Barnet council news
Barnet council news, newest first: decisions, budgets, council tax, bins and services, each linked to the council's own papers.
Top story
Barnet Council Overspent Three Repair Contracts by £932,000
Barnet Council spent £2.11m on three building repair contracts approved for £1.18m. Cabinet is asked on 17 November to sign off the extra £932,000 after the event.
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Children
Barnet Has Lost 23 Foster Families in Five Years
Barnet now has 96 foster households, down from 119 in 2021, and more of its children in care live with agency carers than its own. School attendance and jobs are up.
Council
Hendon Hub Regeneration Is Being Scrapped After Middlesex University Pulled Out
Barnet Council is formally closing the Hendon Hub scheme on The Burroughs. Middlesex University withdrew in 2024, and Cabinet is due to decide on 15 December.
Housing
Up to 20 Social Rent Homes Planned on the Former East Barnet Library Site
Barnet Council plans up to 20 social rent homes on the old East Barnet Library site in Brookhill Road. Cabinet takes a key legal step on 17 November.
Fly-tipping
Barnet Fly-Tippers Fined £42,500 After CCTV Pilot
Barnet Council issued £42,500 of fly-tipping fines from April to October using CCTV, with £13,000 paid so far. Each fine is £500, or £600 for a second offence.
Bins
Barnet Bin Strike Ballot Opens 11 November Over Holiday Pay
Barnet's bin, recycling and street cleaning workers vote on strike action from 11 November to 9 December, UNISON says. No strike dates have been set.
Council
Barnet Council still needs £73.3m of emergency borrowing
Barnet expects to borrow £73.3m this year to pay for day-to-day services, £6m less than approved. The NHS owes it £7.7m and council tax collection has slipped.
Bins
Timed bin bag collections planned for seven Barnet town centres
Barnet Council wants timed bin bag collections in seven town centres, including High Barnet and North Finchley. Councillors discuss the plan on Monday 9 November.
Fly-tipping
Barnet fly-tipping rises 22%, and Cricklewood is worst hit
Recorded fly-tipping in Barnet was 22% higher from April to July than a year earlier. Four wards, led by Cricklewood, each logged more than 1,000 in a year.
Community
Barnet Freedom of Borough: Hatzola, CST and Shomrim Honoured
Five Jewish volunteer and security groups now hold Barnet's highest honour, marked at Hendon Town Hall on Monday. Why each was chosen, and what they said.
Council
Barnet Social Care Under CQC Assessment: 138 Complaints
The CQC has begun a 19-week assessment of Barnet's adult social care. Council papers also show 138 complaints, two care homes closing and staffing risks.
Roads
Barnet Road Repairs 2027: £18.8m Plan, £103m Backlog
Barnet plans £18.75m of road and pavement repairs in 2027-28, with more for footways. Fixing every worn road would cost £103m. Councillors see it on 9 November.
Schools
Barnet SEND Budget Heads for £17.2m Overspend This Year
Barnet's SEND budget is forecast £17.2m over, wiping out its schools reserve. 42 of its 71 council-run primary schools expect to end the year in deficit.
Housing
Barnet Council at Fault: 19 Months in Unsuitable Housing
The Ombudsman found Barnet Council at fault for leaving a wheelchair user in temporary housing it had judged unsuitable for 19 months. It must pay £100 a month, £1,900.
Housing
Barnet Council Tenants Face New Management Fee of Up to 15%
Barnet council tenants face a new management fee of up to 15% on service charges from April 2027. Consultation runs from 2 November to 18 December.
Council
Barnet Declares a Gambling Harms Emergency: What Changes
Full Council carried the gambling harms emergency on 20 October with 30 votes in favour. What it commits Barnet to, and the slots hearings on 3 November.
Council
Barnet Votes 29 to 1 to Explore Twinning With Haifa
Full Council backed talks on a Haifa twinning 29 to 1 on 20 October, with Labour abstaining. How every motion went, from antisemitism to the London Plan.
Council
Barnet Group Strike 27 October: Housing and Care Staff Out
UNISON members at Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet will strike for 24 hours on Tuesday 27 October. Bin crews could follow before Christmas in a pay row.
