Following confirmation that plans to demolish the spires at the entrance to the Spires shopping centre in High Barnet have been abandoned, Theresa Villiers said:
"I considered the proposals for the Spires shopping centre carefully. I have been working with local residents on the Chipping Barnet Town Team for many months on ideas to revitalise the shopping centre as part of wider efforts to boost our local high street."
"The vast majority of the people who responded to the recent consultation on plans for a new look entrance to the shopping centre said they wanted to keep the actual spires."
"I therefore opposed the option which would have seen this local landmark demolished. I accept that we need to make changes to ensure the shopping centre entrance becomes more visible and more open but there are ways that this can be done without losing the spires themselves."
"I welcome the fact that the spires will continue to be a part of the landscape of Barnet High Street. It is good news that the owners of the shopping centre have listened to the community here and dropped plans which would see the spires removed."
Confirmation that plans to demolish the spires had been dropped were sent in an email to Theresa Villiers from Jon Bradburn of Montague Evans LLP, consultants to Spires owners, William Pears.