Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Update on plans of where to spend TfL's £1.2m for Harringay
In my last post on this subject which covered the first meeting, I wrote "This really is a great opportunity to make some significant quality of life enhancing changes to our neighbourhood."
That meeting was on 13th October. Last week, on 24th, there was a follow up meeting. We were presented with a summary of the first meeting interpreting what the consultants described as "what people think they want". (Yup, I picked them up on that one.).
You'll see the range of ideas covered is quite broad, but then we were encouraged to be broad. We were also told to think about plans for the Green Lanes Corridor, not just the road itself.
At last week's meeting we were presented with three plans. Copies of the diagrams representing them are attached below. In each case I was at pains to get a very clear articulation from the consultants of what the objective is for each plan. I have recorded these below. The plans are:
1. Duckett's Common
Primary objective: Though not clear from the diagram, the primary objective is "to create a safer" pedestrian crossing at Frobisher Road".
Secondary objective: To create more public space (in the area opposite the Queen's head, by moving the point that the feeder road from West Green Road joins Green Lanes).
2. Salisbury/Warham Street improvements
Primary objective: "a better shopping environment"
This plan involves widening pavements between Hewitt and Warham. Buses will be prioritised. This will have the effect of constricting the flow of all other traffic along Green Lanes.
3. Sainsbury's
Primary objective: Ease traffic flow (by eating in to the Arena Car park sufficiently so as to 'indent' the bus stop)
Secondary objectives:
a. to make it easier for pedestrians to move about (through shifting crossing opposite McDonalds to north of the Bridge and by improving the crossing at the Green Lanes end of Williamson Road).
b. to improve the entrance to Harringay
So that's yer £1.2m gone. At the first meeting expectations were raised that the safety, quality of life and health issues created by high levels of traffic in residential streets could be addressed.
This time round - who knows why - all options on that score have been closed down.
I'm aware that the Green Lanes crossing at Frobisher has been a key concern for local people fro a number of years. So that one gets a tick from me. But, actually the major money in that plan will be spent creating a public space. Very nice; laudable idea, but this is in in an area where we already have public spaces Duckett's Common and Green Gate Common. More would be nice but are not a priority at that particular point. And for that reason, newpublicspace, you're fired.
Wider pavements and stuff between Hewitt & Warham. Again nice, but not my priority.
Moving the bus stop in? I can live with that as a reflection of resident's priorities. Since the council messed up that end of Harringay we've needed something improved. This will help somewhat. And I can see the sense of easing/changing pedestrian movements in that area. Sure why not.
So in summary I see a couple of nuggets that reflect what residents have said in several surveys that they want, but I don't see these plans taken as a whole as reflecting the priorities of local people.
Ach, who cares.....only £1.2m......it's not our money......let's just let them spend it how they want, eh.
Anyway, let's try something new to comment on & discuss this issue:
Vote and comment on the plans and add your own ideas here
Tags for Forum Posts: consultation, green lanes corridor, harringay regeneration 2012-13, traffic
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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How about spending the money on traffic cameras to stop rat running, like the scheme being considered for Bounds Green?
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I'm not so much tied to the method as the result. I can't believe that there's no way to stop or significantly reduce rat running here however. Any ideas, Jono?
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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If, as a resident, I drive along Wightman and turn down Hewitt to get to St Ann's Road am I a rat runner ? If not, how do you distinguish ?
If cameras were to be used to control rat running, wouldn't we need 18 cameras ? One for each Ladder road ?
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As I said John, not married to the idea of cameras but to a result.
There are thousands of rat run schemes in the UK. I assume most achieve the desired result without undue inconvenience to neighbours. In other words the neighbour inconvenience issue you raise is a problem for which there is a solution.
Are you suggesting there's no solution to rat running? Are you suggesting do nothing, John?
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No I'm not saying do nothing, particularly as the narrowing of Grand Parade will inevitably result in increased traffic on the Ladder Roads. ( I always avoid Wood Green High Road which has already been narrowed resulting in slow progress ) But you "assume" the problem has been overcome elsewhere - but how ?
The obvious way to stop rat running would be to block each rung of the ladder half way along and revert to two-way working on each road with a key-controlled barrier to allow ambulances, refuse carts etc unimpeded access. But I'm not sure how that would play with the residents.
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I think the normal solution with roads that give on to high streets is just to block them at the end. At any rate, that's a solution I've seen in several other areas.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Put narrowing like at Chetwynd Rd where it comes off Gordon House Rd (go to street view off that link to see) at Alroy/Endymion, outside Station Mansions on Wightman and outside the Queen's Head on Willoughby. If a large truck needs access to a ladder Rd or Wightman Rd it can use a road off of Green Lanes and then come back down another one the other way. Stopping them entering and exiting Wightman is the key.
Hugh, we will never, IMHO and despite all that I might wish, stop the general public but we can certainly cut down on the noisy, speeding, humping, diesel vans and trucks (and the Ferraris!)
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Schemes throughout the country manage John. I'd suggest the main barrier is the will to find a solution.
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We're a hard nut to crack. I like my solution and I've thought hard and long about it.
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Well you could also close off JUST Wightman Rd at either end to get what you want. You do not need a solution for each and every east/west ladder road, that way lies divide and conquer. Look at the attitude of our Mattison Rd* councillor.
* it's one of the quieter ladder roads.
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