We have been lobbying for the council to allow residents observing council meetings to film them or use Twitter to share information with others who could not attend. Until now, Barnet council has taken an extremely bureaucratic line on this, citing out of date regulations that took no account of people's expecations of greater transparency or of advances in technology. At the cabinet meeting on 14 February, residents in the gallery were warned off

The alarming news that legionella bacteria have been found in two Barnet care homes run by Fremantle, Apthorp Lodge and Dell Field Court, has prompted Barnet Unison to call for a public inquiry. Read more details here, including the questions that they think any inqiury should explore. Barnet care homes were handed to Fremantle a few years ago. Shortly after, the staff had their pay and conditions of service drastically cut. If this is the future

Visit http://www.dino.co.uk/blogbox/random/barnet_cpz_facts.pdf or click on the image. [caption id="attachment_475" align="alignnone" width="724" caption="Get the facts on Barnet CPZ - from www.dino.co.uk"][/caption]

On Tuesday 1 March, Barnet council meets to rubber-stamp its budget cuts - £54.4 million 'savings' over three years. Anti-cuts campaigners will protest outside Hendon Town Hall, the Burroughs from 6pm. The public are admitted as observers of the meeting, which starts at 7pm. We will be leafleting around Barnet to build for the lobby - let us know if you would like flyers for neighbours, friends, colleagues. You can also download the excellent flyers

The future of Avenue House in Finchley as a resource for the community is under threat. A report in the local Times newspaper gives some more detail. A public meeting will be held on Thursday 24 February, at 7pm in the Drawing Room, Avenue House to discuss the issues.

Dr and Mr Linton; in the background, residents during the adjournment at Barnet council cabinet meeting   Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) charges across Barnet are to be increased from 1st April 2011. A residents’ car permit will increase from £42 per year to £100 (for the first car). Visitors’ vouchers are to increase from £1 each to £4 each. The impact will be severe. For example, any CPZ resident that has a daily child-minder or carer

The best place to read about the goings on at the Barnet council Cabinet meeting on 14 February 2011, when they approved their £54.4 million cuts package, is in these eyewitness accounts from Barnet bloggers: Broken Barnet ~ Barnet Eye ~ vickim57 The decision has to be ratified at the council meeting on Tuesday 1 March. Join us from 6pm outside Hendon Town Hall for a lobby, and then inside in the public gallery from 7pm. The picture below  is

Protest against budget cuts, Hendon Town Hall, the Burroughs, London NW4 on Monday 14 February From 6pm outside; then from 7pm inside the Town Hall, as Barnet council's Cabinet discuss: - £54.4 million 'savings' package, including abolition of youth services, cutting crossing wardens, closing Church Farmhouse Museum and Barnet Museum - reducing children's centres from 21 to 13 (or fewer) - raising 'revenue income' through higher parking charges

By education workers It is already well known that cuts to education funding will result in massive increases in university tuition fees, cuts to the Educational Maintenance Grant (EMA), and an effective privatisation programme for many schools under the academies and ‘free school’ plans. Government ministers insist that their plans are fair and will not harm the less well off but this is clearly not the case. Cutting EMA alone will make it either

There's a lot of great coverage of the Barnet march on 30 January. See here: Barnet Press Times series ITV news report