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184 stories from and about Barnet, mostly council & politics, local news, transport & tfl. The most recent ran on 28 October 2026. Page 1 of 10.
A man has died after a tree fell onto a vehicle in Finchley. The incident occurred on Nether Street, which was subsequently closed between Abercorn Road and Crescent Road. Emergency services attended the scene.
Faisal Razzaq, previously convicted of manslaughter for the killing of PC Sharon Beshenivsky, has received a life sentence with a minimum of eight years for his involvement in a firearms conspiracy. He supplied weapons to gangs across London.
Residents in Barnet can obtain 'No Trick or Treat' posters from the Broad Green Safer Neighbourhood Team. The initiative aims to help households that prefer not to be disturbed during Halloween activities indicate their wishes.
An increasing number of state schools are extending the October half term to two weeks, creating childcare challenges for parents and a potential postcode lottery. Academies, independent of local authorities, are leading this shift, with some councils shortening summer holidays to accommodate the change.
Barnet Council approved an extra £3.5 million for substance‑misuse services at its October 12 cabinet meeting. The funding, sourced from the Department of Health and Social Care via OHID, will run from 2026/27 to 2028/29 and will be delivered through an enhanced contract with charity Change Grow Live, extending support for rough sleepers, women, young people and others.
Edgware & Hendon Reform Synagogue (EHRS) has appointed Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers as its new Senior Rabbi. She will take over the leadership role from Rabbi Mark Goldsmith on 1st May 2027, having previously served the Stonegrove-based congregation.
Jignesh Patel, owner of Wise Pharmacy in Angel Edmonton, and Rahil Patel have been sentenced to six years in prison for a £1.3 million NHS prescription fraud. The pair used 1,639 false prescriptions to obtain high-cost drugs between 2015 and 2017.
Dozens of families are demanding answers after a former nursery worker, jailed for 56 sexual offences, was allowed to return to his role following a 2021 complaint that was not reported to the police. An independent review is expected in 2027.
Noah's Ark Children's Hospice has successfully raised £1.27 million through its 'From That Moment' fundraising campaign. The total exceeded the initial £1 million target and will support specialist care for seriously ill children across north and central London and Hertsmere.
More than 50 families are calling for an independent review into how nursery worker Vincent Chan was cleared to return to his job at a Finchley Road nursery after a 2021 complaint. Chan later filmed himself abusing three-year-old girls.
Laura Johnson, who led housing at Kensington and Chelsea during the Grenfell Tower fire, is no longer employed by The Barnet Group. Her appointment had drawn strong condemnation from Grenfell survivors.
Laura Johnson, who oversaw cost-cutting measures at Grenfell Tower before the fatal fire, has left her senior role at The Barnet Group. Her appointment had drawn criticism from survivors and local representatives.
Barnet Council's reform plan for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has been approved by the government. The plan aims for an inclusive system, with 8,300 SEND pupils currently in the borough.
A crime scene has been established on Turnant Road in Barnet following a police-led incident. The road has been cordoned off, with further details about the nature of the incident yet to be released by authorities.
Barnet Council's Financial Sustainability Plan projects an additional £70 million in council tax revenue annually for three years. However, the plan, which aims to generate £200 million in financial benefits by 2029/30, does not detail how this will be achieved through service reductions or asset sales.
Barnet Council leader Barry Rawlings has spoken out on the third anniversary of the October 7th attacks, noting their profound impact on the borough. He cited a rise in antisemitic hate and abuse and pledged to keep Barnet safe for all communities.
Barnet Council plans to create two new assistant director positions, costing at least £200,000 annually. These roles are intended to help manage the council's significant budget deficit and improve financial sustainability.
A 56-year-old man has been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after a Metropolitan Police officer was stabbed in the leg. The incident occurred during a warrant execution in Cockfosters on Tuesday, September 29th. The officer is expected to recover.
Barnet Council depot workers are closer to industrial action over holiday pay back payments after rejecting a second offer from the council. Unison Barnet has set a deadline of October 9 for a better proposal.
A police officer sustained a leg injury during a dawn raid in Cockfosters as part of a large-scale investigation into an organised crime group. The operation led to 17 arrests across London and surrounding counties, involving over 800 officers.
Borough-wide and national stories that name Barnet or bear directly on it.
Barnet Council indicated that, amid a £200 million shortfall, weekly waste collection could shift to every two weeks. The proposal emerged from a question‑and‑answer session and may be finalised within the next twelve months, affecting households across the borough.
