Blogs - Newsroom and Reader Blogs from the Times Series

Mike Freer is Leader of Barnet Council and represents Finchley Church End as a local councillor.

As well as being Leader he is also the portfolio holder for Resources. He has previously held portfolios for Policy & Performance working on both budget management and performance improvement. Mike has been instrumental in reducing waste & inefficiency at Barnet, whilst improving services and customer satisfaction. (Barnet as the UK’s 10th largest Unitary Authority enjoys the highest customer satisfaction rating of any outer London Borough and is the only Outer London Borough to improve customer satisfaction over the past few years).

Mike has for many years worked with the faith communities of North London in an effort to improve understanding and to reduce barriers due to ignorance of each other’s faiths.

Away from Barnet Council, Mike works for Barclays Bank PLC as a Performance Manager and is looking forward to blogging for the Hendon Times providing more opportunities for two way communication with the residents of Barnet

Let them eat cake – not!

In a Marie Antoinette-eske moment the Prime Minister suggests the answer to families coping with rising food prices is for them to plan the meals ahead and stop wasting food. The Prime Minister has a point that we do throw away a massive amount of food, but I’m not sure suggesting people can reduce the cost of living by throwing away less is the best way of getting people on your side.

Pushing Water Uphill With a Fork

I asked that the Council enter into discussions with the Post Office to explore the possibility of the Council taking on some of the sub-offices. So far Post Office Ltd have been extremely difficult to pin down. The Post Office has taken weeks and months to answer letters, given vague information and enquiries have been redirected to a variety of people in a variety of departments. In my view, the Post Office has used a range of delaying tactics.

Balls up ….. to it again!

Yesterday afternoon Mr Ball’s department, the Department for Children, Schools and Families told the media of their latest initiative to improve education. Apparently the worst schools in the UK were to be named and shamed and then ‘supported’ into improving results.

It's all going swimmingly

Well another day, another announcement. Last week one of our Ministers at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced £130million or so to ensure the over 60’s could swim for free. Immediately I contacted the Council officials and said ‘waste no time and find out how we get our fair share.’

The Council has a new supporter

I read with some wry amusement that one of our ‘local’ MPs, Andrew Dismore, is supportive of the Government providing more money for security measures at our Jewish Schools. Odd that this is the same representative that weighed into the fight the Council had with Ed Balls MP Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families over parents making voluntary contributions to fund security measures amongst other things.

The Voice of the Suburbs has been heard…..

Boris Johnson’s significant lead on 1st preferences and the clear win after the 2nd preferences were allocated has been widely attributed to the suburbs coming out to vote on the Mayoralty like never before. Notwithstanding the excruciating counting process imposed by the quango London Elects and the seemingly errors inflicted by them on us locally, the result was clear, the suburbs felt Mayor Livingstone did not represent their views.

The Voice of the Suburbs has been heard…..

Boris Johnson’s significant lead on 1st preferences and the clear win after the 2nd preferences were allocated has been widely attributed to the suburbs coming out to vote on the Mayoralty like never before. Notwithstanding the excruciating counting process imposed by the quango London Elects and the seemingly errors inflicted by them on us locally, the result was clear, the suburbs felt Mayor Livingstone did not represent their views.

What price ecology?

This week I visited an eco-village to look at some of the latest designs in eco-homes. The latest design by Barratt Homes meets what is called Code 6 standard i.e. a zero carbon footprint home. The home will require any eventual owners to change their living habits. Rooms are highly insulated with small windows (not to everyone’s taste) which do open, but keeping them closed is encouraged. Apparently the house is designed to retain heat or alternatively take cool air and convert it to warm air (the opposite of what a fridge does). Small windows also mean less heat coming into the house through direct sunlight, which would upset the electronically balanced heat/cool flow within the home. The house is also designed to have a nil fuel bill, photo-sensitive panels and wind turbines generated power which is stored or if not used, sold back to the National Grid – over the year the use of power and selling of surplus power should net off. Whilst the external appearance was not the most attractive, some of the earlier prototypes were striking, modern and may well attract buyers. There’s the rub. At present because so few eco-homes are built the add on cost of the panels, turbines etc adds about £15,000 to a home costing about £250,000 and apparently home-buyers, when asked by Barratts, said they would pay that much extra.

What price ecology?

This week I visited an eco-village to look at some of the latest designs in eco-homes. The latest design by Barratt Homes meets what is called Code 6 standard i.e. a zero carbon footprint home. The home will require any eventual owners to change their living habits. Rooms are highly insulated with small windows (not to everyone’s taste) which do open, but keeping them closed is encouraged. Apparently the house is designed to retain heat or alternatively take cool air and convert it to warm air (the opposite of what a fridge does). Small windows also mean less heat coming into the house through direct sunlight, which would upset the electronically balanced heat/cool flow within the home. The house is also designed to have a nil fuel bill, photo-sensitive panels and wind turbines generated power which is stored or if not used, sold back to the National Grid – over the year the use of power and selling of surplus power should net off. Whilst the external appearance was not the most attractive, some of the earlier prototypes were striking, modern and may well attract buyers. There’s the rub. At present because so few eco-homes are built the add on cost of the panels, turbines etc adds about £15,000 to a home costing about £250,000 and apparently home-buyers, when asked by Barratts, said they would pay that much extra.

Balls Up For It?

Is it time to reverse the Greenwich decision? What’s that you ask? In 1989 there was a court case which basically said that it was illegal for Councils to give preference to pupils living in their own Borough. I have no problem with other councils wanting to send their children to be educated in one of Barnet’s schools. Let’s face it our schools are on the whole better than those in neighbouring Boroughs. That’s why we ‘import’ more pupils than we ‘export’ – no that’s not child trafficking – but simply that more children come into our schools than we send out to neighbouring Councils’ schools.

Balls Up For It?

Is it time to reverse the Greenwich decision? What’s that you ask? In 1989 there was a court case which basically said that it was illegal for Councils to give preference to pupils living in their own Borough. I have no problem with other councils wanting to send their children to be educated in one of Barnet’s schools. Let’s face it our schools are on the whole better than those in neighbouring Boroughs. That’s why we ‘import’ more pupils than we ‘export’ – no that’s not child trafficking – but simply that more children come into our schools than we send out to neighbouring Councils’ schools.

City Hall to Tammany Hall?

City Hall to Tammany Hall? The current shenanigans at City Hall from Dear Ken do no one in elected office any good. Mr Jasper is accused of funnelling monies to organisations he has an interest in – either directly because he knows the directors or is a director; or indirectly because he is sexually infatuated with a senior manager at one of the organisations. Ken of course denies Mr Jasper has done anything wrong as does Mr Jasper. Eventually the truth comes out and Mr Jasper departs – only for Ken to say he will take him back (if Ken is re-elected and that’s a big if). My heart sinks to think that if Ken is re-elected we are going to get more of the same.