Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Haringey's Warehouse Districts Under Threat?
An item at tonight's Council Cabinet meeting has thrown into question the future survival of Haringey's two warehouse districts and the artistic communities who live in them.
Both the Harringay Warehouse District and the Fountayne Road community now face an uncertain future following the publication of a Haringey Council report, "Tackling Unauthorised Living in Industrial Areas". (Report attached)
The report, which was discussed at the full cabinet of the Council today, recommends a two-year project costing £600,000 which will seek to deal with "the growing problem of unauthorised residential and live work uses in and around (the) Industrial Sites" in Haringey. The recommended process is "to establish a special multi-disciplinary team to fully investigate and address the problem through a combination of regulation, improvement, enforcement and, where necessary, prosecution".
The alarm bells were ringing for me since earlier in the week I had discovered that these areas are earmarked as being amongst those that will "will accommodate the majority of development in the borough over the next 20 years".
In Facebook and Twitter conversations this afternoon, warehouse residents shared their fears that the vibrancy their communities bring to the borough will be overlooked and their communities sanitised and destroyed.
In response to my Twitter requests to Council Leader Claire Kober this evening to protect these communities, Cllr Kober sought to offer some reassurance:
@harringayonline some people in unacceptable conditions. My concern is for safe, decent properties. No intention to undermine communities
@harringayonline no intention to damage what's good. Priority is to go after rogue landlords just as we do elsewhere in borough
When I asked if she would ensure that warehouse residents will be involved, the Council Leader replied:
@harringayonline don't see any problem involving residents. Will ask officers to consider how best to achieve
I very much hope that the approach the Council takes in this project will support these communities rather than beginning the process of whittling them away.
Tags for Forum Posts: local plan, local plan 2014, site allocation plan, warehouse district
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Don't fall into the trap of stereotyping what non-warehouse residents think about warehouse residents! I'm sure you guys have plenty of support locally, but it would be surprising if the support were universal. I'm sure those who've expressed concerns here have a valid viewpoint, but please don't start thinking that the general vibe around about you guys is negative. My guess (or is it my hope?) would be that if a vote were taken locally on what is vs. what could be, you guys would win hands down.
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Permalink Reply by Abi on
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Wot Hugh said. Hannie it would be great if you guys had another event soon, as I really enjoyed the Catwalk Place open day that took place last spring. I did feel it could have been publicised more widely in the local area perhaps (I have to accept sometimes that not everyone is an internet based lifeform) but having a little mini festival on our doorsteps was so much fun, and I think another one would be a fab opportunity to get to know your neighbours better.
I also think it's worth mentioning (as I don't think anyone else has brought this up) what a positive impact you guys are having on some of the local businesses - I often see Warehouse folks in the shops and (very few) cafes along Seven Sisters Rd by Tiverton, and it's nice to see these places getting some love.
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Didn't realise you guys had so much input in the recent success of the Finsbury - that's become an amazing local! Will look out for more events coming up and will be happy to help publicise locally.
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Permalink Reply by ingo pless on
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My my, this is trending ;).
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Permalink Reply by Julia Bell on
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God this is depressing - I visited Singapore recently for work - a shiny city-state that is dominated by big money and huge corruption - everything is identikit malls and shiny clean streets and a huge lack of any kind of soul - apart from the weather it could have been designed by Westfield. London is being knocked down so quick it's hard for anyone who cares to keep up - cf what's happening to Hackney & Dalston or the Elephant and Castle or Stratford etc etc etc . Overbury Road - where quite a few of my friends live - hello Hannie P - is a real benefit to the neighbourhood - but I can see it sits on prime development land. Never have I wished so hard for a property price crash. The specious use of H&S (selective because the council seem quite happy to ignore places which are in dire need of development but have no real value - hello shops on Langham Parade where the roof is falling in) is also another corruption. Gaah. Can we DO anything about this apart from petition the council?
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Right now, the best thing to do is to reply to the invitation to comment on the Site Allocations Plan. You have until tomorrow.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Petition the Council? Oh sure.
Then Claire Kober and her friends will have a real chance to read the words sympathetically. Allowing their wise judgements, open curious minds, and deep respect for local people to guide some further thoughts, reflections and decisions. Leading them inevitably to revise and probably reverse their plans.
Just as didn't happen following the petition from traders whose homes and businesses will soon be demolished on Tottenham High Road and White Hart Lane.
