Barnet council has been accused of creating a “complete fiasco” after plans to sell off Cricklewood’s only green space for housing were withdrawn at the eleventh hour.

The space, in front of B&Q on Cricklewood Lane, would have been sold to developers Pocket Living to build 42 flats.

Barnet council’s assets, regeneration and growth committee was due to discuss the proposals on Monday, September 7.

But, following heavy criticism from residents and councillors, including Conservatives representing Cricklewood about a lack of public consultation, the committee’s Conservative chairman Councillor Dan Thomas has withdrawn the item from Monday’s agenda.

Liberal Democrat councillor Jack Cohen, whose Child Hill ward covers Cricklewood, said: “It is a complete mess.

“They will turn round and blame the officers, but it is the chairman of the committee who is responsible. He must have approved the report.

“You cannot blame the officers, the politicians must take responsibility. It is a complete fiasco. You cannot mess people about.”

A Barnet council spokesman said: “The chairman of the committee has indicated that he intends to withdraw the item regarding the land by B&Q at Cricklewood to allow more time for the proposals to be considered.”

Labour councillor Pauline Coakley Webb said the group welcomed the news it had been withdrawn.

Cllr Coakley Webb said: "I have formally written to Cllr Thomas asking him to confirm that the withdrawal of this proposal is permanent and not just a stay of execution.

"His reply did not give a firm commitment to ensuring the whole of the area including the green space would remain in the public realm, only to 'ensure that all of the options for the site have been considered'.

"If this proposal does re-emerge at committee the Labour members of ARG will be voting against it - the land should remain as green space in the public realm so that members of the public can access it."

Cllr Dan Thomas, deputy leader of Barnet council, said: “I was hoping to start the debate at committee, and there were specific proposals. But the ward councillors wanted to have more engagement with the community before we had the debate.

“There has been outline planning permission for a number of years. And development on this site has been there in the background, but of course they are new to the council and I think they wanted to take a fresh look at things.

“It wasn’t that they were not consulted, it was more a difference of approach. We are going to talk to the ward councillors and take it from there. I think the ward councillors felt the proposal was very specific, and they still wanted a conversation about the principle of disposal. That is fine, I am quite relaxed about this, and I don’t want to force anything on ward councillors.”