Dear Paul Smith/Members of the Council's Planning Committee,

I am writing to object to the revised application, both in a personal capacity (as a local resident), and on behalf of Tottenham Conservatives; a registered political party with over 100 paid-up members in the Tottenham constituency, which is often supported by more tham 4,500 residents from across Tottenham at election times.

There are so many reasons why you should reject this application. Please allow me to touch on some of them.

PRESERVING TOTTENHAM’S RICH HISTORY. Tottenham residents are extremely fortunate to be surrounded by period buildings. Plans were made to erect Ward’s Corner in the nineteenth century. It is a fine building of great architectural value and importance. It should be preserved at all costs. The Grainger plans are totally unimaginative and, actually, down-right ugly. Has the council not learnt anything from the mistake of allowing planning permission to be granted to the hideous-looking Apex House, which was erected in the same area in the early nineties? Tottenham should not become another ‘Clone Town’ with bland, unattractive monstrosities.

RESTORATION. This is not a dream, but a reality. A number of big commercial and voluntary  organisations have expressed an interested in adopting the Restoration Plan put forward by the Ward’s Corner Community Coalition (WCCC, a lobby group supported by people of all political colours and none, local business, heritage and conservation bodies and many others). Their plan was drawn up by local resident experts, including professional architects. Restoration would be relatively cheap and straightforward. Organisations such as English Heritage and the Edwardian and Victorian societies would work with Haringey Council to return the building to its former glory. Once restoration is complete, a commercial plan could be put together to safeguard the livelihoods of the traders and allow income to be generated from using the area above the market, by letting it out to, for example, the Prince’s Trust which, I gather, is looking for a suitable building in the area and are very keen on using Ward’s Corner.

SUPPORTING TOTTENHAM’S SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE FACE OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC MELTDOWN. The majority of Tottenham’s businesses are small, friendly, family-run businesses, often catering for Tottenham’s rich and celebrated ethnic makeup. The Council says that is keen to support such businesses, however, now is the time for them to produce the goods. The traders in the market, and on Seven Sisters and West Green Roads are the lifeblood of the local economy; they employ local people, and encourage people to visit Tottenham by providing expert, friendly and competitive services and products. This is something that the big chains cannot always provide. Many of the small businesses and traders have decades-long roots in Tottenham – supporting the local economy and providing local consumers with choice in good times and bad. Now it is time to reward them, by safeguarding their futures, charging subsidised rents and rates and even encouraging the Council and their many partners to directly support them by buying their goods and using their services.

I understand that Grainger’s is close to bankruptcy. It could well be the case – that should you grant them planning permission  – that it could go into liquidation soon afterwards? This would either leave the building in the same sorry state (which is indeed thanks to years of neglect!) or create a building site, reminiscent of the area where the Twin Towers stood after 9/11.

Even looking on the ‘bright side’, which big chain would want to open up a new store at a time when they are closing existing ones – like Woolworth’s did in Wood Green – and laying off hundreds of thousands of staff to survive the recession which all the financial experts agree we are heading into? The local traders are tried and tested. We should have faith in them to deliver for the area and to continue to play a key role in keeping Tottenham’s fragile economy afloat.

NOT ADDING TO HARINGEY’S GROWING HOMELESSNESS LIST. Put quite bluntly, approval of Grainger’s plans will not only destroy businesses that have been built up over many years, it will make a good number of people, especially the traders on Seven Sisters and West Green Roads, homeless. Compensation monies made to those affected would simply not be enough to purchase or rent (at a market price) alternative premises AND to rent or buy new homes. Do we really want to add to Haringey’s homelessness list, which is already at full capacity?

AVOIDING SOCIAL/FINANCIAL SEGREGATION AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE AREA’S LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT AN INCREASE IN THE LOCAL POPULATION. The idea that we in Tottenham should tolerate – let alone support –  housing divided based on residents’ wealth is failing to understand how and why Tottenham is the way it is today.  Only the ‘well off’ would be able to afford the luxury properties that are being proposed. We should not be entertaining the idea of a small, gated and exclusive development.  For over 100 years, people of all backgrounds, classes, colours and incomes have lived in harmony with each other. This is what makes Tottenham so great today. We should not support anything that could change the character of Tottenham. Plus, any increase, however small, in the local population numbers could not be matched by quality and spare infrastructure.  It is already difficult, sometimes impossible, for existing residents to register their children at local schools and register with key health providers, such as doctors and dentists.

SUPPORTING TOTTENHAM’S – AND LONDON’S LATINO – COMMUNITY AND MARKET. The Latino community, which is estimated to be 100,000-strong across London, chose to make Tottenham their home and trade here; it is something should that be noted, supported and cherished. They not only support their own community living in London (and in doing so attracting more people to the area) but they provide affordable and friendly advice, services and products to the wider community. In the market, local residents can have their bikes repaired, have haircuts, drink coffee made from fresh Colombian beans and purchase quality meats – all at very affordable prices. They have also integrated well and are now a part of Tottenham’s wonderful multicultural fabric, which we all wish to preserve.

AVOIDING TRANSPORT CHAOS. Should the Grainger plans be approved, this, according to experts at Transport for London, would lead to the closure of the main entrances of Seven Sisters Station – home to the Victoria line, arguably London’s busiest line, for years to come. This is because the Ticket Hall is only a metre or so below the Market and any major works carried out – let alone demolition – would lead to the closure of the Ticket Hall, thus the main entrances. The small entrance on Seven Sisters Road – a 5-minute walk away – is not big enough to cope with extra capacity, especially over such a long period of time.

CONSULTING WIDELY AND FAIRLY. Unfortunately, this is something you did not do well in my opinion. It is a view shared by the vast majority of traders and residents that I have personally spoken to. There was a feeling – one which remains – that this was a ‘done deal’ and that the Council was merely paying ‘lip service’ to the consultation process. Many people, myself included, thought Haringey Council had already made up its mind – a view borne out by the New Deal for Communities for the Seven Sisters area, a key strategic partner of the Council’s, giving £1.5.m to the private developer before either the consultation period had ended OR planning permission sought.

RESPECTING THE VIEW OF THE DEMOCRATICALLY-ELECTED MAYOR OF LONDON. The new Mayor was, amongst other issues, elected on a pledge to save and restore Ward’s Corner and the Market. This is something he still wants to see happen. In his ‘Stage One’ report, he said he wanted the Market and the building saved in its “entirety”. Grainger’s new application does not do enough to address this request. On this issue, he commands the support of the entire community.

CONCLUSION. I think it is criminal to vandalise a building of such architectural and historical value and importance; evil to put hard-working traders out of their livelihoods and homes; morally wrong not to support our small business – the backbone of our local economy – at a time of great economic uncertainty; and extremely dangerous, and foolish, not to listen to local people. Again in both a personal capacity and on behalf of Tottenham Conservatives, I urge you to at best reject the Grainger application or, at worst, reject both the WCCC plan AND the Grainger plan and start from scratch.

Yours sincerely,
 
Justin Hinchcliffe
Local Resident & Chairman of Tottenham Conservatives.