Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Well, bit OTT maybe but I wanted to get peoples's attention!

Some time ago I read of the Council's plans to "improve" the access to Downhills Park by (inter alia) moving the pedestrian crossing between the top of Clinton Road and the park entrance. I use this daily on my way to work and at weekends can cycle to the park with my children on this safe and convenient route.

I couldn't attend the consultation morning and then forgot about the issue until yesterday when I found workmen had blocked off the crossing completely and dug up the road for about twenty yards either side.

I am wholly opposed to the removal of this crossing - if this is what to happen. Not only will it mean a lot of inconvenience but it will mean riding or pushing our bikes along a footpath past the bus stop or else . I suppose it is too late to do anything now - or is it? Any councillors on here - please hear my plea!

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Anyone know who we can complain to about the road works in Phillip Lane near Downhills Park? Don't know what is being done but they seem to be redesigning the road and have failed to ensure pedestrians' safety. The road crossings just outside a school and two bus stops have been closed off so people cannot get across the road without walking about two blocks around the roadworks. Surely they could have planned this better.

That is an amazing piece of "work." It is going even slower than the basketball courts in Duckett's Common which is some achievement.

Who to complaint to? Cllr Nilgun Canver has the Environment brief in the Council "cabinet". But Nilgun has had a family bereavement. So this area is temporarily being covered by the Council Leader, Cllr Claire Kober.

claire.kober@haringey.gov.uk

You may also wish to copy-in the three West Green ward councillors:

eddie.griffith@haringey.gov.uk

rahman.khan@haringey.gov.uk

toni.mallett@haringey.gov.uk

Thanks for that Alan I have no objections to road work but think they should have included plans to accommodate pedestrians' needs and safety, including hundreds of schoolchildren, while it was going on.

The plans and schedule for works were very fully reported at the planning stage(s) here on Harringay Online. There was a very full discussion of the pros and cons. Some people put in responses to the Council on the plans. It seems that some people only wake up and take an interest in new developments in the area when the actual works start. Pay attention, people!

Perfectly fair points, Christopher. But please consider as well that:

  • Not everyone pays close attention to Harringay Online.
  • Not everyone can read plans and see in their minds-eye what will later happen - literally - on the ground. We need to explore simple, cheap and more effective ways to get information across to more people - both before and during these projects.
  • The best laid plans should have some flexibility for review, learning and amendment as the works proceed. Teachers call it Plan-Do-Review. Not everyone among Highways staff has a Vogon-Constructor-Fleet approach. Staff running this scheme may well be open to suggestions for small helpful changes. 

(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)

Well, I agree with some of the points you make. But if people are not paying close attention to Harringay Online, why are they posting their complaints here? And, surely _any_ visually literate human being can visualise from plans how a project will look? There were lots of reports in the local newspaper(s) too. I'm sure that Highways staff are indeed open to suggestions about modification to the manner of working on the project to further minimise disruption to the public. In which case, perhaps those complaining on Harringay Online might try to contact them.

I have. The phone number they have put on the board does not work. Furthermore, I have ample experience of repeatedly contacting the council over a previous "improvement" project (Anstey Walk playground) and found the whole process utterly dispiriting. Despite the fact I had contacted the council about the problems with the site long before their "consultation", and repeatedly chased them for a response, in the event I wasn't even notified about the consultation that was taking place.
Even worse, they ended up changing the plans after they were published because of secret pressure from the SNT!
So please, Christopher, don't lecture people on being proactive. Some of us know rather more about this issue than you presume to know.

Paulie - I'm sorry if your experience with giving feedback to the Council has been rather poor. However, please don't take your frustration out on me. I was only seeking to make helpful suggestions, I was certainly not trying to "lecture" you or anyone else. It looks as if someone - no names, no pack-drill - may have got out of bed the wrong side this morning.

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