Still time to have your say

Apr 152010

Still time to have your say until mid to late June 15 April 2010

Acording to the Ham and High a spokesman for Haringey Council confirmed “A formal public consultation period – which is statutorily required to last 21 days – did end on April 8, but as the development is so large, the council have pledged to consider any public comments sent in before a planning decision meeting in mid to late June.

An exhibition at Hornsey library, detailing the plans, will also remain in place until the decision meeting

You can still have your say by writing to the council’s planning department or going towww.haringey.gov.uk

What People Say

The following are extracts from responses to Haringey’s planning application for the Town Hall:

The scale of development

“The residents of Crouch End have repeatedly voiced their objections to any more large scale housing developments in Crouch End due to the fact that the strain on local services and traffic/parking is already high”

“…the proposed buildings by reason of their height scale and design would seriously mar the appearance of the area”

“Size of development is excessive and will put severe strain on local and public services including transport.”

“The most glaring problems seem to be the proposed size of the building which will contain accommodation. The scale is totally inappropriate.”

“The size of the development is excessive, will likely cause strain on public services and is out of keeping with the character of the surrounding area.”

“I completely disagree with… the excessive amount of residential space and housing. This is short term, money generating and a long term complete mistake.”

The missing Cinema

“Local residents called for a dedicated Cinema in the complex (now dropped from plans)”

“No cinema in the planning despite this being the most demanded facility the community requested”

“Proposals, for example having a cinema in the complex, have been swept aside”
“No Cinema. Why?”

“Various consultations for the site have indicated the majority of residents overwhelmingly in favour of the incorporation of a cinema in the Town Hall. These wishes should be met.”

“Why has the cinema proposal been dropped when it has overwhelming support from local residents?”

“There should be a cinema”

The car park/transport

“…how is anyone else going to get to it – there are no trains and nowhere to park”

“Grossly inadequate parking provision for residents, visitors and potential users of Town Hall facilities”

“The residents will be left with over development, traffic congestion, worse parking problems and the same poor public transport”

“How are visitors from the local area and wider expected to travel to the Town Hall? Limited buses no train or tube means one of two choices. Either people walk… or drive.”

“The musical aspects should be emphasised and there should be easy parking for people with instruments”

The consultation process

“What are you trying to do to us? You have not allowed enough time for objections and, it seems, been trying to railroad the residents of Crouch End for some time.”

“I object to the fast tracking of this application without further widespread consultation”

“Many residents were not aware of the redevelopment, many had said that they had not received notification of it. If they were aware they were not aware of the detail of the scheme, particularly the size and scope of the residential section…a typical response was: “Yes…it’s just a few flats, isn’t it?””

After the developers have gone

“What are the guarantees that the Town Hall will be restored for public use?”

“I would see the acceptance of this application as the start of a gradual degradation of the area. If these flats are allowed to be built it will pave the way for more building of a similar design using a domino effect argument that once you have one lot you can then have some more and so on… The density of the housing plan is far too great”

“I fear that only the private flats will be built and no improvements will take place to the Town Hall”

“There is no reassurance that once the “facilitating” housing is built, the Town Hall will not still be left derelict. The Town Hall should be put to the use of the community. That’s what we pay our taxes for.”

“Hornsey Town Hall needs to be a cultural and community hub, nt a money spinner for the council”