Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Help Build a Vision for Harringay
Summary
If you haven't got the heart to read this rather long post, just read this:
1. You now have a chance to help build a vision for the future of Harringay to make it the place you want.
2. The Council has said they'll run the project as a genuine partnership with residents. How would you like to be involved?
3. What are the things you'd like to partner with the Council to work on getting changed?
Following the Harringay Online Residents' Priorities Survey and my request to Haringey Council to work with us to build a charter for Harringay, I've had a few meetings with Councillor Nilgun Canver. The latest of these was to prepare a recommendation to the Green Lanes Strategy Group to start working on a charter. That's great news. The objective of this post is to share how I hope to see this going forward and to begin to get other residents and traders of Harringay involved in shaping the place they live and/or work in. So, what's all this about? If you follow the link for Harringay Charter above, you'll see that the idea is based on an initiative by Hazel Blears - which is all part of a Government policy to shift more control to people at a local level.
Many charters may focus on crime and grime, but there is nothing stopping us making a charter which is broader in scope and more ambitious and visionary in intent.
For me the charter can be a catalyst where the people of Harringay agree what should be done to shape our area and form the foundation of making those things we agree happen.
In my view it should be a genuine partnership between the people (residents & traders) and the Council. It should be something we feel a real ownership of and are prepared to take joint responsibility for, rather than having it happen to us.
Where do things stand now?
Nilgun Canver, the chair of the Green Lanes Strategy Group, has agreed to the idea in principle and wants to submit a recommendation to the Green Lanes Strategy Group in September.
I have her commitment that building the charter and executing on it will be a genuine partnership between the Council and the people. For me this means residents and traders being treated as equals throughout the process. Of course we have to recognise that the Council has certain responsibilities and will likely be funding any expenditure. So in the real world, they will be first among equals. But that's the real world.
At this stage those of us who have been discussing the concept would really welcome your ideas about first steps/where we go from here.
How to contribute at this stage
The key issues which I think we should be contributing on now are:
1. Involvement
2. Objectives
3. Opportunities/Hurdles
Other Perspectives
My sense is that we should aim for a visionary piece. We will need to be realistic about what's achievable and timescales. Funding will always be an issue, but if we at least agree a broad sweep of where we want Harringay to be in 5 or 10 years, it will be a canvas against which future execution can be achieved.
We don't need to feel nor be passive partners. It seems that every week the Government is introducing new legislation to enable people to have real influence and take real control at a local level. I'm amazed at how far they're going. We could also consider options like a development trust for the third place that's been discussed on the site.
My point is that there are many structures and processes that are in place for us to achieve all sorts. We will only be limited by our imaginations, our willingness to get involved and take ownership for our own area..........and of course the effectiveness of the way the initiative is run.
The next Green Lanes Strategy Group Meeting is on 23rd September. Any input we have will need to be collated prior to the meeting. So if we have the discussion and express our ideas over the next three weeks (i.e. by 14th September), I will contract to collate any views expressed here and get them passed on in good time.
If you'd rather talk to the Council directly, you can contact Dasos Maliotis, Neighbourhood Manager at Dasos.Maliotis@haringey.gov.uk.
If you haven't got the heart to read this rather long post, just read this:
1. You now have a chance to help build a vision for the future of Harringay to make it the place you want.
2. The Council has said they'll run the project as a genuine partnership with residents. How would you like to be involved?
3. What are the things you'd like to partner with the Council to work on getting changed?
Following the Harringay Online Residents' Priorities Survey and my request to Haringey Council to work with us to build a charter for Harringay, I've had a few meetings with Councillor Nilgun Canver. The latest of these was to prepare a recommendation to the Green Lanes Strategy Group to start working on a charter. That's great news. The objective of this post is to share how I hope to see this going forward and to begin to get other residents and traders of Harringay involved in shaping the place they live and/or work in. So, what's all this about? If you follow the link for Harringay Charter above, you'll see that the idea is based on an initiative by Hazel Blears - which is all part of a Government policy to shift more control to people at a local level.
Many charters may focus on crime and grime, but there is nothing stopping us making a charter which is broader in scope and more ambitious and visionary in intent.
For me the charter can be a catalyst where the people of Harringay agree what should be done to shape our area and form the foundation of making those things we agree happen.
In my view it should be a genuine partnership between the people (residents & traders) and the Council. It should be something we feel a real ownership of and are prepared to take joint responsibility for, rather than having it happen to us.
Where do things stand now?
Nilgun Canver, the chair of the Green Lanes Strategy Group, has agreed to the idea in principle and wants to submit a recommendation to the Green Lanes Strategy Group in September.
I have her commitment that building the charter and executing on it will be a genuine partnership between the Council and the people. For me this means residents and traders being treated as equals throughout the process. Of course we have to recognise that the Council has certain responsibilities and will likely be funding any expenditure. So in the real world, they will be first among equals. But that's the real world.
At this stage those of us who have been discussing the concept would really welcome your ideas about first steps/where we go from here.
