Greenacre Walks - Woodland Walk

GREENACRE 
WALKS 

 WOODLAND WALK

Sunday 6^th Nov 2016 
meet at East Finchley 11-30am

A circular walk .  

 Don't be late!

Pre-ordered lunches have finished - if you want to join us for the walk, you will need to bring a packed lunch.

We start at East Finchley tube station and walk through Cherry Tree Woods, a quick look at the disused railway line and bridge by Highgate Wood, through Highgate Wood, then on to Queen's Wood where we stop for lunch. The food is very tasty, freshly prepared and some of the ingredients will have come from the organic vegetable garden round the back.

After lunch we set off through a lesser known part of Queen's Wood to an even lesser known woodland trail and nature reserve that runs to Shepherd's Cot, a 56 acre green oasis in the heart of Crouch End that is primarily used for sports. From there to the Meadow Orchard Project, Priory Park for tea, then to the lower slopes of Ally Pally, Grove Park, a tunnel under Muswell Hill and along Parkland Walk which is the old disused railway line that has reverted back to nature.We walk along the top of a viaduct that has spectacular views across London to the south east. And we do all this in 4 miles!

Mike has already been out on several recces and this really is a lovely walk at this time of year - a carpet of leaves to walk on, and stunning views along the way. The food at Queens Wood is excellent, freshly prepared with some of the produce grown on site. Bring a bus pass or Oyster card just in case we get a bus home. The cost of this walk is £3-50 per person.

Distance to lunch stop - 1 mile.   Total distance to Finish - 4 miles.

For more details: 020 8346 5503 or email: mikegee1968@gmail.com

Greenacre Walks - Forgotten Footpaths

GREENACRE WALKS

FORGOTTEN FOOTPATHS

Sunday 9^th Oct 2016 
at 11-30am

A circular walk along the footpaths of Totteridge and Mill Hill. 

Meet outside Totteridge and Whetstone tube station

 11-30am - catching a bus at 11.40am so don't be late!

Lunch has been organised at Belmont Farm - a platter as well as drinks, pastries and tea/coffee for £6.50. If you want lunch you must let Mike know by Thursday 6th October.

There is a network of forgotten footpaths through Totteridge and Mill Hill. We will catch the 251 bus from the station to Totteridge Common where we will start our autumn walk. Our first path takes us south over Folly Brook to the Ridgeway where we will see St Paul’s Church and Sheepwash Pond before our lunch stop at The Waffle House, Belmont Farm. After lunch we will have a look at The Mill Field before setting off to find the source of Folly Brook and on to another footpath that leads us to Totteridge Fields. From there we head for Dollis Brook along another little known footpath and then a further path that leads us back to Horseshoe Lane for the finish where we will catch the bus back to Totteridge and Whetstone tube station. This is a lovely autumn walk with hobgoblins’ tree lined paths, open farmland and animals. The pace will be leisurely and there are drop out points along the way. A bus pass or Oyster card is essential for this one and we recommend that you bring a bottle of water with you. The cost of this walk is £3-50 per person.

Distance to lunch stop - 1 mile.   Total distance to Finish - 3.5 miles.

For more details: 020 8346 5503 or email: mikegee1968@gmail.com

Stop Press: Application to demolish The Lodge, Victoria Park - Refused

Stop Press - the application for demolition of The Lodge in Victoria Park, has been refused by Barnet Council. Cllr. Ross Houston will be asking questions at this evening's (1st Sep) Policy and Resources Committee from 7.00pm at Hendon Town Hall, The Burroughs, London NW4 4BQ - all welcome!!

	Development Management & Building Control Service Barnet House 1255 High Road London N20 0EJ
	contact: Nicholas Linford tel: 020 8359 3000 email: nicholas.linford@barnet.gov.uk date: 1 September 2016 our ref: 16/4524/FUL

Dear Sir/Madam,

Town and Country Planning Act 1990

SITE: The Lodge, Long Lane, London, N3 2PY,

PROPOSAL: Demolition of existing building and erection of a three storey building with basement level to provide 8no. self-contained units with associated underground parking, bike,  refuse and recycling storage and amenity space, , ,

Further to your letter about the above application. After careful consideration of all of the issues, including your comments on the proposal, the following decision was made: “Refuse”

You can view the decision notice and the planning report supporting the decision online at www.barnet.gov.uk/planning-applications.

