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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Teachers Centre Philips Lane- old downhills school- flat conversion

Dear Friends,
 
As a local Haringey resident, I am reaching out for support from other local residents. 
Plans have been proposed to turn the use of the Teacher Centre on Philip lane by the entrance of downhills park into a series of flats/ bedsits. Please see link below for proposed works. It's location at the bottom of downhills park is perfect for families and general public to access as a community centre for teaching and training, as well as family activities. More well built purpose built accommodation is important and will not be addressed by squeezing lots of people into limited spaces for the sake of profit.
 
If you believe the local community could benefit from accessible community spaces which bring value to the local community as well as training and family acitivites, pls access the link and submit comment below. Please feel free to share with others for support.
 
If you are interested in supporting the action to turn this into a community space (as with the Antwerp Arms community pub), or if you have any ideas how we could support this, please get in touch. 
 
 
"I Strongly object to the proposed changes to plan. According to the official conservation report ‘the building’s significance is high and is derived from the following values as per Historic England’s ‘Conservation Principles, Policies and guidance’: Historical Value’, and ‘Communal Value: Important landmark and association with the educational needs of the community’.
 
It is encouraging that the proposed works offers to preserve and restore the original features of the building, however it is acknowledged that ‘From a conservation point of view, the change of use and the alterations are likely to cause some impact’
 
Thus I am rejecting the proposal on the following grounds:
 
1. Principle: that use of land/property should not change, and instead the council should use this space for community purposes as it was intended such as a training and teaching centre, as well as community space for families. Furthermore the infrastructure has not been put in place to support additional housing such as waste and parking facilities.
 
2. Overlooked: it would lead to previously private areas such as the Harris Academy school next door being overlooked.
 
3. Conservation: As stated by the conservation officer, this is a building of high significant importance as a landmark associated with the educational needs of the community. And that the change of use would likely cause impact.
 
I would be happy to see the building preserved for community use for the benefit of future generations ensuring that we put People ahead of Profits."

Tags for Forum Posts: centre, community, downhill, family, philip lane, planning, school, teachers, training

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Permalink Reply by Jamiehadley on June 1, 2018 at 10:48

Hello,

I have been having exactly the same thoughts about this beautiful building! Have you heard of Spacehive? A crowdfunding platform to enable local people to raise money for community projects. It's usually for smaller asks than this would be, but worth taking a look at for inspiration.

Rosie

Permalink Reply by Ivana Ćurčić on June 1, 2018 at 12:46

Olivia, thank you for posting this as I was not aware of the plans. Same as Rosie, I was wondering about the building--what it looks inside, what it was used for... 

The consultations closed in April but it still accepted my comment today. The decision date has not been set yet. It will show whether the council is serious about changing its course from "more (luxury) flats". It is not an easy building to own, but other than the real estate agents posting the sale on their website, there's been no apparent effort to find an appropriate buyer for the building so it would retain its current function--i.e. I have not come across any media awareness of it... 

I find that West Green Road has been developing successfully with small, family businesses, such as restaurants, some really excellent. Then there are several schools nearby. Maintaining a heritage building like this open to the community would be a magnificent further boost to the neighbourhood. 

What can be done? The funding for buying/restoring/maintaining the building is not likely to come from one place, so it needs quite a bit of work, but best if it is a collaborative endeavour. One would think that the charity that owns it could do its part, the council as well, along with local residents (yes, as Rosie has pointed out, crowdfunding!) to approach the GLA, perhaps The Heritage Lottery Fund, The Heritage Alliance... the list can only grow. It needs engagement from many sides but nowadays the way to start is grassroots, from the local community. I am saying this as an active member of StART (St Ann's Redevelopment Trust), probably inspired by this project.

Wishing us all good luck!

Ivana

Permalink Reply by Jamiehadley on June 1, 2018 at 13:24

It would be good to get a sense from the Council of how far along the proposals have gone, ie if the developer has already paid for the building (not clear to me from the planning application) or if the purchase is contingent on planning permission being granted. 

The proposal is not on the agenda for the next committee meeting (11 June); the following is scheduled for 9 July.

Permalink Reply by pamish on June 1, 2018 at 14:40

Asset of Community Value? 

Where else are there great meeting rooms like that?

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