If only the Tsarina knew what her people thought and felt she would prevent the new shiny Haringey becoming a place full of "quarters", and "villages" resembling twenty-plus storey tower blocks. Perhaps demolished homes and businesses would instead be replaced by human-scale tower blocks of only ten and twelve storeys? Heights which, as everyone knows, have proved such an unqualified success story in every city.
Although there is just a teensy catch to this. The people - mainly in Tottenham Constituency - are not the types of person this Council wants for the new Haringey. So they will be need to go elsewhere and be replaced by shiny new people. Once more: Bertolt Brecht: The Solution
"After the uprising of the 17th June
The Secretary of the Writers Union
Had leaflets distributed in the Stalinallee
Stating that the people
Had forfeited the confidence of the government
And could win it back only
By redoubled efforts. Would it not be easier
In that case for the government
To dissolve the people
And elect another?"(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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Permalink Reply by jenny on
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'warehouse residents shared their fears that the vibrancy their communities bring to the borough will be overlooked and their communities sanitised and destroyed.'?????
What about the tax paying residents??? The landlords are ILLEGALY renting these shacks out!!What VIBRANCY ?? More like unwanted rubbish spilling on to the roads, a vile sight that I and my family have to endure every day when looking out of our windows, rudeness and late night/all night parties/drug taking/fights/disturbances, These so called happy hippy arty farty people are lowering the tone of the area.
It was me that contacted the council time and time again to stop these people from putting bags and bags of rubbish on to the pavement day in day out. They now have wheely bins thanks to me.
Get rid asap I say AND QUICK
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Permalink Reply by 2icl71i8uwul7 on
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Hi , I have gone through most of this thread , and am surprised by some of the somewhat deluded comments. Having lived next to omega works for about four years till a year and a half ago, my experience of the residents was fairly negative.
There were regular raves , with full sound systems , parities on the roofs of various buildings , urinating in the street , fights bottles being smashed, and rubbish constantly dumped in the street.
Several attempts to reason with the residents of the "vibrant community" there were treated with contempt or indifference.We aren't talking about an empty area taken over by artists as G Perry described. Then becoming trendy and populated by yuppies who then complain about the noise. People lived around omega works , before the artists moved in, we were quite content not going to bed worrying if we and our kids would get a nights sleep. As the vibrant community moved in , so came the noise and dirt. They just didn't seem to care about the community there already.
Yes to social housing , yes to diverse communities but no to people who are not considerate of other residents need for a nights sleep.
Would any of you sticking up for the kind of people I had to put up with actually want to live in that situation.
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I have every sympathy for you, Simon and Jenny, and no doubt in your position I'd be feeling as fed up as you are. However, whilst there is clearly an inconsiderate element living in the warehouses, there are many people living there who do not deserve to be tarred with the same brush.
For my part, I've said previously several times that I support the warehouse community, but not at any cost.
Clearly something needs fixing. If the disruptive behaviour could be addressed, would you be supportive of the positive elements within the community?
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Having visited friends at Overbury Road many times I'm aware that some of these spaces have been at various times taken over by unsavoury elements - party people rather than genuine, responsible tenants. The warehouse my friends live in complies to H&S standards has heating, rubbish collection and even a community police station opposite . . . They are all in jobs, and are not by any stretch of the imagination squatters or troublemakers. I think we need to be wary of the council using the few bad apples as an excuse for social cleansing as has happened elsewhere in London.
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Then Julia, Hugh and anyone reading this who lives in one of these former factories/ warehouses, isn't it long overdue for people who are being "tarred with the same brush" to determinedly work far more closely: with one another; with the Council; the Police; and crucially with other the long established residents, to tackle these problems?
Because what you've said, Julia, fits with what I've read and heard from other parts of London. Where councils and developers have used (small?) numbers of examples of (serious and real) problems as justifications to displace and redevelop whole areas. (Often making promises to existing residents which were not fully honoured.)
So my personal answer to Simon's question is that, yes, in years gone past we too had to live near some of problems you describe. And we couldn't stand it.
Unfortunately, this is one of the many deep ignorant stupidities of the Council's current collusion with Spurs' 365 days vibrant area promises.
For years, in Tottenham it seemed that anything goes. Now including support for an increased night-time and "leisure" economy close to residential streets and family homes. Not something which the good people of Muswell Hill - where our rulers live - are delighted about when it strongly impacts on their local neighbourhood.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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