If any further applications are received for this site we will let you know. This decision does not preclude further applications being submitted for the site.

Thank you for the trouble you have taken in providing us with comments and please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any queries in relation to this decision.

Yours faithfully,

Nicholas Linford

Principal Planning Officer

South Area Planning Team

The Lodge, Victoria Park, Finchley

SOS - PUBLIC PARK UNDER THREAT

Stop Press - application for demolition of the lodge has been refused by Barnet Council. Cllr. Ross Houston will be asking questions at this evening's (1st Sep) Policy and Resources Committee from 7.00pm at Hendon Town Hall, The Burroughs, London NW4 4BQ - all welcome!!

Victoria Park, Finchley was created by public subscription for the benefit of the people of Finchley and for generations to come. It was opened in 1902 by HRH Princess Christian, daughter of Queen Victoria and the building now known as 'The Lodge' was built as a park-keeper's cottage.

In November 2014, Barnet Councillors, acting in their dual role as trustees, voted 32 to 31 to sell 'The Lodge', as it was claimed that it could only be used as a residence for a park keeper and would require £100,000 to bring it to 'decent homes standard'.

They have since sold it for £623,000 and the new owner has applied for planning permission to demolish this historic building, and erect a block of eight flats.

This site is within the footprint of Victoria Park, and represents a dangerous precedent for the further development of all our local parks and open spaces.

What can YOU do?

· Object to the planning application by 23rd August 2016 View the planning application online >>HERE<< 

· Or email: nicholas.linford@barnet.gov.uk

· Circulate this information to family and friends and encourage them to object too

Follow Victoria Park on Twitter: @victoriaparkfi1 

Brookdene Nature Reserve

SOS - PUBLIC OPEN SPACE UNDER THREAT- SOS

BROOKDENE - 
closing date Wed 3rd August




After the council refused planning permission for the Brookdene Nature Reserve Application 23rd May 2016, the developer then appealed to the Secretary of State.

It is now up to the Planning Inspectorate. 

 Click here >>> MAKE AN OBJECTION <<<

Or email: robert.wordsworth@pins.gov.uk

• Planning Inspectorate appeal reference number: 
• APP/N5090/W/16/3149782;
• BROOKDENE, HOLDEN ROAD, LONDON N12 7DR

Click here for the original report

What matters can be taken into account: 

Planning applications can only be decided on those matters relevant to planning (material considerations). The most common of these include: 

1. Effect on traffic, access and parking 

2. Scale, appearance and impact on surrounding area and adjoining neighbours 

3. Loss of light 

4. Overlooking and loss of privacy 

5. Effect on nature conservation and loss of trees 

6. Effect on a Conservation Area including wildlife 

7. Effect on a Listed Building 

8. Noise and disturbance resulting from a use 

9. Whether the use would be appropriate for the area

___________________________________

Finchley in Fiction Walk

Part of the 

Finchley Literary Festival 

24^th-26^th June 2016     

Finchley in Fiction  – Guided Walk. 
Sunday 26th June, 12.00-3.30pm  

Meet Waterstones, N12 9QR

Mr Greenacres and Rosie Canning lead us on a literary walk with a lunch stop at Redwood Café (one of our sponsors) in Swan Lane Open Space, and a tea stop at Finchley Golf Club. Short readings will also be given from novels that feature Finchley - after all who can pass the site of Spike Milligan's former home without a recitation?

£3.00 pay on the day.

We are hoping that walkers will join us for the event below before the walk:

Meet the Author. Sunday, 26th June 11.00-12.00pm Waterstones, N12 9QR

Katharine Norbury presents her acclaimed book The Fish Ladder. Part travelogue, part memoir, Katharine Norbury’s moving and lyrical story of self-discovery – told through journeys on foot along the glittering rivers of Britain – is nature writing at its finest. The book follows the course of rivers and time, relationships and the inescapable attraction of family, meaning, and landscape. 

