Green Lanes Strategy Group

A statement from Founder Members of the Green Lanes Strategy Group

It is with great disappointment that we announce that the founder members of the Green Lanes Strategy Group (GLSG) - Woodlands Park Resident Assoc. (WPRA), Ladder Community Safety Partnership (LCSP), Gardens Resident Assoc. (GRA) and Harringay Green Lanes Traders Assoc. (HGLTA) - have voted to withdraw from the GLSG.  Sadly this means the end of the Green Lanes Strategy Group.

We have reached this decision with great reluctance and sadness but equal determination. We find that we no longer have the energy, effort and will power needed to continue in the face of the relentless criticism, lack of trust and conflict that the whole GLSG issue has caused in recent months particularly on social media.  We are all volunteers and, having given thousands of hours of our time since 2002, have every reason to be proud of our record and achievements, whatever our critics may say.  We believe that we owe it to ourselves to step aside from the anxiety, stress, and general unpleasantness.

The Green Lanes Strategy Group (GLSG) was originally setup after the Green Lanes incident where rival gangs fought a pitched battle on the high street with knives, clubs and guns, which resulted in numerous injured and one fatality. Green Lanes was cordoned off for that entire weekend and it made national headlines on TV. This was Saturday, 29th November 2002.

GLSG was tasked to claim back Green Lanes by working with Councillors, council officers, Met Police Borough Commander, Flying Squad, Customs officers and other external agencies. The Council strategy was to set up the HET team (Heavy Enforcement Team) to help address the protection rackets, crack houses, torture chamber, 24hr culture and unlicensed premises with over 17 social clubs which then turned into scores of empty shops.

After crime and safety issues were addressed, GLSG turned its attention to greening initiatives by piloting new ways of refuse collection, tree planting, flower baskets, passage signage and cleaning, removal of bridge graffiti and pigeon mess and installing pigeon proofing enabling the bridge to become a gateway.

In 2009 GLSG delivered the first ever Green Lanes Festival before the Council cuts started in 2010 and, without Council support, continued to deliver the second Festival in 2011 and the first Winter Festival that same year. In 2012, GLSG won a £1.7m bid from The Mayor of London’s Outer London Fund (OLF), £1.2m from the Transport for London (TFL) Corridor scheme for Green Lanes regeneration, and £40k from TFL under the Pocket Park scheme.

We would like to thank the elected members, other residents and council officers who have done great things with us over the years. We would especially like to thank Cllr Nilgun Canver for providing leadership in setting up of the GLSG and chairing for most of its life, for her commitment to the area and for using her influence to ensure co-operation from the Council.

Committee members of all our associations, as appropriate, will continue to ensure that the outstanding OLF & TFL regeneration is brought to a successful conclusion. This includes shop fronts, the bridge, highways, paving, micro-squares, street furniture, plantings and the pocket park. As associations we will also liaise with Council Officers to ensure that any other incomplete work of the former GLSG, such as the Insect Hotel, is completed.

Regrettably it will not be possible to proceed with future projects such as the Green Lanes Food Festival planned for this September. We know that this will be disappointing news for many local people, who were already looking forward to this event.

Of course, none of this can ever take away the outstanding success of the GLSG over the past 12 years, culminating in our winning bids for the regeneration of Green Lanes. We also have no intention of abandoning our commitment to the area through our individual and prize-winning associations, which will continue to serve the best interests of local people for many years to come.

Regards,
WPRA
LCSP
GRA
HGLTA

17 April 2014­­­­