Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Tricky dealing as Kinleigh Folkard Hayward rides roughshod over community interest
The claims of estate agents Kinleigh Folkard Hayward to being upstanding corporate citizens and even community champions are ringing very hollow in Harringay today.
Despite the proud boast of Kinleigh Folkard Hayward to be "bringing your city to life", the tricky dealings by the London estate agents seem to suggest that community interest and community wellbeing are of little concern to them.
Back in July this year, Salisbury boss Dave, heard rumours that the office premises next to Tesco, on the corner of St Ann's Road and Salisbury Road (originally leased for a KFH office), was to be sublet by Kinleigh Folkard Hayward to a betting shop operator.
There's strong awareness in the neighbourhood that we have about as many betting shops as any high street could bear. So I was keen to find an alternative letting solution. I'd heard about a couple of London examples recently when the community had approached either a betting shop operator, or a landlord and persuaded them not to open a betting shop. Given the case to be made for Green Lanes having a surfeit of betting shops, I suggested to Rob Chau of Harringay Traders that an approach be made to KFH.
I felt that there must be a solution that would satisfy KFH's legitimate commercial requirements whilst also delivering on community interest.
Rob picked up the baton and passed things over to the GLA team involved on the Green Lanes regeneration project. As summer progressed and turned to Autumn, all seemed to be going well. GLA supported plans had been hatched to let the shop and use it as a community pop-up space for an interim period.
About a week ago Rob told me that negotiations had progressed well and that the arrangements for a community pop-up shop were about to be finalised. Then out of the blue yesterday, the Haringey Council licensing team received an application for a licence to operate the premises as a betting shop.
My first thought was that perhaps the betting shop operator had made a speculative application in the hope that they would come to terms with KFH. I haven't completely abandoned hope of this being the case. We don't know for sure that it's not. But, when I spoke to Rob Chau early this morning he told me, "It's 90% certain that KFH have decided to lease to the betting shop. You don't submit a licensing application unless you're certain you have a premises to licence". Then Councillor Nilgun Canver told me, "Kinleigh Folkard Hayward abandoned our proposals and the licensing application is being progressed".
It seems like bad news. It seems like KFH could reasonably face accusations not only of riding roughshod over community interest, but also of what might at best be described as a rather tricky approach to negotiating with a local community.
Rob Chau commented, "I'm very disappointed. No one from KFH has bothered to visit. They just don't care. This is only a commercial issue for them."
"They've been very two-faced. They put on a community face and got involved in drawn out discussions and negotiations; with the other face, they did a deal against community interest.
I asked Dave at the Salisbury what he thought of the way KFH had conducted themselves, "I think it's disgusting. It's really disgusting. We really don't need another betting shop. I'm not happy at all"
Those of you who caught my angry tweets last night might suspect that I'm keen to see if we can get together as a community to fight this. You'd be right! I respect KFH's right to make a commercial decision, but there must be a way, where between them, the GLA, the Council and the community we can come up with a solution where we're all winners.
If KFH truly have shut the door on negotiation, then there are a range of options open for fighting this. More over the next few days.
Tags for Forum Posts: betting, gambling, kfh, kinleigh folkard hayward
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by hob on
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Paddy Power try to open 40 new outlets in the U.K. per annum. They would seem like a good bet.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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You may well be right, Hob. As will become apparent when the applications get posted on the Council website on Monday, a simultaneous application was received from Paddy Power for a licence at 6 West Green Road. I wondered if the two applications were submitted as a job lot.
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That would fit nicely in their map of outlets. Then Manor House, Newington Green and they should be in a position to march on Crouch End, Muswell Hill and Highgate.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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Coli-sue'm? Perhaps an option for the residents?
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Permalink Reply by Alison P on
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O please, not another one. How depressing, especially as it is such a prime site and is in a section that already has more than its fair share of betting shops.
Happy to join in anything we think might help, please keep me posted.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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This is not good news but I'm sure that Mr Chau is correct in noting that for KFH this is only a commercial issue for them. It's a high profile corner site, and due to the profitability of the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals, only betting shops can afford the top dollar asked in rent.
I hope that community action might have at least some effect.
Nothing proposed here is unlawful and businesses are free to engage in any activity not proscribed by law. The people I hold responsible are the legislators who voted for the wretched Gambling Act (2005) that renders objectors almost irrelevant. This, due to the instruction to Licensing Authorities that they must Aim to Permit (gambling premise licence applications).
Any objectors – and I hope there will be objectors - may be ignored. Council licensing committees know that any declinatory decision they make will be appealed by the Applicant and the betting chain will win in the Magistrates Court. We know this because this is what has happened. The courts' hands are tied.
This said, IMO, the Application should be resisted in any event.
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You are of course right. The local authority's hands are tied by the Act.
I walked down to Green Lanes a half an hour ago and at the GL/Warham/Salisbury cross roads are betting shops on the south west corner, the north east corner and one just shy of the north west corner next to the post office. And that is just at the end of my street.
As the LA is powerless to deal with it the only option is community action and making their (the betting shop companies and the land owners) lives as uncomfortable as possible.
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Permalink Reply by Paul on
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I live directly above the proposed betting shop. I am now starting a community fight back so am contacting all residents starting with a flyer going in all post boxes tomorrow. There is already, from this last hour, a core team of objectors.
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Thanks Hugh, I park my car in your road I believe? I will galvanise the residents here to the best of my abilities concerning yet another betting shop. How tiring!
If the proposal goes through I'm afraid the establishment will find me a technological irritation as I have been recently been involved with drone video surveillance and will deploy the ones I own without hesitation! One is very tiny, smaller than a sparrow but the other is rather large but can stream what it sees to anywhere I wish.
On a serious note, how depressing to having another betting shop during these times. Clive's comment about the legislation is very pertinent.
Hope you are well?
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