Security guards in Barnet

Which parts of Barnet do we cover?

All of it, from Cricklewood and Golders Green in the south to Chipping Barnet, Totteridge and New Barnet in the north.

The biggest change is at Brent Cross. The London Plan expects it to grow into a Metropolitan town centre, and Brent Cross Town, a partnership between the council and a developer, is planned for 6,700 homes, workplaces for 25,000 people and 50 acres of parks and playing fields. Brent Cross West station opened on the Thameslink line in December 2023 (ORR). The wider Brent Cross and Cricklewood Opportunity Area, shared with Brent, has room for 9,500 homes and 26,000 jobs.

To the north-west, the Colindale and Burnt Oak Opportunity Area, also shared with Brent, has room for 7,000 homes. Colindale is home to the RAF Museum London (RAF Museum), and Middlesex University’s campus is in Hendon (Middlesex University). On the eastern side, the New Southgate Opportunity Area crosses into Enfield and Haringey.

Barnet’s shops are spread out. Edgware, shared with Harrow, is a Major centre, and the London Plan lists 11 district centres in Barnet alone: Brent Street, Chipping Barnet, Church End in Finchley, East Finchley, Golders Green, Hendon Central, Mill Hill, New Barnet, North Finchley, Temple Fortune and Whetstone. Cricklewood, Colindale and Burnt Oak are shared with neighbouring boroughs.

Homes are a mix of houses and flats. At the 2021 Census, 38% of households lived in detached or semi-detached houses and 37% in purpose-built flats (ONS).

What needs guarding in Barnet?

Large building sites. Brent Cross Town and the schemes around Colindale need their gates run during the working day, with deliveries and visitors checked in against the plan, and guarding or patrols at night and weekends: see construction site security.

New residential blocks. As new homes are handed over, blocks with a front desk need someone on it. Our concierge officers greet residents, sign in visitors and contractors and take in parcels, and they’re SIA-licensed, so they look after the building’s security as well.

Offices and workplaces. Brent Cross Town is planned to provide workplaces for 25,000 people. Wherever an office opens, whether there or in a town centre such as Finchley or Hendon, an officer on reception can sign visitors in, then lock up and patrol after hours: see office and corporate security.

High street shops. In centres such as North Finchley, Golders Green, Edgware and Chipping Barnet, a uniformed retail security officer gives your shop floor a visible presence and backs up your staff.

Premises that close at night. For shops and offices in the quieter district centres, mobile patrols can lock up and check the building at set or random times, and our keyholding and alarm response service can send an officer if your alarm goes off.

What’s different about planning security in Barnet?

• Brent Cross sits on a major junction. Staples Corner, which is part of the Brent Cross and Cricklewood area, links the North Circular with the Edgware Road and the start of the M1 (Staples Corner). Agree delivery routes and times before work starts, and use traffic marshals to see vehicles safely through site gates.
• Boundaries run through the growth areas. Both Opportunity Areas on the Brent side of the borough are shared with Brent, and Edgware town centre is shared with Harrow. Before you plan parking for officers or deliveries, check which council a site comes under.
• Evenings in Chipping Barnet and North Finchley. The London Plan rates the night-time economy of both centres as more than local. If staff guard the door of a pub, bar or club there, they need an SIA door supervisor licence (SIA).
• One borough, many centres. With 11 district centres of its own, a business with several branches can have premises in quite different parts of Barnet. On-site officers for the busiest premises and patrols for the quieter ones can cover them all without an officer at every door.