An update about the struggle over the Coliseum building. About half an hour ago I received the following email from KfH:
Dear Hugh,
Further to the discussions regarding our site in Harringay, I have an update for you which I am sure will please you.
As we have said previously, we have been trying to find a tenant for the premises for almost a year and have received only one acceptable offer.
However, we have listened to the concerns voiced by local residents and traders and have decided to put the assignment to the betting shop operator on hold while we re-explore other options.
We are very happy to work with the local community to find a mutually satisfactory solution but we cannot hold these empty premises indefinitely and do need to eliminate our liabilities for the rent and rates, which are approaching £85,000 per annum.
We look forward to further discussions.
Kind regards,
Kaylene
Kaylene Smith
PR Manager
Kaylene just told me over the phone, "We're really keen to work with the community. So we've decided to put things on hold for a few months. With all the interest, we hope that we'll now have better luck finding an alternative tenant"
Kaylene also mentioned that this mail has been copied to David Lammy. Many thanks to David who has supported our campaign. As I wrote yesterday he spoke recently with the KfH MD to underline the strength of feeling made clear on HoL. He also asked members of his email list to voice their support and mail in to KfH, all of which has helped convince KfH to review their decision, I'm quite sure.
Superb. Thank you KfH.
Tags for Forum Posts: betting, gambling, kfh, kinleigh folkard hayward
Well done, let's hope they don't change their mind in a few months.
Yes, it's got to stick, but they sound serious. So hats off to them.
This is fabulous news - thanks to everyone involved in making this happen. We do need to be liaising closely with them now to make sure they get the right tenant in that place.
Agreed, Karen. I picked up on this with Kaylene. If anyone has any ideas or concrete suggestions, KfH are very willing to listen.
Whilst it's not over till the fat lady sings, I'd love to see any energy that was going to be directed at protest now channelled in to productive discussions about a community friendly and commercially viable use for the premises.
Well done Hugh, David Lammy et al and of course KFH for showing willing. £85,000 p.a. is a helluva lot for any concern to pay up before turning a penny of profit.
And whether or not the fat lady sings, I'd have thought it was well past the hour for that thin lady, C Kober, to have opened her beak on the topic.
This is fantastic news - well done to Hugh for ensuring this wasn't allowed to just quietly happen. Really encouraging to see a positive result.
Yes well done to Hugh. For taking the credit! Unbelievable...
Give the guy a break! Without HoL we would be stuck with yet another betting shop. Nobody is taking personal responsibility for this victory for Harringay but we are all immensely grateful and relived that community action has won the day.
Couldn't agree more. I think the residents of the Coliseum have done a good job, but personally I'd not have known about any of this without this site, which has consistently raised and discussed the issue of betting shops over the years and has been a fantastic forum for a lot of people to better understand the issues.
Also worth bearing in mind that people who weren't on your email list and have posted comments here don't have a clear sense of all the work you've done on this.
Let's not fall out over it - it's a fab result and we need to stay on guard to make sure it stays that way.
I agree with Alison on that. A bit of perspective, Paul, please. You seem to have rejoined HOL about Oct 6th and asked for some of HOL's 'thousands' to pitch in. Your fellow resident of the Coliseum, Chris, says he wouldn't have heard anything about the threat to your ground floor if it hadn't been for Hugh's OP of ten/eleven days ago. HOL, with councillors here and David Lammy, has been trying to deal with the bigger picture for quite a while. Best to see Tipico at the Coliseum as just another typical piece of the jigsaw.
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