Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Threats to our neighbourhood heritage in Harringay
English Heritage are currently running a campaign to protect the 9,300 conservation areas in England.
Despite the fact we have our own rich neighbourhood heritage in the form of Grand Parade, the late Victorian and early Edwardian architecture of the Ladder and Gardens and the oldest park in London as well as the traditions surrounding the Harringay Stadium and Arena, inexplicably we are not a conservation area.
However, by the sounds of it, being a conservation area does not necessarily protect an area from neglect, damage and damaging change.
English Heritage revealed the Top 10 threats to our neighbourhood heritage today:
– plastic windows and doors (83% of conservation areas affected)
– poorly maintained roads and pavements (60%)
– street clutter (45%)
– loss of front garden walls, fences and hedges (43%)
– unsightly satellite dishes (38%)
– the effects of traffic calming or traffic management (36%)
– alterations to the fronts, roofs and chimneys of buildings (34%)
– unsympathetic extensions (31%)
– impact of advertisements (23%)
– neglected green spaces (18%).
All but the last one sound horribly familiar, don't they?
What seems depressing to me is that areas where local councils actually have the powers to protect are struggling, so what chances do areas that have not been designated have?
Still, two of the three recommendations seem to make sense for those that are responsible for guiding Harringay's future, namely the Green Lanes Strategy Group and the Neighbourhood management team
Firstly, all departments need to be responsible for conserving a neighbourhood. Some joined up thinking from the council on how Highways, Environmental, Housing, even Health and Education can work together. After all, people's mental and physical health is improved when the area they live in is pleasant, clean and cared for.
Secondly, they believe that local people are the best people to help get the processes going with residents groups helping councils by finding out what local people value, by doing street clutter audits, commenting on planning applications or helping to prepare local lists of historic buildings. Where there is strong community support, projects are much more successful.
The chief executive of EH, Simon Thurley expresses it thus:
Well-cared for [neighbourhoods] ... encourage good neighbourliness, give a boost to the local economy and will continue to be a source of national pride and joy for generations to come.”
Haringey conservation areas 'at risk'
Despite the fact we have our own rich neighbourhood heritage in the form of Grand Parade, the late Victorian and early Edwardian architecture of the Ladder and Gardens and the oldest park in London as well as the traditions surrounding the Harringay Stadium and Arena, inexplicably we are not a conservation area.
However, by the sounds of it, being a conservation area does not necessarily protect an area from neglect, damage and damaging change.
English Heritage revealed the Top 10 threats to our neighbourhood heritage today:
– plastic windows and doors (83% of conservation areas affected)
– poorly maintained roads and pavements (60%)
– street clutter (45%)
– loss of front garden walls, fences and hedges (43%)
– unsightly satellite dishes (38%)
– the effects of traffic calming or traffic management (36%)
– alterations to the fronts, roofs and chimneys of buildings (34%)
– unsympathetic extensions (31%)
– impact of advertisements (23%)
– neglected green spaces (18%).
All but the last one sound horribly familiar, don't they?
What seems depressing to me is that areas where local councils actually have the powers to protect are struggling, so what chances do areas that have not been designated have?
Still, two of the three recommendations seem to make sense for those that are responsible for guiding Harringay's future, namely the Green Lanes Strategy Group and the Neighbourhood management team
Firstly, all departments need to be responsible for conserving a neighbourhood. Some joined up thinking from the council on how Highways, Environmental, Housing, even Health and Education can work together. After all, people's mental and physical health is improved when the area they live in is pleasant, clean and cared for.
Secondly, they believe that local people are the best people to help get the processes going with residents groups helping councils by finding out what local people value, by doing street clutter audits, commenting on planning applications or helping to prepare local lists of historic buildings. Where there is strong community support, projects are much more successful.
The chief executive of EH, Simon Thurley expresses it thus:
Well-cared for [neighbourhoods] ... encourage good neighbourliness, give a boost to the local economy and will continue to be a source of national pride and joy for generations to come.”
Haringey conservation areas 'at risk'
Tags for Forum Posts: heritage, preservation
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by matt on
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Agree with writer of your blog linked that the following is truely awful;
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Steve your comment about being negative reminded me of this quote from Jane Jacobs.
[The federal housing officer] “. . . told us to never ever tell anyone in state or city government what you want for improvements because then you’re considered a ‘participating citizen’. Then they can say they have citizen participation and do whatever they want. He told us not to be afraid of being considered ‘merely negative.’
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Permalink Reply by Steve Hatch on
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Interesting point Alan, It's not so much what you say, it's how you say it!
Also interesting how she switched off when Edward Bacon made his negative comments.
She was spot on in my view, property is totally about people.
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Three years ago I chaired one of our Neighbourhood Assemblies and tried a small experiment. We got three residents to volunteer taking photos and then leading a discussion of Haringey buildings they liked or disliked. I found it fascinating - not least because of a chance to try seeing things through other peple's eyes.
One of them - who has since moved to Scotland - posted her photos on Flickr, with very brief comments. You can see them here.
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Permalink Reply by StephenBln on
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Thanks for the link Alan.. wow there's no accounting for taste and there really are some horrors about- but let's be careful.. you never know who's 'watching-in' - someone might live in one of them..
But one did stick out more than the rest.. probably designed on the back on the beer mat, when the architect was .. well.. you know. Just a way of fitting as many units onto a small space as possible...
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– neglected green spaces (18%).
All but the last one sound horribly familiar, don't they?
Sounds very familiar to me!
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Permalink Reply by james walsh on
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I was a water gypsy at tottenham hale
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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True, a few years back, the green space around here was very poorly maintained but due to strong and persistant work from local people, this is no longer the case, which illustrates the point made by English Heritage that the most successful projects are those with strong community backing
I think we have much to thank the various 'Friends of'...groups for, restoring and enhancing these green spaces.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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Sorry to bang on about this once again but what about an assessment by Haringey planners of the value of designating the Ladder a conservation area? The river and the bridges over it would be justification enough I would have though?
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Yes, but don't leave out the Gardens..
Just the names of the streets seem to reflect that the developers were perhaps influenced by Ebenezer Howard's 'Garden City Movement' . Maybe just by naming the streets Gardens, they were just trying to cash in to something that was 'en vogue' at that time. (see also Noel Park Estate).
Old postcards clearly indicate that the Gardens Estate was very green when completed. Personally, what I like about it, is the conformity of the houses, apart that is, from a few different ones on Kimberley & Salisbury.. Both styles of Garden houses can found dotted around London, especially Fulham & Clapham - some can also be found in Hackney.
The ''pregnant looking' Ladder houses, (excuse me) are IMO not so attractive as the sleeker houses on the Gardens. (I bet I'll get some complaints about this!)
Lastly, both Ladder & Gardens have wonderful vistas up and down the hill. That alone is worth conserving them.
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Not sure but perhaps someone in this thread might know. If not, I guess you could drop a line to the local cllrs and ask them to find out.
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Steve may know. Wonder if it's the space the 'church' used to use. That's been empty for months now.
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