Up to £70,000 will be spent on setting up pop-up shops and community-led studios in North Finchley as part of an ongoing regeneration programme for the area.

The money will be spent on three vacant units in the Grand Arcade, which will be open for public use from January to December 2014.

One unit will be used for an “open studio” to encourage creativity and learning, where local designers can work on their projects.

The space will primarily be used as a workshop, as well as for exhibitions and lectures.

A second unit will be used to provide a community hub for people living in North Finchley, where they can host activities and promote community events.

The third unit will be used to promote entrepreneurship in the area, with a space for budding traders and artists to sell their wares on the ground level shop front.

There will also be a space for 'hot desking' and shared working space for local entrepreneurs on the first storey.

At a meeting this evening, Barnet's Cabinet resources committee approved the plans to award the grant to North Finchley Town Team, which is running the regeneration scheme.

The grant has been awarded as part of the Mayor of London’s Outer London Fund. Barnet secured a total of £1,074,060 for North Finchley town centre to pay for improvements to the area, which it must spend by 31 March next year.