Historic site in Tottenham up for auction - help secure it

The land behind 7-8 Bruce Grove, Tottenham, is up for auction next Weds 25 March. This is a huge opportunity to secure this land of importance for nature and history.

The site has planning designation as Significant Local Open Land and a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. In addition, No 7 was the house of Luke Howard, the man who named clouds, and Tottenham’s only blue plaque. It has been designated as a site for improvement in the Tottenham Area Action Plan.

It is still rich in nature – there are no recent reports of Tawny Owls but Sparrow-hawks have nested there recently, along with Jays, Woodpeckers, and many other birds.

The garden land was bought by a speculative property developer some years ago for £250,000. The developer had submitted outline proposals for private housing development on the land but the Council had made it clear these proposals were unacceptable. There were High Court proceedings in 2019 by the Bank of Cyprus against the developer for defaulting on loans. This developer now seems to have become bankrupt, and the site is being auctioned by Fixed Charge Receivers next week – Wednesday 25^th March – with a guide price of £225,000.

The Friends of Bruce Grove Cloud Garden had sought to negotiate with the owner to find a way to secure the site as a community asset but he was unwilling to talk. So we had initiated a petition calling on the Council to initiate proceedings for a Compulsory Purchase Order on the site (currently over 250 signatures, including many residents immediately around the site) – see attached leaflet.

The auction provides an opportunity to secure the site as an asset for nature and the community. We are asking the Council to take steps to make it clear to the auctioneer and any potential bidders that the site does not have - and will not be given – planning permission for any significant development.

Could the Council - in partnership with the London Mayor- itself make a bid for the site? The Friends group would then be keen to raise money from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other bodies to acquire/manage the site for posterity.

We are asking for urgent discussions with the Council to find a way forward not to miss this opportunity. The Leader of the Council Joe Ejiofor is one of the ward councillors. Help us by e-mailing joe.ejiofor@haringey.gov.uk asking him to move swiftly to seizer this opportunity.