A MEETING had to be cancelled after too many people turned up to discuss a proposed housing development in Cat Hill.

Residents and councillors from Enfield and Barnet turned out en mass to the meeting at De Bohun Primary School, in Green Road, Southgate, on Tuesday to voice their opinions on L&Q Housing Association’s proposed development in Chase Side. L&Q want to build 271 homes, including several six-storey blocks on the former Middlesex University campus site.

But residents opposed to the development are concerned that it will severely damage woodland and wildlife. “I have been here 54 years and it’s always been a sanctuary for birds and animals,” said Joan Chalkly, of nearby Mansfield Avenue, Barnet.

Campaigners also claim the new homes would put too much pressure on roads. “They say there’s a parking space for every dwelling,” said Dennis Tombs, also of Mansfield Avenue. “But we know that most properties have two cars, so Mansfield Avenue is going to become a car park.”

The meeting was a chance for residents to put their objections to L&Q and council officers before Enfield Council’s planning committee makes a decision on the plans at the end of next month.

Before the meeting around 50 campaigners gathered on Chase Side, behind a banner saying “No to Cat Hill Campus proposed development”.

The marched to the 7.30pm meeting but security guards told them they would not be allowed in as the hall was already full.

And while Enfield Council officers and the campaign leaders debated the next course of action, more a campaigners gathered in the car park to the 130 capacity hall.
Some of those looking forward to confronting L&Q cried foul play. “Don’t you think they should have got a bigger hall? They knew how many people were coming,” said Ms Chalkly. “We’re being sabotaged.”

East Barnet ward councillor Robert Rams criticised the authority for not anticipating amount the public interest in the meeting.

“We have had 800 letters against this development,” he said, “and the council book a hall for 130 people with no disabled access.”

Enfield councillor Martin Prescott, who was due to chair the panel, said: “We have never never never had of so many people turning up.

“We have made mistakes as a council and we should learn from that,” he said as he told those gathered in the hall that the meeting would be postponed.

Mrs Coleman said the council had made the right decision. “They wanted to go ahead with the meeting with the people who were there,” she said. “But I wasn’t prepared for that to happen.

“It was a sort of divide and conquer thing.”

L&Q have said they will provide for the additional parking needs and go to “significant lengths” to protect the woodland ecology on the Cat Hill site.