Government no-go for monastery protection (From Times Series)

Government no-go for monastery protection

8:00am Sunday 15th June 2008

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Efforts to safeguard the future of a historic former monastery at the heart of Golders Green have come up short.

Barnet Council had called on the Government to to permanently 'list' the century-old Carmelite Monastery on Bridge Lane, a legal procedure which protects buildings from developers, but its appeals have been rejected on the grounds that the building is not "refined" enough.

The council had temporarily listed the monastery in December last year but the decision to make that status permanent rested in the hands of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

The Government took the decision based on the advice of English Heritage, the body which administers the listing process.

English Heritage decided that the architecture of the monastery was not as "ambitious" or "refined" enough to merit listed status.

Councillor Melvin Cohen, cabinet member for planning and environmental protection, said: "I am stunned at the unfathomable decision by English Heritage to listing against the Carmelite Monastery.

"This building is of real historic value and social importand and we were positive that English Heritage would agree with our view. Now much of the character of this beautiful building could be lost forever."

The building still has locally listed status but that does not prevent developers from altering it internally.

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