Brent Cross coalition reiterates calls for inquiry (From Times Series)

Inquiry calls renewed after plans revealed to move Brent Cross meeting

3:49pm Thursday 15th October 2009 in News By Alex Hayes

A COALITION against the massive proposals to regenerate the heart of Cricklewood has reiterated calls for a public inquiry.

The pressure group against the current form of the Brent Cross Cricklewood redevelopment made the statement after it was announced Barnet Council is looking to move the meeting for a second time.

It looks likely the planning committee will agree at Tuesday night's meeting to postpone the hearing so it can be held over two evenings in November to accommodate everyone who wishes to speak.

However, Viv Stein, a spokesman for the coalition for a sustainable Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration said: “It is little use extending the current planning committee to a mammoth two-day meeting in November.

“Instead of dozens of local people speaking to the Committee for three minutes each, we need a proper Public Inquiry, where the developers, Transport for London, the 'London Communications PR Agency', and so on, can all be called.

“They will need to justify their Brent Cross plans over the past five years, and all can be properly cross-examined.”

The group, which was joined last week by a key set of Barnet residents' associations, says the current £4.5bn plans would see an extra 29,000 cars in the area each day, is too high density for the area and say plans for a waste plant amount to an incinerator.

Developers say there will only be an extra 9,000 cars generated by the proposals and the waste disposal plant is a gasification unit rather than incinerator.

What do you think of the latest postponement? For more on the Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration click on the link below.