Object now to the Ballymore Edgware scheme (GLA Stage 1 – Stage 2 imminent) Edgware Town Centre (3,800 homes, 10,000 new residents, towers up to 29 storeys) In spite of massive public opposition, with over 7,000 objections submitted, Barnet Council’s Labour councillors approved Ballymore Edgware’s outline application for 25 tower blocks. That decision is not final. Because the scheme is exceptionally large and high-risk, it must now be decided by the Mayor of London, while fundamental issues — including the unproven safety of the underground bus garage — remain unresolved. The application is currently at GLA Stage 1 because Barnet has not yet finalised the Section 106. Stage 2 is expected imminently and is likely to allow only about two weeks for representations. Please object now to ensure your concerns are on the Mayor’s record — and be ready to re-submit or update your objection when Stage 2 opens.

My response: High rise buildings all over London only shows the reduction of quality of life, where people are squeezed into, and on top of each other, in layers upon layers of concrete. I don't object to flats, as many people are happy in flats, according to different times in their life, and situations and circumstances, but most will not want to stay in flats with growing children or in older age. BUT When there is no choice but HIGH RISEs as nothing else is free, or available for them to move into, it is a desperate situation for older populations. And the populations are aging. You can say that most countries have high rise residency and the elderly are living in high sky rise buildings, because that is all that is available to poorer people, but we are not that...And where it does exist in this country, this is not, and never was a contributor to 'living well'. Why be a creator and developer like this when you can be ethical and forward thinking in terms of living well. Which is something that will have more weight in the future. So Why be backwards instead of innovative and forward thinking, ethically and morally. When high rise is what is being been invested in, due to its ease and financial gain for the developers, it will have taken over the entire area. Blocking sky lines and blocking light, will be depressing. To be boxed in like this when coming into Edgware will be bad enough, but to be expected to live this, having changed the nature of the area, and changed the already busy 'hustle and bustle' of the area, (already quite diverse with strong cultural groups long ago settled in the area,) into something else entirely will have social consequences that are already well known, and well known by the academics and politicians, but are factored into the money equation and written off as someone's else's problem. for example the parents dealing with kids, or the hospitals, or the victims of behaviour crimes, the police and any other individual or group that cleans up after social consequences go bad. Also the amount of rubbish accumulating in both the business streets and in areas where people do not know to manage their rubbish and waste and dump it anywhere with fly tipping already a weekend activity, and worse near the low level high rise flats in Edgware Highstreet, where the build up intensifies in the lead up to waste collection days, overflowing all over the streets. Check near Iceland on various days for verification. There is also the danger of Possible Behaviour problems, consequences of increased people of different cultures, in high density with little knowledge of council laws and no indigenous understanding of local or natural laws of how we should live together. We expect a certain tolerance around us, but that is often misunderstood, and then we have the instance of increased asbo's, with increased populations, growth in drug use, and addictions, or merely misunderstandings, rife in normal situations, will be multiplied intolerance of each other. Socially the structure will need more support to oversee and police the area, where policing is not even a presence that we see now. Policing high rise blocks will be more difficult than policing the streets. The difficulty of what we see as undesirable activities, already a problem, will become more difficult as they become normalised or blended into crowded backdrops. The many different communities already here, will see more of the social problems that are usually associated with in inner city and urban streets. People will naturally respond to or react to the loss of small instances of quality of life, like personal space. The normal person will, maybe in response, feel it necessary to go elsewhere to shop, to bank, and go for coffee. The possibility of loneliness and isolation presents itself in such massive developments of incoming huge populations and will lead to more feeling lonely and pushed out of 'feeling at HOME' here, therefore More reliance on GP and healthcare will add weight and burden there. Feeling safe is the 'quality of life' box, that will not be ticked. The development is Not conducive for happy living, its just ticking boxes to cover the 'government's' 'housing needs' just to fill the area with 'higher and higher numbers of populations' that can neither be properly cared for, nor properly provided for with good amenities in order to live well, such as enough good schools and nurseries, good amenities, there will be over crowded tfl transport. Doctors surgeries, already overcrowded and oversubscribed with long waiting times to see doctors and get referrals will add to the frustrations. The only ones who will 'live well' out of this development is the developers and the local councils who actually agree to this and will be getting £100s of 1000s more in council tax payments from increased property. More money to council tax...BUT More stress on the area, SO more costs in cleaning and day to day maintenance of the site which will ultimately come back on the people...the residents of Edgware the newly housed, AND those already here. So there is Not only structural stresses, but stresses on everything already here that is now expected to take on more weight and burden, such as the roads, the thoroughfares, queues in banks, stresses in diverse groups that culturally do not share well, and have different community priorities. Depressing areas with only high rise buildings filling the visual field, brings a backdrop to the high cost of loss in personal space and quality of life, when living in hugely high-density populated areas. The burden on the psychology will be huge, your populations and future citizens will be living in conditions that will foster behaviour of the type "don't care, wont care" BUT sadly that will be because of a bigger loss of community feeling, than is here today, there will be less of being a member of a unified community in sky high living. Lots of separate groups already exist, that only have community with themselves but not with others and other groups. Older people have been most vulnerable to this loss of citizen safety, and belonging. The only thing they have is their doctors appointments, but that will become less and less available to them, and t in all places designed now to fast track and high speed people as herds through life not being able to see anything other than sky high buildings around them. People are made to feel they are burden if they are seen to be taking up more space and time then is available to individuals living in highly populated areas. Of course this is not of any consideration for the developers and the money makers, who will not under any circumstance be living here. The impact will be huge, and if this is the only investment OFFER to be made in Edgware than that is sad. I see it affect the psychology of kids today, and impacting any meaningful relationships to the area where they live. Residents will perhaps, be unbothered about being squashed into these blocks, as it is thought to be better than their previous circumstances, or bring welcome chance of a home. Maybe residents will be unbothered or unaware of the area and of the wider community. BUT many WILL want to have a good life and live well, but sky high living won't give that ....in the sense of being squashed into an area .....that has no provisions for being.... not doubled in size.... not quadrupled in size, but increased in size by the power of 10's. What ever the population of the area is NOW, will be multiplied By powers of 10. (1000s). So Edgware, being a small town on the edge of London is not the place. You don't have to be psychic to see the future of Edgware if this continues wholescale, as planned. Already people are miserable with all the traffic jams and road works in Edgware for at least the last 5 years, AND obviously restructuring has been going on already, adding to the major works intending to take years to complete...So living with scaffolding up for years and years (and it will take YEARS) as the back drop to living in or in proximity to, or working inside, a sprawling noisy building site will be unbearable. I am happy to come in and be a part of the talks as I think you need to be able to answer to these points. You need to see Edgware properly as an interesting place, it is historic in its place, and is situated as entrance into London from its northern point. It is home to many home owners, business owners and home to established working class English families alike...it is home to many foreign families from middle eastern cultures and central European cultures, there is plenty of diversity mixed with increased injection of small business enterprises and interests, that perhaps are more dodgy than anything else. Edgware is a location that has already, over the last 10 years at least, given up space to intense influxes from Europe and other countries. And now Edgware is just trying to balance itself. It is a location for investment, but the right investment, not just a site, ripe to be taken over for a 'one -design -meets-all-development-site' just because that is a continuation of what's happening in nearby towns, and along the train lines, such as in Hendon and Colindale. Happy to help to with any discussions. or consults.