An item at tonight's Council Cabinet meeting has thrown into question the future survival of Haringey's two warehouse districts and the artistic communities who live in them.
Both the Harringay Warehouse District and the Fountayne Road community now face an uncertain future following the publication of a Haringey Council report, "Tackling Unauthorised Living in Industrial Areas". (Report attached)
The report, which was discussed at the full cabinet of the Council today, recommends a two-year project costing £600,000 which will seek to deal with "the growing problem of unauthorised residential and live work uses in and around (the) Industrial Sites" in Haringey. The recommended process is "to establish a special multi-disciplinary team to fully investigate and address the problem through a combination of regulation, improvement, enforcement and, where necessary, prosecution".
The alarm bells were ringing for me since earlier in the week I had discovered that these areas are earmarked as being amongst those that will "will accommodate the majority of development in the borough over the next 20 years".
In Facebook and Twitter conversations this afternoon, warehouse residents shared their fears that the vibrancy their communities bring to the borough will be overlooked and their communities sanitised and destroyed.
In response to my Twitter requests to Council Leader Claire Kober this evening to protect these communities, Cllr Kober sought to offer some reassurance:
@harringayonline some people in unacceptable conditions. My concern is for safe, decent properties. No intention to undermine communities
@harringayonline no intention to damage what's good. Priority is to go after rogue landlords just as we do elsewhere in borough
When I asked if she would ensure that warehouse residents will be involved, the Council Leader replied:
@harringayonline don't see any problem involving residents. Will ask officers to consider how best to achieve
I very much hope that the approach the Council takes in this project will support these communities rather than beginning the process of whittling them away.
Tags for Forum Posts: local plan, local plan 2014, site allocation plan, warehouse district
Which many of them do, as you well know, Hugh!
I've met quite a few current and former residents in totally random areas of life and that's the name they've always given it.
I'm quite happy doing both ;)
Seriously though, Google backs me up on this one, as do their various Facebook pages. I'm not saying this just to make a petty point, I think it's just worth being aware of this if you're concerned about their fate.
No, I'm aware. I'm just playing King Canute. It's another example of the power of the tube map to determine London's nomenclature - and, if I'm being honest probably also a reflection of how isolated the warehouse community has been from the area. Although last year suggested that might be changing.
Historically, the whole area was always Harringay and referred to as such by both the residents who lived there and the companies based there. I'd like to see that reflected in the way the area is referred to today, but I get how names change and it will be what it will be.
However, for me the name thing isn't part of the current issue, and irrespective of what the buggers do with the area's name, I'd like to see the communities survive.
They are trying over on your side Sharon. I went to several meetings of their residents' group and there was a considerable engagement agenda. Think it'll actually cascade down via the PACT and MHDT as they have the resources.
"The Manor" has the most common usage. "Arts Village" is being branded about ;) on the Tewkesbury side.
"Arts Village"? Has someone called in the Council's marketing consultants?
Well, it is home to "Haringey Arts" Hugh.
.....and it fits very nicely with the Quartier Culturel in Bois Vert, after all....
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