VILLIERS WELCOMES COUNCIL COMMITMENT ON TRAFFIC STUDY

MP for Chipping Barnet, Theresa Villiers, has welcomed a decision by Cllr Mike Freer to ask Barnet Council officers to commission an independent study on the traffic impact of a new superstore in New Barnet, in the event that either Tesco or Asda put in new planning applications.

Council officers received criticism when their response to the planning application submitted by Asda concluded that a new superstore would not lead to any significant problems with traffic congestion.

Although the officers had recommended that the Asda application be refused (and it was subsequently withdrawn) the Save New Barnet Campaign were worried that the approach taken by the Council to traffic in the Asda application would open the door for Tesco.

Theresa therefore lobbied the Council to ask for an effective and detailed assessment of traffic impact of new supermarket development to be conducted externally to the Council by traffic experts.

Theresa said: “I very much welcome the decision to commission an independent study on traffic in the event of another application for supermarket expansion in New Barnet. I know that residents were very concerned that concluding that traffic was not a problem for the original Asda application would make it harder for the Council to say no to Tesco if they came forward with proposals for a slightly smaller store.”

“I have always thought that one of the major problems with a new superstore in New Barnet was the impact of thousands more cars on narrow residential roads which are already congested. It is good news that the Council has now promised that these issues will be thoroughly investigated and an independent expert report compiled so that we have the full picture on the impact of any future proposal for a new supermarket in New Barnet.”

It is estimated that a new traffic study is likely to cost around £20,000.