• I HAVE been concerned to see misinformation printed on Conservative election leaflets concerning the O2 Centre development on Finchley Road.

It’s been Labour councillors in the area who have been consistently working with me, as Camden & Barnet Assembly Member, to ensure that concerns about height, access to green space, the need for affordable housing and keeping a large, affordable supermarket, are heard.

I share many of the objections residents have raised and have raised issues such as height, density, and the need to improve Underground stations by adding step-free access, with the Greater London Authority and Transport for London.

Unlike the Conservative leaflets would lead one to believe, the O2 Centre is a private development proposal led by Land Securities.

It doesn’t have planning permission and I urge everyone in the area to share your views. Labour locally have successfully pushed for the public consultation to remain open for as long as possible.

Living in Barnet I have seen first-hand the Conservatives’ approach to new developments. Conservative-run Barnet has sadly become a free-for-all for developers.

In 2020 Barnet had 28 tall buildings in the pipeline for construction compared with just two in Camden. Labour-run Camden has protections in every part of the borough against tall buildings.

While Camden has pushed developers to deliver almost 2,000 genuinely affordable homes, Barnet’s Conservatives have been content to accept the bare minimum from developers. Barnet have lost hundreds of council homes because of reckless redevelopments and selling-off entire council housing estates.

Shamefully this has left families homeless in Barnet while Camden has built 500 new council homes and bought back 63 lost to “right-to-buy”.

We all know nationally the Tories are in the pocket of big developers. The Conservatives have received millions in donations from developers and face serious allegations of conflict of interests when cosying up to big developers.

Don’t believe the misleading attack lines put about by Boris Johnson’s Conservatives. But by all means do send in your thoughts and comments on the proposals to Camden.

ANNE CLARKE AM
Labour Assembly Member for Barnet & Camden