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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Who are "Healthy Streets St Ann's"?

Shortly before the consultation on the St Ann's LTN closed, I - and presumably others in my street - received a leaflet through the door from a group called "Healthy Streets St Ann's", urging residents to vote for Option A (the more draconian road closures) in the Council's LTN proposals. The leaflet is well-designed, typeset and properly printed; it doesn't appear to have been knocked-up hastily on somebody's PC and printer. There's also a professional-looking website, so presumably there's some finance behind this pressure group, which says it's "a community group set up by residents in 2019". 

The one thing neither the leaflet nor the website do is to identify anyone involved as initiating, leading or steering the group, and the only contact information is a gmail address. Obviously, campaigning for something is fine, but without any indication as to who's actually behind it, it lays the campaign open to suspicion that it may not be what it says it is - in fact, unlikely though it seems, it could even be a Council initiative disguising itself as a grassroots movement, rather than the independent entity it says it is. I've no memory of being consulted about the group's creation or membership in 2019, or being asked to join (albeit that I might have missed something), so I wonder which community it represents? Is it two people and a web-designer? Is it a mere handful of the 15,895 residents of St Ann's ward or is it a substantial number?

I'd be very surprised if those involved aren't also members of HoL, so perhaps they'd like to identify themselves now? I realise personal safety is important - nobody wants to be trolled or harassed, and I'm not suggesting anyone gives details that would open them up to this. But in assessing the merits or demerits of a campaign group's arguments, it adds credence to the pitch if the recipient knows a) who's making it and b) that they're not something other than what they purport to be. 

So - if you're there, Healthy Streets St Ann's, who are you?

Tags for Forum Posts: low traffic neighbourhoods, st anns ltn, traffic

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Will on September 25, 2021 at 15:01

The omission of this kind of information is rarely, if ever, an oversight. Particularly in such a well organised campaign.

This first accounts a twitter profile follows is usually a fairly instructive source of information. I'm not sure if that applies in this case. 

Permalink Reply by Donna FT on September 25, 2021 at 17:23

That's a rather cynical take. Given the force of anti-LTN action in areas where they've been introduced, it feels rather smart not to identify one or two individuals when a group is truly acting as a group. They're not purporting to be a single representative voice for the area, but they are keen to push forward the active travel agenda in St Ann's, in much the same way as The Harringay Ladder Healthy Streets group is (and there are lots of us on here, so I'm sure there are some St Ann's reps too). 

Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on September 25, 2021 at 15:45
Permalink Reply by Will on September 25, 2021 at 15:56

Michael, how would you anticipate that list of links would help answer the original question?

Permalink Reply by Donna FT on September 25, 2021 at 17:16

Well, he could click on say, the Facebook group and post there to ask who in the group was involved with the leaflets and ask any questions he has about their veracity there? Or look - as I just did - at the membership and the group Admins, and make the reasonably logical jump that they are some of the driving force in the campaign. Didn't seem like a huge leap from question to answer.

I'm a member of some active travel groups in the area and have heard Catherine Kenyon speak eloquently at a couple of online meetings I've attended about the Ladder and Stroud Green traffic. I think she's a St Ann's resident so that's a name who I can put forward and, based on my online experience of her, suggest that she'd be happy to answer questions about the group's campaign aims and membership. 

Permalink Reply by PeterPiper on September 25, 2021 at 15:47

Conspiracy, conspiracy, conspiracy, or just a wooden spoon to stir with.

It's a community group, presumably founded & supported by some of St. Ann's residents as per the photos on their website & blog who campaign to improve aspects of the St. Ann's community as they see it. 

In these days of data protection and online abuse, I'm not surprised that no single person is personally identified, but it offers an introduction to contact them by email, and join them if you wish.

It seems that they have been quite active since their inception, and I could point you to many community groups that have contact details, & invitations to join, or participate in their online meetings & forums but don't identify named individuals. They appear to have the normal, (for these times), links via Twitter & Facebook. Once upon a time they might have had a postal address, they might do anyway.

Who are you, Don? Is that your real name, do you have contact details outside of this forum that you wish to disclose?

You missed something in your ward, that's not uncommon, but trying to attach aspersions to a humble leaflet is pushing it whatever you choose to think about it.

Community is generally about engagement, I presume the Healthy Streets were attempting to engage with you, but judging from what you've said, you chose not to take up the invitation at the time.

I don't live in St. Ann's so I have no knowledge of the leaflet, but by simply employing a browser search engine, I found a link to the website very easily at the top of the page.

Healthy Streets is a London-wide set-up "embedded in the mayor's key strategies including transport and the spatial plan driving change in how the streets look and feel across the region". It was founded by  one Lucy Saunders, who has a client list as long as your arm.

Healthy Streets St. Ann's is in all probability affiliated to this which might explain how they can produce a "professional-looking website, so presumably there's some finance behind this pressure group",

I am not a member of Healthy Streets St. Ann's but 5 minutes of browser searching has given me plenty of information to judge that they would seem to have bona fides.

I'll leave it to your keyboard warrior skills, Don, & Will to ascertain for yourselves as to whether HSSt.A have the necessary affiliations, & respectability.

Permalink Reply by Will on September 25, 2021 at 16:01

That's a lot of words to say that you don't know who's behind Healthy Streets St  Ann's, Peter.

Permalink Reply by PeterPiper on September 25, 2021 at 17:12

Yea, you're right there, Will, but I'm not particularly interested in discovering who the individuals are behind Healthy Streets St. Ann's, you, & Don are asking the questions.

I'm far more interested in the message than who their particular messengers are in St. Ann's, aren't you?

I've attempted to point you in a couple of directions to answer this burnin' question, along with Michael, for yourself.

I'm satisfied from what I've gleaned from my search engine that their bona fides are sound and am happy to wait and see if I'm proved otherwise, based on sound evidence, of course.

Don says he doesn't want personal information for reasons of public safety, so what information would satisfy you both as to their bona fides? Seems to me that they are likely linked to a London-wide movement endorsed by the mayor, otherwise they'd would likely be liable to charges of impersonation & passing off.

Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on September 25, 2021 at 17:32

Why not ask them?  I provided an email address in my post

Permalink Reply by Will on September 25, 2021 at 18:07

That's precisely what the original post does. I can't really see the benefit of the prickly responses to what is a very basic question. 

Asking a lobby group for transparency is unusual?

Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on September 25, 2021 at 18:18

I honestly don’t understand the problem.  There are a number of ways you can find out about them if you wish 

Permalink Reply by andy h on September 25, 2021 at 18:35

Aren’t they part of Sustrans????

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