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Permalink Reply by Laura Davenport on December 12, 2012 at 10:21

Since 2005 I've been part of the Bowes Telford Community Action Group.  Our aims were pretty simple, get the area sorted out, including A406 road improvements, get derelict houses done up, bit of serious traffic calming on side roads.  We have been to stacks of 'consultation' meetings where we are told what engineers and architects plan to do to the area!  Notting Hill, hand in hand with Enfield council, have a 'new vision' to build as many flats along the north circular road as possible with no reference to better retail, no increased school places, no leisure facilities.  So how will residents shop?  How will they get children to school?  In a car maybe?  Oh no, there's not enough parking spaces for all the new homes, they are not needed because we live close to a tube and train station.  Documentation talks about 'communities', it's just the latest buzz word.  Communities need more than a roof over their head!

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on December 20, 2012 at 14:36

Agreed about the need to establish infrastructure to support new residents ... OR maybe to discourage development of additional housing if an enlarged population cannot be supported locally? A recent discussion on the Bowes Labour Councillors blog makes a political point about our increased population density and new housing developments.

It is a concern that these developments - in both Haringey and Enfield parts of the neighbourhood - appear to be piecemeal and therefore need to be adressed one-by-one rather than fitting into any overall plan for the area, agreed by all. The proposals for housing on the site of the Cowshed studios are a recent example.

I agree that we really don't need a "New Vision" imposed, top-down by planners ... but a genuine discussion involving the experts - those of us who who live and work and care about the neighbourhood - should set some basic outlines against which any new initiave could be judged.

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