Our Gracie (Barnet Borough Liberal Democrats)

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Our Gracie

November 28, 2009 12:00 AM
By Cllr Jack Cohen in Hendon Times

Finchley and Golders Green Residents' Forum is always a good place to start the week. Last Monday's meeting was better attended than usual. The Council suggested that the good turn out was because of the promise of consultation on the Council's budget and the Council's new planning document "Direction of Travel".

A quick look round the room revealed that once again Conservative Councillors were conspicuous by their absence (excepting the Chair). The Vice Chairman did not show up again. Does the vice chairman receive a responsibility allowance for this role?

Liberal Democrat and Labour Councillors were there as was Laura Edge the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Finchley and Golders Green. There was even a guest appearance by "Statler and Waldorf" of Heckling from the Balcony fame.

I'm not sure what the audience made of the two presentations. The first was a brief run through of the Council's Budget Process. The first slide was titled "What is the Point of Consultation?" Well yes. Residents were encouraged to go on line to the Council's Website. There they will find a "budget airline simulator". Sorry could not help it! Delete the "airline" bit. Apparently you can play around with figures and work out what effect savings or increased spending have on the Council Tax level. I may have got it wrong but something like that.

I heard later that at the Chipping Barnet Residents' Forum a Cabinet Member had made the Budget presentation and had dealt with questions. Here it was left to a finance officer. In my view the Politicians should be fronting this but I do not know why the Conservative Politicians hardly turn up at this Forum.

We then were presented with an outline of the Council's Planning Proposals. This is pretty important stuff as it will set the benchmark for planning well into the next decade.

Residents did make some telling contributions but did not seem impressed. I think most had come along to talk about issues much more close to home. We were soon on to the subject of the East Finchley CPZ.

This meeting was running on much later than usual and I must admit I gave up before the end. Actually I had promised myself some time off to watch the play on TV about Gracie Fields. "Our Gracie" lived for some time at "The Towers" in The Bishops' Avenue. This is the site of a present day mansion erected originally without planning permission. I remember voting at the Planning Committee to pull it down but was out voted. Nothing changes. But an Ombudsman Investigation recommended that the Council pay a substantial amount of money to a neighbour who had been affected by the unlawful development.

Thursday took me to a public meeting organised by the Golders Green Residents' Association. The meeting was about issues relating to land at Clitterhouse Playing Fields. Expert speakers explained the legal battles with Barnet Council. It was a fascinating insight. Ethical Council? That's what crossed my mind. These residents are a determined bunch. As one resident warned "we may have lost some battles but the war is not yet over" .