Welcome to my March e-newsletter.
I’m happy to report that the Prince of Wales pub in East Barnet has been saved. It closed a few weeks ago but has just been bought by a new operator which plans to refurbish and reopen it. This follows a successful campaign by the East Barnet Residents Association which had cross-party support.
I have had a strong focus on the NHS this month. I know how important the NHS is to my constituents and I completely understand the concern felt about waiting times. I met with a local pharmacist to hear how the Government’s new “Pharmacy First” programme is enabling certain prescription-only medication to be handed out at high street chemists, freeing up GP appointments for people with more complex conditions. In Parliament I highlighted the importance of improving access to GP appointments in Barnet.
I visited the Royal Free’s hugely impressive facilities for research into new cancer treatments. I led a debate in Parliament on worrying cases reported to me of people with dementia who received a poor standard of care when admitted to hospital. I also met Breast Cancer Now to discuss how I can help their campaign to raise the uptake of breast cancer screening.
I welcomed the announcement in the Budget of an extra £2.45 billion for the NHS (along with £3.4 billion to improve productivity in the NHS). The Budget also broadens entitlement to child benefit, freezes fuel duty and cuts taxes for the average worker by £900 (in combination with the National Insurance cut announced last year).
There’s been good news and bad news on planning. The good news is that the attempt to add over a thousand flats to the development at North London Business Park has failed after a planning inspector rejected an appeal by Comer Homes. The bad news is that Barnet Council have voted to approve blocks of flats at Victoria Quarter in New Barnet, and have also given permission to build on the open fields at Whalebones in High Barnet. These both amount to overdevelopment.
I’ve been lobbying again for more funds for Barnet schools, raising this in the Chamber of the House of Commons, and also in a meeting with Schools Minister Damian Hinds. This is a long-running campaign to support our excellent local schools.
Other issues I have spoken on in Parliament this month include:
- Updating the regulatory framework for the intelligence services;
- Supporting British farmers and food security;
- Promoting British food exports;
- Backing a Bill to cancel Ulez expansion in the suburbs (talked out by Labour MPs);
- Backing a Bill to ban the import of body parts from endangered animals shot by hunters;
- Opposing massive tower blocks in Edgware town centre;
- Condemning the decision to approve planning applications at Victoria Quarter and Whalebones;
- Switching to renewable energy;
- Using apprenticeships to help young people get the careers they want;
- Combating anti-Muslim hatred;
- Tackling violent crime;
- BBC reporting on the Gaza conflict.
I continued to express support for Israel in Parliament and in discussions with the Foreign Secretary (as reported here by the Daily Telegraph). I took part in an emotional meeting with relatives of hostages, during which freed hostage Itay Regev told us how he underwent surgery in Gaza without an anaesthetic. I attended the annual dinner of the Community Security Trust to show my solidarity with the Jewish community. I continue to push the police to ensure that displays of antisemitism at protests are met with the full force of the law.
I’ve been running a survey to seek people’s views on the bus lanes TfL and the council want to install in Barnet High Street, Whetstone High Road and Cat Hill. If you have a moment, please click here to complete it.
Lastly, I want to pass on the news that the Met police have confirmed to me that their whole programme of police station disposals has been put on hold, pending further work on a new Estates Strategy commissioned by Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley. So this could mean a reprieve for our local police station.
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 demands better service on the Northern Line
Barnet MP, Theresa Villiers, has urged TfL to tackle reliability problems on the Northern Line. She contacted them after receiving complaints from constituents about delays and crowding on the High Barnet branch. TfL have confirmed that no new timetable has been introduced and the number of trains going to High Barnet has not been cut. But they did acknowledge that “operational incidents on the Northern line that have impacted services in recent weeks”. Read more….
Prince of Wales pub saved
The Prince of Wales pub in East Barnet has been bought by a new owner and will re-open. Widespread concern had greeted the decision by the Stonegate Group to shut the pub. Theresa contacted Stonegate to urge them to save the pub, or sell it on to someone who would. She backed the application by East Barnet Residents Association to ask Barnet Council to designate the pub as an “Asset of Community Value”. Read more….
Success in campaign against even bigger tower blocks in North London Business Park
Theresa Villiers MP has welcomed the decision by the planning inspectorate to turn down an appeal by Comer Homes to add over a thousand flats to their development at North London Business Park (NLBP). Read more….
Villiers asks for Government help to fix fire hazards for homes in Barnet
Following a fire in a council owned property, an independent investigation commissioned by Barnet Council concluded that there were other homes in the borough with the same potential fire safety issues. Theresa Villiers has backed a cross-party appeal to the Government to provide help to home-owners facing large bills to remedy these fire defects. Read more….
Labour give green light to overdevelopment and destruction of green space in Barnet
Theresa Villiers has condemned the decision last by Labour councillors to approve two controversial development proposals at a meeting of Barnet Council’s planning committee at Hendon Town Hall.
By a majority the committee voted through plans for 420 flats in blocks of up to eight storeys on the old gasworks site at Victoria Quarter in New Barnet. The meeting went on to approve construction of 115 flats and houses on agricultural land at Whalebones in Chipping Barnet. “This is a sad day for our community,“ Theresa said. Read more….
East Barnet to be hit with Barnet Council bus lane plans
In letter to Theresa Villiers MP, Barnet Council have revealed that their plans for new bus lanes extend beyond the controversial proposals for the A1000 to include Cat Hill in East Barnet as well. Read more….
Plans for sale of Barnet police station put on hold
In a letter to Theresa Villiers MP, Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe of the Metropolitan Police has confirmed that the Mayor’s plans for the sale of Barnet police station have been paused. All police station disposals in London have been put on hold.
Ms Villiers has fought a long-running campaign to save Barnet police station. Its front desk closed in 2017, following a decision by Mayor Khan, but the building has remained in use by officers. She has repeatedly called on the Mayor and the Met to call off plans to vacate and sell the building in Barnet High Street. Read more….
Pharmacy First comes to Barnet
For the first time ever, community pharmacies are now be able to offer NHS consultations and supply medicines without a prescription from a GP for seven common conditions. Over 10,000 community pharmacies in England have signed up for the programme (95% of the total) including Greenfield pharmacy in New Barnet which recently received a visit from the local MP. Read more….
MP visits Royal Free’s clinical and research facilities for cancer
Theresa Villiers has praised the Royal Free Hospital (RFH) after a visit to see their world leading clinical and research facilities focusing on cancer diagnosis and treatment. Read more….
Villiers meets Save Our Edgware campaign group
Your local MP recently met representatives of the Save Our Edgware who are fighting against plans for 25 tower blocks in Edgware town centre, including 13 of between 21 and 29 storeys. Read more….
Government funding boost for New Barnet swimming pool
Barnet MP Theresa Villiers has welcomed the news that the New Barnet Leisure Centre will benefit from an investment of £116,812 to improve the energy efficiency of its swimming pool. 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 Saturday 6th April 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.
