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Leader of Barnet Council, and the Conservative group, Mike Freer's blog provides more opportunities for two-way communication with the borough’s residents. |
Mike Freer »
Hospital Services on life support?
Posted on 7:36pm Sunday 9th December 2007
The recent ‘consultation’ undertaken by the health service into the reconfiguration of health services in Barnet has – surprise surprise – resulted in Option 1 being chosen. This was the favoured option at the start and one the Council firmly opposed. Despite a convincing argument that the ‘Barnet Option’ should be formally assessed and put to the resident’s – the health commissars ignored the Council (and the MPs and the Assembly Member).
Mike Freer »
Judging the mood
Posted on 10:40am Friday 7th December 2007
Yesterday I went with the Chief Executive to present to an awards judging panel: the Council is shortlisted for two awards - Council of the Year and Leadership of Place (dreadful title!!). Yesterday was about the Leadership of Place (i.e. how a Council provides leadership on a key issue) and our work on being the 'voice of the suburbs' and on addressing the chronic under funding of the suburbs has won recognition. Whilst we won't know if we are the winner until February, one of the judges asked a question which did get to the heart of some of the issues.
Mike Freer »
Judging the mood
Posted on 10:40am Friday 7th December 2007
Yesterday I went with the Chief Executive to present to an awards judging panel: the Council is shortlisted for two awards - Council of the Year and Leadership of Place (dreadful title!!). Yesterday was about the Leadership of Place (i.e. how a Council provides leadership on a key issue) and our work on being the 'voice of the suburbs' and on addressing the chronic under funding of the suburbs has won recognition. Whilst we won't know if we are the winner until February, one of the judges asked a question which did get to the heart of some of the issues.
Mike Freer »
Plus ça Change plus cest la même chose
Posted on 6:32pm Sunday 25th November 2007
At a meeting last week there was some laughter when we informally discussed the Totteridge Conservation Area. Apparently many of the original buildings of Totteridge (some have survived) were made of timber frame construction. Interestingly it was timber frame construction methods that caused some controversy following the fire a year or so ago and I remember the loud ‘told you so’ type comments from one of my colleagues.
Mike Freer »
Plus ça Change plus cest la même chose
Posted on 6:32pm Sunday 25th November 2007
At a meeting last week there was some laughter when we informally discussed the Totteridge Conservation Area. Apparently many of the original buildings of Totteridge (some have survived) were made of timber frame construction. Interestingly it was timber frame construction methods that caused some controversy following the fire a year or so ago and I remember the loud ‘told you so’ type comments from one of my colleagues.
Mike Freer »
No Sign of a Republic Yet
Posted on 4:25pm Friday 16th November 2007
This week saw the Borough receive HRH Prince Charles and HRH the Duchess of Cornwall when they visited a special service at Jesus House. It was my first meeting with a Royal and of course had to be briefed on using HRH then Sir or Ma’am (as in ham).
Mike Freer »
No Sign of a Republic Yet
Posted on 4:25pm Friday 16th November 2007
This week saw the Borough receive HRH Prince Charles and HRH the Duchess of Cornwall when they visited a special service at Jesus House. It was my first meeting with a Royal and of course had to be briefed on using HRH then Sir or Ma’am (as in ham).
Mike Freer »
Robbing the "Poor" to pay the - er "poor"
Posted on 10:17am Friday 19th October 2007
Apparently it’s not just Barnet as a whole that is deemed so wealthy that we can help out the rest of the UK. You know already that Barnet’s taxpayers pay across to the Chancellor nearly £20million a year more than we get back to help subsidise council services elsewhere in the UK. Now it seems our Council tenants are wealthy enough too.
Mike Freer »
Robbing the "Poor" to pay the - er "poor"
Posted on 10:17am Friday 19th October 2007
Apparently it’s not just Barnet as a whole that is deemed so wealthy that we can help out the rest of the UK. You know already that Barnet’s taxpayers pay across to the Chancellor nearly £20million a year more than we get back to help subsidise council services elsewhere in the UK. Now it seems our Council tenants are wealthy enough too.
Mike Freer »
Very Cross-Rail
Posted on 9:50am Monday 15th October 2007
I feel as if London, having been mugged, is now having to buy back the money the mugger took! You will wonder what I am going on about. Well it’s the £16billion (yes billion) east west London rail link. The project has been on and off for the past 20 years, usually re-announced every election and then nothing happens and in a perverse reversal this time, it is the project that appears to be going ahead and the election cancelled.
Mike Freer »
Very Cross-Rail
Posted on 9:50am Monday 15th October 2007
I feel as if London, having been mugged, is now having to buy back the money the mugger took! You will wonder what I am going on about. Well it’s the £16billion (yes billion) east west London rail link. The project has been on and off for the past 20 years, usually re-announced every election and then nothing happens and in a perverse reversal this time, it is the project that appears to be going ahead and the election cancelled.
Mike Freer »
Poundstretcher
Posted on 9:37am Monday 1st October 2007
A couple of months or so ago the Secretary of State for Local Government re-announced an idea dressed up as an initiative – that Councils would soon be able to sell unused buildings to community groups for £1. What’s more, Santa was going to provide £30million pounds of taxpayers money to help support the groups in running these buildings. Ooops they did it again, as Britney Spears once said! Doesn’t anyone in the rarefied atmosphere of Department for Communities and Local Government ever ask those of us on the ground how such a scheme might work – or more accurately, not work.
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