On 8 June, I chaired a meeting organised by the Highgate Society to discuss Highgate School’s planning application.  Following the packed, standing room only meeting, I wrote this letter to Haringey Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Cllr Sarah Williams.  I am pleased to have now received her response, which you can also read below:

Cllr Sarah Williams
Cabinet Member for Planning
Haringey Council
225 River Park House
London N22 8HQ

9 June 2023
Our Ref: ZA16818

Dear Sarah,

Re: Highgate School Planning Application: Highgate Society Public Meeting, 8 June 2023

No doubt the Council will receive a lot of feedback regarding Highgate School’s mega planning application on Metropolitan Open Land to be realised over the next decade. I chaired a ‘standing room only’ feedback meeting with local residents last night, which was sponsored by the Highgate Society.
 
The Conservation Committee, led by Gail Waldman, laid out a compelling concern of potential detrimental impacts to the medieval character of the village, as she has written them up, I do not need to go into them in more detail.
 
The following points from the audience struck me in particular:
 
The lack of a rigorous environmental impact statement to address climate change. This includes the lack of protection of trees, no independent statement of the impact of the application on nature, or an assessment of the impact of the sheer mass of building on the fragile, boggy marsh like landscape around the playing fields prone to flooding.
 
In the building stage there is currently no independent assessment of best practice approaches to repurposing concrete, glass and brick to reduce waste and save on carbon footprint.
 
Southwood Lane element of the application-what protection will there be for Highgate Bowl, and views of Highgate Bowl from Southwood Lane, an area of special nature conservation
 
The lack of demonstrated consultation with children and young people, eg current students and alumni. Everyone in the room last night was over 55 years old except for a handful of attenders. In the end this is an application for a school!
 
I would be grateful if Haringey could please reply so that I can reassure my constituents that sufficient scrutiny has been carried out on this application.
 
Best wishes,
 
Catherine West
Member of Parliament for Hornsey & Wood Green

Click here to read the response I have now received.