Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Earlier in the year a friends group for the Harringay Passage was formed, to focus on the passage and how it might be improved. We'd like to carry out a short survey of residents to find out what people like and don't like about the passage, how much they use it, and - crucially - what they think might improve it. The council have kindly agreed to help us do this because they are keen to see how much support there is for different initiatives, but before designing the questionnaire it we'd very much like to hear other local people's views so that we can make sure we're asking the right questions.

A couple of us kicked this off yesterday at the play street on Pemberton Road and got some really useful feedback but it would be great to hear what HOL readers think as well. The key things we're interested in at this stage are what people like and don't like about the passage at the moment and what they think would improve it. So, for example:

Positive factors people mentioned yesterday included how convenient it is, the fact that there is no traffic, that it links to two schools etc.
Negative ones were ... drum roll... dog poo, litter and not always feeling safe.
Ideas for making it better included more thorough cleaning, looking at the layout at the road/passage junctions, planters on each street, painting the existing bollards and pipes, and street art.

Let us know what you think. And if you'd like to know more about the Friends of Harringay Passage group drop us a line at info.fohp@gmail.com or come to our monthly meeting (third Wednesday of every month at 7pm at the Falkland Centre).

Tags for Forum Posts: harringay passage, passage

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I walk my son to and from school down the passage. I would love to see some hopscotch squares or other game-like things painted on the floor. Or maybe dancing feet moves, so we can chassey up the alley! I think it would not only keep the children entertained on their walk to school but might also act as a reminder to those dastardly dog-owners that this is an area used by children every day. I also agree the dog poo bins are way too high. My mother in law can't even reach them.....

Hopscotch squares - that's a great idea Antoinette.

I had another thought inspired by some of my son's reading books....  They have, for an example, a ladybird on every page that you have to try and find in the pictures... so perhaps games where you have to find a different insect or symbol on each section of the Passage, with them painted on the walls and paving stones etc.

I live on Beresford Road and was burgled two weeks ago. I arrived home and had the horror of seeing the burglar cycle away (on my boyfriends bike) and disappear in to the passage. I have since been told by the police that there are no cameras installed on harringay passage so with a lack of evidence the case has been closed. It needs cameras! They would protect the residents and the passers by and in my case, would provide evidence and a potential conviction. Thanks

It's about £5000 per camera apparently. There is one on my cellphone that I use but I do understand that it's not the first thing you think of when you see something like that.

You would need a LOT of cameras due to the undulating nature of the passage....and they are not only expensive to install but very expensive to maintain and operate.  I'm not sure if operationally speaking it would be practical.  I'm sure that's why they've never been installed.

Hi all,

the passage is very beautiful but the dog poo is terrible. I see a lot of dog poo around Harringay.

Why? To me it is a lack of respect.

AndA I couldn't agree more. This has been an issue for as long as I've lived here - the particularly frustrating thing is that it is probably no more than a handful of dogs who are the problem, but their owners just don't give a damn.

I spoke to one guy about it the other day (first time I'd ever actually seen it happen in front of me) and he did a very elaborate 'ooh I forgot the bag, I'll come and pick it up later' (of course he didn't). It drives me round the bend - if you're grown up enough to have a dog, you're grown up enough to clean up after it. Problem is, its very very hard to stop it happening... 

Well, i love the passage and think it's pretty great all things considered. I quite like the idea of a colour coding band going along the top of the walls all the way down- perhaps a different colour for each section. (just because I like colour, no special reason!)

re: 'poogate' - I was quite involved in the south harringay travel plan several years ago and did some research into methods being used elsewhere which could be suggested to tackle it as part of the encouraging walk to school remit.

What came up as the major cause is that widespread one where people feel that in a public space they have no personal responsibility. 

This is really common, and is also the reason people will happily drop trash, half eaten food, leave nappies in parks etc etc. 

The 2 points for me which make a difference to whether any change is ever going to happen about all this are: 

1) community - where all are valued and there are high levels of respect & involvement. 

2) Dealing with the issue of the problem remaining invisible to those who create it. (because even though fines exist, there aren't really negative consequences to the behaviour for the perpetrators and most people will do what they can get away with basically).

The first point is one which is of course way too hard a brief to engage with for dog poo, even though important. 

The second is being improved in other places by making the problem much more highly visible- literally.

2 approaches used elsewhere- shock, as in this example emphasising consequences: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/06/18/bristol-city-council-def...

and- my personal favourite:

Painting the dog poo really bright colours!

This is an idea recently highlighted by Time Out magazine in response to it being used in several councils:see this-

'Last week we headed down the park to paint some dog poo lilac. Just another normal day in the Time Out office.

We were conducting our own mini-experiment inspired by Camden Council’s decision to stop clearing up dog poo and start spray painting it neon pink instead.

Their ingenious plan is to embarrass dog owners who let their pets plop all over the area’s parks. It’s inspired by a number of similar projects that have been successful elsewhere in the UK.

Park warden Ron Dohil gave the idea a go in Slough a few months ago, opting for a dashing bright green paint rather than pink. He claims that the strategy resulted in a 72 percent reduction in dog fouling.

He says: ‘Once the dog mess was sprayed it was so noticeable some embarrassed dog owners removed the mess their pet left behind.’

Camden started their trial I think in November. They are now not picking up dog mess at all. I'm fascinated to see how it all goes. I believe when this was suggested at meetings for STH H P travel plan, & there was a concern that painting the poo is a possible problem with regard to grafitti/vandalism legislation. (i've not looked that up recently but it was felt a 'step too far' back in the day)

Last night Effingham to Beresford was disgusting. So much dog poo and so much of it had been stood in. At least bright neon pain would help people not to stand in it, even if it didn't result in a 72% reduction in dog fouling.

There is another issue that I would like to flag up which is people cycling down the passage. It puts other people off and is frightening to vulnerable people who like using the passage because it is suppose to be pedestrian only. I have seen a member of the passage group merrily cycling down the passage numerous times, it's not exactly a great example for taking responsibility.

I think that pedestrians and cyclists can co-exist using the Passage - it's a question of respect. I use the Passage as a pedestrian and the cyclists I've come across have always been polite and accommodating to me.

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