Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Bollards to The Salisbury

Out working yesterday, I snapped a picture of the front of the Salisbury with the new bollards.

There was a some Twitter chat recently about these and the ones at the end of Burgoyne. There seems to be a split opinion.

If you've seen them, it's probably quite apparent that they're designed to echo various architectural elements of the grand old dame beneath whom they shelter. When I first saw them, they brought to mind the chess pieces in the foyer of the St Martin's Hotel (or is that wishful thinking?).

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Tags for Forum Posts: harringay regeneration 2012-13

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Permalink Reply by GillianM on July 9, 2014 at 5:41

I like the new pale granite ones - though makes you look up to check no more are going to come tumbling down! The square one looks like it's been put down backwards - with the uncarved side facing out.

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Permalink Reply by Sharon on July 9, 2014 at 7:45

I like them, they are comfy to sit on too.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Pike on July 9, 2014 at 9:07

Can see the point of them outside the pub (above) and like them, but along by Burgoyne I think they lose their meaning, looking disconnected / random - not so likable. Think it's a case of a good idea being applied wholesale. Can understand the difficulty of trying to invest meaning in something beyond the standard application of new paving slabs and tree pits, and the often subjective opinion of the public at large.

Public art - difficult beast to handle - what alternatives could have been suggested? What are good examples that others have experienced? This is a good scheme with cohesive public art theme running throughout: http://www.rudi.net/node/21043

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on July 9, 2014 at 20:02

Apparently the cycle stands were art...

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Permalink Reply by Alison P on July 10, 2014 at 18:27

Ha. I noticed another really poor feature of these bike stands today - on a grey day, if none are being used, it's surprisingly easy to miss the fact they are there - too thin, grey colour, no bright stripes (like the ones you see on any of the stands used elsewhere that cost half the price... ).

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Permalink Reply by Alison P on July 10, 2014 at 18:50

Well I've had two rounds of communication with the council about them and they've not said anything half as clear as that! The most recent email, which i read as a total brush off, was:

Thank you for the further email concerning the cycle stands in Green Lanes.
We will take it into consideration with the manufacturing mitigation process.

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Permalink Reply by Bethany Burrow Atherton on July 10, 2014 at 19:13

Hmm. I suppose they don't detract from or diminish the architecture etc. because you can't actually see them, which is half the problem, as Alison said!

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Permalink Reply by Alison P on July 10, 2014 at 19:28

There has been lots of discussion of the cost issue on another thread, which I won't repeat. Except to say that you can buy bike stands for a hell of a lot less than £155!

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on July 11, 2014 at 0:30

But weren't you told, Alison - perhaps in an email - that this type of stand was a design used in other European cities? In which case how does this match the new information about them deciding "to create a design?". Which is it? One of the range of standard bike stands; or a bespoke stand which costs £155 per stand - excluding installation. It can't be both.

As Phil K posted, someone called J.Taylor made a Freedom of Information Act request about the costs involved in this whole scheme. The initial answer was, frankly, thin to the point of threadbare.

J.Taylor politely pointed this out and new fuller information was posted on 1 July 2014. This gives a figure for "Borough cycle parking" of £30,500. Does this match the figure(s) given at the Area Forum?

For what it's worth, my experience with bespoke or in any way specialist street "furniture" is that when it breaks, or needs maintenance it costs more than something which uses standard parts. Which then eats into the budget of the department or contractor looking after it. Another risk is that the firm designing/making it is no longer in business.

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P.S. Can I make a plea for anyone asking an F.O.I. request to do so through the WhatDoTheyKnow free website, so what residents dig out is shared and available to other people.

In a healthy Council with a culture of openness this wouldn't be necessary. But sadly, with ours it is.