Chipping Barnet Town Team is made up of the 5 main community groups in town plus Barnet College, a local Councillor, a senior council official and other stakeholders. The groups worked with the Council in 2009/11 to produce a Town Centre Strategy with an action plan. We have since undertaken projects to fulfil these committments including: the redesign of the church garden (now the Town Gateway), the first phase of the greening of the High Street, renovatkion of local independant traders' shopfronts, the monthly Barnet Teenage Market, and ongoing proposals for pavement buildouts along the High Street. We have had some successes since our founding and are growing in confidence and skill.
We have a vision for Chipping Barnet as an aspirational retail destination and community space. It is an old market town and has many positives.
- Green spaces around the town
- Many attractive old buildings some of which are protected in conservation areas
- An ancient stall market once the hub of the town.
Sadly the Hiigh Street has lost its identity, especially since 2008, with a high vacancy rate, high churn and a plethora of charity shops. It is not sufficiently attractive to new retailers. We are trying to work with existing traders, landlords and borough officers to encourage the High Street to return to being seen as an enthusiastic and attcative destination for local residents and visitors alike. This project will provide an exemplar of what can be done.
