Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

As I hope many of you understand, for over a decade there has been an impasse between the Council and locals within the large hinterland of the HTH campus. I've made lots of posts on this topic!

Decisions about the future of this large central space are reaching a critical juncture. They will affect everyone for miles around for generations. 

The Council want this enormous £150m campus to be disposed of on a 130-year lease to a large developer whose controversial planning application goes to the Planning Committee in December.

The developer is seriously stating that a 67-room 'aparthotel' will attract the 'Chinese Wallet' to N8, making our town a 'Visitor Destination'. They accidentally revealed that they expect to make a £22m profit from the 146 flats they intend to stuff the rear car park with and seemed determined there will be no affordable housing there at all.

To add further fuel to the fire, our Cabinet Member for Regeneration and thus HTH Decision maker (Cllr Alan Strickland) has just announced they will pay the developer back all the money due to them (£3.5m) so he can 'guarantee' 11 affordable homes (7.5% of the total). They brush off critics who insist they implement their own policy of 40% affordable by saying they've exceeded that elsewhere in the Borough so don't have to in the 'wealth ghetto' Crouch End seems pointed further towards.

The Planning Cttee consists of local Cllrs from various wards. They meet in December to decide whether to accept or reject the recommendation their own Planning Department lays before them concerning their own 100% publicly-owned land and buildings. Our three local Cllrs strong endorsement of every Council HTH move, In the face of overwhelming local opposition, has forced them out of the Planning Cttee process (having expressed opinions in public). Of the three Cllr Natan Doron is the Chair of the Planning Cttee and Cllr Jason Arthur is a Cabinet Member.  

This quirk of the system means that, at the one time when we arguably need our local Cllrs to fight our corner the most, they are barred from the decision-making process, even though they have helped initiate it, are vocal in support of it and will continue to carry it through after the Committee meets.

The HTH Facebook Group have organised an informal meetup @ 7pm on Wed 8th Nov so we can talk to one another about what's about to happen with the disposal of Hornsey Town Hall and what (if anything) we can do about it.

Venue: Earl Haig Hall, (on the stage) - please note, we're only asking for you to get a free ticket so we know roughly how many are likely to turn up, no need to actually bring your ticket to the event. Event details here: http://www.harringayonline.com/events/informal-meetup-in-crouch-end....

Consultation on the latest (slightly revised) plan ends on November 10th.

If the Cttee decides to grant planning permission, gutting HTH is likely to begin in February - the developers have said they'll close HTH for the two years they reckon it'll take to complete the works, although there are rumours it might be open a bit longer for the 74 businesses currently housed there.

Event details are also here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1648960578504767 and the Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hornseytownhall for those that use Facebook (optional).

Be good to see you come along and contribute any thoughts and ideas. 

Tags for Forum Posts: community, crouch End, democracy, hornsey town hall, hth, permission, planning

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Thanks, Billy that's helpful.

I just don't see how a more balanced assessment is possible - I think you're assuming that there is an absolute truth here but in matters of judgement is there ever? How can a more balanced assessment be made?  What objective measures are there that are not being taken into account?  LBH operates legally, their benchmarks do not make them the worst in the country by any means.  Are the financial criticisms by an insider (Cllr McNamara) 'balanced'? Are residents able to access enough information to make a balanced assessment or are they just to take it on trust?

It's honeymoon time! $2bn overseas developers never reap the £22m profit they'll get from stuffing the HTH car park with 146 luxury flats (seven stories in a conservation area of mainly two and three) and then go back on every single promise they've made and scarper, so why not ask them for office space at reasonable rates (his main job seems to be running the Business Centre with an arts 'venue' on the side), affordable events aimed at the 'typical Crouch Ender - whatever you'd like!

If they get planning permission in December HTH will close for two years whilst they gut it into a 67-room 'aparthotel' to which they have promised to attract the 'Chinese wallet' (they're Hong-Kong based, though Cayman-Islands-registered) and make CE a 'visitor destination'. You could not make it up.

