitigating climate change.

"As this report will show, this needn’t occur at the expense of the public purse. In fact, the opposite is true: significant value can be created from designing and building homes to the highest environmental standards, as has been demonstrated at other sites across the country, such as the BedZED development in south London.

"The 8000+ homes to be built on the Olympic Park over the next two decades represent a generation-defining opportunity to build high-quality family homes and help regenerate this historically neglected part of the city. Done well, the project has the ability to re-define regeneration in London."

Daily Telegraph: " 'Garden tax' clampdown facing homeowners with large grounds"

Link to Daily Telegraph

"Those with more than 1.23 acres of land face having to pay a 28 per cent levy on gains on the sale of a home.

"The new stance by tax authorities, reviving the enforcement of rules on the statute book since the 1960s, threatens to upset the long-held assumptions of many that profits from the sale of one's main home are exempt from tax."