Schools
Barnet SEND Plan Approved: 189 New Special School Places
Government has signed off Barnet's SEND and Alternative Provision Reform Plan. It funds 189 new specialist places in 2026/27, a £3.19m support programme and a £5.6m capital signal, with 5,044 children on EHCPs.
Council
Barnet Council: £200m plan approved, Full Council on 20 Oct
Cabinet approved the £200m savings plan and a £3.5m drug treatment top-up on 12 October. Full Council then debates eight motions, including gambling harms.
Housing
Barnet's 5,361 Empty Homes: Council Checks 100 in One Night
Barnet has 5,361 homes empty for over six months as 3,000+ households live in temporary accommodation. Owners face up to 300% council tax; grants reach £40,000.
Council
Barnet Council's Colindale HQ needs 2 years of fire repairs
Barnet's 2019 Colindale offices have fire safety defects. Repairs run November 2026 to November 2028; Cabinet approved £770,136 of oversight on 12 October.
Council
Barnet Finance Chief Anisa Darr to Leave in December
Anisa Darr, Barnet's finance director and Section 151 officer since 2017, leaves in December. Two new assistant director posts follow, one at about £150,000.
Housing
Barnet HMO checks: 22 of 76 homes face licence investigation
One evening of Barnet Council HMO checks led to 22 investigations over missing licences. £187,000 in HMO fines so far this year; visits go on for 12 months.
Council finances
Barnet's £200m budget plan approved; tax rise not yet agreed
Cabinet approved Barnet's £200m savings plan on 12 October. £70m of it relies on a council tax rise above the 5% cap, which still needs government agreement.
Planning
Barnet planning applications: QE sports hall among 57 new
All 57 applications Barnet validated in the week beginning 21 September: QE's sports hall, a Plantagenet Road food hall, seven studios on Friern Barnet Road, plus the Post Office and Grahame Park bids still open.
Health
Barnet drops 'gap' finding over closed Finchley pharmacy
Barnet said in June the Fairview closure could leave a gap. New analysis says it does not: 71 pharmacies become 70, and no pharmacy nearby opens Sunday.
Council
Barnet ends Capita IT deal, takes service in-house 1 Oct
Barnet is running its own IT from 1 October after a £6.2m contract award was abandoned. Capita's whole IT workforce transfers to the council under TUPE.
Crime
Barnet hate crime up 64% in a quarter, figures show
Police logged 381 hate crime incidents in Barnet in April to June, 64% up on the same quarter last year. Violence, robbery and shoplifting rose too.
Crime
Prevent referrals in Barnet more than double in three months
Barnet made 51 Prevent enquiries in April to June, against 22 a year earlier. Adult cases rose from 6 to 27 and violence-fascination cases from 4 to 22.
Council
Barnet orders options appraisal on bin collection frequency
Cabinet ordered the appraisal from the floor on 15 September, after a government review told Barnet to prioritise alternate weekly bins this month.
Council tax
Barnet asks ministers how high it must push council tax
The council puts the gap between what Barnet pays and what the formula assumes at about £74m a year. It is borrowing £79.6m in emergency support this year.
Council
Barnet's 13 parklets to be charged for after petition fails
A 522-name petition to remove the Brent Street parklet was rejected. Instead all 13 parklets across eight town centres get a new licence and a charge.
Council
Barnet Bin Crews Face End of Task and Finish, UNISON Says
Barnet wants bin crews to start and finish at the depot, citing 8 rushing incidents and a serious injury. UNISON has sent 40 questions before it will respond.
Council
Barnet told to review council tax and go fortnightly on bins
A government-commissioned review gives Barnet until September to act on council tax and alternate weekly bins. It forecasts the deficit reaching £243.5m by 2030-31.
Council
Barnet bin workers vote 100% to reject holiday pay offer
Every vote cast rejected the council's six-month offer, UNISON says. It now wants a formal strike ballot, and talks with the council are set for 14 September.
Parking
Barnet parking changes: 14 junctions, object by 27 August
Barnet wants double yellow lines at 14 junctions, from Denman Drive NW11 to Raydean Road EN5. Objections close on Thursday 27 August, quoting SCR724.
Council
Barnet bin and street cleaners ballot for strike action
Depot, bin and street cleaning staff have been voting since 5 August. UNISON says 12 years of holiday pay is owed, about £6m, and that the council has offered £250,000.