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

A Funny Thing Happened to me on the way to the Forum

I’ve just returned from the Amalfi Coast in Italy where I went on my summer hols and had the pleasure of visiting Pompeii (so yes I really did go to the Forum). It’s an amazing experience to walk around a Roman town that has been so well preserved. What incredible foresight Roman Town Planners had to produce such wide, straight roads which seem to have lasted a damn sight better than our roads in Barnet. Then again the Romans didn’t have to deal with Gas, Water, Electricity and Cable companies digging up their roads. The thought of being able to send cable companies to the Colleseum to face the lions does sound rather appealing though - perhaps Artsdepot could be persuaded to introduce a similar spectacle?

On Yer Bike!

On Yer Bike! Yesterday evening I decided to cycle to the restaurant where I was meeting friends for dinner. Not too far, it took just 20 minutes on my new hybrid bike (a cross between a ‘racer’ and a ‘mountain bike’ designed for use in the city. As I weaved my way up Ballards Lane (admiring the new flower beds outside Victoria Park – flower beds that were so magnificent and colourful they might just keep one of my Council colleagues quiet for 5 minutes) and then across Friern Watch Avenue etc. I was struck by how useless cycle lanes would be). We appear to be on collision course with Mayor Livingstone’s Transport for London who seem intent on forcing the council to spend money on creating cycle lanes across the Borough. Well I like cycling but in suburbs where most of our roads have parked cars (and even the main routes are not clear of parked cars) what would be the point of bright red (or green or blue) asphalt being laid; I’d still have to weave in and out of parked cars.

On Yer Bike!

On Yer Bike! Yesterday evening I decided to cycle to the restaurant where I was meeting friends for dinner. Not too far, it took just 20 minutes on my new hybrid bike (a cross between a ‘racer’ and a ‘mountain bike’ designed for use in the city. As I weaved my way up Ballards Lane (admiring the new flower beds outside Victoria Park – flower beds that were so magnificent and colourful they might just keep one of my Council colleagues quiet for 5 minutes) and then across Friern Watch Avenue etc. I was struck by how useless cycle lanes would be). We appear to be on collision course with Mayor Livingstone’s Transport for London who seem intent on forcing the council to spend money on creating cycle lanes across the Borough. Well I like cycling but in suburbs where most of our roads have parked cars (and even the main routes are not clear of parked cars) what would be the point of bright red (or green or blue) asphalt being laid; I’d still have to weave in and out of parked cars.

You ruined my birthday!

For once it wasn’t me to blame! Ken Livingstone came to talk to me and other north London council leaders the other night and after a pleasant meal a young woman came up to Ken and introduced herself.

You ruined my birthday!

For once it wasn’t me to blame! Ken Livingstone came to talk to me and other north London council leaders the other night and after a pleasant meal a young woman came up to Ken and introduced herself.

No wonder I'm losing my hair

I have just had a bizarre conversation with one of our excellent planning enforcement officers. We have an ongoing problem with a resident building structures alongside the main house. The house is in a conservation area so the structures are unsuitable and unauthorised. So far so good.

No wonder I'm losing my hair

I have just had a bizarre conversation with one of our excellent planning enforcement officers. We have an ongoing problem with a resident building structures alongside the main house. The house is in a conservation area so the structures are unsuitable and unauthorised. So far so good.

No vacancy yet!