Barnet now has a Public Spaces Protection Order in place until 2025, so no fires/fireworks/open flames or BBQ's may be used on any site.

Friends of Finchley Way does not organise events other than work parties to develop and maintain the site. If you wish to hold an event on the site, you need to apply to the landowner for permission. Barnet Council is the landowner. You can find out more at: Events in Barnet

The site is owned by the London Borough of Barnet. The Friends of Finchley Way Open Space can help with some questions but ultimately we work within their guidelines and with their agreement.

There are 2 benches on the Field, 3 benches in the orchard and 2 places to perch in the Copse.

Many organisations are getting rid of bins and encouraging people to take their litter home. This prevents overspill when foxes or squirrels pull waste out or when people leave their litter round an already full bin. Collecting rubbish is a cost to the Council that ultimately we all pay for.

There are no bins on site. There is one bin outside the Finchley Way entrance but this gets very full and overflows during the summer. Please take your rubbish and doggy litter home.

The building was built in 1912 with 12 flats. It was built to look like a manor house but it has always been flats. It was part of the communal living experiment. See the history section here History

The trustees have considered the provision of access for wheelchair users and others with mobility issues. The trustees agreed that to change the paths in the Copse and Orchard from the current woodchip to type one paths suitable for wheelchairs would fundamentally change the nature and atmosphere of these areas. Consultation with disabled Friends also found that the site is not big enough and access from Hamilton Way too steep and uneven, to make the effort of getting to the site for wheelchair users worthwhile.

This is to stop people being able to drive in. Also, when the police were consulted at the beginning of this project, they preferred all entrances to be on one side. There is no gate in Penstemon Close for similar reasons but also because this is private land.

There is no water feature or pond on the site for health and safety reasons.

There are apple trees and blackberry bushes on the site and people are free to pick these and to take the windfalls. Other food is for insects and animals as our primary objective is to diversify the wildlife on the site. There are no plans to grow other food for human consumption.

Some of the mounds are Thanet sand, others are chipped ceramic. These are ideal materials for growing wildflowers as wildflowers need poor soil. These materials also hold water well, so they don’t need to be watered. The wicker fence will protect the wildflowers while they get established.

One of the objectives of the charity is to increase biodiversity on the site. In order to do that it is necessary to diversify the planting so that the site supports a wider range of wildlife. Cultivated plants and non-native plants are less good at supporting native wildlife.

No. Dead trees are great habitat for all sorts of wildlife including fungi. The trees are inspected by the Tree Department and the tree officer for this area is responsive to queries from the trustees. If we are concerned about any tree we can ask for it to be removed. If the tree is small enough volunteers can remove it.

No. The trustees have had long discussions and asked Barnet’s Tree Department for advice on whether or not the ivy is a problem. Ivy is good habitat for some wildlife. It doesn’t harm the tree and will only pull down a tree if it is already weakened. We have therefore left the ivy on many of the trees. The trees are inspected by the Tree Department and the tree officer for this area is responsive to queries from the Trustees.