Welcome to my April e-newsletter.
I spent much of the Easter break talking to people on their doorsteps on the issues which are important in Barnet. A concern that has cropped up again and again is potholes. I have set up a Report a Pothole page on my website. Click here if you have spotted a bad one and want me to report it to Barnet Council. The potholes are worse than I have ever known them in the 20 years I have lived here.
I’ve had a massive response to my survey on the new bus lanes the Mayor of London and Barnet Council want to install in Barnet High Street, Whetstone High Road and Cat Hill. Over a thousand people have completed it. Click here to find the survey and tell me your views and I will feed those back to the Mayor and the council. Together I hope we can stop these proposals from going ahead.
I was among several London MPs to meet with Business Secretary, Kemi Badenoch to tell her how worried we are about the impact of Ulez expansion on small businesses in the London suburbs. I continue to call for the reversal of Ulez expansion beyond the North Circular because it is not an effective air quality measure, and it is causing hardship to people who cannot afford a new compliant car or van. I will always stand up for local businesses and high streets and I spoke in Parliament recently on the importance of tackling retail crime.
I have a second survey on my website on building and development. It would be great to hear your views on those issues too. I have spoken out against the plans for massive tower blocks in Edgware Town Centre, urging TfL and their development partners, Ballymore, to scrap their super-dense scheme and come up with a completely new plan.
I’m also continuing my campaign to save the Spires shopping centre from being largely replaced by blocks of flats. The future of this proposal remains uncertain after the owners, BYM Capital, went into administration.
I have good news on Barnet Hospital. The Royal Free Trust (who run the hospital) have told me that the planned expansion of Barnet's A&E facilities is making good progress and is on track to be substantially completed by the end of this year.
This expansion was one of the questions I raised in Parliament this month. I also called for action to increase the uptake of breast screening as an important way to tackle health inequalities. You can find further information about both these important NHS issues in the articles at the end of this newsletter.
Other matters I highlighted in Parliament in April included delivering the big increase in free childcare the Government has promised (if you are having any difficulties with accessing this new entitlement, please let me know); switching to peat free compost and gardening products to protect our peatland habitats and prevent release of carbon from the soil; seeking government help for people facing large bills in Barnet for remediation of fire safety defects; and I asked the Prime Minister to maintain strong UK support for Israel after the shocking attack by Iran.
The National Insurance tax cut in the Budget has boosted April’s pay packets; and I would flag up that the threshold for entitlement to child benefit is being increased this month too. So people on incomes of up to £60,000 now qualify for the full payment. To check if you can receive this benefit, visit the Government’s website here.
Lastly, I would like to pass on my best wishes to everyone who has been celebrating during these past few weeks since my last newsletter, whether it is Easter, Passover, Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Vaisakhi, Mahavir Jayanti or St George’s Day!
Further information on my campaigns and activities is available in the links below to articles on my website. Please forward this email to anyone you think would be interested to read it or might like to join this mailing list.
Best wishes
Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers
Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet
Villiers welcomes progress on Barnet A&E expansion
The planning application process has been successfully completed for the project to improve A&E services at Barnet Hospital. Work is underway and patients should start to see the benefits of the expansion by January next year. Read more….
Villiers steps up the pressure on potholes in Barnet
Your local MP has been making multiple reports to Barnet Council about potholes on the borough’s roads. She has set up a “Report a pothole” page on her website and is encouraging constituents to let her know about the worst potholes they have spotted. Read more….
Action needed on breast cancer screening in Barnet
Theresa Villiers has been pushing for action to increase the uptake of breast screening services in Barnet. She highlighted this in the House of Commons in a question to Health Secretary Victoria Atkins, and she has also contacted the local NHS Integrated Care Board for North Central London (NCL ICB) which provides primary care in Barnet. Read more….
40% green bin tax hike condemned
Theresa Villiers has condemned the 40% increase in charges being imposed by Barnet Council for collecting garden waste. Annual bills for green bin collections are due this month and the council has decided to increase the charge from £70 to £97.
Reacting to this announcement, Theresa said "This is bad news for my constituents. A 40% increase in green bin charges is the last thing people need when they are still grappling with cost of living pressures.” Read more….
Fairer system for child benefit welcomed
Following announcements made in the Spring Budget, people who earn up to £60,000 a year are now able to receive child benefit in full. The benefit will not be taken away entirely until a person has an income of £80,000. The Government estimates that almost half a million families will gain an average of £1,260 next year because of these changes. Read more….
Complete rethink needed on Edgware development plans
Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, has urged the Mayor of London and developer Ballymore to scrap their proposals for regeneration of Edgware town centre and come up with a completely new plan. Read more….
How to contact Theresa
The best way to get help from Theresa is to email her on [email protected], ring her constituency office on 020 8449 7345, or write to her at 163 High Street, Barnet, Herts, EN5 5SU.
Theresa’s next diarised surgery takes place on Friday 10th May at her constituency office at 163 High Street. Constituents wishing to see Theresa or her staff will need to make an appointment in advance. You will NOT be seen if you turn up without a pre-booked appointment. Bookings for face-to-face meetings or Zoom calls can be made using the contact details set out in the preceding paragraph.
Promoted by Dominic Lowe on behalf of Theresa Villiers both at 163 High Street, Barnet, Herts, EN5 5SU.
