Bowes and Bounds Connected
A Community Network for Bowes Park and Bounds Green
Myddleton Road... A Street Worth Fighting For
We’ve spent the last 18 months focusing on making The Step the best it can be but we are now thinking more about the future of Myddleton Road and how we can all work to make it a better place. We don’t want to look backwards, we are where we are, but we need everyone including the relevant people at Haringey Council to share our enthusiasm for this street and, more importantly, the Bowes Park area to be bullish and belligerent about our future.
The potential for regeneration in this curious little “Bowes Park Triangle” of ours is immense. We have the excellent transport links, the availability of relatively well-priced housing and the enthusiastic spirit of a creative community. Look at the massive success of the Myddleton Road Market and how it brought our own community together and drew scores of new people to the area. This was a reason to be proud and must be capitalised on.
So we must ask ourselves why the heart of Bowes Park is a rundown, ramshackle street crippled with high density, low quality housing and the multitude of anti-social problems this brings? We must ask why illegal and ugly shutters out number open shop fronts at a ratio of five to one? Because this Myddleton Road does not reflect the vast majority of people who live in streets and roads that surround it so difficult questions must be asked of Haringey as to quite how the street has been left to rot and decay like this. We know of several people who have wanted to set up a business in the area but couldn’t find a retail space to let so we must ask why in less than 100 metres we have ten “property” companies whose activities contribute absolutely nothing to the local community?
We are not kidding ourselves that the solutions are easy and we know the historical reasons that led to the decline of Myddleton Road as a shopping street. There are probably many issues that we don’t fully understand but we founded The Step because we believe in Bowes Park and want to put back something in to the community as well as trying to make a living here. Without being too big headed we are bloody proud of what we have achieved so far but we want to make it very clear that if Haringey Council is not serious in backing the future of Bowes Park then we will move elsewhere and we will do this soon.
We didn’t open our business because we looked at the area and saw pound signs to get rich quick. We opened The Step because we saw a huge potential for long term regeneration and improving the quality of life here but nearly two years on, the signs are mixed and confused. On the one hand, the rubbish in the street is getting worse, anti-social behaviour is significantly on the increase and the quality of housing on the street is becoming ever more alarming and absurd. This is spreading to other roads in the area, make no mistake about that.
However…the positive news is that we know there are local people who want to invest in Myddleton Road. We know that there are many local people in Bowes Park both old and new who care deeply about the area. We know from personal experience that there are many people considering moving to the area but the ugly and seemingly unloved High Street is a big drawback for them. We have a brilliant street market, beautiful community garden, the Tin Tabernacle and an outdoor gym. In two years time wouldn’t it be brilliant if that last sentence was a paragraph?
So let’s not use the past as an excuse for passing more and more poor quality, high density housing in the area …let us use the future as a reason for saying no, this will harm the people who live here, your proposals are of no benefit to Bowes Park whatsoever. Let’s all of us work together to get that English Heritage money flowing in to Myddleton Road because if managed correctly it will make a world of difference.
It is also vital we engage with the certain landlords on the street because when we have spoken to them they don’t seem to have any idea of the damage they are doing to the Bowes Park community. They also don’t realise the huge potential of the properties they own…by train, we are twenty minutes from the City of London and the same from Shoreditch, the creative centre of London. Bowes Park could and should be the next big emerging area of our capital but a handful of cynical, short-sighted landlords don’t, or won’t, see this potential and have their foot to the throat of Myddleton Road. This is choking the life out of a whole area.
Do we throw our hands in the air and leave the future of Myddleton Road and, more importantly, the wider community of Bowes Park in the clutches of a handful of landlords who live far away from the boundaries of Haringey. We have put too much into The Step to walk away just yet and over the coming months we will be doing absolutely everything we can to put Myddleton Road and Haringey Council in the media spotlight…its blighted and bungled past and present, as well as its future potential.
Because it is a story worth telling and a street worth fighting for.
Let us know what you think by posting on our discussion on the Bowes and Bounds Forum.
Yours in hope
Nell and Mat
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dharmesh on
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Great blog and blog title Nell. I think the phrase "A street worth fighting for" is resonating around here.
I have a suggestion:
Businesses and shops that reflect the values of the community make a huge difference to the tone and appearance of the street . The step is a great talisman but a heavy weight to bear.
It isn't impossible for new businesses to open we have the smart looking polish deli, the new coffee bar solo way and the nail/beauty salon - the businesses might not be my or your cup of tea but they're preferable to trade/property/junk food suppliers.
I'm suggesting putting together a PDF marketing document/brochure (avoiding the cost that print entails) that:
explains the great potential of bowes park in words and pictures that we all see such as:
great transport links
quirky local history
table tennis
Existing businesses like The step
local market
passionate community interested in businesses such
We also need to make the information to reach landlords easily available so potential businesses don't fall at the first hurdle.
