Monstrous carbuncle

Mr Mustard is a fan of Waitrose, he is delighted that they are at the end of his road, rather than one of the monster supermarket chains.

Mr Mustard is not though a fan of over-development and ugly rectangular blocks being plonked on buildings in a way that is completely out of keeping with aesthetic feeling.

You can make your view known by emailing Ms Josleen Chug (this application isn't her fault, she just has to process it) quoting reference B/04779/12. You might find it useful to take a look beforehand at all the papers lodged on the planning portal, here. You can also add your comments on-line if you prefer.

Mr Mustard's neighbour recalls a previous attempt to build on this open space and demolish the bandstand, which isn't just used for bands but also for children's talent competition, Peppa Pig, a free cycle repair surgery, sale of Xmas trees and so on. That application was seen off, let's stop this one. Waitrose already stocks all the food you can eat and the store is fine as it is.

update:
Mr Mustard would like to add that the planning application is actually being made by UBS as they currently own the Spires which is up for sale and would be worth more with a larger supermarket paying a greater rent which will doubtless all have been arranged with Waitrose in advance.

update 18 January 2012

Mr Mustard is the new boy in all things Barnet (despite working here for 25+ years) and is closely read by many residents who are passionate about their area and if they disagree with somethign they tell him, which he likes. So here goes with another resident's view of Waitrose, not a fluffy view at all -

Just read your blog about Waitrose. You say you like Waitrose. I boycott it and here's why

They pretend to be holier than thou, ethically minded.....

Several years ago they proposed to build a huge store opposite East Finchley Tube Station. Oh, you might say, but there's a park and a row of shops and a street of houses there so they can't build a store. Ah!

 
WRONG! Waitrose wanted to knock down the row of shops and a street of houses and GLH taxis and Park House (which was an empty building previously used by Barnet Social Services). but no-one wanted to move and Waitrose needed a compulsory purchase order to get them nice and cheap and bulldoze them to make way for their store. To get a CPO you have to be providing a community asset. So they declared that they would put a library on the First Floor of their new store. East Finchley has a lovely library. It is a listed building.There it is, in the heart of the community, next to Martins Primary School, (a community school). It was built there so as to be next to the school. Holy Trinity School and Oak Lodge Special School nearby. All these schools have trips to the library every week. No-one wanted a library on top of a supermarket, down by the tube station. By the time they had crossed 30 children over 8 roads to reach the library it would be time to set off back.

 
A campaign group formed WOW (War on Waitrose). A meeting was held in All Saints Church. It was standing room only.

Letters of protest to Waitrose came back with a cowardly, standard letter, basically saying, oh no, it's not us doing this, it's a developer, take it up with them!!! As if the developer wasn't working under orders from Waitrose. Hiding behind the developer just got people's backs up even more.

So we marched,hundreds of us, from the library to the park. We got ourselves on the tele. The Chair of Governors of Martins School was interviewed by the BBC. Waitrose backed off. I have never shopped in a Waitrose since.

They wanted the store there to attract Highgate and Hampstead customers.

They didn't give a monkeys about the fact that it would have destroyed our lovely High Road. The local shops we all love so much would not have survived. The park would have become a polluted, noisy hell hole. And they had shown that they had no morals, no social conscience. Their glossy cuddly "aren't we ethical" image is a facade.

 
So don't believe for one minute that it is the owner of The Spires idea to expand your Waitrose. Waitrose will be behind it, trust me.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard