Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
New Haringey Administration to Reverse Plans to Demolish Flats above Shopping City
Page High and Sky City Social Housing developments above Wood Green Shopping City were slated for demolition under the Wood Green Area Action Plan – a regeneration scheme drawn up by Haringey Council in 2016 under Claire Kober’s Labour administration.
The plans could have forced hundreds of social housing tenants out of the Sky City and Page High estates – with no guarantee they would be re-housed inside the borough.
But the current Labour administration, elected in May on a pledge to protect social housing, has announced it does not intend to go ahead with the plans.
Council Leader, Charles Adje said, “We have listened to representations made by residents of Page High and Sky City, and by the Mall, and are intending to remove these sites from redevelopment plans.”
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by kotkas on
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Difficult not to see this as a populist political move. Doing nothing comes at zero cost to the existing cabinet, and carries the least political risk. It also appeases a large proportion of the existing electorate.
The downside of course is that the individuals this purports to protect will continue to live in near-squalor in an area that appeals only to businesses who cater to the basest forms of consumption - pound shops, off-licenses, takeaways and betting shops.
Or are we missing something? Maybe the council has a different view on the bright future of Wood Green that we are simply unaware of?
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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Have you been inside that homes there? I have and they’re certainly not squalid.
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A friend lived in Tarleton Court until 18 months ago. Decent sized living room, double bedroom, small bathroom and kitchen. Astonishingly quiet given the location
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Permalink Reply by Colinloves on
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I agree. Nice homes. Nice and quite too
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Permalink Reply by Don on
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Haven't been inside but these flats may also have been built to Parker-Morris space standards (abolished by the Conservatives in 1980) which practically no new properties adhere to today. Property website pics of the Council-built Culross Close, off West Green Road and probably contemporary with these flats, show relatively large and airy rooms that contrast favourably with the rabbit-hutch accommodation in almost all new developments.
Shopping City is grim, daunting and unfriendly to look at, but surely renovation's the answer rather than demolition? As an example, Camden's brutalist Brunswick Centre was gruesome and unloved for years until its renovation; while you could argue about the influx and appropriateness of up-market shops below, the flats above appear to have benefitted from the transformation while staying in local authority ownership.
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Permalink Reply by Cat A on
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I mean why would any of us *choose* to live in Wood Green. Only people happy to live in near squalor and who value base consumption would do that, right? We should obviously demolish what are actually quite well built (if really ugly) buildings to make way for shinier private development rather than just get Homes for Haringey to maintain them properly. *Rolls eyes*
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I haven’t Michael. Judging by the exterior it all looks very claustrophobic and lacking in social amenities. Also living in/on/around a large 1970s shopping centre is hardly a choice I would make for myself (or on behalf of someone else.)
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It’s a big leap from what you think it might be like, to deciding that the residents live in near-squalor. These are people’s homes you know
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That's fair and I probably was overly harsh on that front.
Notwithstanding, council homes can be, and often are famously lacking in many respects (e.g. Grenfell, BWF) so I think it's safe to assume that there's a lot to be improved?
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I get annoyed about this stereotyping of social rented sector as being somehow second class and the tenants as people living in terrible conditions where they don’t dare venture outside of their front doors. I managed homes in the public sector for many years and yes, some are need of improvement, but most are of a good quality. As far as squalor goes the public sector isn’t in the same league as some in the private sector. Just walk down any road locally and you’ll instantly know where the badly maintained and managed private rented homes are.
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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My Nan and Grandad’s council house and garden were spotless and beautifully maintained. As were all their neighbours. In photos of me in their garden, you can see neat flower beds, greenhouses, even a boat! Woe betide you if you let your net curtains get mucky or didn’t maintain your front garden. I wasn’t even allowed into the front room unless it was Christmas.
After the great sell off swindle, it was the houses that fell into private landlords’ hands that became squalid. My Nan complained about it until almost her last breath.
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