Once we have the copy, the pictures, the contacts/process of potential tenants to progress and is collated in a well constructed document. We distribute it far and wide.
I can help in getting the document out there I work in business development and getting the document/marketing in front of key people, which I'm sure many people will also be able to do within there own networks.
If you think this is an idea worth pursuing. I need are people who can, provide the facts/information, write copy, take photos, someone who can put together assets in a pdf creator/powerpoint. I can help with co-ordination, editing/proof-reading and distribution.
If anyone is interested in getting involved please let me know. Could this be a possible agenda point at the proposed meeting?
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Permalink Reply by Lindsey Berthoud on
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Yes. We know he's supportive of us but his assertion that more enforcement action has taken place in Myddleton Road than anywhere else in Haringey since 2006 - and look at the state of it - didn't do the council any favours.
Glad that Richard reminded us elsewhere that local elections are coming up in Spring 2014. All this discussion is very timely.
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Permalink Reply by Caroline Simpson on -
Whilst I agree that Myddleton Road is a planning and enforcement mess, of many years creation, it is not fair to accuse our councillors of not being visible or spending time. 2 local cllrs plus the leader were at the Market on Sunday. All 3 plus the Mayor were there at the first Market. 2 came to the Street Party and the Annual Picnic. One had a street walkabout last week with Veolia and the Team leader of the Neghbourhood Action Team (yes there is one!) last week to look at the rubbish situation.
Our local cllrs, especially Cllr Cooke, have spent many hundreds of hours on meetings, discussions, emails, texts, letters, reports, phone calls and yet more meetings. And remember that this is a very tiny bit of a borough with huge demands and problems of all sorts.
We must really get to the tangled roots of the Myddleton problem - property ownership, dodgy companies, lack of environmental awareness or interest etc. The answers do not just lie with the council.
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Indeed. I've not personally met a local councillor or seen the Mayor out so much anywhere else I've ever lived! I felt sorry for Cllr Cooke on the radio, knowing he's so supportive and active in the area - he got robust questioning but was stuck in the proverbial hard place.
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Permalink Reply by Holly Shales on
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Caroline i totally agree with you, the 3 Bounds Green Councillors have in my view been very good in representing the area, and their presence in the area has been constant and and many issues have been dealt with.
However what Myddleton Road needs is for everyone to come together and bash out ideas of how the local community, local businesses the lot can work together to improve the area.
We can blame the local authority or the unscrupulous landlords till cow's come home, we will not achieve anything if we look to take on the issue this way, the only way we can achieve this when everyone is on board.
Myddleton Road is not Muswell Hill Broadway nor do i want it to be one, our road is unique with a rich history and we need to acknowledge the diversity of the business if we are to make a success of it.
We have a great opportunity now that we as the community are focused our road, I am hoping that the meeting will not turn into a political debate though some of the comments i have read suggest this may be the case.
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Permalink Reply by Nell Riches on
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There has been so many great ideas bouncing around - our funny old little street must be feeling very excited and so are we!
Let's all meet up on Wednesday 16th October at 7.30pm at The Step.
Please spread the word and we will try and fit in as many people as possible. It will be a public meeting so bring along your ideas and thoughts and we will publish an agenda a bit nearer the time so the meeting has some structure.
We'll invite the relevant people from the council as well but we really want the meeting to be about the future of Myddleton Road and new ideas to create change.
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Permalink Reply by Kari Koonin on
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Count us in, Nell. See you there. Let's make some noise!
Don't forget to watch BBC London news this evening - it's featured apparently.
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Permalink Reply by Liz Addison on
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very exciting, I'll be there.
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Permalink Reply by Mandy Norman on
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I can't make it that evening as am away. However, will email you separately Nell with some ideas! This is all great! I had a warm tingly feeling hearing about our Myddleton Road on the news. Exciting indeed!
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Permalink Reply by Derek Keay on
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Count me in as well. As some of you may know I lock up the outdoor gym in the evenings and would be willing to help with any further improvements to the community.
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Permalink Reply by Clare on
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I feel very uncomfortable about adding my name and address, for all to see, to the Haringey Council page about the planning permission for the bungalow that has already been built. Is there another way?
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Permalink Reply by Caroline Simpson on
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Please do not be scared.
It is your public right to object to any planning proposal. You must not be libellous or tell other untruths, but you can say what you feel as a member of the public.
Having commented on planning here and in Canterbury for over 40 years, I can vouch for the fact that it is not a dangerous thing to do.
Far from making you feel uncomfortable, many people find that it is empowering, and actually makes you feel better!
Connecting the communities of Bowes Park and Bounds Green in north London.
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