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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

A Ladder Residents' Association?

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John McMullan  by John McMullan 49 minutes ago


Hugh, is it time we started a Harringay residents association? I hate RAs because I think they direct funding to the well organised but we are one of the few places in Haringey without an RA and look at how we are treated compared to the Gardens. We could make sure that it was well funded (i.e. better funded than the traders association) and makes the right political donations (seeing as our %$£&ing votes don't seem to count).

Hugh  Reply by Hugh 29 minutes ago

If you're serious, why not start a discussion, but the key will be getting a group of folk together with the time and inclination to do as well as talk.

matt  Reply by matt 13 minutes ago

Define 'Harringay' geographically first John. Which residents would it serve? Hugh's HOL map includes the Gardens which already has a residents assoc. Would you go for the ladder roads, including Green Lanes, Wightman, Turnpike Lane and Endymion Rd that border the ladder roads?

The other issue for some is that setting up an RA may be seen to compete with the LCSP.

 

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Hugh on February 27, 2011 at 22:28
I assumed that J was talking about the Ladder. Correct me if I'm wrong J. And of course there should be no sense whatsoever of competition.
Permalink Reply by John McMullan on February 28, 2011 at 19:53
I must have been on the blue pills last night. Will, you said "you do get copied into first hand all the stuff about safer neighbourhoods which is good" without any sense of irony I believe.
Permalink Reply by John McMullan on February 28, 2011 at 20:49

Why do they not post this stuff on here? Why does Captain Mainwaring of the Harringay RA get to be the keeper of secrets and attend to the Secret Policemen's Panels?

So the blue rinse brigade with time on their hands to leave the house and attend meetings will rule my life? No thanks, I think.

Permalink Reply by Liz on February 28, 2011 at 22:27

The Ward panels are rather odd beasts actually. In some wards, they are open to the public to attend in an observers capacity, (are yours Will? I'm sure Geoff A of Woodlands Park RA says the St Ann's one is). In Harringay ward, they are not. Each ward panel has a separate constitution I believe. 

There was a pledge to publish the minutes online of the Harringay SNT Ward panel but as you can see, it is still *coming soon*.

There are several local people on the ward panel from the Ladder as well as our local councillors and the chair of the LCSP. They could either publish the minutes or at least summarise the main points for us.

Have you talked yourself out of the idea John? What advantage would a Ladder RA have over what we currently have i.e. LCSP, one or two street groups and 2 Friends of, do you think? (not intended as a pop at anyone btw just trying to steer the topic back to its original aim which was to see if a Ladder RA would be worth it starting and why)

Permalink Reply by rebelrebel on February 28, 2011 at 23:43
Who's Captain Mainwaring of the Harringay RA?
Permalink Reply by rebelrebel on February 28, 2011 at 23:25

Not sure I see the point of a Ladder RA as the LCSP has been going for a long time and is pretty effective, so agree with you on that, Matt.  As for the comment elsewhere about who can and who can't attend Ward Panels, is there not one constitution governing all of them?  If so, what does it say about residents wishing to attend who aren't on the Ward Panel itself?  Alternatively, residents could raise such issues through the LCSP or Gardens RA, or directly with the Police.

Permalink Reply by Dave Morris on February 28, 2011 at 23:40

Hi all

 

There are 176 residents associations throughout the borough so far - but loads of gaps to be filled! Every street (or at least neighbourhood) and block of flats (or at least estate) could have one. If they are postive, practical, friendly and active they can make a huge difference in an area - eg creating a sense of community, spreading information, giving people confidence that they can make a difference together, encouraging local initative and mutual aid, organising events etc etc.

 

Also, where there is a strong and active association, their efforts and achievements can serve to inspire and encourage others to form new ones, and of course if they are nearby they can support each other.

 

There are loads of excellent examples to learn from within Harringay already (eg the Gardens Residents Association), and smaller RAs for certain streets including Wightman Rd.

 

I'm happy to offer encouragement, advice and support anywhere around the borough - or feel free to check out the Federation's group on HoL and via that our website

 

Dave Morris - 8216 9651

Haringey Federation of Residents Associations

info@haringeyresidents.org

Permalink Reply by John McMullan on March 1, 2011 at 21:51
When the HoL sustainability group was formed the initial discussion was all around "should we be an RA?". I was very much against and managed to convince another couple of people to be as well. I'd hoped that this website, and others like it, would be the new way of doing things. This "eg creating a sense of community, spreading information, giving people confidence that they can make a difference together, encouraging local initative and mutual aid, organising events etc etc.

 

Also, where there is a strong and active association, their efforts and achievements can serve to inspire and encourage others to form new ones, and of course if they are nearby they can support each other."

 

could have been written about member's ambitions for HoL.

 

I guess the problems I have with RAs are that they have meetings that are not in public, minutes are hard to come by and the scramble for resources from the council is won by the well organised, articulate and obsequiouspolite.

The council have been obstructive with HoL in the extreme. They give us no money to run the site. They are reluctant to partake in discussions (despite them being pretty high brow and polite most of the time) except through missives to Hugh and Liz (the odd notable exception excepted). And they are trying to remove our sense of identity by renaming our neighbourhood. The last point irks me the most as it's just petty, nasty and disrespectful.

I generally get the impression they are trying to pull the wool over our eyes which they could easily do with a poorly run RA or one that had been bribed to keep quiet with some special favour. If the council want to turn your quiet residential road into an urban motorway so that they can pedestrianise Aggro CentralWood Green, they will not treat you as well as you have obviously been treated, see here.

The only reason I can think of that they don't want to partake in this online extension to local democracy is that they want to do things in secret, without proper consultation and they want to do things that we would not like.

I would dearly love an RA or estate management committee to run my neighbourhood as well as I feel some of the neighbourhoods west of me are run but I feel that as I pay council tax and (more importantly) have the right to vote here I shouldn't need one. My local councillors should have mine and my fellow resident's best interests at heart and not be paving their own streets and looking after their friends and family.

 

I really am ready to give up and turn my house into flats like the guy across the road from me is doing (only two though).

Permalink Reply by John McMullan on March 2, 2011 at 13:34
Will, I explained why am anti-RA above. If it's not clear then can you please give me a hint as to where?
Your assumption that I don't get out or go to meetings is wrong but let's just leave it at that. What I write on here is often taking into account my less able and articulate neighbours.
Permalink Reply by John McMullan on March 2, 2011 at 22:18

Will the council play divide and conquer very nicely with the RA model. How do you think the gardens were quietly closed off to the detriment of people on the Ladder roads? I'd only need to find one example of non-public decision making by an RA to refute your point and as we both know, there must be plenty.

Permalink Reply by John McMullan on March 3, 2011 at 19:52
Think how efficient it could be to consult using a hyper local website like this.
Permalink Reply by matt on March 3, 2011 at 20:22

My point is that it is inefficient for the council to choose to consult on a bespoke basis. It has chosen rightly or wrongly to liase with RA's. Hol covers more area than one RA geographically anyway so would be inappropriate to replace one. 

 

I see your point Will. Well put. So by that argument the ladder area could indeed have its own RA. Still leaves the question of possibly clashing with the work of the LCSP though.

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