MP Theresa Villiers today asked the Prime Minister to intervene and urge the London Mayor to drop plans for building on car parks at High Barnet, Cockfosters and Finchley Central tube stations.
There is strong local opposition to the initial proposals from Transport for London to build hundreds of flats in high rise blocks, including 12 storeys at Cockfosters and 27 storeys at Finchley Central.
Theresa asked the Prime Minister: “Many of my constituents deeply oppose the Mayor of London’s plans to build over station car parks. Will the Prime Minister urge the Mayor to drop those plans, which would only make life harder for long-suffering commuters who just want to get to work and provide for their families?”
In reply Theresa May said the Government wants to build 300,000 homes a year from the mid-2020s but added, “it is also vital that the impact on the local community is properly assessed when planning decisions are made. We want to see more homes. They need to be built in the right place, and local concerns need to be properly taken into account.”
The Chipping Barnet MP is campaigning against the developments because the suburban station car parks are heavily used by commuters. She also points out that they are important facility for residents to use in the evenings at weekends to enable them to get into central London to see friends and family or for leisure or cultural purposes.
Theresa believes that this plan to remove parking facilities and build such high-rise blocks of flats “shows that the Mayor does not care about the character and needs of the suburbs”.
Theresa has today launched a petition on her website against the Mayor’s plans which can be signed at:
https://www.theresavilliers.co.uk/campaigns/hands-high-barnet
The Hansard transcript of the question and answer:
Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet)
Many of my constituents deeply oppose the Mayor of London’s plans to build over station car parks at High Barnet, Cockfosters and Finchley Central. Will the Prime Minister urge the Mayor to drop those plans, which would only make life harder for long-suffering commuters who just want to get to work and provide for their families?
The Prime Minister
I am sure my right hon. Friend appreciates the emphasis that the Government have put on more homes being built. We want to meet the ambition for 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s—it is a top priority for us—and London is a crucial part of achieving that. While it is important to get the homes built, it is also vital that the impact on the local community is properly assessed when planning decisions are made. We want to see more homes. They need to be built in the right place, and local concerns need to be properly taken into account.
