I was surprised to see that now we have approval for the new town at Brent Cross Cricklewood, Jonathan Joseph was talking last week about “engagement with the public to ensure everyone is fully informed” (‘Brent Cross scheme approved by council’, Times Series, November 4).

But that’s too little, too late.

People do not want to be informed by the developers, they want to have a real say in the future of north London.

In order to accommodate an extra ten million car journeys a year from the new town, the planning gain money is to be spent on roadworks which will still gridlock the North Circular A41 and A5 permanently.

Plus, his promised extra buses will be stuck in the gridlock.

The strain on the already overcrowded Northern Line will make it creak.

There will be an extra 27,000 office workers travelling to and from the new business district.

The residents of the 7,500 new tower block flats need to get to work, school, and have a social life.

The Northern Line is going to resemble the Tokyo metro, with people standing up packed like sardines and guards needed to push people on.

Why are north Londoners not getting an extra tube or overground station like the developments at Westfield, Stratford and Imperial Wharf?

I am willing to bet if your readers had been “informed” of the alternative, they would have jumped at it. The planning gain money could have financed the first section of an orbital North West London Light Railway, similar to Docklands and relatively inexpensive. It would have four or five bus-style stops in the new town and shopping centre and would also link the two branches of the Northern Line and the Jubilee Line.

What a lost opportunity to improve the quality of life for north London.

A condition was added at the planning meeting that discussion over the light rail option should be kept open, but residents are going to have to fight hard for it as part of the “engagement” process.

Lia Colacicco, St Gabriels Road, Cricklewood