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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Today more is emerging about the future of the Arena site. In March last year I took the time to comb through Haringey's 'Site Allocations Plan' (the document that determines what will get built where in the borough for the next 20 years).

I wrote about it in a series of posts, the first of which was entitled "Huge Swathes of Harringay Earmarked to 'Accommodate Majority of Development in Borough'". It's explained in more detail in my second post.

Following these posts there has been a consultation which some of us responded to.

This week, a local resident revealed that he'd painstakingly gone through a 1,500 page document in which the Council replied to residents' concerns raised in the consultation.

One of the issues that emerged is that the housing planned for the Arena is likely to see Sainsbury's demolished. That housing will be grouped around at least one 8-storey block.

Below is an extract from the LCSP minutes, showing residents' concerns raised in the left-hand column and the Council response in the right.

(It's interesting to note in the responses that after years of denial, the Council have finally admitted their last cock-up and said that it was the expansion of Sainsbury's that is a major contributor to the traffic problems on Green Lanes).

As I said repeatedly last year, there are huge changes planned for Harringay. I'd hoped the Council would work alongside residents, but the tenor of their replies suggests that they may be riding roughshod over our views after all. 

Opposition to 8 storey block on Arena site

“Detailed design will be required on all sites to gain planning permission, and specific height limits will not be included in Site Allocations, with all developments expected to respond appropriately to their context

“Action: remove height limits from the allocations”

Inadequate medical facilities for proposed population increase via Site Developments, especially the Arena site

“It is considered that this site, due to its size, if comprehensively redeveloped, may be an opportunity to create some new community infrastructure”

How will some 1400 new residents and a new primary frontage, all proposed for the Arena site, reduce traffic impact?

The site will be designed in such a way that it will help to keep shopping traffic, local and accessed primarily by foot. Additionally, pedestrian access to the park, as well as to Manor House and Harringay Green Lanes station will be improved. Additionally, the reduced congestion from cars accessing the site for car-borne shopping trips will help to improve bus efficiency”

Concern that Green Lanes cannot cope with more traffic and that Arena site proposals will make this even worse“

Disagree. Alleviation of current traffic issues is one of the key reasons for allocating this site. Initial transport modelling has shown that the supermarket is the single largest draw for car-borne traffic, which is then compounded by the other car-compatible uses on the retail park. By replacing these uses with more walk-up retail, congestion at this point can be alleviated” “The allocation includes provision for the superstore to no longer operate”

A longer extract from the LCSP minutes is attached.

Now may be the time to rally round the GRA, WPRA and LCSP and find a way of getting residents' views heard.

Tags for Forum Posts: local plan, sainsbury's, site allocation plan

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Your best bet is to get in touch with the LCSP at lcsp@blueyonder.co.uk

There are going to be views pro and anti but the decision of Sainsbury on their store will be a major factor on the future of the site
Just had another thought. As the government has now announced that local authorities will retain a bigger cut of business rates, will that sway Haringey's plans? Sainsbury must be a major business rates contributor
Thanks very much. I'll do that. Sounds like it might be worth talking to Sainsburys as well !
I don't think anyone has mentioned online shopping yet. A colleague has a lot of children in her house (she's a foster mum as well as having kids of her own) and says online shopping changed her life. The kids all line up at the door to take the bags into the kitchen!

That combined with a move towards shopping locally and more frequently has been the death knell for the superstores.

I must admit I did go to Sainsbury's yesterday and was reminded once again of how pedestrian unfriendly the Arena is. The paths are so narrow they get very clogged up, there is no way to get through quickly.

Here's an official statement from the Council via Ian Sygrave:

The intent of SA29: Arena Retail Park is to see comprehensive redevelopment of the entire site, making the most of the site’s proximity to Harringay, Green Lanes Station and the potential to reduce traffic impacts currently experienced on Green Lanes.  As part of a comprehensive development, the allocation seeks the retention of a retail frontage onto Green Lanes, improved public realm, and new access routes into and through the site created. The remainder of the site would be mixed use, providing new residential development, employment floorspace and community floorspace.  The footprint of the units to front Green Lanes would depend on the overall design and layout of the scheme and, potentially, the need to re-house some the tenants should they wish to retain a retail presence in the area.

The allocation recognises that retail trends are changing rapidly, and the continued rise of internet shopping is impacting upon the long-term viability of big box retail parks in particular. It also recognises that supermarkets have, and are continuing to change their retail formats in response to significant competition between operators. In reality, I don’t think anyone really knows what the future retail landscape will look like in 5 - 10 years time.

The site is currently in two separate private ownerships – Pension Funds. We have meet with them and they have confirmed their long-term interest in bringing forward these sites. We and the landowners are aware of the tenancy agreements in place, and hence why we do not expect any proposals to come forward until post 2020.  It will be for the landowner to then engage with their tenants about their redevelopment proposals at that time, including negotiations/buying out of any tenancy agreements or reprovision as part of any new scheme.

The two landowners would need to either work together to bring forward a comprehensive development – although this would not prevent each site being developed out separately if a masterplan has been agreed for the entire site area.  It is unlikely that the Council would intervene, as the use of Compulsory Purchase Orders is always a last resort and would need to be in the wider public interest. 

I'm sick of the sight of a screen after my work so I don't really do online shopping. Some may wish to but there is something satisfying abt handling the goods also you canny get markdown products online can you?

I could never food shop online unless it was from a very trusted specialist supplier. 

Online food shopping is fine (the vast majority of the time ime) when you don't drive/don't have a car/too tired or cba to go shopping after work, school or at weekends etc and have family of 4 including teens to feed. I've been doing it for several months now.

I also buy food from local shops though.

Its good for non fresh stuff that you buy on a repeat basis like washing up liquid etc - my issue is that you don't get to see the weekly offers etc that have in store.

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