Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Earlier in the year a friends group for the Harringay Passage was formed, to focus on the passage and how it might be improved. We'd like to carry out a short survey of residents to find out what people like and don't like about the passage, how much they use it, and - crucially - what they think might improve it. The council have kindly agreed to help us do this because they are keen to see how much support there is for different initiatives, but before designing the questionnaire it we'd very much like to hear other local people's views so that we can make sure we're asking the right questions.

A couple of us kicked this off yesterday at the play street on Pemberton Road and got some really useful feedback but it would be great to hear what HOL readers think as well. The key things we're interested in at this stage are what people like and don't like about the passage at the moment and what they think would improve it. So, for example:

Positive factors people mentioned yesterday included how convenient it is, the fact that there is no traffic, that it links to two schools etc.
Negative ones were ... drum roll... dog poo, litter and not always feeling safe.
Ideas for making it better included more thorough cleaning, looking at the layout at the road/passage junctions, planters on each street, painting the existing bollards and pipes, and street art.

Let us know what you think. And if you'd like to know more about the Friends of Harringay Passage group drop us a line at info.fohp@gmail.com or come to our monthly meeting (third Wednesday of every month at 7pm at the Falkland Centre).

Tags for Forum Posts: harringay passage, passage

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When will the council and the police really take residents views seriously?

I can remember a couple of years ago when a few residents did an audit of the passage and even longer ago when a parent/group of parents from NHP campaigned for a Healthy Passage which is why we now have dog poo bins, a walk to school initiative etc etc.

But there has been no long term input from the powers that be

The dog poo bins hardly ever have dog poo in them (yes I look). They are at eye level and stop two people passing at once.

I bumped into Glyn Kelly doing the passage in the weekend, I often bump into police officers in there, including Maxine Molloy who issued Phil K and I with our harassment notices (yes, how very droll).

I'm just saying that I think the police have been pretty good and that the dog bins are rubbish. I take your point though.
I love the passage. A fantastic, calming route bisecting our busy neighbourhood. One issue I had (now not relevant to me) was that I found it a struggle to get my double-buggy through the bollards ... And mine was a relatively narrow double.

On a personal level I love the beautiful stone paving slabs that are laid in some parts of the passage and always mourn them when I get to the bits with regular paving slabs.

Good luck with the project
Priya

I would like to see a 'joined up' passage, that is something that unifies the sections of passage and identifies the passage as it bisects the ladder roads as most through traffic is unaware of pedestrians crossing at these junctions. A zebra crossing at each and every junction would be ideal, however this is probably unlikely to happen as it will reduce car parking, however a raised and marked section at each junction (similar to those outside NH and SH schools) would warn drivers of the "Passage Crossings" and hopefully reduce speeds at these points.

This was also suggested in the audit of 2012.

Well there's a "raised and marked" road hump which reduces car speeds (and, with the associated road narrowing, car parking) immediately before some narrowed crossings of the Passage, or a raised road table for the rest of the roads where they meet the Passage. 

Since car parking already is reduced by the narrowings, might you, at no further detriment to car owners, propose your zebra crossings to Haringey Council?

You're too kind Phil (For everyone else - I'm hoping this is a description of me, unless Phil has someone else in mind).

All of the above plus a more difficult one. Some of the boundary walls and fencing in parts look pretty shaky. I've no way of knowing if they are safe or not but some do lean into the passage quite a bit. As they are owned by the owners of the buildings that run along the passage they aren't in the gift of Haringey to do anything about directly (like rebuilding) but a survey of structural safety would be a good start.
Also my pet peeve, broken glass on the top of walls. I know that the owners of properties alongside the passage feel vulnerable but I worry about kids playing in the passage who decide to have a bit of a climb. Wrong perhaps but something I did at that age. Could they be given advice on things that are more effective but less damaging?
A shame the GLA can't give people along the passage 90% funding to create proper brick fences...

As Alison says below John the objective of this survey and outreach is too identify everything folks would like to see done/happen etc in the Passage. Some will clearly be easier to achieve than others and in the near-mid term we hope to be able to achieve some of them. Some will obviously be harder, but not necessarily impossible. If we can demonstrate a need and support for actions like (say) improving the safety and aesthetics of boundary walls we hope that as part of a longer term plan we may be able to identify funding to do exactly as you suggest.

Perhaps it's time to do another audit, and also involve the 2 schools.

I know NHP had (has?) a School Travel Plan which also included lobbying the council to improve the cleanliness of the passage, speeding, crossings etc.

Thank you everyone - this is really helpful, and do please keep them coming.

The broader aim of FOHP (and part of the reason for carrying out the survey) is to develop a 'master plan' for the passage - identifying shorter and longer term (more ambitious) goals - that will we hope help us work with the Council to make change more likely. We'd very much like to involve the schools in this - I'm interested to hear NHJS have/had a travel plan. I'll bring this up at our next meeting.

Love being able to cut through the passage to visit friends, the markets, get to where I want to get to on Greenlanes, etc.  I like seeing the backs of house and what great and not so great extensions that are done.  I like the plants climbing over the fences, the graffiti, nodding or saying hi to familiar faces.  I don't like at times feeling a bit vulnerable, the dog poo and broken glass, dangerous garden fences with broken glass etc.  Good luck with the project!

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