Brent and Barnet councils have been slammed by residents of Dollis Hill who claim neither care the area will be blighted by Brent Cross regeneration plans.
Layout road proposals which are part of the £4.5bn regeneration project include a right turn into the residential Humber Road and closed access to the A5 from Oxgate Lane.
Residents say the proposals will cause gridlocks and rat runs seen recently while the Staples Corner A406 flyover was closed.
Alison Hopkins, of Dollis Hill Resident’s Association, said: “The proposed road layouts are an utter disaster for us here. Dollis Hill is directly adjacent to the development and will be more affected by these proposed road changes than any residential part of Barnet. This is unfair.
“This will simply encourage rat running and the use of our road to reach the A406. We already have significant problems with rat running in Dollis Hill and this will make it worse.
For the Brent Cross development to go ahead Barnet Council needs to compulsory purchase “vast swathes of land”. This was discussed at a public inquiry which ended this week.
The first two public inquiries took place in 2016.
Ms Hopkins, a former Liberal Democrat councillor for Dollis Hill, added: “Back in 2009 Brent opposed all this. It was actually unanimously opposed by Brent’s planning committee. Brent have gone utterly silent now. They have just rolled over and put their feet in the air. They care far more about Wembley and building tower blocks. They get no community levies from Brent Cross because the development is in Barnet. We are being neglected and ignored by both councils.”
A spokeswoman for Brent Council, said there were no plans to close Oxgate Lane adding: “Brent Council were consulted on proposals for Edgware Road and did not raise objections. To support residents, Brent Council’s officers are requiring that further measures are installed in Humber Road to deter its use as a through route, particularly by heavy goods vehicles, including traffic calming measures and width restrictions.”
She said the council was an “active consultee” who would “continue to work with Barnet Council and the developers to secure the best outcome possible in transport terms for local residents.”
A Barnet spokesman said residents were consulted in 2010 and 2014 and would continue to be consulted. He said: “The approved development does include a right turn from Edgware Road (A5) into Humber Road, This measure will help minimise the journey time for traffic travelling to premises in Dollis Hill via the A5.”
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