Category: Planning and open spaces

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Community Planning and open spaces Uncategorized

Waste plan ruled ‘legally unsound’

Could there at last be some good news on Pinkham Way?

In two separate decisions in the last few days, inspectors have found the North London Waste Plan (NLWP) legally unsound, and Haringey’s bid to redesignate Pinkham Way as an industrial site has failed.

On Friday, the NLWP inspector ruled that the submitted plans for Pinkham way were legally unsound because north London councils had failed to cooperate with their adjacent boroughs outside the capital, who receive a proportion of their waste. The NLWP, which fixes a waste strategy for the seven north London boroughs for the next 15 years, has been more than five years in the making.

Representations from local residents that the Pinkham Way site should not be redesignated as an industrial site were also supported, following a hearing in August.

While this is promising news, the battle is far from over and campaigning and fundraising activity must continue, says Bidesh Sarkar, chair of the Pinkham Way Alliance.

“The North London Waste Authority are very advanced on a huge procurement process that’s separate from the waste plan. With the Pinkham Way preparation already done, they’ll have nothing to lose by pushing on with the planning application if at all possible.”

The next Alliance fundraising event will be a performance by soprano Dame Emma Kirkby on Sunday 7 October Further details will be available on the Pinkham Way Alliance website  shortly, or check our events listings for updates.

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Community History Planning and open spaces Uncategorized

The path narrows

Work has begun on new housing to the rear of Green Lanes alongside the footpath which once ran across Clappers Green Farm. 

There has been a footpath extending west in this location for over 500 years – the Clappers Green footpath once extended as far as the entrance to The Mall.

A section of the footpath between Green Lanes and the railway line will be narrowed by 70 cm to make way for an access road to the new properties.

   

Looking west along the site of the access road to the new properties – the footpath is to the right of the picture.

 

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Community History Palmers Green Planning and open spaces Uncategorized

We must save the Woodman!

The Woodman – under threat

The excellent Woodman pub on Bourne Hill is under threat  of closure from Marston’s breweries.

The Woodman is the oldest pub in Palmers Green and one of the last remnants of a more rural age in the area. The building dates from 1727 and ale has been sold at the Woodman for nearly 150 years.

The pub still retains its old world atmosphere, has a cheery welcome from a committed staff and does delicious food – the generous Sunday lunches are particularly recommended. In winter, there are cosy fires. In summer you can sit out in the shady garden under the trees.

Enfield community group Love your doorstep have set up a petition to show the community’s displeasure  at the threat to a local community pub. Please sign  – and make sure you go the Woodman soon.

http://www.petitiononline.co.uk/petition/save-the-woodman-pub/4556

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Community Palmers Green Planning and open spaces Uncategorized

Broomfield Park cafe by the end of the year?

The new community cafe for Broomfield Park could be open by the end of the year, according to the Palmers Greenery team.

The new cafe will be in the Doll’s House toilets immediately to the west of the boating lake. Over 150 people have already signed up as volunteers to help get the cafe up and running, and £35,000 has been secured from the Council for start-up, refurbishment, stock and volunteer training.

As the site is a park asset, the Council needs to progress the next steps, but the aim is to open before the end of 2012. Meanwhile the priority is building awareness and support says Sarah Cotton from the Palmers Greenery volunteers.  

On Friday 27th July there will be a gathering of volunteers and well wishers for a group photo for the media at 2pm at the Palmers Greenery site. All are welcome, and its hoped that people will come along with a picnic and make an afternoon of it, weather permitting.  There will also be a Palmers Greenery stand at the Palmers Green Festival on 2 September, and a Facebook page has been set up for the latest news .

“This is an exciting initiative that will be great for Broomfield Park and the wider Palmers Green area, but will depend on as many people as possible getting involved. We would love it if you were able to join us on the 27th or at the festival.”

For more information visit www.friendsofbroomfieldpark.org

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Community Palmers Green Planning and open spaces

Dangerous times for Pinkham Way

The Pinkham Way Alliance has called for local residents to rally round amid fears that plans to build a giant waste incinerator may be pushed ahead, despite widespread objections from local people.

A recent hearing of the North London Waste Plan (NLWP)  was suspended. We also recently reported on an application to Haringey Council to get part of the Pinkham Way site (formerly Friern Barnet sewage works) registered as a town or village green.

Now is not the time to be complacent, say the Alliance.

“We don’t yet know whether the suspension of the North London Waste Plan (NLWP) hearing will just delay it until autumn, or lead to the plan being thrown out,” said Bidesh Sarkar, Chair of the Alliance in a recent communication to supporters. “However, either of these outcomes signal what is now a very dangerous period for our campaign”.

“There’s now a real risk that the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) will try to push forward the planning application for a massive facility at Pinkham Way regardless of the waste plan. If this happens, it is likely to be soon.”

The NLWA owns the Pinkham Way site, and has been forging ahead with a multi-billion pound procurement process for dealing with waste in north London, now at an advanced stage.

“If the procurement is stopped, it’ll be hugely problematic for the authority.”

The Alliance has drawn attention to the importance of the site in terms of biodiversity, as well as the health risks, odour and noise associated with locating the plant in a densely populated area.

Haringey Council has stated that the planning application is ‘on hold’ until after the inspector’s final hearing for the NLWP. The Alliance is seeking to establish that this is the case and is taking legal advice. However, this is costing money and the Alliance is seeking donations

The next fundraising event will be on Sunday 8 July, at St Andrew’s Church on Alexandra Park Road at 4pm when the Galitzin Chamber Ensemble will perform famous works by Strauss and Kodaly and Schubert’s Trout Quintet. The concert will feature pianist Sam Haywood, who was a finalist aged 13 on BBC Young Musician of the Year and has since gone on to an international career. Tickets are £10 and can be booked on the events section of the Pinkham Way Alliance website.

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Planning and open spaces

Village green preservation society

Haringey Council has received an application to register part of the Pinkham Way site (formerly Friern Barnet sewage works) as a town or village green in an attempt to halt proposals for a massive waste plant., according to Bowes and Bounds Green Connected.

Haringey wrote to local residents in a letter dated 29 May giving details and asking for responses by 20 July. The application is being made on the basis that the land has been used by a ‘significant number of local residents for a period exceeding 20 years prior to July 2010 as for lawful sports and pastimes as of right’.

If successful, registration of the land as a town or village green would protect the land, making it, amongst other things, a criminal offence to do anything that would stop use of the land for recreation and enjoyment. Which is about right isnt it?

Details can be viewed on the Haringey Council website  – presumably anyone may respond.  For more details of the campaign against the waste site, and likely impacts on all of us if it goes ahead, visit the Pinkham Way Alliance website.