Regarding the recently lodged planning application at the former post office at 282 East Barnet Road (Case: B/03369/14) to change its use from a retail store to a mixed-class coffee shop, to date there have been 149 public comments made to Barnet Borough Council’s planning department on this matter. It certainly highlights the interest. But it also calls into question whether the village can sustain yet another coffee house when we already have five or six such establishments here – in addition to around 20 other food and restaurant outlets.

Quite frankly, we do not need any more cafés in East Barnet village. Nor do we need one that is an international chain – franchise or not. Should this current application gain approval it will inevitably put pressure on the Churchill Bakery just across the road from the Prince of Wales pub, Café Fresco in Churchill Road and nearby Ludo’s Café.

Surely, if we wish to have healthy vibrant, characterful and varying high streets with individualism, which adds to the spice of the retail life, then independent shops should gain precedence over large concerns that flood areas and push local shops to the economic brink.

Our already fragile local economy is based on small, independent businesses that do not have the marketing budget to compete with such a big competitor. That’s modern life, you might say. Instead, we believe that we should be supporting local organisations already in operation in our area, which also serves to keep money in the area and in turn benefits more of the local population.

The facts for the future of local high streets make grim reading. According to a report on the economic implications to high streets published by the New Economics Foundation, small shops have been closing at a rate of 2,000 a year.

While appreciating that we live in a free market economy, some control over company domination needs to be seriously addressed. The council should also be concerned with supporting independent shops. Please do your part and help support the existing local coffee shops in East Barnet.

Roger Aitken and Kevin Pressland

Green Party election candidates (May 2014) East Barnet