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The Leader of Barnet Council says we must stand together and stop hate spilling over into our borough following the outbreak of violent unrest across the country. Leader of Barnet Council and the Labour Group, Cllr Barry Rawlings, said:

The Leader of Barnet Council, Cllr Barry Rawlings, has responded to information circulating on social media and national media about a planned demonstration in North Finchley this evening (7 August). “You will be aware that information has been circulating on social media about a possible ‘protest’ in North Finchley on Wednesday evening.  If you live, work or travel through the area then we advise caution and to be mindful of your safety. 

The Leader of Barnet Council, Cllr Barry Rawlings, has thanked Barnet’s communities, and those who came to stand with them, for their peaceful counter-protest following the threat of a far-right demonstration in North Finchley last night (7 August). He also thanked Police and other partners for their handling of the situation, including their support in providing reassurance.

Watling Park in Burnt Oak will be transformed by an ambitious package of improvements that will reduce the risk of flooding to nearby homes and streets during periods of heavy rainfall. Barnet Council’s Flood Alleviation Scheme (FAS) for Watling Park will help tackle the climate emergency and support its mission to make the borough net zero by 2042. Work on the £1.5million project begins this Monday and will see wetlands created along with new and resurfaced paths, tree-planting and an exciting new playground for younger visitors.

Barnet Council is estimated to have saved more than £1.3million in temporary accommodation costs by cracking down on social housing fraud, a new report reveals. It shows that 41 properties were recovered for those in need during the 2023-2024 financial year after being used illegally. This helped the council save £1,313,272 in temporary accommodation costs that it would otherwise have spent to house residents facing homelessness.

Barnet Council’s Summer of Fun continued as it marked South Asian Heritage Month through a vibrant celebration of the region’s cultures and heritage. The event at Barnet Multi Cultural Community Centre on Saturday, 10 August saw councillors, council officers, members of Barnet’s South Asian communities, friends, families and others enjoy an afternoon of cultural performances, music, art, delicious food and vibrant festivities.

Students across Barnet are celebrating their A-level and vocational results today (15 August) with many schools across the borough having reported improvements on last year’s results. Over the last seven years, A-Level results in Barnet have consistently been in the top 5% of the country. This trend looks set to continue as provisional A-level results from 16 of the 25 Barnet schools with a sixth form show more outstanding results this year.

By Cllr Barry Rawlings, Leader of Barnet Council The recent antisemitic hate crime data published by the Community Security Trust (CST) is stark evidence of the surging levels of abuse and violence experienced by Britain’s Jewish communities. As the Leader of Barnet Council, I am deeply concerned and angered by the fact that 40% of all antisemitic crimes recorded in Greater London in the first half of this year occurred in our borough. 

Students across Barnet are celebrating their GCSE results today (22 August), with many schools reporting strong sets of grades. Over the last seven years, students in Barnet have performed exceptionally well in their GCSEs, with the borough ranking third highest in the country based on Attainment 8 scores for the last three years and second best in the country for Progress 8 in 2023.

An overgrown space behind Golders Green Library is to be transformed from an empty area with limited access into an attractive garden for residents to enjoy. Barnet Council has been awarded more than £85,000 by Arts Council England to improve a previously unusable area outside the building and create a sensory reading garden.