Crouch End 2030 Workshop

Part Two: Topic Group Findings

See also part 1. Key take-aways

1. Social and Community

There was universal support for measures that build upon existing feelings of belonging and neighbourliness in Crouch End. There was agreement that increased community spirit can reduce anti-social behaviour which is on the rise in some areas. Specific initiatives included:

• Need for safe, social, public spaces around Crouch End where people can meet (without having to buy a coffee) including the provision of more seating and benches, pocket parks, street trees, parklets and rain gardens. Suggested locations included Library Square, the area around The Clocktower, Weston Park and Cecile Park.
• Requirement for intergenerational spaces safe for toddlers, with seats with arms and backs for older people, shade from the sun, and separation created from busy traffic.
• Community spaces to include exhibition space, modern toilet facilities, bike and cargo-bike parking and repair facilities, high quality public sculptures and public art and way-finding, and history signage.
• Protecting and developing cultural spaces that meet the significant potential of Crouch End’s local creative communities including writers, artists and musicians including:
  • Enhancing the library, including gallery spaces and studios
  • Ensure the establishment of a creative arts resource in Hornsey Town Hall, long promised by Haringey Council and developers Far East Consortium (FEC) to a mixed-use culture and leisure centre featuring a performance venue. The future success and reputation of Crouch End as a cultural destination is likely related to the Town Hall’s success.
• Need places for young people to socialise such as youth clubs
• Find ways to ensure existing and new facilities are fully accessible.
• Community enterprises to promote community engagement including the creation of a Library of Things.

2. Housing

There was universal acknowledgement that Crouch End required a greater variety of housing types and tenures specifically including later living, young person accommodation and affordable housing. Specific initiatives included:

• More affordable housing for young people including shared ownership and key worker schemes
• More housing options to encourage downsizing (or rightsizing) to free up family homes
• Broad support for co-housing and community-led development on council-owned sites
• Council to develop small infill sites for social housing.
• Council enforce planning obligations for new homes to be accessible and adaptable. It was raised that this not happened in Town Hall apartments.
• Find solutions to bring flats over shops back into residential use, including resolving access issues and incentivising owners.

3. Transport

The attendees recognised there were locations in Crouch End that could benefit from the widening of pavements particularly on Crouch End Hill where the current carriageway extends to five lanes, and long Tottenham Lane where existing pavements are very narrow. In other locations opinion was divided on the benefits (or not) of widening pavements and relocating visitor parking. It was suggested a survey of existing businesses could be informative.

Participants discussed improving highway safety for all users and improving pedestrian movement. They recognised the challenges of crossing the busy road in the centre of Crouch End particuarly opposite Town Hall Square. It was questioned whether the resequencing of the traffic lights on the Broadway to make a pedestrian zone between the Clocktower and Dunns Bakery and to make crossing easier and more convenient without negatively impacting on traffic flow was possible.

Other comments and initiatives included:

• There were divided views on replacing the existing roundabout at the junction of Tottenham Lane with Ferne Park Road with traffic lights.
• Create impressive green gateways to Crouch End by building upon the existing tree-lined approaches to plant new street trees, widen pavements and install planters on the key approaches including Crouch End Hill & Tottenham Lane.
• Widen pavements and reduce road space by removing bus parking on Tottenham Lane by the YMCA when the lay-over space for the 91 bus is no longer required.
• Create new bus routes or adapt W5 route to connect Crouch End to Highgate tube station.

4. Economy

There was an overwhelming agreement that investment in the improvement of public realm would provide an improved customer experience improve confidence and footfall for businesses in the centre of Crouch End.

• Agreement that the centre of Crouch End needs investment to improve including wider pavements, street furniture, and more planting.
• Consider a bank hub in one of the larger empty retail premises to compensate for the loss of 5 or more bank branches in Crouch End over the last few years.
• Survey businesses that have closed down or have moved away to find out why. If the perception that high rent and business rates is correct, then what can be done?
• Promote Crouch End’s offering (shops, restaurants and bars, cinemas, green spaces, library etc) to local residents and beyond (N10 and N4) to increase visitor numbers and footfall.
• Consider more festivals and fairs on a weekly / monthly basis to promote Crouch End and increase visitor numbers
• Encourage co-working spaces to support local younger residents and entrepreneurs.

5. Environment

Consensus was that Crouch End’s green quality is a significant aspect of local character and that the centre of Crouch End needs more greening and improved spaces for people to meet and dwell. Other initiatives included:

• Plant more trees. Streets specifically mentioned are The Broadway / Tottenham Lane, Clifton Road, Dashwood Road, Ferme Park Road, Haringey Park, Park Road, Rokesley Avenue, and Stationers Park. There are other streets that would benefit from greening.
• Install benches and seating outside the library, and in the green space outside Coleridge School. The Town Hall Square needs better seating.
• Provision of air quality monitors. These would need to be linked into a wider scheme that can collect and analyse the data, as per Stroud Green.
• Protect and improve existing small green spaces and parklets, for example green triangle at corner of Coolhurst and Avenue Roads. Create Friends’ Groups for these spaces.
• Improve larger hard paved areas with planting, seats including outside YMCA, Texaco / Aldi garage corner, the corner outside Streathers.

6. Local Character & Heritage

The group recognised that Crouch End had a distinctive character. This included the topography, key views, abundance of greenery and trees, and pattern of high quality tree-lined residential streets.  Participants sought for the centre of Crouch End to be improved to reflect the quality of the surrounding streets. This included:

• Improvements to the public realm especially to Topsfield Parade.
• Better conservation of existing shopfronts through enforcement. The preparation of a shop front design guide could inform future works.
• Improved shop signage and awnings.
• New developments to be designed to have regard to local character including setting, materials, greenery and height.

7. Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

Whilst not a specific requirement for the creation of a Neighbourhood Plan participants generated a range of exciting ideas for improvements in the centre of Crouch End that could be funded by funding available from Haringey Council through Community Infrastructure Levy. These included:

• Greening the centre of Crouch End and widening pavements: strong support for widening pavements along the Broadway and arterial streets and adding various forms of greenery.
• Hanging baskets were not favoured due to maintenance issues
• Install parklets in place of one or two car parking spaces, possibly along Tottenham Lane. Initial trial suggested in consultation with local restaurants and replicated if successful
• Environment monitoring: introducing pollution sensors in Crouch End, perhaps attached to lamp posts. This is a relatively cheap idea that was well received.
• Additional and better seating, especially in front of Hornsey Town Hall.
• Accessibility
  • improving access to the Parkland Walk by Crouch End Hill
  • improving mobility access between Barrington Road and Park Road

• Additional public toilets and or modernising the existing ones near the library

For people who wish to add any additional comments please visit the ‘JTP Engages’ interactive map

See Part 1. Key take-aways