Residents’ forums should be exactly that — a place for residents to challenge councillors and officers and where our views are listened to and complaints answered. However, now planning and licensing issues cannot be discussed and items having to be submitted before the meeting, the whole point of the forum is null and void.

We might as well continue the old way via correspondence and stop wasting our time and money.

Where is the open local democracy we have been promised? It does not exist in Barnet at all and we are unable to challenge our elected representatives. Call this a civilised society?

Elizabeth R Lawrence
Wentworth Road, Barnet