Huge thanks to THE LIBRARY CAMPAIGN
We are thrilled to have the support of the wonderful THE LIBRARY CAMPAIGN
Below you can read The Library Campaign's objections to Planning Applications 1 and 2 regarding Hendon Library.
(Today's the last day you can object. Please help us fight this. It takes 5 minutes.) PLANNING APPLICATION GUIDE
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The Library Campaign's objections to Planning Applications:
PLANNING APPLICATION 1
This strong objection is from The Library Campaign, the national charity tasked with supporting users of public libraries (Registered charity 1102634).
We find it surprising - and significant - that Barnet’s comments format envisages input only from consultees, councillors, public or “neighbours”. It thus appears that the council has no concept of its duties towards environment, culture, heritage or the provision of a statutory service such as libraries.
The proposed development threatens all of these, and should expect to attract the close attention of responsible national bodies.
In this section, we confine our comments to the overall effect of this gross over-development. Councils have a clear obligation to preserve a sense of place, of local pride and local history. All these are crucial to residents’ wellbeing, and indeed to the council’s national image.
The fact that 88% of residents have already objected to this scheme should in itself be a strong indication that something is badly wrong. The adverse impression will be permanent.
The overwhelming effect of this development will be to destroy an attractive, well-loved and well-used local city centre and transform it into a mediocre university campus, with much-reduced community facilities and access, and no overall benefit to residents.
This plan is contrary to the character, design and heritage policies in the London Plan 2016, especially policy CDH03 on the Public Realm, CDH04 on Tall Buildings and CDH08 on Barnet’s Heritage.
The London Plan (March 2016 .2.6) in reference to Outer London Vision and Strategy, states the importance of maintaining and enhancing quality of life that is already there. Delivery of “lifetime neighbourhoods” is an important part of preserving this. These plans would dismantle just such a “lifetime neighbourhood”.
The town hall, public library and fire station would lose their places as the notable buildings of The Burroughs. The existing character of the area is not of a campus or student town.
Attractive heritage buildings and vistas are set to be demolished or badly compromised.
In addition, the demolition of sound, existing buildings is a direct contradiction of Barnet’s policies on environment and climate change (ECC01 Mitigating Climate Change and ECC02 Environmental Considerations).
Demolition is bad for the environment and ignores the waste of embodied carbon in existing buildings. It produces large quantities of waste materials, and new buildings also require use of cement and steel which are highly carbon intensive to produce. The ecological damage is likely to wipe out much of the council’s other climate efforts for some time.
Refurbishment and retrofitting would be far more environmentally friendly. This is now adopted as the desired policy by the national bodies for architects and civil engineers.
It is surprising to see any local council go against all these nationally accepted criteria, in favour of plan that is over-sized, bland yet oppressive, and has nothing at all to offer the residents whose welfare should be the council’s sole consideration.
PLANNING APPLICATION 2
This strong objection is from The Library Campaign, the national charity tasked with supporting users of public libraries (Registered charity 1102634).
Again we wish to state that we find it surprising - and significant - that Barnet’s comments format envisages input only from consultees, councillors, public or “neighbours”. It thus appears that the council has no concept of its duties towards environment, culture, heritage or the provision of a statutory service such as libraries.
Here we turn specifically to the plans for Hendon Library. This is a handsome, listed building that is a pleasure to visit. It provides an irreplaceable environment for study and simple enjoyment of beauty.
It also embodies significant history and local pride, as the place where a key figure in librarianship, Eileen Colwell, developed services for children that became the blueprint for all the nation’s services.
This is heritage that Barnet should cherish. To exclude residents from this building is to undermine their connection to the area.
That it is to be turned into a business centre for an outside body gives a most unfortunate impression of the council’s values.
The proposed replacement is almost invisible among a too-large block of mediocre design. Its own design is also mediocre.
It would be too small to contain the full range of services expected of a decent library, such as local studies, archival records, dedicated sections for adults, children and teenagers, spacious study seating, IT stations, Makerspace and other services yet to be developed.
It is disingenuous of the council to argue that the planned provision will replicate the space available in the current library. This has been hugely reduced by turning it over for use by Middlesex University - a mistake that should be reversed.
It is difficult to believe that Historic England would support the final repurposing of a listed building still used - and very suitable - for its original purpose.
In addition, the proposed roof and rear extensions are taller than the existing building. The plans to demolish the very attractive Building 9 close by, which matches its period and style, is inexplicable (and contrary to an existing covenant).
All these factors would very much damage the library’s outside appearance. The proposed surrounding buildings crowd it out and are a jarring mismatch in style, further spoiling the building’s exterior aspect.
It need hardly be said that the overall loss of facilities will very badly affect those who need libraries most - including children, students, families, youth, people with low incomes or poor English, the unemployed, and older people - whom Barnet should prioritise, not punish.
We have documented for some years a striking deterioration in Barnet’s libraries, which has already resulted in far worse provision for these groups. It is thus quite astonishing to find an entire central library due to be wiped out almost as an afterthought in an overbearing development that is of no benefit whatever to Hendon’s existing residents.
Hendon Library’s location is a key part of Barnet’s New Library strategy of Core and Community libraries.
This again puts out an unfortunate message about the council’s values - or indeed the trust that can be put in its overall library plans.
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