The HTH Facebook Group have organised an informal meetup @ 7pm on Wed 8th Nov so we can talk to one another about what's about to happen with the disposal of Hornsey Town Hall and what (if anything) we can do about it.

Venue: Earl Haig Hall, (on the stage) - please note, we're only asking for you to get a free ticket so we know roughly how many are likely to turn up, no need to actually bring your ticket to the event. Event details here: http://www.harringayonline.com/events/informal-meetup-in-crouch-end....

Consultation on the latest (slightly revised) plan ends on November 10th.

Event details are also here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1648960578504767 and the Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hornseytownhall for those that use Facebook (optional).

Developers announcement:

Piers Read, Managing Partner of Time + Space Co, the recently appointed arts operator for the Grade II* Listed Hornsey Town Hall, will be hosting ‘Meet the Arts Operator’ events in the Town Hall’s Council Chamber on Thursday 23 November at 19.30 (free tickets https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/meet-the-arts-operator-time-…) and Saturday 25 November at 11.00 (free tickets https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/meet-the-arts-operator-time-….

The public events, which will be free but ticketed to ensure a safe footfall of people, will see Piers deliver a presentation showcasing his vision for the arts centre and how Town Hall space dedicated to it will be utilised. The events will also include a Q&A, so Piers can answer any questions people may have on the arts operation side of the proposed plans.

The London-based company will create a modern day, future proofed arts centre for Crouch End and its surrounding areas; a creative hub with space to host world class performances and events and a centre for people to work, socialise, relax and enjoy for many generations to come.

Piers, a Crouch Ender himself, has already secured partnerships with Jon Gilchrist, former Executive Director of the Bush Theatre in London, who brings a wealth of theatre experience and Musion, the world leading 3D holographic producer, who will base its HQ at the Hall. Piers is exploring partnerships with local arts organisations and is currently in discussions with ArtHouse Crouch End.

Since the announcement of its appointment in September, Time + Space has already met with ANA Art Projects, Crouch End Festival, The Hornsey Town Hall Appreciation Society, Neighbourhood Forum, Hornsey Town Hall Creative Trust, Crouch End Walks and Weston and Haringey Parks Residents’ Association to discuss how the arts centre can benefit them and plans going forward.

Supported by its partners, Time + Space Co. will oversee programming that will include world class theatre productions, comedy acts, gigs and concerts, community classes, private functions, co-working, private office, studio and meeting space.
Piers, commented: “As a member of the Crouch End community for eleven years now, I have experienced first-hand the value and importance of Hornsey Town Hall to the local and wider community. The ‘Meet the Arts Operator’ events will be a great opportunity for me to share our vision and ideas which I hope will make this iconic landmark even more of a beating heart of the community than it already is today.”

Available on a first-come, first-served basis, free tickets to both ‘Meet the Arts Operator’ events can be secured via Eventbrite and are available here for the 23 November and here for the 25 November.

Piers’ primary goal for the Town Hall is to ensure the arts offering support the requirements of the community. This will be underpinned by the Community Use Agreement put in place by FEC and Haringey Council, ensuring that Community Use Spaces shall be available for Community Use for at least 60% of the total Hours of Operation during any period of six months in a calendar year. A Steering Group will be set up six months prior to the Town Hall’s completion, to ensure this is implemented and Time + Space commits to a fair and variable pricing schedule that makes Hornsey Town Hall as accessible as possible to the people of Crouch End and Haringey.

Piers specialises in urban regeneration, with a focus on reviving and injecting new life into heritage buildings and spaces for creative and community purposes, with a two-fold benefit of bringing social and economic benefits to the local and wider community.

With a focus on arts, tech and digital, Piers champions the creative industries and has a proven track record of success with recent projects including The Custard Factory in Birmingham and The Hat District in Luton. Piers took Wimbledon TV & Film Studios from a standing start in 2010, turning it into London’s leading independent studios in the UK film and TV industry that it is today.

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