Barnet Council, U+I and Joseph Partners sign ground-breaking partnership to explore the potential to renew North Finchley High Road

U+I is a specialist regeneration developer, with a focus on genuine collaboration, with the public sector and local communities. Joseph Partners is also a seasoned urban developer and has pioneered a new, bold approach to reviving high streets.

It is no secret that high streets across the country have struggled in the face of online shopping and a challenging economic environment. The driving force behind the partnership is to bring the ambitions, experiences and resources of the three organisations, together with local residents and businesses, to explore the best way to create a thriving and successful high street and town centre for North Finchley.

The partnership will now move into an active period of community engagement –talking and listening to local people and businesses to understand what they want from their High Street and how the partnership might make that change happen. 

There will also be a formal ‘North Finchley Partnership Board’ established, made up of representatives from the local community, local councillors and local businesses, to act as an advisory and scrutiny panel as this process evolves and develops.  The Panel will be chaired by Barnet Councillor, Gabriel Rozenberg, and recruitment to the panel will start later this summer and run alongside the first consultation events.

Speaking about the formation of the Partnership, Councillor Daniel Thomas, Leader of Barnet Council said:“We are absolutely committed to supporting our high streets in these challenging times,  to ensure they are the heart and soul of community life in Barnet.  At North Finchley, we have already adopted an SPD, supported throughout on a cross-party basis, and I am delighted to welcome U+I and Joseph Partners, who I know are both committed to genuine engagement with local communities.

“This is a hugely exciting opportunity and I do hope local people will become engaged in this process once the first engagement events are announced.  I can also confirm that we will establish a North Finchley Partnership Board to properly empower and represent the community as the plans develop and my thanks go to Cllr Gabriel Rozenberg, who I know will be a strong and effective Chair.”

Councillor Gabriel Rozenberg, Chair of the North Finchley Partnership Board, said: “North Finchley is a fantastic neighbourhood and its high street is a vibrant and much-loved part of Barnet. I’m looking forward to working with North Finchley residents to get this regeneration right, and to help build a town centre that’s fit for the next decade and beyond.”

Matthew Weiner, Chief Executive Officer, U+I said:“Too often local communities are involved in development decisions once everything is largely agreed between the developer and the Council.  This will not be the case at North Finchley.  We want to ensure that we embed the wants and aspirations of local people right from the very beginning and for that engagement to be genuine and authentic.

“Later this summer we will therefore announce the start of a programme of consultation which will run throughout 2019 and give residents, shoppers, traders, businesses, occupiers and all those with an interest in the success of the High Street a voice. This bolsters our existing PPP commitments at U+I and the establishment of our own community challenge panel.”

 Jonathan Joseph, founder of Joseph Partners said:“I am thrilled that we have such a strong partner in U+I and that we can now move into the research and consultation phase. 

“I passionately believe that, working together with Council and local people, we can help shape a bright future for North Finchley High Road so that it meets the challenges faced by town centres up and down the country.

“As someone who has lived and worked around Barnet much of my working life and knows the area very well, I also looking forward to meeting and talking with local people personally to make sure we really understand the desires of traders and local people  so that the  plans which emerge genuinely work for them.”

U+I is a specialist regeneration developer, with a focus on genuine collaboration, with the public sector and local communities. Joseph Partners is also a seasoned urban developer and has pioneered a new, bold approach to reviving high streets.

It is no secret that high streets across the country have struggled in the face of online shopping and a challenging economic environment. The driving force behind the partnership is to bring the ambitions, experiences and resources of the three organisations, together with local residents and businesses, to explore the best way to create a thriving and successful high street and town centre for North Finchley.

The partnership will now move into an active period of community engagement –talking and listening to local people and businesses to understand what they want from their High Street and how the partnership might make that change happen. 

There will also be a formal ‘North Finchley Partnership Board’ established, made up of representatives from the local community, local councillors and local businesses, to act as an advisory and scrutiny panel as this process evolves and develops.  The Panel will be chaired by Barnet Councillor, Gabriel Rozenberg, and recruitment to the panel will start later this summer and run alongside the first consultation events.

Speaking about the formation of the Partnership, Councillor Daniel Thomas, Leader of Barnet Council said:“We are absolutely committed to supporting our high streets in these challenging times,  to ensure they are the heart and soul of community life in Barnet.  At North Finchley, we have already adopted an SPD, supported throughout on a cross-party basis, and I am delighted to welcome U+I and Joseph Partners, who I know are both committed to genuine engagement with local communities.

“This is a hugely exciting opportunity and I do hope local people will become engaged in this process once the first engagement events are announced.  I can also confirm that we will establish a North Finchley Partnership Board to properly empower and represent the community as the plans develop and my thanks go to Cllr Gabriel Rozenberg, who I know will be a strong and effective Chair.”

Councillor Gabriel Rozenberg, Chair of the North Finchley Partnership Board, said: “North Finchley is a fantastic neighbourhood and its high street is a vibrant and much-loved part of Barnet. I’m looking forward to working with North Finchley residents to get this regeneration right, and to help build a town centre that’s fit for the next decade and beyond.”

Matthew Weiner, Chief Executive Officer, U+I said:“Too often local communities are involved in development decisions once everything is largely agreed between the developer and the Council.  This will not be the case at North Finchley.  We want to ensure that we embed the wants and aspirations of local people right from the very beginning and for that engagement to be genuine and authentic.

“Later this summer we will therefore announce the start of a programme of consultation which will run throughout 2019 and give residents, shoppers, traders, businesses, occupiers and all those with an interest in the success of the High Street a voice. This bolsters our existing PPP commitments at U+I and the establishment of our own community challenge panel.”

 Jonathan Joseph, founder of Joseph Partners said:“I am thrilled that we have such a strong partner in U+I and that we can now move into the research and consultation phase. 

“I passionately believe that, working together with Council and local people, we can help shape a bright future for North Finchley High Road so that it meets the challenges faced by town centres up and down the country.

“As someone who has lived and worked around Barnet much of my working life and knows the area very well, I also looking forward to meeting and talking with local people personally to make sure we really understand the desires of traders and local people  so that the  plans which emerge genuinely work for them.”