Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Finsbury Park 5 a side football consultation
I have been down to Finsbury Park to have a look at the the plans and talk to some of the Haringey Council staff about the possible plans for a 5 a side football scheme. Its just initial consultation to gauge public feeling in the area - worth going down for look and a chat.
Tags for Forum Posts: finsbury park, finsbury park 5 a side, parks
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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INSTEAD of just nibbling away at our park over the next 20 years – a death by a thousand cuts – why doesn't the council just sell off the whole thing in one go? A "holistic" solution, which was the term they used when trying to sell off Alexandra Palace.
The park land would be worth money to the council. We don't need another concrete batching plant (we're getting one of those nearby) but I'm sure that NCP might like to have a large facility close to Finsbury Park railway station. With their four pay-&-display machines, the council has already established the business case that people are prepared to pay to park in the (current) green park.
The 112 acres are ripe for development and could accommodate a lot of improvements:
You could fill in that useless pond in the middle and that could form the nucleus of a decent-sized car park in the middle of the new Finsbury Office & Retail Park that could be clustered around the Manor House Tube station corner. This would have obvious attraction for developers. The running track is already nicely levelled ground – just the place for a new supermarket or even a tower – maybe a hotel. The casino, planned but frustrated at Alexandra Palace, could go there.
Finsbury Office & Retail Park could attract a cluster of sporting goods and clothing shops, which would be an appropriate nod to the heritage of the (former) grassed park. For the true sportsmen, we could host a darts championship in a large purpose built-facility – maybe with proper integrated betting facilities.
The betting industry in Green Lanes (with only eight outlets), is currently running out of suitable A2-zoned premises. The northern end of the park (the American Gardens) could serve as a southern extension for the Green Lanes Gambling Strip, with plenty of room for expansion – in order to meet market demand.
We could have shops and offices all the way along the straight inner road parallel with Seven Sisters. I think sometimes the council lacks imagination. Why not night clubs and strip clubs? If the council was feeling generous, they could even leave some areas of grass for us. I accept this might not be non-income generating, but perhaps these could be monetized in a similar way to the current car parking. All it needs is some creative thought.
The council was prepared to sell the seven-acre building Alexandra Palace for £1.5m. If we got some of the council's top negotiators on the job, the 112 acre Finsbury Park could be worth as much as £5m as the new Finsbury Office & Retail Park.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Lots of parks are gated spaces, Anne. It doesn't turn them into privately-owned and controlled spaces. Nor, does a lease for, say, 5 years present the same issues as one for 50 or 125 years.
As for Metropolitan Open Land, are you suggesting the 5-a-side commercial development is or is not permitted within this policy?
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Permalink Reply by 14t5gyrl1i705 on
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I have my petition ready except i have not got the wording correct. i was wondering if you have any suggestions.
We the undersigned object to the recent planned developments of 10 five a side football pitches in Finsbury Park. The removal of the basket ball and volleyball courts is a meeting place for locals who have used the courts for years. These are the only basket/vollyball courts is part of the anchor of the community.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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I think that as Alan has hinted, the big issue is that the council will grant a long lease and when that expires memories will have faded etc.
The car park and what they actually do with the space is a side issue. We're getting distracted.
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I have my petition ready except i have not got the wording correct. i was wondering if you have any suggestions.
Revised
We the undersigned object to the recent planned developments of 10 five a side football pitches in Finsbury Park. The basketball and volleyball courts are a meeting place for locals and people from across London who have used the courts for years. This concrete space is an anchor of the community.
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Permalink Reply by Alison P on
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Hi Joe
I worry that the Council will simply say that your petition is too late, but if you're willing to give it a go, why not. Your wording looks fine to me, might be worth adding something about the fact that you don't think the needs of the people who use the courts will be able to be served elsewhere in the park (which is what the stuff on the Haringey website says: "It is anticipated that these users could be accommodated elsewhere within the park, for example on the tarmac area adjacent to the tennis courts and skateboard area, without the need to convert any other existing grass area to tarmac.")
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I wasn't hinting at anything, John. I simply don't yet know the answers to key questions. If and when I have solid facts I'm happy to share this information. (Subject to the rules about exempt Council reports and commercial confidentiality.)
Openness is one of the principles of public life which councillors are legally required to follow. So is Stewardship.
So it's not just about faded memories some decades into the future. But making the right and principled decisions now.
Nor do I agree that uses of this space are a "side issue". One huge disadvantage of giving away or selling publicly owned land, is that it's no longer available to meet the changing needs of the local community.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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My interpretation of what John is saying (sorry to interpret you John) is that the discussion is moving away from a basic principle. Is it right to allow development in the park? Under some circumstances - perhaps. But what is being proposed here is that there will be an area of the park you will not be able to use unless you pay for it.
I was initially in favour of the scheme and I got sidelined by the car park issue. I've changed my mind as free public space is too precious a commodity in London to give away.
I'm in Paris at the moment and I understand how lucky we are to have lots of green bits in London - you mostly have to make do with the odd bench under a tree by the side of the road here.
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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If this scheme goes ahead the consultation is a fraud and democracy is dead.
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Would u sign my petition anne ?, im not sure if i should do an online one as well. maybe it will be easier for you to sign it if it were online.
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You are just bitter because you won't get to see me in my underwear dashing down the passage.
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In case people haven't spotted them, can I flag-up Liz's helpful observations on another thread. (Third paragraph.)
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