How to contribute at this stage
The key issues which I think we should be contributing on now are:
1. Involvement
- What does an equal partnership mean to you in this context?
- How would you like to be involved?
- Would you like to just leave it to existing residents' groups to work with the Council on your behalf or would you like the opportunity for more direct involvement?
- If you'd like more direct involvement, how might that be organised so that things work effectively but your voice is heard and given due weight?
- What has/hasn't worked for you in the past in influencing what happens locally?
- Any ideas about how we structure the management of the process - both building the charter and executing on it?
2. Objectives
- What should the objectives of the charter be?
- What should its scope be? Should it be more focussed on crime & grime issues or should it be broader, more visionary?
3. Opportunities/Hurdles
- What opportunities do you see for this project?
- What are the potential barriers? How can we overcome them?
Other Perspectives
My sense is that we should aim for a visionary piece. We will need to be realistic about what's achievable and timescales. Funding will always be an issue, but if we at least agree a broad sweep of where we want Harringay to be in 5 or 10 years, it will be a canvas against which future execution can be achieved.
We don't need to feel nor be passive partners. It seems that every week the Government is introducing new legislation to enable people to have real influence and take real control at a local level. I'm amazed at how far they're going. We could also consider options like a development trust for the third place that's been discussed on the site.
My point is that there are many structures and processes that are in place for us to achieve all sorts. We will only be limited by our imaginations, our willingness to get involved and take ownership for our own area..........and of course the effectiveness of the way the initiative is run.
The next Green Lanes Strategy Group Meeting is on 23rd September. Any input we have will need to be collated prior to the meeting. So if we have the discussion and express our ideas over the next three weeks (i.e. by 14th September), I will contract to collate any views expressed here and get them passed on in good time.
If you'd rather talk to the Council directly, you can contact Dasos Maliotis, Neighbourhood Manager at Dasos.Maliotis@haringey.gov.uk.
Tags for Forum Posts: area assembly, area forum, consultation, harringay charter
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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Great way to start. I think that it might be a good way of getting some of the issues down so that there are headlines to think about instead of some very big and not always easy to understand concepts.
I think that there is an absolute need for a hosted public event (say on a Saturday afternoon at one of the schools). Online will dissenfranchise those who aren't e-anabled and whose first language isn't English. I think that its fair to ask Dasos to arrange this.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Good input guys.
I agree that it's important not to disenfranchise people, but I also think that we need to start somewhere. A group of people brainstorming to make one contribution of many won't, in my opinion, disenfranchise folks, as long as we ensure that an inclusive process is put in place and the gathering of a wide ranging sweep of opinions enabled.
One of the critical issues for me right now is to brainstorm suggestions for a process and an engagement strategy. Without that, all the ideas in the world are just.....well, all the ideas in the world.
My opinion is that there are a couple of, not mutually exclusive options:
1. As Ruth suggests to engage in some on-line brainstorming (ever facilitated an on-line brainstrom Michael?).
2. A, probably relatively small, real-world group brainstorm. We have Michael and Rachel with relevenat expertise in that field.
All this would just be start.
Michael/Rachel, when's convenient for you guys to set something up?
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Huge - completely agree - the important thing is to start and if that is online that's fine. It would probably need a dedicated part of this site for people to drop in ideas and questions that would then need to be collated. I also think that it is not unreasonable to ask Haringey for some resources to facillitate a face to face discussion.
Two issues come to mind
An online discussion - I'm not tecky enough to know how that might work but I do know that Haringey used Limehouse software for their consultation on the Local Development Framework (the Wood Green High Road stuff for instance). Could we tap into that?
A really on message facillitator. I've worked with a few but they cost - would Haringey stump up some seed money?
It would be good to meet off line to talk. Hugh - I think you know that I have problems about weekdays and evenings but I'm up for a nice cup of tea and a chat most weekends up to about 6pm. It would be good to take it forward quickly.
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Permalink Reply by finsburypark on
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What about using a "virtual post-it" solution using some website?
People just need to fill in the virtual post-it now exceeding xxx amount of words to keep it short, just the core of the idea.
Brainstorm sessions are run with post-it often, at least the one I do ;-)
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found this one: MyStickies
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yupe, probably you are right Hugh. Not exactly what I had in mind.
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This link provides an example of some of the devolution to communities stuff going on right now.
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Permalink Reply by matt on
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I'm concerned that energy isn't wasted in this process and more than concerned whether Haringey Council will see this through.
To give an example, there is a scheme called Grassroots Grants, offering small grants funding for community organisations and is being administered at local level by an organisation called the Community Development Foundation. They in turn ask for a Third Sector Local Funder to apply to adminster the monies. In London the only borough to fail to do so was Haringey. See here and scroll down.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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My brain is not so good at the moment. I really wanted to say something constructive but all I can manage is "count me in". The reason I wanted something like this originally is so that the council would not present us with the fait acomplis that they do. They need more guidance on how we expect to be treated (just like people in Highgate would be nice) and what values we hold - before they begin their "planning process".
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