The Barnet planning equivalent of the case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce has taken a new twist. Jarndyce and Jarndyce is the fictitious case in Charles Dickens “Bleak House”, a case which had ground its way through the courts for generations.

Foley Court is a seven storey block of flats in Nether Street. The problem is that it had planning permission for only six stories. In a rare (in those days) show of strength The Council took out enforcement for the removal of the seventh floor. This was back in 1988.

The free holders of the Block of which I believe there have been many have tried every means at their disposal to avoid complying with the enforcement. Appeal followed appeal, the High Court was involved, new planning application after new planning applications have been submitted and refused.

I even recall a last minute plea to a Full Council meeting (how unusual is that) for the Council to show mercy because the owner was seriously ill or was he in prison? It is so long ago my memory may be faulty. But it worked. We Councillors are a soft lot really.

Well the latest application to be refused by the Council has just been determined by the Planning Inspector .Predictably it was refused. The inspector had some harsh words. The Inspector refers to the abuse of the planning system.

And, in an unusual move the Planning Inspector awarded costs in favour of the Council, basically saying the applicant had been unreasonable in submitting yet another planning application to retain the seventh floor. Will the Council now order in the bulldozers or perhaps the ball and chain? I’m not giving any odds.

Meanwhile yesterday evening another Finchley and Golders Green Planning sub Committee ground its way through to 9pm. The meeting took place in the newly refurbished Council Chamber. Apparently none of the public could follow what was going on so nothing new there.

The public gallery was packed for the first item. This was an application for an extension to the North Finchley Mosque. The supporters had turned up in force. There were many letters of objections on file. To my mind someone had whipped up opposition. Why do applications for places of worship cause such consternation with some of our residents?

In any event the Committee had no problem in giving the application the thumbs up .As the public Gallery started to empty the Committee Chairman sort of waved and suggested they should “thank the almighty”. This was all in good humour I should add. My own view for what it is worth is the Almighty can safely leave thing in the hands of the Committee