Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ian Greenslade on February 2, 2012 at 16:01

I live at 2 Richmond Road, tel:  020 8881 6837, and if anyone would like help in writing a letter to the Planning Inspector, even if it is just to type it up and print it out for you, or to go online for you, please let me know.  Thank you, Ian Greenslade

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on February 2, 2012 at 16:39

You can read a little of the fascinating history of this
local landmark by following this link

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Permalink Reply by MICHAEL MCGOWAN on February 6, 2012 at 0:12

Does anyone have any information on the current state of repair of the tin tabernacle? How much would it cost to renovate the building and make it fit for community use? Have the the Samaritans been contacted to find out what their requirements would be in the refurbished hut if funds were available? Has anyone any suggestions as to how the necessary work would be funded and who would be responsible for the general upkeep of the building? Does the proposal to have a 'great community building with facilities for the Samaritans' have much chance of being realised?

 

I assume the Samaritans believe the cost of restoring the building and maintaining it are prohibitive, otherwise they wouldn't be looking to develop the site. I copied this from their website - "Enfield, Haringey and Barnet Samaritans are a stand-alone charity and must raise all the necessary funds locally to keep our branch open. We receive no money from central government or any national fund." Income from renting the proposed flats would help them enormously in the struggle that they and many other charities have at the moment in continuing to provide much needed services both locally and nationally.

 

I believe it is an honour for our local area to be able to host the Enfield, Haringey and Barnet Samaritans and their many volunteers. I also believe that we should do what we can to continue to welcome them here even if that means relaxing the council restrictions in order to allow the Samaritans' proposal to proceed. After all, surely supporting one another in times of great emotional distress is more important than preserving an 'interesting little building' which has become too costly to maintain.

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Permalink Reply by Julie on February 7, 2012 at 18:45

As far as I understand the current state of repair of the tin tabernacle and cost of renovation is approx £150,00.  Unfortuantly, for the residence of Herbert Road and surronding streets and the many people who use Bowes Park Station or pass Shaftesbury Hall daily to the local schools and tube station, are subjected to the neglect that the Samaritans have shown Shaftesbury Hall over the years.  As a previous owner of the house next door to the hall and a resident of Bounds Green for many years, I have always been very disappointed in the lack of upkeep, maintenance and even tendering of the gardens of Shaftesbury Hall.  I appreciate that building work can be expensive, however most of the properties in the surronding areas are owned by hard working families and they have all managed to keep their properties looking nice and maintaining a sense of pride for the community.  The Samaritans do of course do great work but unfortuantly in this instant they have not had the fore thought to approach the local residents about this or any previous planning applications.  In fact I found the lack of understanding by the Samaritans so upsetting regarding this repeated planning application that I sold my house! 

The land is being gifted to a developer who will then provide the Samaritans with office facilities and a two bedroom flat above.  The other four two bedroom flats will be sold privately and will not 'raise funds' for the Samaritans.  The reason why this application has been refused by Haringey Council is because it is an over development of a small piece of land really only suitable for small family house in keeping with the rest of the Victorian houses in the surronding area.  I do not believe it is a case of 'relaxing' council restrictions as the reasons given for refusal are serious.  The residents of Herbert Road and surronding streets should surely be able to have some of their objections noted and are in their time of great emotional distress be supported by the Samaritans and Haringey Council.

Shaftesbury Hall is more than an 'interesting little building' it holds many happy memories for some of our elderly residents whose children attended scots there in years gone by.  It is also of local historical interest and should never have fallen into the current state of disrepair.  We were hoping that the Samaritans may have used some of the money they made from the sale of their previous offices in Queens Road sold last year on the upkeep of Shaftesbury Hall. 

 

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on June 26, 2012 at 21:42

Good news this week  - the Secretary of State's Planning Inspector has made a decision to dismiss the Samaritans' 2nd Appeal, a copy of this decision is available to read online which includes the ruling that the character and appearance of the surrounding area would be damaged by the proposed development.

 

Now that the building is safe, (...for the moment at least!) it is perhaps time to think about what happens next. Although a much-loved local landmark, it has been reported that the building is not of sufficient historical or architectural merit to warrant a listing. However under the government's new localism agenda  local authorities have to keep a register of buildings that have been identified as community assets -there is a separate post on the issue on the forum.

 

Perhaps there is now an opportunity to identify the "Tin Tabernacle" as a building we would like to see owned and managed by the community?

 

Image by Megan Sinfield currently exhibited at The Step

(click to enlarge)

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Permalink Reply by Ian Greenslade on June 30, 2012 at 8:45

On behalf of Queen's Road Residents Association and Neighbourhood Watch, I would like to thank everyone who sent letters or signed the petition concerning the 2nd Appeal by the Samaritans for the redevelopment of Shaftesbury Hall.  The 2nd Appeal has now been dismissed and we are hoping that the Samaritans will now reinstate Shaftesbury Hall to its former glory as it is in real need of repair. 

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on July 9, 2012 at 12:17

Sadly it appears the story has not been resolved as hoped. A news item published today in the Online version of the Hornsey Journal says the Samaritans will be:

...submitting a new planning application in the coming months to bulldoze the hall and replace it with a new building covering a “smaller footprint”.

Read the full article

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Permalink Reply by Kathleen Duffy on July 9, 2012 at 15:03

I don't know much about this sort of thing so please excuse me if this is a stupid idea - but in case the worst happens should plans be drawn up to dismantle this lovely building very carefully and perhaps store it somewhere?  Perhaps it can be re-erected somewhere locally where it could be used and maybe it could be restored by volunteer experts who might be glad of the opportunity to work on it.  Maybe it could be a sort of local project.  Perhaps the council could store it.  Maybe there is a park where it could be used, once retored.  Again, this probably isn't feasible, but just a thought. 

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