Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Costa coffee hogging up the pavement
Bit of a rant here. What is the story with Costa Coffee taking up more than half of the pavement with signage and tables? Is that actually allowed? Check the attached photo.
My partner earlier today was pushing our son in a buggy and had to stop and wait for a people walking in a single in order to get around their signage and barriers. She went in and complained but they never bothered to move them. I went back in later when i saw they were still taking up more than half of the pavement. The girl didnt believe me and she smuggly told me to show her. Which i did, and they moved them.
Anyone know what the law is with this? How much space can they actually legally take? We'll need to walk in the gutter soon.
Tags for Forum Posts: Costa, coffee
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20160730_131654.jpg, 1.6 MB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Justin Hinchcliffe on
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My thoughts entirely -- practically every business ofnGreen Lanes is guilty of this 'crime'. Perhaps Costa Coffee is, being part of a evil/global chain, a soft target?
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Permalink Reply by John Fogarty on
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Yes. You got me. Its my one man fight to bring down the evil coffee chains of the world by complaining about signage and barriers taking up more than half of the pavement.
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Just be consistent, and good luck with it.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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One Sunday evening in the summer of 2012 I was on my way back from the pub around 9pm and overheard some young people calling to one another across Green Lanes. They were disseminating information about the queue lengths at our local restaurants. On another evening I encountered the staff of my local Pret-a-manger queuing outside Gokyzu, the lived all over London but had come there to try it because it was the best restaurant on Tripadvisor.
It's awful having to negotiate around stuff like that with a buggy and I totally sympathise but we now have a high street that is the talk of London. Whether they are stitching up easily fooled online review systems or over extending their premises into the public realm, the ends have sort of justified the means.
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Thanks John. Its nice to see the street is doing so well in that regard. Most of these restaurants queues tend to happen mostly in the evenings/night and are temporary anyway, so probably wouldn't effect many buggy users - well, not us anyways as we probably wouldn't be around late. Costa's barriers are there all day, and its that, and the attitude of that particular staff member, that bothers me.
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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I am currently bringing up two kids just off this busy street, now old enough to spot obstacles thankfully and I'm always slightly irritated when people say "If you don't like X, you can just move somewhere else" as though leaving jobs, schools, etc is the answer when you object to someone flouting a law or taking advantage. London has no special privilege when it comes to clear, clean, safe streets. It doesn't get a pass because... you know... it's "interesting"
If you can't have sympathy for the parent with the buggy (and I know from experience with what little regard you can be treated while trying to get a very small person from AtoB on foot or public transport) what about the person with mobility issues, or in a wheelchair or visually impaired? Living Streets has long campaigned to remind people that pavements are for walking and people wanting to sit, sell, or queue should not take up more than their fair share and be aware of those who might find A signs, seating and displays more than just a nuisance.
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Compromises yes, acceptance of things that have a detrimental effect on the well-being of others, no. So I could accept littering as all part of the mix but I don't and I complain. Similarly, the issue of pavement encroachment is one that, on that corner, at least, is getting silly. There's barely room to walk and Costa haven't helped. So, on this occasion I think John is right not to put up with it and to want the traders to do a bit of compromising for a change.
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Given that I've managed two as well, there are many many advantages to bringing up kids in London, that very much outweigh the problems. My point is that London doesn't get special treatment in how our streets are managed, they should not just be for the able-bodied and unencumbered but for the enjoyment of all. As I said, my two are old enough to go out on their own and negotiate their own way around.
I do have sympathy with John's problem though since I have been where he is, trying to get buggies around and I may one day be where my father is, anxious about walking down the road due to mobility problems. We do pay for those pavements through taxation. We should be able to use them safely.
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You've missed the point completely. I don't know why you are focusing on buggy users or those with kids in London. And its not about navigating around other people. Its about losing more than half of the pavement because a shop/restaurant/coffee chain wants to expand at our expense. Losing half of the pavement is not acceptable. Even if they are allowed legally do so, we should still complain.
What about visually impaired, the elderly, wheelchair users,or whoever struggles in whatever way to get around the signage/barriers- should they all move out to somewhere less interesting as well?
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John, I think you will get a sympathetic hearing from our new councillor, Zena Brabazon, who I know has done work on Tottenham High Road on improving shop fronts and the encroachment of goods and services onto the pavement. Maybe drop her a line? Her contact details are here: http://www.minutes.haringey.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=1525
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Cool - I'll do that for sure. Thank you.
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Permalink Reply by Barbara on
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Hooray..Go Zena! There's more encroachment down near the Bun in the Bar… new tables as in park tables on the pavement! God help my half blind neighbour who walks daily around here.
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