EBRA News
Commercial Events in Oak Hill Park
We sent a newsletter to members today (9th April '24) with some information we've received about the Ghana and Mauritus festivals which are planned for Sat 13th and Sun 14th July '24.
If you are a member you should have received your copy by email (if not please get in touch).
If you are not a member you can read the newsletter here this one time.
[updated on Tue 09-Apr-2024]
Prince of Wales pub saved - Asset of Community Value acknowledged
tap / click to read the press release
Today we received the excellent news that The Prince of Wales has been bought by Heartwood who intend to make a "multi-million pound refurbishment to ensure it remains at the heart of the local community for many years to come"
Richard Ferrier, CEO, Heartwood Collection, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to acquire what is clearly a much-loved local at the heart of East Barnet village. We will now embark on an ambitious development for the pub to ensure that The Prince of Wales remains a hub for the local community for years to come. We can’t wait to get going!”
It's very reassuring that Heartwood acknowledge the pub's importance as an asset of comunity value, thanks everyone for your input into the campaign!
[updated on Fri 22-Mar-2024]
North London Business Park Expansion PLANNING APPEAL REFUSED
Plans to double the number of housing units to be built on the North London Business Park in taller tower blocks were refused by Barnet Council's Strategic Planning Committee. Comer Homes appealed to the Government's Planning Inspectorate to try to overturn this decision, but the appeal was refused. The appeal decision is here.
Full details on our dedicated campaign website nlbp.eastbar.net
[updated on 2024-03-18]
Arnos Grove Station Car Parks CLOSED
The plans to destroy the car parks and build flats there were unanimously rejected by Enfield's Planning Committee.
The developers and TfL appealed to the Government's Planning Inspectorate who overturned the decision.
Work started to clear the site and start excavations. These stopped under the cover story that the ground was contaminated. However there are suspicions that the project is unviable in its current form and economic climate. We await further news.
In the meantime the site is not being used as a car park or as anything else. Well done Enfield Council!
[updated on Sun 12-Nov-2023]
Guide to Oak Hill Park & Wood
We have published our latest guide to Oak Hill Park and Wood on the Friends website foohp.eastbar.net/maps
[updated on Wed 22-Feb-2023]
New Barnet Gasworks "Victoria Quarter" REFUSED and NO FURTHER APPEALS
Fairview New Homes and One Housing submitted a series of revisions to their Victoria Quarter planning application.
The Planning Committee refused the plans, so the developers appealed to the Government's Planning Inspectorate.
The Planning Inspector dismissed the appeal, so the developers tried to start a judicial review of the Planning Inspector.
The High Court Judge, Sir Duncan Ouseley, stated that: "None of the grounds are arguable. They repeat submissions made to the Inspector which he, in the rational exercise of his planning judgment, rejected for legally adequate reasons... His approach is unarguably impeccable"
So the developers tried again with another High Court Judge to get permission for a judicial review. That was also refused.
So that is the end of the road for Fairview. There is nothing else they can do to try to force the scheme through, apart from tinker with amendments to the extant planning permissions.
We wait to see what their next moves are.
[updated on 2024-01-13]
Public Space Protection Order
A Borough-wide PSPO is now in operation.
Full details are here (3 MB PDF)
Notice Boards
There are two notice boards in Oak Hill Park - by the Golf and by the Café - and we now have keys to them. If anyone has information they would like placed there, please contact us. Nothing political, and no commercial advertising, of course.
Barnet's Local Plan
EBRA has been considering the implications of Barnet's draft Local Plans for several years. We have submitted many comments and suggestions to the Council's strategic planning team, and worked with FORAB on a Barnet-wide response.
The final draft is now undergoing "Examination in Public" which continues into October / November 2022.
You can read our MP Theresa Villiers' report on her involvement during the first week here.
Cockfosters Station Car Park SAVED!
EBRA has been working with CLARA and the Save Cockfosters team for the past two years to fine-tune residents' objections to this scheme to build skyscrapers on one of the highest hills in London, and persuade politicians to keep the essential park-and-ride facility.
Grant Shapps MP, the Secretary of State for Transport, has vetoed the plans because destroying the park-and-ride facility would severely hamper passengers' ability to access TfL's transport network.
This is such a good news story - within hours it was reported by our colleagues the Barnet Society:
barnetsociety.org.uk/transport-secretary-torpedoes-plan-for-building-tower-blocks-at-cockfosters-tube-station
The Bandstand
We're on a quest to find out more about the Bandstand in its prime.
Barnet Museum kindly sent an article from The Barnet Press written in 1943 about the "holiday-at-home" activities in the park during WW2:
