Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Council force closure of community stall outside Budgens, Crouch End
The Budgens Stalls4All Co-ordinator has this evening circulated the following text in an email.
Stall4All outside Thornton's Budgens in Crouch End has been shut down by a Haringey council officer last Thursday the 7th of June on the grounds that our stalls needed to be licensed. When enquiring how I could go on about getting a license I was told we couldn't apply for one as the space (Budgens' own private space) in question is not considered a designated trading area.
This is extremely upsetting and frustrating for the stall holders we have been supporting for a whole year at a time of economic uncertainty. Stall4All is a not for profit organisation which has been supporting local residents in going back to work by providing them with a space to showcase and sell their work. In addition, we have been supporting local charities and community events such as the Crouch End Festival where children built their versions of the supermarket and the stalls outside, displayed at the library. Funnily enough, we have recently had an enquire from a council department to hire one of the stalls to help promote their services. How ironic, to say the least! Well, we will have to decline their application.
A big slice of our stalls' income goes to Pennies for Plastic which has been helping several charities in the area. By stopping us trading, the council is stopping money going to these causes which is just very unfortunate (and wrong).
We have been using the stalls for a year and I don't understand why they have caused a problem now and with no chance to sort it at all, even though we immediately ceased trading when told to and were willing to pay for a license to trade in our own pavement. I feel that my hands are tied and that I am letting down a lot of locals. Is there any way out of this situation?
I have copied a few media contacts into this email. I can only hope someone will see how unfair the situation is and make it public.
Thank you for reading.
Tags for Forum Posts: budgens, crouch end
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Chris Setz on
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The Council department known as 'Property Services' have a stranglehold on Crouch End - they're so understaffed due to the cuts that all they can do is firefight - guess that means they're forced into a policy of lockdown, so that's probably why they're not pro-active. They actively prevent us using anything here in sunny Crouch End, even though key members of their department used to be based here, so are fully aware of how to enable community use at zero cost.
As far as I know, people here in Crouch End have spent 15 years trying to get a 'farmers market' type set of stalls in the Town Hall Square on a Saturday. Property Services is the Lord of the Manor on this one, deciding that it'll never happen, never publishing facts let alone reasons, hiding behind their unaccountability. I've seen one objection - from the shops that sell fruit, not wanting competition, and yet four major supermarket chains are allowed in, harming the majority of small shops far, far more and helping create a 'clone' town where independents are crushed. No wonder that the perfectly usable Hornsey Town Hall, full of great community spaces, many in great condition, has remained shut since 2003 - hardly any permitted use by local people in all that time.
I blame local residents (like me) for this situation. All we have to do is get together and assert our right to our own property (after all, we paid for it - £150m in todays money in the case of the Hornsey Town Hall). As we can't even be bothered to vote in the local elections (turnout in Haringey - around one third), we don't have a leg to stand on. The only way things go our way is in the form of crumbs from the Council's table, or if a group of generally well-off, well-educated people work the system in their favour, which is what mostly happens I guess.
The ConDems Localism legislation is our fault too (we let them in) - less money spent by Councils, money spent on 'community' seen as a waste as it doesn't make a short-term profit, a Council paralysed by forced cuts that cost more money in the long term than they save in the short term, the rise of 'privately-owned' formerly public spaces, any local power to stop commercial development stripped out, every square inch of this highly-overdeveloped place built on for profit etc.
Large commercial interests get the goldmine, community-minded local people get the shaft.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Ana, great to meet you earlier today. Keep me in the loop on developments.
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Permalink Reply by Ana Rem on
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Hi Hugh, it was funny we randomly met like that. I was surprised and glad I could meet you in person. :)
Everything is still on hold as I'm still waiting to get the freeholder's permission in order to apply for a license. Will let you know how it goes.
Thanks
Ana
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Permalink Reply by Anette on
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Was just at Budgens, and the stall was closed. There was a Veolia stand next to it though. Funny that, as the council shut the stall4all. I wonder if the Veolia stand is licensed?
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Who can tell us if the Veolia stand that was there on Sat had a license? My point is, if they didn't, what's stopping Stall4All opening right now? Would love to know as I suspect there's one rule for the council, and one for the middle classes of Crouch End. And another one for the Turkish traders on Green Lanes..
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Hi Anette,
I know nothing about this Veolia stall but it has nothing to do with Stall4All.
Best,
Ana
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Got a meeting at the council tomorrow about this £21 per day fee. See if we can get a free license instead or at least a reduced fee.
Wish me luck :)
Ana
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Permalink Reply by David Barry on
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if they have discretion to give a reduction make sure they realise the strength of feeling about this issue, combined with the point that if they demand the full fee they just choke off revenue!
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Hi David,
Thank you for your advice.
I have gathered a lot of supporting comments from traders and local residents as well as links to on line discussions on the subject of stall4all like this one. They also received a few emails from angry locals when they closed the stall so, hopefully, this will be enough to show them how strongly the whole community supports stall4all.
One can only hope... :)
Ana
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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It's interesting that the council seek £21 per day from you Ana.
On the other side of the equation, the council has recently let go of their best-part-of-£200,000 p.a. Chief Executive.
I do not know what his severance pay is, but it is likely to be stupifyingly stupendous. We are unlikely to be informed of the details of this expenditure, but you can bet your last £21 that the sum is a large multiple indeed of £21.
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