Is that it?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by matt on October 17, 2009 at 17:31

I'd love to see a concerted effort to clean up Grand Parade.

Have a co-ordinated plan to draw investment in to do up the buildings (as has been done over in Bruce Grove), look at street design with view to pedestrian and vehicle/bus/ bicycle usage, more trees and planters, declutter the current street furniture and bring in more of what's useful.

Would be good to see the traders, the residents and council better linked up for these and other issues.

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on October 17, 2009 at 19:26

I'd feel a bit guilty using our clout to get a bigger piece of the pie than say the people east of us who really have their work cut out for them. That's why I'd like to see this borough split in half so that we could deprive some of the well organised units west of us of funding intended for the poor.

So the only thing I really want is to be called Harringay and not f'ing Harringay Green Lanes.

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Permalink Reply by matt on October 18, 2009 at 9:32

Interestingly John it's Harringay that has often missed out on funding. The 'east' has received funding because the socio-demographics have met guidelines for funding pots like the New Deal for Communities (NDC). For example Seven Sisters got £50m which is why Chestnuts park regeneration and the new Triangle Centre came about, as well as some money towards refurb of that railway bridge of Seven Sisters road.

The 'west' gets funding because residents there demand it and are good at raising community funding themselves if necessary.

The centre of Haringay including our ward has always missed out of significant monies which is why we have no community centre of our own, why Grand Parade looks run down and Ducketts Common looks a mess. The exception to this is the ongoing Finsbury Park regeneration.

When the shooting of Green Lanes happened the GLSG was set up mainly to tackle the drug crime and associated crime. As an after thought they have looked at a bit of regeneration. That's given us 'McBridge' and a few hanging baskets (with a photo op for councillors in the HP).

Our area deserves better, a lot better.

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Permalink Reply by Hugh on October 18, 2009 at 11:15

Those would be interesting facts if true, Matt. Are they based on a knowledge of council expenditure by ward?

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Permalink Reply by matt on October 18, 2009 at 11:59

Sounds like you're arguing against investment in our ward Hugh. Don't understand your angle on this at all. Please explain. Do you have figures for ward by ward expenditure? My judgements are based on some known figures and what people who work within the council tell me regards where the focus has been within this borough and just as importantly, why.

If you can add something to this then do let us all know.

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Permalink Reply by Hugh on October 18, 2009 at 12:09

Good grief, no Matt, why on earth would I argue against investment in the Harringay wards. I'm just keen that, as much as possible, we base discussions of this sort on facts rather than supposition. Of course facts aren't always readily or immediately available, in which case I think we should make the basis of our viewpoints clear.

I was really pleased to see that in your last entry you suggest that you have some figures which explain your point of view. They sound really useful. Any chance you can share them us?

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Permalink Reply by matt on October 18, 2009 at 12:45

Hugh, monies invested in different parts of the borough come from different services. There is also money that comes in from lottery backed funding pots such as NDC (not called that now I believe). Seven Sisters got £50m several years back. Harringay deserves similar focus and investment from the council. We need a huge boast in regeneration investment, not just little bits and pieces here and there, which is all Harringay has received up until now.

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Permalink Reply by Hugh on October 17, 2009 at 19:35

My guess would be that priorities haven't changed a great deal since the survey we ran in 2008.

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Permalink Reply by Liz on October 18, 2009 at 13:31

Can I also remind folks of the process that is happening now in the shape of the Harringay Charter, consultation for which is still taking place, last month at the Harringay festival being the last public occasion

Regardless of who wins/loses, it is to be hoped, surely, that the Charter will be the guiding principle for change and improvement, provided of course that it has a vision for the future of the neighbourhood.

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Permalink Reply by Hugh on October 18, 2009 at 13:47

...which is nice given that the initiative came out of a recommendation from HoL. :o)

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Permalink Reply by matt on October 18, 2009 at 19:37

Yes agree with you Anne that ongoing upkeep is essential, with maintenance budgeted for and carried out effectively, which means properly financed and staffed. Our parks were allowed to be run down over a generation. They don't repair themselves!

Hopefully ambitions expressed for the Charter will be met with serious funding bids, which is what this thread is focusing on, as well as trying to tease out some detail in conversation here online. And lets remember, consultation results have a tendency to gather dust further down the line. When is the final form of this 'Charter' to be published? Six weeks before the next election?

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