Independent Examination
The Plan was submitted to the London Borough of Barnet and has been reviewed by an Independent Examiner. The Examiner's Report commended the work of the West Finchley Neighbourhood Plan Forum and proposed some minor amendments which were implemented by Barnet Council. Residents of West Finchley were then invited to vote for the Plan in July 2021.
The Neighbourhood Forum and its Executive Committee was set up by the WFRA and approved by Barnet Council as the vehicle for developing the Neighbourhood Plan, reflecting what residents would like more (and less) of in the area. Local councils are obliged to support and to listen to recommendations of Neighbourhood Forums. After five years of work from November 2015, the Forum was required to seek re-designation to complete the process in bringing the Neighbourhood Plan to fruition. This was put to Barnet Planning Committee on 13 October and was agreed unanimously.
Read more on What is a Neighbourhood Plan
The starting point for the Neighbourhood Plan was a series of consultations and questionnaires with residents about the Vision and Objectives for the Neighbourhood Plan.
Working with Nexus Planning consultants, a picture of the neighbourhood as it is now has been drawn up. This Baseline Report is the first stage of the Plan process and contains the detailed facts and statistics about the neighbourhood.