My Plan for Barnet

1. PROTECTING OUR GREEN SPACES AND FIGHTING OVERDEVELOPMENT

For many years, I’ve campaigned to protect our suburban environment. I’m opposing plans for blocks of flats in Victoria Quarter in New Barnet and North London Business Park and fighting against other inappropriate development in my constituency. I am fighting strongly against the Mayor of London’s plans to build over tube station car parks in High Barnet and Cockfosters.

I’m backing new homes on brownfield regeneration sites in the borough, such as Dollis Valley. I helped secure £320m from Government for infrastructure to support 7000 new homes being delivered via Barnet Council's estate regeneration projects.

Following an amendment I tabled in Parliament, I persuaded Ministers to make significant changes to planning rules to give local communities a greater say in what is built in their neighbourhood. During my time as Environment Secretary, I had put forward ground-breaking legislation to protect biodiversity and the natural environment and to promote nature recovery.

2. EXPANDING LOCAL NHS SERVICES

Securing the best NHS services for my constituents has always been a high priority for me. In the past, I successfully campaigned for the new £100m high-tech hospital at Chase Farm, as well as expansion of A&E services at Barnet Hospital in 2015. Now A&E is expanding in Barnet again, after I raised this at Prime Minister's questions, and a brand new diagnostic centre is opening at Finchley Memorial Hospital.

I’ve been pressing the Government to focus on improving early diagnosis of cancer. This will now be a big part of the NHS Long Term Plan which is backed by a £33.9 billion a year cash increase the Conservatives have delivered for the NHS.

I am urging the Government and the NHS to ensure this extra NHS funding also delivers expanded GP services in Barnet, so residents find it easier to get appointments when they need them. I am supporting plans put forward by local GPs, for example in High Barnet and Whetstone, to extend their buildings to improve facilities for patients.

3. MORE POLICE AND SAVING OUR POLICE STATION

With local residents, I’ve been fighting to try save Barnet Police Station. I am appealing to the Mayor to reverse his closure decision and I have raised this issue at Prime Minister’s Questions.

I successfully campaigned for more funding and more officers for the Met Police. Thanks to the Conservative commitment to 20,000 more police, the Met now have more uniformed officers than at any time in their history. I’m fighting to make sure Barnet gets its fair share, so we have more police on the beat and larger local neighbourhood police teams. I am urging the police to focus on local priorities such as cracking down on burglaries, so people feel safer.

4. IMPROVING LOCAL TRANSPORT AND FIGHTING AGAINST ULEZ IN THE SUBURBS

I fought against the Mayor’s expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone. I continue to campaign to get the scheme cancelled because of the impact of these new driving charges on my constituents. I’m pushing the Mayor to speed up the introduction of low emission buses to improve air quality. I am also opposing other anti-car measures such 'Low Traffic Neighbourhoods' and bus lanes in Barnet High Street and Whetstone High Road.

I was part of the successful cross-party campaign to bring back the 84B bus route between Potters Bar and Barnet Hospital. Working with commuters, I lobbied GTR strongly for the return of peak services removed from the timetable at Oakleigh Park and New Southgate and these were reinstated on December 2019.

5. GIVING BARNET CHILDREN THE BEST EDUCATION

I campaigned with parents to set up great new schools such as JCOSS, St Andrew the Apostle and Alma Primary School. I also helped secure funding to rebuild Cromer Road School.

Barnet has some of the best schools in the country, but their budgets have been under pressure. So I pushed for more money for every primary and secondary school in Barnet. I raised this in Parliament, and in face to face meetings with successive Prime Ministers. A real terms increase in funding for every primary and secondary school in Barnet was announced in 2019 and further increases in the Autumn Statement in 2022. Before that statement, I had met the Chancellor to make a direct appeal for more money for schools.

I fought a long campaign to secure funding for Barnet's maintained nursery schools when they were threatened with closure. This finally succeeded in 2022. I continue to make the case for more resources for our local schools. I am also backing efforts to expand access to apprenticeships.

6. SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND TOWN CENTRES

I have been working for many years to support our local town centres, including Barnet’s historic market. I called on the Government to provide help for town centres and they responded with cuts business rates in successive Budgets.

One of my top priorities as an MP has always been to secure a strong economy. The inflation caused by Covid and the Ukraine war put great pressure on household bills. I am backing Conservative efforts at a national level to deliver economic recovery so that families get the help they need with the cost of living, and local businesses have the opportunity to thrive.

In my former role as Environment Secretary, I brought forward measures to crack down on litter and flytipping, because I know how important it is to ensure our local high streets are clean and welcoming.

Our Plan for Barnet

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1.1. Fighting overdevelopment: What’s most important to you? Rank the options 1-3 with 1 being most important and 3 least. Weight
No tower blocks
No building on green belt
More say for local residents on planned developments
1.2. Expanding NHS services: What’s most important to you? Rank the options 1-3 with 1 being most important and 3 least. Weight
More GP appointments
Cutting hospital waiting times
Recruiting more doctors and nurses
1.3. More police resource for Barnet: What’s most important to you? Rank the options 1-3 with 1 being most important and 3 least. Weight
Save Barnet police station
More officers for neighbourhood police teams in each ward
Police to focus more on burglary
1.4. Improving local transport: What’s most important to you? Rank the options 1-3 with 1 being most important and 3 least. Weight
More action to repair potholes
Cancel ULEZ expansion in the suburbs
Stopping new bus lanes in Barnet High Street, Whetstone High Road and Cat Hill
1.5. Giving Barnet's children the best education: What’s most important to you? Rank the options 1-3 with 1 being most important and 3 least. Weight
Expanding access to apprenticeships
School place provision
Better support for children with special educational needs
1.6. Supporting the local economy and high streets: What’s most important to you? Rank the options 1-3 with 1 being most important and 3 least. Weight
Help for local businesses
Further cost of living support
Keeping tax low