Shop Front Displays on the Footway

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on March 31, 2016 at 0:19

You've done the work to identify some specific problems at particular locations. That gives you a useful start.
My past experience for what it's worth is that a chat with the licensing team may prove useful.  Though I haven't personally got in touch with them over two years. But maybe a preliminary chat with one of the ward councillors could help. As you probably know, they hold regular advice "surgeries". http://www.minutes.haringey.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx

Would it perhaps be fair to sum up your viewpoint crudely to your councillors as that some traders are 'taking the piss'? And going well beyond what many people would see as reasonable in the use of a stretch of public pavements.

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Permalink Reply by Justin Guest on March 31, 2016 at 7:05

I was at an LCSP meeting some time back and John Forde (our Neighbourhood Action Officer for Harringay) was talking about the fact that some shops have 'rented' space from the council and so can use some of the pavement space. He went on to say that some were taking the mickey a bit with how much of the pavement they were able to legitimately use. I know John tries to stay on top of the problem, but the bloke is overstretched enough as it is... One man fighting a tide of ignorance, rubbish sweeping and fag buts. 

I have a load of pics I do not have with me from the GL consultation a couple of years ago where I pointed out the canoyonning effect of street furniture and shop fronts spilling out into the street and narrowing the usable footpath space- forcing us all to sue a narrow stip. Most of the time I do not mind the chairs and the tables, or the groceries, but the thing that annoys me the most is the use of signs. Interestingly the Costa sign is tucked in neatly so that it does not protrude further into the road than the 'barrier'. This is not always the case, and they can be a pain in the ass, especially, when some numpty has put them opposite a lamp post or a parking ticket machine or bin... This then has the effect of narrowing the usable footpath further... Rubbish bags dropped on GL are also a problem.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on March 31, 2016 at 8:10

Also, a net effect of pavement clutter is that it make people less inclined to stroll along them so defeats the purpose of having street displays of food. If I'm coming back from Sainsburys carrying bags of shopping I invariably cut straight up Umfreville and walk along the Passage to avoid the Green Lanes obstacle course.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on March 27, 2016 at 9:15

Aargh, fag butt flicking! I really hate it! I'm a smoker and never, ever drop a fag butt. It's easy to pinch it out and drop it in a bin or just put the extinguished butt back in the fag box until you get home.
I remember raising the issue of goods on the pavement with a local councillor (not a current one) about 20 years ago and he said, in all seriousness, that it was important to display fruit and veg outside as it tasted better when exposed to the air and sunlight - and the pollution on Green Lanes no doubt.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on March 30, 2016 at 19:45

A skilfully displayed display of fruit and veg can be simply beautiful. In central Paris once, Zena and I saw displays which were we felt were works of art. (Of course, Michael, I take your point about pollution.)

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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on March 31, 2016 at 6:30

You're right, beautiful street displays can enhance a place. But it's all dependent on if the pavement can accommodate it, what the display looks like and whether you need to step in front of the 29 bus to get passed it!

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