Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Tell the Council how you want to revitalise Hornsey Town Hall Square

From Haringey Council:

Help Hornsey Town Hall Square become a vibrant community hub by telling us what kind of activities you would like to see in the location.

A temporary relaxation of licensing rules means the square can now be a trading place and a centre for occasional activities that are independent of the council.

For example, would you want to explore the feasibility of a one-off farmers' or French market, an art fair, wine tasting, an antiques or garden market, holistic and wellbeing services, a book or literary festival, an occasional outdoor ice rink or a vintage market in the area? If so, let the council know.

The trial period will allow for up to 10 events to be held on Town Hall Square up to Christmas.

Successful proposals should:

be self financing
help establish the Town Hall Square as the heart of Crouch End
bring vibrancy and community benefits to the area
bringing business opportunities that complement those of the current traders
fit around existing commitments regarding the use of Hornsey Town Hall
be socially responsible, inclusive and within planning and licensing conditions
bringing a sense of pride to Hornsey and Haringey’s diverse communities

Send in your ideas by email to: hth@haringey.gov.uk, write to Hornsey Town Hall Interim Uses Group, Room 1:15, Civic Centre, High Road, Wood Green, N22 8LE or telephone 02084891794

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Permalink Reply by Jo Foster on June 18, 2011 at 9:40

At first glance you might think: At last, we can have a farmers' market. But read it more carefully and you will see that the specification is for "ten events" between now and Christmas.

Can anyone come up with a suggestion of how a six-month trial of a weekly farmers' market can fit within this requirement?

Huge attention and much argument has preceded this anticipated relaxation of the street trading rules, all of it based on the assumption that we could expect it to lead to a farmers' mkt, as campaigned for and frequently promised (verbally) by the Council over the last 12 years.

Residents are asked to offer suggestions for one-off events such as a one-off farmers' or French market,** an art fair, wine tasting, an antiques or garden market, holistic and wellbeing services, a book or literary festival, an occasional outdoor ice rink or a vintage market in the area? If so, let the council know.

It seems that if you want one of these events to take place, once approved, you must organise it yourself. That's a lot of work.

I don't think ten one-off events, designed as "visitor attractions", will provide lasting enhancement of the area or be of as much benefit to the local residents and shops as a regular certified farmers' market (FM). They would require advance publicity and attract more car drivers. All these other activities are complementary and could run alongside or interspersed with the FM (except the "French market"**), which would itself attract people to them as well as to the shops and restaurants. (**French market is a totally different kind of thing).

A certified FM is sustainable in every sense of the word. That would be bullet point 8, the other 7 requirements being more than satisfied.

There has once again been an orchestrated hysteria around the theme of "putting the shops out of business", an understandable initial reaction which is very appealing to anyone who hasn't thought about it clearly and examined the evidence, which proves the opposite. The NEF's copious research on this subject actually arose out of this extraordinary situation in Crouch End. And this is the esteemed think tank which treats economics "as though people and the planet matter". They campaign to keep independent shops, branch POs, banks etc open, against "clone towns" and "ghost towns", and blame the "Tescopoly" for the flight of money from local economies.

This talk of feasibility, consultation etc has gone on far too long. Just do it!!!

I was one of the volunteers who helped Haringey Council's hard-working Sustainable Food officer draw up a strategy, whose Action Plan should be addressed by those deciding about food-related matters.

I see things clearly from 3000 miles away, and it's looking increasingly bizarre.