Katherine will be interviewed by Mr Greenacres. He is a founder member of the Greenacre Project and was a regular contributor to The Greenacre Times writing the popular Mr Greenacres column as well as articles under his own name. Mike has charted and photographed every green space in the area and gives regular talks and slides shows as well as leading walks, including the one following this event.

Free.
_________________________________________________________________________

Woods and Water - Walk this Sunday

Wellpoint Walk went well, a good turnout and perfect walking weather. A good trek from Finchley to Mill Hill with Tai Chi and breathing exercises along the way.Well done to all those who braved the mud at Rocklands, Burtonhole Lane and Oakfields Wood to get to the finish. Special thanks to the stewards and Angie and the staff at Finchley Golf Club, and Naomi and Raffi at the Summer House. We all appreciate both the food and how hard you worked.

WOODS and WATER - Sunday 1st May 2016 at 12pm.

This is a walk in a completely different direction - northeast from Finchley to Arnos Grove via connecting green spaces and footpaths. We will be going through nature reserves, woods, and along brooks and greenways. We will see several different water features and have very little contact with roads on this one - full details attached. We will be stopping for a packed lunch in the picnic area of Hollickwood Park and then a tea stop at Costa Coffee, which is 0.4 of a mile further on.

MEET AT THE BACK OF THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL 11.45 AM CLICK HERE FOR MAP

Finchley to Mill Hill Walk

Wellpoint Walk, Sunday 17th April. 

Spring is here and so is our first walk of 2016. This really is a lovely route from Lovers Walk Finchley to Mill Hill East. The theme of this walk is Health and Wellbeing and we are organizing it in conjunction with The Wellpoint Clinic which is a low cost acupuncture clinic. We meet outside Wellpoiint c which is on the corner of Ballards Lane and The Grove at 11-45 for a 12pm start. Anyone who wants to have a look at the clinic and learn a bit more about acupuncture please arrive a few minutes early. If anyone would like to be met at Finchley Central tube station, (300 yards from Wellpoint),please let me know and we can probably arrange that.

Of course walking in the greenery is the essence of health and wellbeing but we will have a few short stops along the way to do things such as Qi Gong breathing exercises, simple Tai Chi exercises and talks on health related topics. 

We set off down Lovers Walk and Head for Dollis Brook and a circuit of Rocklands Lake. We then head back to Lovers Walk for a lunch stop at the grand Nether Court clubhouse. After lunch we head along Frith Lane to Burtonhole Lane, which is a green footpath/bridleway, and on to Finchley Nurseries for a tea stop at The Summer House Cafe. After tea we head through Oakfields Wood, along The Ridgeway to Bittacy Park for a finish at Mill Hill East tube station. We will escort you back to Finchley on the 382 bus if required.

This route is the closest you can get to a walk in the country in or around Finchley and all the greenery will be nearly at its most lush and picturesque in mid-April. Total distance to the finish is 3.8 miles.  PLEASE NOTE: lunch and tea will have to be pre-booked with me at least 3 days before the walk.  

Lunch stop is Nether Court, the clubhouse of Finchley Golf Club. This is a very grand house with much history. Lunch is on a terrace overlooking the course. Food is excellent. Tea stop is at The Summer House at Finchley Nurseries where home made cakes are on offer.

If you are coming on the walk - please make your selection and pre-order with me by phone: 0208 346 5503 or email mikegee1968@gmail.com. 

It would help us if you could bring the exact money on the day. We will collect money at the start of the walk and issue you with vouchers. Present the appropriate voucher at the lunch and tea stops. Be sure to look after your voucher as staff have been instructed only to issue food in exchange for the appropriate voucher. Please try and turn up at 11-45am or slightly earlier if you want to look round the clinic.

Let's hope for favourable weather on the day.

FUTURE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: 

Weds 27th April at 7-30pm, new slide show at North Middlesex Golf Club. 

Sunday 1st May at 12pm, Finchley to Friern Green Walk.
Sunday 26th Jun at 12pm, Literary walk part of Finchley Literary Festival

Full details will be sent out shortly.