10:00am Friday 5th March 2010
In these recessionary times, it was uplifting to receive the latest issue of Barnet Council’s publication Barnet First with its attractive photographic content and happy articles about housing redevelopment plans, play areas for children, trees, extra school places, Ofsted approval for Barnet Council, higher standards of care, clean-up teams in our streets and a complete list of our ward councillors — very democratic.
Just one minor niggle — the title. It should be called Utopia First since it bears absolutely no relation to the realities of life in this London borough.
The redevelopment plans are to make vast sums of money for property developers while creating the slums of the future.
Trees and play areas? Ask the council how much Metropolitan open land it is attempting to sell off to developers.
Better care services? Does that include so-called floating wardens getting stuck in traffic jams while trying to zigzag all over the borough to check on sheltered housing residents?
Barnet College? No mention of the fact its principal Marilyn Hawkins has threatened 40 per cent of her staff with redundancy.
Ward councillors? Don’t make me laugh. Two of mine don’t bother to reply to letters.
You cannot help noticing that throughout this issue of Barnet First, the word ‘cuts’ does not appear once. In the area of propaganda, Barnet Council is doing really well.
Roger Enskat, Orchard Avenue, Finchley
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