Our area is mainly greenbelt and that should remain but the area next to the two main roads, rail and Station is surely underdeveloped and could be redeveloped like in the Colindale and Hendon schemes.
Why is this desirable?
No development is desirable. However, this is London a great world city with a growing population. 100 years ago Mill Hill was fields and farms. Now it is full of low level estates with no architectural merit and unfit to house a growing population.
Therefore, despite the old people of the area (like Barnet Eye) wishing to return to their memories of the 1950s, young people want to see homes made available for them. In addition most cities are building skywards and modern towers are safe and comfortable. They look good as well.
Therefore, the Neighbourhood Plan will never work, because it will always be designed by those who already have a home in order to prevent others from moving into the area. That was the problem with trying to get it done. In some ways it is good that there isn't one because it means that developers can develop organically.
This is not new. The older residents of Mill Hill did not want any of the housing built down the hill and near Broadway back many decades ago. They wanted to keep the fields. They managed to do that on the hill but failed with most of the area.
We find the ideas of Barnet Eye led by the 70* plus Richard W. very quaint and sweet, a bit like a Werthers advert. However, Mill Hill businesses need growth and there are thousands who would jump at the chance of living in Mill Hill. The future belongs to them, not a group of 60 and 70+ residents who need to step back and let younger people run things.
The knee jerk reaction is to oppose towers and development. However, that fails to acknowledge the people who will live in those homes and need somewhere to live. Most of these are young in their 20s and 30s. If these homes are not built they will leave.
A prominent local blogger said that after Colindale got approval for a 29 storey Tower last night he expected two other schemes for 25 storey towers in High Barnet and Finchley Central to be passed on precedent. I fully expect the Mayor to approve Pentavia with its 20 storey Tower if the new plans have dealt with the issues at tonight's meeting. So this is the future, like it or not.
Barnet Eye led a campaign to stop the Neighbourhood Plan last night with his friends. A Neighbourhood Plan takes 5 years to prepare in order to consult. So to scupper the current plan means that even if the local Liberals decided to cash in on their killing of the Neighbourhood Plan it would take another 5 years to get it to fruition. Too late to make any difference because tonight and in the next few months the decisions will be made about Pentavia and the station. Those developments will set new local precedents and the plan will be as useful as Richard Ws 50s fantasies.
The problem with the Barnet Eye blog is that it is detached from the reality of what is happening in London. They ignore the needs of the poor like others in the political class who own several properties and long established busineses. They don't understand the struggles that most families face to work and pay the bills in London. So they can hark back to the Golden 50s and make up all sorts of ideas that are out of step with 2019. They wish to keep the poor on Grahame Park rather than provide housing in Mill Hill for all income groups.
If Pentavia is approved at 20 storeys and Colindale has been approved at 29 storeys then I think our station car park is looking at between 20 and 30 storeys. There would be no reason for planners to turn it down because housing is desperately needed and infrastructure. In addition redevelopment of the streets surrounding the station into larger units to capitalise on the transport hub would make total sense because car parking would not be necessary. This is surely going to happen. It is green and meets modern needs. The days of low level streets like the terraced houses before them are numbered.
So rather than rant against change like angry old men and women we need visionaries in our community who will help make these developments fit for purpose and house cinema, retail, hotel, maybe pret or Leon, Five Guys, etc to bring Mill Hill into the 21st century and provide thousands of new customers for our amazing high street businesses. These are great opportunities for our area to get new iconic buildings and public spaces.
This blog has always championed change and progress. We welcomed Saracens and we welcome new developments and new neighbours. Our Churches will also be of that frame of mind, and our community groups as well. The minority of nimbys who make a loud noise can't take Mill Hill back to the 1950s, the rest of London is knocking on our door and we should embrace change and welcome them to this fantastic area, which they can enrich.
Together the majority in London who wish to welcome others will win and the politics of exclusion will lose. Barnet Council have shown they are for the many not the few with their decisions this week. We support them wholeheartedly for this and will support their plans to redevelop our Broadway area into a 21st century place to live, work, shop and go out. If we don't then our area will get left behind. It is that simple.
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