Significant Changes Proposed for Harringay in Local Boundaries Review - HAVE YOUR SAY

The Local Government Boundaries Commission (LGBC) has proposed significant changes to the ward boundaries for Harringay. 

Currently parts of Harringay are contained within three wards, Harringay, St Ann's and Seven Sisters.

The polling districts map included in Haringey's submission. Harringay Ward is comprised of the 4 'HA' dsitricts, St Anns, of the 4 'ST' ones and Seven Sisters of the 'SS' ones. The full map is online here.

The recently tabled proposals would see the number of Harringay wards reduced by one. Two completely new wards would be created, dividing Harringay into North and south with some non-Harringay adjuncts on the eastern borders. The precise location of the north south divide is unclear at the moment. According to the map in the report (attached below), it would be along the garden fence line between Allison and Hewitt. According to the online map, it would be between Seymour and Warham Roads. (I'll drop a note to the responsible office and check which is correct).

The proposals also see the namer Harringay wiped from the local government map for the first time in 130 years. The northern ward would be Ducketts and the southern one Manor House.

The LGBC gives the following explanation for the mounting of the review:

An electoral review examines and proposes new electoral arrangements for a local authority. A local authority’s electoral arrangements decide:

• How many councillors are needed.
• How many wards or electoral divisions there should be, where their boundaries are and what they should be called.
• How many councillors should represent each ward or division.

When carrying out an electoral review the Commission has three main considerations:

Improving electoral equality by equalising the number of electors that each councillor represents.

• Ensuring that the recommendations reflect community identity.
• Providing arrangements that support effective and convenient local government.

Our task is to strike the best balance between these three considerations when making our recommendations.

The review process started last year. A consultation which ran from the end of November to the start of February invited views on the future. Only 11 submissions were received (including one from yours truly):

This was a predictably very low submission rate. This gives the Council's view undue weight. And, according to the Commission's report it sounds like this is just what happened they've been heavily influenced by the Council's submission, including the removal of the Harringay name from the local electoral map. In the west the Crouch End Forum submission provided an influential counter-weight to the Council. Sadly no organisation made a submission from Harringay.

My view on the proposals is that they do have some merit. The previous set-up used Green Lanes as the dividing line and included parts of areas to the east of Harringay that have little identity or practical unity with our area. My own submission focussed on this aspect.

It is positive that Harringay is now only divided into two wards. The boundaries aren't perfect, but they aren't wholly wrong either. However, I'm unsure about the wisdom of dividing the Ladder in two.

There is now a further consultation period where you can have your say on the proposals. If you do intend to comment (and improve on the 0.003% resident response rate last time), I think it might be helpful if comments relate back to the LGBC's intended objectives, as stated above:

• Ensuring that the recommendations reflect community identity.
• Providing arrangements that support effective and convenient local government.

The full and summary reports are attached below. The consultation runs until 5th August. You can add your comments here.

I'll certainly be objecting to the name for the southern part. It seems daft to use a name for an area that's in Hackney! I can't think why the Council are STILL trying to shed the Harringay name. I'm not sure yet whether I'll comment again on the boundaries themselves: the problem here is that any suggestions made to any one boundary will need to be compensated for somewhere else. So it becomes very tricky.

I would urge you to have a say.