Friday 12th January 2024

Prince of Wales Pub to Close

Stonegate, the company which has owned the Prince of Wales for the past 3 years, is closing it on 14th February, and it seems it will be sold. This has already been reported by our colleagues at The Barnet Society.

East Barnet councillor Phil Cohen has been researching how the pub could be designated as an asset of community value. He writes:

"It goes without saying really that the loss of the Prince of Wales pub is a huge blow to EB village. Crazy that the company invested so much in refurbishment. I attach here the rules under the Localism Act for having a building designated as an asset of community value. It needs a local group or charity to apply and if accepted it gives a six month moratorium during which any group can make a bid for the business. Of course there is no guarantee the owner will sell to any particular group. But it does raise the profile of the case and there are examples - eg the Bohemia pub in North Finchley which was bought by another pub company, and a successful bid for a pub in Underhill to be designated as a community asset [see below].

The issue of how you raise funds is a separate one but at least we can have a conversation over protecting local pubs and cafes which provide a social and human value to residents."

To help Phil gauge support for the community asset idea, here's a quick survey. Or you can contact him on cllr.p.cohen@barnet.gov.uk

Alan Last bought this photo on eBay,.Alan runs the Barnet - A Trip Down Memory Lane group on Facebook and says "On the left is the sign for “The Prince Of Wales" pub and straight ahead is Clock House, which was still there until the 1920’s I think."

Here's some information Phil received from a fellow councillor about how designation as a community asset works:

"It was the Lord Nelson Pub in West End Lane in Underhill that residents nominated as an asset of community value (ACV). They completed a form and listed 31 residents with names and addresses. They had to explain on the application why this should be an ACV. Our evidence was that there had been a large number of pubs that had been closed in Barnet and we had the stats to show this. Further there had been some news cuttings about the history of the pub and its popularity and a few other things. The nomination application was then sent to the Council and Cllrs supported it. It then went to the Community Leadership & Libraries sub-committee and there was a hearing. All residents turned up and I spoke in support of the application. It was granted. I think the Lord Nelson had also been sold and the application was to stop it being turned into any other entity in the future."

Please tell us what you think in this survey. Thank you.

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Maps of Planning Information

EB councillor Phil Cohen forwarded an email from Barnet's Director of Planning which described how the council has published data on the Government's map of planning data for England.

With a bit of experimentation, the map can provide a visual guide to planning-related features in the local area. For example by deselecting the ticked map layers then zooming in and selecting 'Flood risk area' it shows the floodplain in Oak Hill Park:

Or by selecting 'Listed Buildings' it confirms that East Barnet's Parish Church and nearby buildings are listed:

Even areas of 'Ancient Woodland' can be displayed:

It can give a useful visual guide to something you need to confirm, or just a bit of entertainment (if you like that sort of thing!)

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Grants Available

East Barnet councillor Simon Radford writes:

A couple of things that I hope might be of interest to both residents and local businesses (and please do spread the word…) 

London Festival of Architecture event grants now open

This summer, for a second year, Barnet will be one of the London Festival of Architecture destinations.

We are now offering small grants ranging from £250 to £500 to creative professionals, historians, residents and community organisations to host an event to celebrate the architectural features of the borough. Examples of events include workshops, talks, film showings, performances, art projects, exhibitions, food and cooking events. 

All the events should take place between 1 June and 30 June. They can be new or already planned activities and must welcome all members of the local community.

The deadline to apply is 1 March. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and applicants will be notified of the outcome within one week of the submission date. Find out more and apply. 

New business grant programme

Barnet’s new grant programme, aimed at supporting local businesses in our town centres, opened on 8 January with five grants of £10,000 on offer. The grant programme will help to empower residents and businesses to deliver their own activities to help the local economy and community. Paid for by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, five £10,000 grants will be available to bid for. 

Funded activities could include events, training sessions, internships, mentoring programmes, vouchers and dynamic activation of high streets. 

Applications can come from volunteer-led town teams, business associations, resident associations or other town centre groups. Local business involvement in a bid is mandatory and must relate to one of Barnet’s main town centres. The deadline for submitting an application is 19 February and we also have two free online sessions for anyone who would like to know more on 18 January and 1 February. Find out more.

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NLBP Appeal - Update

We received correspondence from the Planning Inspectorate regarding site visits. They indicated the following: 

"The Inspector will conduct an ‘accompanied’ site visit during the course of the inquiry. However, this will not be before the inquiry opens. You are welcome to attend the site visit". However, the Planning Inspectorate stresses it will not be an opportunity for them to hear evidence, at the site, regarding the case. Clearly, this is reserved for the hearing at Hendon Town Hall. 

They have also said that "Those residents who would like to address the Inspector orally can do so on the morning of the opening of the inquiry". This would suggest it to be Tuesday 13th February; although this is yet to be finally confirmed.

Our councillors and MP have been notified. We are not aware, at this point, if anyone has applied to speak under the 'Rule 6' section or anyone is qualified to do so. However, on the day, members of the public will probably want to voice their opinions on the appeal.

[update by Jez Simms]

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Birds

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Zebra Crossing

The new zebra crossing in Parkside Gardens now looks like it's always been there! It's good to see that pedestrians are using it, and that drivers are slowing down as they approach. Thanks again to the Brunswick Park ward councillors past and present who pressed for this over the many years!

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Advertising Display Panels

I wrote in the previous newsletter [link here] about the huge advertising display panels being planned for pavements near local shops, and the associated electric vehicle charging points (EVCP) which would take over roadside parking spaces.

Thanks perhaps to residents' objections, the proposal for the one outside 12 - 20 Church Hill was withdrawn yesterday. (Two in Finchley Church End with no public objections were approved yesterday).
But the others, in Russell Lane, Mount Parade and two at Hampden Square have not received so many objections.

There is now a third one proposed at Hampden Square, opposite one of the others in Brookside South:
24/0043/FUL was published yesterday and is open for comments on the Council website.

There will probably be more...

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Council Consultations

The Council has launched two consultations on its Engage Barnet website which you may be interested in:

Budget consultation 2024-25
(closes on 21st January)

Adults Residents' Perception Survey
(closes on 5th March)

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EBRA Subscriptions

These newsletter bulletins are bulk emails to all members, but I have also emailed everyone individually to confirm your membership status with details of how to pay for 2024 if needed. I've received nearly a hundred subscriptions so far, some for 5 or even 10 years. Thank you!

But if you haven't noticed your email yet, please check your spam folder. I will of course send reminders later.

Many thanks for your continued support!

Best regards,

Rob White

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