12:30pm Wednesday 7th July 2010
By Alex Hayes
CAMPAIGNERS against plans for a new community hub in an East Barnet park hope a letter from Mayor of London Boris Johnson may scupper the plans.
Barnet Council and NHS Barnet are planning to build the new hub with a health centre, library and cafe taking Metropolitan Open Land in Brunswick Park, after the old health centre burnt down earlier this year.
However, residents fear the plans will lead to increased traffic, noise and activity behind their homes.
Last week a representative of Mayor of London Boris Johnson wrote to Barnet Council saying the current plans do not “conform with the London Plan”.
It added: “The Mayor questioned the applicants' decision to discount the site fronting Osidge Lane and urges the applicant to reconsider developing this site over the proposed area of Metropolitan Open Land.”
If the application is granted it must be passed to the Mayor's Office, which can tell the council to refuse the application if it does not feel they have proved exceptional circumstances for building in the park.
Resident Sue Northwood, who has led the campaign against the development which would back onto her Osidge Lane home, welcomed the news.
She said: “I can't see what they can come up with as special circumstances are now gone.
“All we really need is a new health centre to replace the old one, there's nothing wrong with the library and we already have two nurseries in the road.
“I can't see how they can justify spending millions of pounds when the Government is making cuts all over the place.”
In May councillors revealed the plans could lose a £6.5m government grant for the project unless it is started by August this year, with one officer telling them the scheme is “completely dependent” on that cash to proceed.
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