Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
What Makes a Neighbourhood a Friendly Place to Live?
Last week saw the publication of a paper which presented an aspirational vision of London "Where neighbourhoods thrive and everybody matters" and sets out a challenge for London’s next Mayor:
We want to live in a place that we love and we want to be loved in the place where we live. A place where people are friendly and generous
"The Good City" contains many innovative ideas about how London's neighbourhoods could be improved and changed for the better.
Have a read. How does Harringay measure up?
Tags for Forum Posts: finsbury park, finsbury park pavilion
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by JJ B on
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Also isn't saying that benches cause problems dealing with the symptoms and not the root causes of the problems mentioned.
Really we need intervntions that help people to reclaim their negbourhoods and pepole need to use the benches so that ASB, etc... has no place to get in. I nnow it s easier said than done but putting uyp gated communities 'designing out crime', has the same effect of exclusion.
So yes please...more benches! In the new Tottenham Green, since we've had benches installed, you can see people - couples, singles, families with kids, youngsters, etc all using them at different times. I've noticed a few drinkers but no real ASB! I pass there every day at various times on my way to work.
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Permalink Reply by ant on
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Came across this bench this morning on a road at the bottom of the Ladder. My phone happened to ring exactly as i was passing so i got to sit on it for a phone call. It felt good
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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On the bench rather than the phone I hope Ant.
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Frankly, nice ideas but I'd start with functioning street cleansing, rubbish collection and planning controls, with real, frequent and severe penalties imposed on those who degrade our shared space for their own gain or convenience, from litterbugs and flytippers to illegal converters. Public shame and financial pain. Let the community find pride in upholding its own standards instead of trying to sneak it in around piles of rotting rubbish. If you want your benches to attract socialising not anti-social behaviour it would probably be best if they are not ankle deep in waste overlooking a plywood extension.
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Yep, getting the basics sorted is always a good start
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Benches aside, a couple of other things this document talks about which sounded like nice ideas are a local loyalty card and Shared Community Spaces.
Wouldn't a Harringay Loyalty card be good here? Get £5 for every £50 you spend around the local shops so after a weeks shopping you get a free pizza or drink somewhere type of thing. Seems a little hard to come up with something that isn't open to fraud but the document says other places do it so it must be possible.
The Shared Community Spaces is a building or room somewhere just for community use. There are things like the Falkland centre and the churches we use already but they're not quite perfect. Past this derelict toilet block at the bottom of Finsbury Park this morning and the gate was open so could poke around. Its in a terrible state but has a good location and great view, and water, electricity and sewerage. Do you think with all the No Right Turn fines and the Finsbury Park event money the council money be able to afford to do it up for us?
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Toilet block??: well if that's what it looks like..... it's the redundant cricket pavilion, subject of previous discussion on HoL about entrepreneurial reuse.
Aesthetics aside, the biggest problem is that when the Park gates are closed you can't get to it, so that cuts out evenings use for some months every year. If it had well-lit 24-hour access from Endymion Road even when the Park is closed then it would be a better bet, i.e. move the park gate further into the park, leaving the footpath beside the New River open all the time. And yes it has a good outlook and if it were scrubbed and painted it would look welcoming.
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Yes i wondered about access, but as you say it would be quite easy to move the fence and gate a little to have the path to Endymion Road provide access.
I can't find the previous HoL discussion, does anyone have a link?
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There are references to it in a couple of broader discussions on the Park, the concerts and how to use the money I think, rather than a dedicated discussion. Will have a delve.
Update: one discussion here. Think that was it, in retrospect.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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This is a live issue right now. It's currently scheduled for demolition in September at a cost, I understand of £50-60,000. On the other hand there's a local that's who's willing to do it up at their own cost and turn it into a community cafe with all sorts of events out front.
I've had some very poor answers about the logic for demolishing it and am awaiting a review of the decision by cabinet member for the Environment, Cllr MacNamara.
For me this is stupidity. The place looks structurally sound and is located right next to a very picturesque river. Any hurdles can be overcome.
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I am dismayed. With £60k we could do it up quite nicely ourselves as community volunteer project to build a community space. With a bit of match funding it could be made into something quite special. They're trying to get us to do a full blown consultation just to add a bench and some planters on the Ladder roads, how can they be demolishing an asset of ours like this without any consultation or even telling us?
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Permalink Reply by Robin Dennis on
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Here's Cllr MacNamara's email address: stuart.mcnamara@haringey.gov.uk
Obviously, he represents Bruce Grove, but he is the cabinet member for Environment, as Hugh says.
Hugh, do you think having others email him would help at this stage?
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