Zoopla’s latest index reveals that more than a third of UK homes sit in postcodes where values fell last year, a share that has risen from 12% a year ago. In London, 85% of properties are in such areas, putting pressure on sellers in Barnet and the wider capital.
London boroughs, including Barnet, are paying £5.5 million a day for temporary accommodation for homeless families. The G15 landlords want 25% of stamp‑duty revenue, about £1.3 billion a year, for permanent social housing. The Chancellor is expected to raise the Help to Buy income cap to £140,000 in the capital.
A high PCR positivity rate reported in Islington is not a reliable indicator of COVID-19 prevalence due to low testing volumes, the council has stated. While cases have risen, they are similar to last year's autumn figures.
Storm Austen will bring strong winds and heavy rain to east London on 22‑23 October 2026. James Roe, founder of UK Roofing Specialist, advises residents to check roofs from ground level, clear gutters, secure outdoor items and document any damage for insurers.
A High Court judge has thrown out claims totalling about £340 million brought by London black‑cab drivers and two former private‑hire firms, stating the actions were time‑barred. Uber welcomed the decision, while claimants consider their next steps.
The Met Office said London will feel no warmer than 12 °C on Saturday and 11 °C on Sunday, with a high of 21 °C recorded on Thursday. Unsettled, wet and windy conditions are expected through October, driven by a powerful El Niño.
Southwark recorded the highest number of burglaries in London in September 2026, with 224 incidents. This is almost six times the 39 recorded in Kingston upon Thames. Across the capital, 3,829 burglaries were logged, a 3.9% decrease over the previous 12 months. Five boroughs shared the highest burglary rate per capita.
Palantir withdrew its High Court action after the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime refused a £50 million contract. The Metropolitan Police now faces a 1,150‑post reduction, with half of those cuts expected to be carried out by AI tools, a change that could affect policing services across Barnet and the wider capital.
On 30 September 2026 London experienced a tropical night with temperatures staying above 20 °C, including a Met Office reading of 21.8 °C at 2 am. BBC Weather then forecast thunderstorms for 9 am to 10 am, prompting travel warnings for commuters.
London will reach 27°C on Tuesday, bringing an unusually warm night of 19°C for Barnet. Rain is expected Wednesday morning with possible heavy showers later. Temperatures will stay above average through the week, the Met Office says.
London Stadium LLP, owned by the GLA, has asked Newham Council to lift its limit on concerts from ten to twenty‑four a year. Assembly member Bassam Mahfouz has called on Mayor Sadiq Khan to sell the venue to West Ham United, citing a £19 million annual deficit and a £2.5 million rent arrangement that he says harms the public purse.
Developers in London are increasingly avoiding leasehold properties, opting for Build to Rent, co-living, and student accommodation instead. This shift, driven by affordability issues and market stagnation, is changing the landscape of new housing developments across the capital.
Transport for London has launched an eight‑week public consultation on the West London Orbital, a proposed Overground service linking Hendon and Hounslow via the Dudding Hill line. The consultation ends on 18 November, with costs estimated between £810m and £1.2bn and benefits including 11,500 jobs and 25,000 homes.
Residents of Fitzrovia and the Warren Street area have measured tube noise of 50 to 51 decibels inside their homes. TfL announced autumn interventions, including delayed rail‑grinding work, after Assembly Member Anne Clarke highlighted the issue.
The Met Office forecasts a peak temperature of 25 °C in London on Tuesday, outpacing Athens’ 23 °C. Six days of near‑continuous sunshine are expected, followed by a shift to rainier, windier weather in October.
The Mayor of London launched a Disability Action Plan on 14 September 2026, targeting 1.2 million Deaf and Disabled residents. While it promises improvements in transport, housing and safety, the Metropolitan Police recorded 2,245 disability‑hate incidents since 2022 and critics argue the plan falls short of needed ambition.
The Standard reports that five of eight Home Counties police areas posted weapons possession rates above London’s average in the 2026 residential crime risk study. Sussex leads at 1.41 per 1,000, while Bedfordshire saw the sharpest year‑on‑year rise and Thames Valley Police recorded a notable decline.
BBC forecasters say London will not see a heatwave in September, with Met Office temperatures forecast between 24 °C and 19 °C. Thames Water’s hosepipe ban, issued on 23 July, remains active for Barnet, and the Environment Agency warns the drought will persist until nationwide rainfall resumes.
Local authorities have removed 3,393 dockless e‑bikes across London in 2026, a 23% increase on the previous year. Lime operators account for over 2,000 of those bikes. The RNIB says the growing clutter endangers blind and partially sighted people, prompting calls for city‑wide regulation.
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