Barnet Council Reviews 127

I called this morning to resolve a problem for duble charge on cuncil tax .39 min on waiting for call to be responded then call is been answered by agent saying that I have to wait to be transferred another agent. Second call waiting 17 minutes waiting time to be responded agent responded and said same I have to wait to connected with another agent.

Update !
Yesterday I managed to get to speak with someone at the Council - it did take a while to find the right number /department. And I spoke to a chap called Joe in Colindale who said he'd escalate the repair. Amazingly at 1.15pm today workmen came to replace the pavement slabs!! Thank you Joe! You're a star!
I recently reported three areas of pavements that have issues - 2 just lumpy due to tree roots and the 3rd very serious broken slabs with damage and uplift and movement. This is in Sylvan Avenue Mill Hill.
The Council in it's infinite wisdom reacted very quickly and within less than a week has repaired - one of the sites with minor damage!!!
Now to add insult to injury - two of the street lights in the very area are not working - meaning it is pitch black after about 6.30pm.
I have followed the instructions on your website and reported it and been told that Uk Power Networks are responsible and yes there is a fault.
What are you doing - waiting for - someone to trip over the horrendous pavement - in the pitch black and end up in hospital - or worse!
I will be inviting the local press over to see your failings!!

James Lamb.
First report Barnet Council for fraud as if they had access to your brothers benefits and have mishandled his benefits then it's theft.
Secondly report the house manager of his home to the police.
Why don't you ask your brother to sign power over to you so you manage his benefits.
You can inform the DWP that your brother is being scammed by Barnet Council and for them to request a full break down that he wants you to managed his benefits.
You can take this to your local MP as its a normal behaviour of Barnet Council to defraud people.
They attempted to do this with my mum until my mum told them she's able to managed her own finances.
Goodluck.

Sadly, I can't give a positive review. I parked my car briefly at Greggs, paying the fee, but didn't realize it was a motorcycle bay. The markings were faded, and the sign was tiny, so there's no excuse for my oversight. Caught the attendant issuing a ticket and tried to explain, but he was indifferent. I wasn't there for more than three minutes, but that's how it's done in London boroughs: a £130 fine for a minor error. The city focuses more on money than on people, and companies like this are detrimental to the community.

Barnet Council’s social services are dangerous and negligent toward children and the wider community. They misuse authority to intimidate vulnerable children and families instead of protecting them.

According to the Ofsted report (2017), children in Barnet were left at “unacceptable significant risk”, with serious failures in safeguarding, delayed interventions, and poor decision-making.
It is now December 2025, and the same problems continue — with devastating consequences.

Since then, there have been multiple child deaths and suicides linked to failures in care, including:
• The suicide of a young girl in care, exposed by a Sky News investigation.
• Reports of three children dying by suicide, and a school-aged girl taking her own life, raising grave concerns about mental health monitoring, safeguarding, and accountability.

Instead of learning lessons and protecting children, the system appears unchanged. Families and children are left fearful, unheard, and unsupported, while serious risks are ignored until it is too late.

This is not just poor service — it is a systemic safeguarding failure that puts lives at risk. Transparency, accountability, and urgent reform are long overdue.

Obviously you don’t give a toss on customer service do you !!!
Your rating is 1.5 if you were a proper professional caring company you wouldn’t in business would you!
No re cycling bin collection over Christmas.
Why !
I
No communication?

As I have a brother in care home in Barnet called Ansell Court after having tow strokes as this is government home and as i pointed out to Cath Shaw they CEO its very disappointing that yous won't residents to pay for help as they are on benefits wear do they get this money as I have emailed her office on numerous occasions but it seems her secretary is not bothered about it as well as I am they carer for my brother I have had 37 calls from Barnet Council treating to take my brother to court but tow years ago when they were supposed to be looking after his benefits and mis handle his money but refused to give information on wear his money went as I said this is not USA my grand father didn't go to war for nothing it's like very concerning that Cath Shaw can not get her departments under control and explained this is NHS and a sorry should be sent to my Brother Mr Lambe at Ansell Court
Shame

I have lived in Barnet now for quite a few years. To begin with I thought Barnet Council cared, they do not. My daughter who has just passed her test and so is a new driver, received a PCN. She had just finished University and had saved up for a holiday to Thailand with her Uni friends. She was away for 5 weeks. Just after she left, a letter arrived for her. I did not open it as it was addressed to her. 5 weeks later my daughter returned to the UK and opened the letter immediately upon her return and found it to be the PCN. As so much time had passed, she was unable to pay the 50% which is applicable for the first 14 days as she was out of the Country. The minute she got back we appealed the PCN explaining that she was out of the Country and we sent evidence in the form of flight tickets with the dates on etc and her return flight to prove that she was out of the Country. We still have not received a reply to our appeal and going on line now it says £240.00 is still owed. My daughter has just finished being a student and I am a single parent so to have to pay £240.00 is a big stress to both of us. If my daughter had been at home, the 50% penalty would have been paid immediately. My daughter is a new driver and she made a mistake by entering yellow lines. It is pretty upsetting not to have heard back from Barnet Council. We wrote a really polite appeal and apologised for her mistake.

Thank you Barnet for all the road works
Since January 2025 there has been nearly 70 sets of road works across Barnet,10 alone on Barnet road some less than a quarter of a mile between them,GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER

Awful service. They take forever to reply to correspondence. They don't read your correspondence, as when they finally do reply they do not provide the information asked for. Shockingly bad council.

This morning, I was impressed to see Richard and his team clearing the weeds along the pathway at Church Path in North Finchley. Their good works is helping to keep us, the general public safe and clean. Therefore, I feel it deserves a mention. Thanks again, Richard and team .

I contacted the Council regarding overflowing bins that were attracting swarms of flys in my garden and into my home plus the terrible stench that came from them.
Daniel Vacciana from Public Health came and assessed the situation and resolved the issue in quick time whilst also keeping me up to date with the process.
Very impressed with way this matter was dealt with! His colleagues would do well to take his work ethic as an example to follow
Thank you Daniel!

When you hear about proposed developments within barnet councils area that could kill hundreds of people, that is being shown on Australian news, regarding underground electric buses beneath blocks of flats, I find myself totally gobsmacked at the incompetence, I only hope its not true. Of course I could check with planning, but with all the bad write ups I won't bother and just take it as gospel.

I left a property I was renting in Barnet, the council tried to charge me for a full year of council tax after I left because they marked me as the owner, managed to get that resolved after a few hours paper work, now they are charging me for about 1.5 months after I left, I provide the paper work requested a letter form the land lords agent and now they want a "Please provide a copy of your signed check out or tenancy termination documentation." I also provided them with a photograph of the vacant property currently being developed into flats by the owners. I feel like I am being treated like a criminal.

Barnet NSL which control the PCN is a department which it just does not care about them job at all.
I received a PCN, I have done an electronic appeal via Barnet web facilities, I have not received any type of response, no physical letter no electronical email. However after 1 month I received that I have to pay the PCN at a higher value plus extra charges. I have have told them that I have not received any response letter for my appeal, but they do not care. Looks like they are the God s and I am sorry, but we are nothing....

Nothing done since my last review, constantly ignored by all concerned.

Incorrectly issued a PCN. Evidence provided and ignored- refund refused. Unhelpful and slow to respond.

Absoloute s* show of a council, they're broke so they will try to get the most amount of money out of you. Oh and your online system is trash. Ffs

One of the worse people to deal with when you need the help! Really they should all b sacked and start fresh within the council but it seems to be a thing where they actually hire people to tick the boxes and pass the paper around without actually getting the issue sorted...if u don't believe me check reviews above or below lol