Maria's story

“The Women’s Design Service established the Barnet’s Women’s Design Group up about a year ago. I thought it was a good idea to get involved.

Women haven’t had the opportunity to engage properly with the planning process – we’re never asked as a group how developments affect us. It’s not inclusive and it’s always been a male orientated area. The average housewife or female office worker who needs to take their children to school or go to the hospital, for example, nobody has consulted her to ask her how she would get her children to school, how would you like your local park, can you get around in a double buggy?

We want to raise awareness and have an input into the planning process for large-scale projects. We meet regularly to tackle any planning developments that are coming up that concern the wider community such as those to do with health or regeneration.

We have taken training courses which have been very helpful. Anything that can enable us to become more assertive, better informed and help us access funding is beneficial.

The Brent Cross Regeneration Scheme is a big planning application that we’ve submitted a response to and organised meetings to discuss. We have raised a long list of concerns about the design of the scheme, access and public transport.

I am proud to be a member of the Group because it has transformed me from being a lone voice in planning issues over the years in Barnet to being an accountable and recognisable joint voice of the Group, which benefits not only women but everybody who lives, works and visits Barnet. I think as a group we get more recognition than if it’s an individual making a point. It has some power – that’s a step forward.”

 

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The aim of the Women's Design Service is to increase the number of women who get involved in planning and policy development – currently few women do. Women's Design Groups train women so that they can contribute to planning and policy at borough and pan-London levels. Women's Design Groups also raise awareness and knowledge about the planning system. London Councils has provided the Women's Design Service with £160,000 to set up groups in half of London's boroughs