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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Walking past the shop on the corner of Falkland Road the other day, I paused to ask the workmen busy converting the shop what it was due to become. "A cafe", I was told.

Then this morning the planning apps list hit my inbox and I noticed this same premises on the list. It seems like it's due to become a bar open till 01:00hrs.

Good news or bad?

I've invited Falkland Road resident Cllr David Schmitz to comment.

Full application here.

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How does this work Hugh, if the applicant receives permission to change its use to A4, do they then need to make an application to open their bar?

The application seems bereft of detail; are they required to commission an environmental assessment statement or the like? A cafe would have been great, but a bar? I'm not so sure.

Caveat - I'm not an expert, but here's my understanding.

Planning and licensing are separate. This applicant is applying here to change the use class from A1 (retail) to A4 (Drinking establishments). If he gets that approved by the planning committee, he establishes a right for the premises to be used as A4. In effect this should be regarded as a right in perpetuity since, because of the higher margins earned on A4 over A1, this makes the property more valuable and so once won, these 'class upgrades' are rarely give up or rescinded.

However to operate as a bar he still has to apply for a licence. Currently no such application seems to have been made. But keep an eye out here. Haringey circulate planning application lists because they're legally required to. Bizarrely, this obligation doesn't extend to licensing applications. So, Haringey being Haringey they consistently refuse to do so and the only way to keep abreast of any such applications is to look at the website.

Right, so the Queen's Head pub becomes a furniture shop and a fruit & veg shop (which was pretty good btw) may become a drinking establishment.

Yes, the irony is (almost) amusing. What struck me is how no one fought what was happening the the QH. We had a planning decision requiring that it remain a pub and no officer or councillor, to my knowledge, stood up and fought. That's to be regretted.

The proprietor must be confident he will be given planning permission. Already a brick wall has been bulldozed on the Falkland Road side of the building and in its place a large window has been installed. This corresponds to the drawings on the planning application (that in itself requires planning permission, surely?) Lots of works going on elsewhere.

It's no surprise that the council have not yet posted a notice anywhere giving passers-by notice of the planning application.

I've recently moved to Falkland Road and intentionally chose the north end of the ladder as I felt it would be the quieter end of Harringay. A bar in this stretch of Green Lanes could have quite a negative impact on the area.

Without having any idea on the clientele and style of bar it will be, the immediate area particularly around the bus stop  suffers enough antisocial behaviour as it is. Add to that the noise, litter and all the rest that goes with a drinking establishment.

But these are just my initial thoughts. What do others in Falkland Road and surrounds think?

As a fellow Falkland Road resident I am extremely concerned about this - I live at the Green Lanes end of the road which already has its fair share of litter, noise and antisocial behaviour not just at the weekends and am of the view that this would be a negative inclusion to the area. The only comfort is that about two years ago about two doors down from this site previously applied for a late night drinking licence and it was refused.

That gives some comfort Erin. Obviously the best thing to do for those of us that wish to see this application rejected is to send comment to the council before a decision is made. I will be doing so.

mr schmitz will no doubt remark that its a good thing for the local neighbourhood while his colleagues in planning drive off in new BMW's (wink wink)

I say Ashley, bit of a slur there, old chap. I doubt Mr Schmitz will welcome anything that's not good for the community. (Which isn't to say this bar isn't good...or to say that it is).

In the case of our local councillors, I don't think we can say of any of them that they don't have the community's interest at heart. But we can, (and leading up to the next elections, I will), ask them to account for the things they have done to look out for our interests and those they haven't.

As for the BMWs, I think you're much more likely to find a restaurant owner on Green Lanes behind the wheel of one than a planning officer.

i hear you hugh, apologies, im still grumpy about the extension to the mosque and the amount of traffic it'll attract, ive had a long drawn out discussion about this with the (very lovely) cllr schmitz. we agreed to disagree..i think.

Yes, like all of us, he's not always right and everyone won't always agree with what he does and or says, but I think his heart's in the right place.

The mosque went through pretty much unopposed. I wonder with the traffic if it would be worth talking with the mosque. They may not realise what an issue it is for people who live nearby. If there's been a conversation with them and they refuse to try and offer redress, then there's legitimate cause for complaint. I wonder if Cllr S might approach them for you? 

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