It’s many years since the establishment opened – and during this period we have made objections to the Council, along with others, without any obvious success, because we believe planning permission is required. We decided to send a ‘letter of concern’ to the Council on the 8th October 2010 – which was immediately put into the Council’s ‘Complaints Procedure’. As we received no satisfactory reply to our letter we took the Complaints Procedure to ‘Level 2’ with a further letter of concern dated the 8th November 2010. The Council served an Enforcement Notice on 5th November which was due to take effect on the 10th December 2010 unless an appeal was made against it beforehand. The owners of the Farm have appealed against the Council’s enforcement notice and comments needed to be submitted by 26th January 2011 to the Inspector. The Inspector concluded that the children’s farm use and associated development was inappropriate in the Green Belt, is harmful to the character and appearance of this part of the Mill Hill Conservation Area and causes noise and disturbance to neighbouring residential occupiers. The position now is the requirements of the notice: the cessation of the children’s farm and ancillary cafe use and the demolition and removal of the fences, animal and bird enclosures are required to be carried out by 27th March 2012, but on this date the facility seemed to be still in full swing in spite of the closure notice. A further application has been made to relocate the Children’s Farm and ancillary uses into the existing Riding School building further down the valley. The Riding School is also in the Green Belt. The Society has objected to both applications. The office of the Mayor of London has commented that the proposals as they stand do not meet the London Plan. In December 2012 the proposal to relocate the children’s farm deeper into the Totteridge Valley was passed by the local authority, and the The Mayor of London raised no objections. The approval relates to the re-location of the Children’s Farm, not for it to stay on the existing site. 
Recently a planning application has been made utilising existing buildings to provide a 5 bedroom bungalow in the Green Belt.  However the application for the bungalow in the converted stable building to be vacated when the children’s farm is relocated was refused (Jan 2013). The applicant has Appealed against the refusal which will be processed through written representations. MHPS objected. The Inspector has allowed the Appeal so the bungalow scheme can go ahead when the Children’s Farm is relocated. Subsequently there has been an application to extend the hours of opening, which has been refused, and is now the subject of an Appeal to which the Society has further objected. MHPS heard this week, 26th June 2014, that the appeal had been dismissed.

Currently there is an application with the LBB for a new nursery school on the site for 100 children, to be constructed in similar style to the bungalow that has approval (H/04537/14). The application is described as – Demolition of existing ancillary buildings and erection of single storey buildings and associated changes to landscaping. (Amended Description). Belmont Farm The Ridgeway London NW7 1QT. (Application number 17/1982/FUL). The school is a non-conforming use in the Green Belt, and we see no ‘very special circumstances’ that would be relevant to the NPPF. The proposal is also in the Conservation Area and the increase in traffic will be an issue, as The Ridgeway already suffers from traffic congestion caused by the many schools along it’s length. The Society will be objecting.

The scheme was approved by the Planning Committee 30th March 2017 but the Council Webside is showing that the planning decision was issued 5th December 2017. Approval of details of conditions was applied for – see 18/0601/CON  Approved March 2018 and  – 18/0471/CON  that receved a Split Decision August 2018: some elements of this application were passed and others refused – for details see LBB planning portal.