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 John D on
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So nobody from the pro-residential warehouse camp is prepared to help ?
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Permalink Reply by Abi on
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Hey Hannie, thinks John meant 'camp' as in 'faction' as in 'those in favour'. Nobody thinks you live in tents
.I think you make some very good points and as someone who has worked freelance through years of 'feast or famine' completely appreciate the importance of spaces like these and think we are only going to see more of them if London rents continue in the way they are going.
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Thanks Hannie
I just wanted guidance as to where the presently homeless, many of whom are holding down jobs under great difficulties, can contact a landlord or owner to ask if there is anything they can rent. They're not looking for a doss house, but a home.
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Thanks for both messages Hannie. I'll have a look at spacedup.com this evening. I take on board your qualifications re rent and availability. Thanks again.
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It's spacedup.co.uk
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Well you all know what to do. Register to vote. Put up two or three candidates (£10K each a year just for going to some meetings) and you'll be sorted. Outside that I think statements like this "It's likely that the developer would want to capitalise on the existing creative vibe" are naive. I think you'd need about 700 votes to get elected. You have 81 days.
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Permalink Reply by Takaokagiejin on
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Sounds very reasonable to me. I am a tad sceptical about "live work" units as these seem to become "live" places snapped up by architects. I would however be keen to see a mix of social, affordable and regular housing plus light industrial which could be rented in small units to encourage new business (even those vibrant artists), I would also be keen to retain some of the older buildings eg the sweet factory and if possible open up the river. While I am not a fan of the hutch like housing in wood berry down I do like what they're doing there with the river and the reservoir. I also like the inclusion of the new robin Redmond centre plus improved education and health facilities for the new communities.
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Permalink Reply by Finsbury Park Ranger on
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John and Alan - who exactly do you think we should vote for and why or what exactly do you suggest people should do to get the best outcome ?
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I'll repeat what I said. They should put up two or three good keen candidates and vote for them. 81 days.
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Aren't any candidates already running worthy of a vote then ?
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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In many wards, FPR, possibly not.
Although we don't yet know the full slate of prospective candidates.
Anyway, are you specifically asking about your own ward (Noel Park?). Or about how people make a judgement in Seven Sisters ward - where most of the former factories and industrial premises are now situated?
Obviously, as a Labour Party member for over forty years I'm not recommending that anyone votes Tory. Nor for red-rosetted or yellow-rosetted Tories. In fact, when all three main Haringey parties are led by people supporting Tory policies the choice is particularly difficult.
If all else fails remember the golden - or similar colour - words of Leo Tolstoy.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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