Either expect the apocalypse in New Barnet today with 13893 mph winds or the BBC weather app had a bit too much to drink yesterday.

New Barnet residents, just been informed that Berkeley Homes have bought the rear part of the gasworks site & will be submitting a planning application by 'end of 2025'. First public consultation is Wed 4th Dec 4.30-7.30pm at East Barnet Bowls Club in Victoria Rec Park Rd EN4 9QA

No one expects to need a food bank, especially at Christmas. 💚 We urgently need your help to provide emergency food, support and hope to people this winter. Donate now 👉 bit.ly/4eOtESj #GivingTuesday

Listening to Barnet Council's budget discussion in Cabinet. In addition to £22m of cuts we now face a £36m shortfall. Talk of more cuts to library service!

Barnet Cabinet seem to be blaming the ageing profile (we have known that for many years), the greedy child care providers charging more than £10k per week & rising interest rates but what I want to know is what were the S151 officer & former CEO doing for the last 5 years?

Barnet cabinet talking about the financial mess the Tories left but we had a SLT paid huge salaries who seems to allow this mess to hit us. Where were the checks & balances, where was the criticism then, why weren't cllrs challenging it then?

I can't believe how quickly the budget discussion was dealt with in Barnet Cabinet. Frankly I am shocked and alarmed how little time and scrutiny it received given the massive shortfall that is being projected and the massive cuts to services we face.

It's been a while but the financial crisis in Barnet has tempted me back to blogging - how the foundations of the current mess were laid 15 years ago and how the shortfall has grown to £41m a year. reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.com/2025/01/a-bit-…

500 days since the #BarnetUNISON mental health social workers dispute first began. 81 days of strike action. Shame on Barnet Council #UnsafeWorkplace #DoTheRightThing Alan Wylie Holly Kal-Weiss Charli (she/her) @barnet_rebel Roger Tichborne/Rog T Mr Mustard Theresa Musgrove Mr Reasonable

Labour’s 1.5m homes will be dominated by private equity firms charging huge rents. Profiteering, high debt, substandard service, tax dodges are private equity norm. Let councils, not-for-profits build homes. Don't deregulate. Build homes, not slums. thecanary.co/uk/analysis/20…

Dear Ofwat thanks (not) for allowing my water company to increase my bill by £272 from April given they have historically paid out £billions to their shareholders in dividends. Allowing a monopoly to squeeze ordinary people to this extent suggests you have lost the plot.

Just been to High Barnet station housing consultation - hugely depressing. 10 storeys, 36% single aspect flats, minimum space standards, no 4 bed units and only 19% 3 bed units, woodland "playspace" in tiny triangle of land between the road & railway line.

The waiting list for 3+ bedroom social housing in Barnet is 15.1 years. Barnet Council when you are looking at new housing developments push developers a lot harder for more, larger social homes instead of letting them build lots of 1 bed flats. theguardian.com/society/2025/a…

Unacceptable. Appeal to the ICO. To withhold the report in its entirety simply compounds the suspicion that something untoward has happened. Publish even if there are limited redactions. If procedure was not followed that needs to be disclosed to avoid it happening in the future

Remember this, when the next unaffordable housing development on greenbelt land is recommended, and they moan about NIMBYs worried about bats etc.

There was a chance here to promote something that builds a sense of community, and local pride, that challenges the isolation of a virtual world in favour of sport and engagement, not build more soulless, ugly, unaffordable housing. They blew it.

Yet another example of overheating in new build flats. I just hope Barnet planners start realising what a massive problem this is and get much tougher with developers who seem to prioritise maximum numbers and minimal cost over liveability. theguardian.com/australia-news…

NEW: The latest on the development proposals for High Barnet station barnetsociety.org.uk/race-is-on-for…

Barnet’s Council Tax collection is £3m below London average under outsourcing. Most London boroughs insource Revenues & Benefits successfully. Why not Barnet? 📣 Insourcing now! #BringingServicesHome Alan Wylie Holly Kal-Weiss Charli (she/her) @barnet_rebel Barnet Forum for Independent Living Roger Tichborne/Rog T

If you live in New Barnet, do try and get round to the Berkeley Homes consultation on the gasometer site. Hosted in the East Barnet Bowls Club in Victoria Rec. going on till 7.30pm this evening. 80, 2& 3 storey houses, 1.2 parking spaces per home. Affordable % still not decided.