On Tuesday 21st October, something extraordinary happened. After months of hard work, campaigning and community organising, Barnet Council voted in favour of Our North Finchley’s deputation calling for real reforms to how local people are involved in planning decisions.
This is a really positive step, not just for Our North Finchley, but for everyone across the borough who believes that democracy should not stop at the ballot box.
A night to remember
Outside Hendon Town Hall, dozens of residents gathered to make their voices heard. There were banners, chants and placards, even doggy activists sporting the new Our North Finchley t-shirt!
The rally created a vibrant and defiant atmosphere ahead of the Council meeting, showing just how much people care about what is happening in their communities.
Inside the chamber, we delivered a deputation urging the Council to stop treating consultation as a tick-box exercise and instead commit to real, meaningful collaboration with local people. They voted in our favour.
What the Council agreed to
Thanks to your support, Barnet Council will now produce a report exploring how to implement:
- An independent borough-wide participation audit to assess how Barnet residents (particularly those from underrepresented groups) experience planning consultation and engagement by developers, with the results published on the council’s website.
- A Requirement for all planning applications to provide a “Summary for Public Information”, summarising all the key aspects of the application in manner that can be understood by residents and decision-makers
- The production of ‘Pre-application Engagement Guidance’, which emulates and improves upon recent best practice by other London boroughs. Westminster and Wandsworth have adopted guidelines on best practice in pre-application engagement
- Convene a People’s Planning Forum, to examine the findings and consider all aspects of public engagement on major planning applications, and submit to Full Council and the appropriate committees for consideration and follow-up.
These steps won’t solve everything overnight, but they are the start of a bigger shift: from consultation to co-creation.
Holding them to their word
We are pleased with this result, but we are not naive.
The next step is crucial: we will be holding the Council to account every step of the way to make sure this report leads to action, not another dusty document on a shelf.
And we are not doing it alone. Communities are waking up and organising. Our victory shows what is possible when we come together, stand up, and demand better.
What’s next?
- We will be meeting with councillors, officers and community partners to shape the outcomes of this process and ensure it reflects what residents actually want.
- We will continue building our movement through public events, creative campaigning, and grassroots organising.
- And we will keep pushing for a planning system that works for neighbourhoods across Barnet, not just developers.
If you want to be part of this, join us. Whether you are new to the campaign or have been here from the beginning, now is the time to get involved.