BACK TO BARNET | PROGRESS UPDATE MARCH 2024
Since our progress report at the end of last month, we have the following information for supporters by way of an update.

March has included initial meetings with key stakeholders.

Firstly, our Chairman met with the Principal at Ark Pioneer Academy, the neighbouring school at Underhill, to discuss the scheme. The meeting was more introductory than anything else and we hope to meet with them again soon to discuss more specific details which could be of benefit to the school and their pupils.

We also had a kick-off meeting with Barnet Council via Teams to discuss proposals to build a new stadium at Underhill and bring the Club back to the borough of Barnet.

We have suggested a series of pre-application meetings with the Council over a two-month period to discuss key technical matters, including:

Access and highways
Impact on the Green Belt and Very Special Circumstances case (including review of alternative sites)
Socio-economic benefits associated with the proposed development
Landscape/townscape visual impact
Environmental health / pollution (light, noise, air quality) issues

Other proposed engagements include meetings with the Environment Agency, Flood Risk Officers, Sport England, Open Space / Recreation Officers.

WSP have set out the structure of the pre-application process with the Council via a PPA (Planning Performance Agreement).

We now await feedback from Barnet Council.

We hope that we will receive the full support of the Council so that we can bring our incredible Club back to where it belongs and will update supporters again at the end of next month.

The Evening Standard says Barnet fans have thrown their support behind a growing campaign to help return the club to its home borough.
The Bees last month announced plans to build a new stadium just metres from their original Underhill ground, where they played until moving to The Hive in 2013.
But the plans were dealt a significant early blow after the local council said the project was “highly unlikely to be acceptable because it is on green belt land”.
A Crowdfunder campaign has now been launched by a group of supporters pushing the Bring Barnet Back movement. An initial £500 target was surpassed in a matter of minutes and £2,000 was raised within a day.