Former MP, Theresa Villiers, has continued her campaign against unnecessary new bus lanes in Barnet. She has today submitted her formal objection to the Barnet Council consultation on a bus lane on the A1000 in Barnet High Street.
She has been encouraging residents to take part in the consultation and make their voice heard, saying "I may no longer be the MP, but as a Barnet resident I am still strongly against this proposal."
"My petition helped kill off plans for bus lanes in Cat Hill and Whetstone High Road. If people tell the council what they think of this damaging proposals, together we can stop the proposal for Barnet High Street too."
To have your say, visit the consultation website here or email [email protected].
Theresa sets out her reasons for opposing the new bus priority measure in this objection sent to Barnet Council:
"I am getting in touch to express my opposition to the plan brought forward by Barnet Council and TfL for a bus lane in Barnet High Street. I would like this to be treated as a formal response to the consultation. I am a resident of Arkley and regularly use the route under consideration as tube and bus passenger, car driver, pedestrian and cyclist. Until May this year, I was the MP for Chipping Barnet and I have discussed these bus lane plans with many of the constituents I used to represent.
I started a petition in December to protest against the plans for bus lanes in Barnet High Street, Whetstone High Road, and Cat Hill. This received well over 4000 signatures. More than a thousand people completed a survey on this issue which I circulate, the vat majority of whom expressed opposition.
I very much welcome the fact that the council and TfL have dropped their plans for bus lanes in Cat Hill and Whetstone High Road. Both of these would have been completely impractical and highly damaging for local traders.
The same problems arise with the council's proposal for the A1000 in Barnet High Street. There is no need for a bus lane in this location. In my nearly two decades of representing Chipping Barnet, no one has ever asked me for a bus lane in Barnet High Street.
The proposal would harm high street shops and businesses. This is the last thing we need to do. The council should be working on ways to help these traders not undermine them. Barnet High Street is at the heart of our town centre and measures which damage it should not be taken forward. This would harm community life in our neighbourhood by leading to more empty shops.
Barring cars and vans from using road space at this location would cause significant and unnecessary congestion. The council have produced no evidence of any proven or significant potential benefit to bus passengers. A bus lane would worsen traffic conditions at what is already a complicated junction where the High Street and Wood Street diverge.
I attempted to complete your online survey but the questions to be unclear and slanted. I do not feel that this survey will give you the best assessment of local opinion on your scheme. I also feel that the survey has an undue focus on asking about personal characteristics and background, with these questions taking up the larger part of the survey.
I would appeal to the council and TfL to cancel these plans for a bus lane on the high street. Any potential benefits are unproven. The TfL target to extend the mileage of bus lanes seems arbitrary and based on ideology, not practical benefits for road users or bus passengers. The disadvantages of the scheme are clear - shops and businesses would suffer because their customers would find it harder to get to them, and traffic congestion would increase. Many residents have told me that they are strongly opposed to new bus lanes in Barnet High Street.
I would also highlight that when the council is suffering from budget difficulties, spending 100s of thousands of pounds on new bus lanes is not a wise or justified use of public money. I note the FAQ statement on your survey page that TfL requires that these funds can only be used for bus priority measures, and not road repairs. I would encourage the council to raise this matter with the Mayor and TfL and get the funding rules amended, so that these resources can be used for projects which are more worthwhile, including resurfacing roads and repairing potholes."
Digital imprint: Promoted by Theresa Villiers of 163 High Street, Barnet, Herts, EN5 5SU.
