innings closed (Barnet Borough Liberal Democrats)

Barnet Borough Liberal Democrats <info@barnetlibdems.org.uk>

innings closed

January 6, 2010 12:00 AM
By Cllr Jack Cohen in Hendon Times

I don't know how many of you have been to North Finchley Post Office recently. They have introduced a "no queue "system. You take a ticket and wait for your number to be called. On Monday I went to renew my Freedom Pass. The last time I was there I had a twenty minute wait, just to buy stamps. This time I took my ticket, number 181. The current number being dealt with was 120! Sixty one customers were in front of me. Forty five minutes later and after doing my shopping in the High Road my number came up. The whole set up is almost surreal. You really do need to go there and see for your self. To be fair to the staff they are doing their best. One of them confided they were as fed up as everyone else. This is what happens when all the local post offices close. Another policy this Government has to answer for.

Tuesday was back to council business. To be precise it was the regular monthly meeting of the Finchley and Golders Green Planning Sub Committee. This turned out to be a race against time to beat the blizzard. We finished just after 10.00pm and just as the weather was closing in. The meeting was in the main Council Chamber and was packed out. Most of the public were there as supporters of an application. This makes a change it is usually the other way around. The application was on behalf of the Larches Trust. The trust is an organisation that provides opportunities for adults with learning difficulties. They were proposing to set up a scheme on some vacant land to the rear of Nether Street. This would provide opportunities for their clients to learn about and practice horticultural skills.

There were of course objectors. Strong representations were made about the disturbance to wildlife on the site. Other objectors were concerned about increased traffic. I thought the Committee made the right decision to support the application.

We had a long agenda to get through but the Chamber was becoming colder as the evening wore on. One Councillor had his coat on another was warmly wrapped up in his scarf. The two planning officers huddled round a portable heater. The only person who seemed at ease with the weather was the Canadian Councillor from East Finchley. He complained at one point of being too hot.

The Chairman was getting tired. All evening he had taken to using cricketing metaphors. As the clock struck ten he remarked in connection to something some one had said "No wonder we are doing so badly in the West Indies." I retorted not surprising as we are actually playing in South Africa!