Brent Cross Regeneration Project: What do you think?

Developers hope Brent Cross Shopping Centre, in Hendon, will be become the biggest in Europe - but many feel poor transport links make it the wrong place for such a scheme.

Others are heartbroken at plans to concrete over the Cricklewood Green Space, which they say is a “lung” against pollution in the area.

On Thursday night, Barnet Borough Council’s planning committee approved the plans with a majority of 6:4.

Aime Williams took to the streets to find out what you think.

Sarah Prosser, 50: ‘It doesn’t need regeneration’

“I used to live down the road from here and would come here a lot. This is convenient and there are some good shops. It doesn’t particularly seem like it’s needing a regeneration, but people want regeneration in their area, of course.”

Tom Hackley, 27: ‘People don’t like change - but it will be wonderful.’

"Regeneration is a good thing. It’s amazing that this is happening. All that financial investment and money coming into the area will be really fantastic. It’s good for the infrastructure. There will always be naysayers, people don’t like change, but it’ll be wonderful to have such a great shopping centre in north west London."

Marek Rzefa, 28: ‘People want to see something different’

“I’ve heard that the whole area will be improved, so it’ll be a lot better. Hopefully it’ll change the Brent Cross customers because at the moment people have been living here with this shopping centre a long time and they want to see something different. This will bring in fresh customers from the area. The people who live here need to see some change.”

Stanley Weiner, 82: ‘I understand the importance of expanding the shopping centre’

“I’ve been in retail all my life. I had my own shop, so I understand the importance of expanding the shopping centre. I remember when this site was the Hendon greyhound track! I’d like to see lots more shops. It’s great that it’s happening and it’s good for the area.”

Cricklewood Green Space

Gemma Bailey, 33, Newton Road: ‘It would be nice to see it used more’

“It’s not exactly the most appealing of spaces but putting some buildings on it isn’t exactly going to improve the area. I’d rather it were preserved as a green space but it would be nice to see it used more.”

Holly Martin, 17, West Croft Close: ‘It’s meant to be a community place’

“Sometimes I see children here and people walking their dogs. It’s a community place, it’s meant as a place for the community to come.

“Building shops would defeat the object. I walk past here every day and see a lot of people relaxing in Summer. They’d be better off doing it up.”

Terry McGuinness, 55, Highland Avenue: ‘Children play here’

“It would be a shame to lose the space as a lot of little children play over there in the summer. When you look around it’s the only bit of green here.”

Danielle Fahy, 21, Littlefield Street: ‘I always see drunk people on the green’

“The only people I’ve seen over there are people drinking. Why would parents want their children playing around that? It would be nice to see something other than drunks drinking on the green.”

Galina Atahansova, 29: ‘Regeneration will be a good thing’

“I think a regeneration will be much better for the area. Now there’s just four trees there, but they say it will have one-hundred trees after all the building work has finished. I think it will be better for people. Too many people are sitting here drinking - we sometimes have to call the police about them.”

Kurtulus Karakus, 33: ‘The development will bring new customers’

“People sit on the green space and get drunk and smoke - they give us a hard time. The development will bring in new customers. It’ll be better for us and really good for the area.”

Teresa Walden, Brent Cross management team, also told the Times Series: “We’re really delighted. It’ll really help with the regeneration of the area and provide so many more jobs.”

What do you think? Vote in our online poll: