In 2023 The Sunday Times named Crouch End as the best place to live in London. They said that “a creative edge and friendly neighbours give this lofty northern enclave social capital in the capital”.

Crouch End is an affluent, sociable area where people have a feeling of belonging and neighbourliness. It has a history of being a lively cultural centre with a strong musical tradition. The Crouch End Festival Chorus is one of Britain’s leading symphonic choirs and bands such as the Kinks, the Eurythmics and the Bombay Bicycle Club have lived and performed here over the years. The Church recording studios on Crouch Hill has been used by many well-known artists including Adele, U2, Bob Dylan, Mumford and Sons and Robert Plant.

The Crouch End Festival is one of the UK’s liveliest and most successful community arts festival. Now in its 12^th year, it’s a celebration of arts of all kinds. In 2024 over 200 artists, 14 schools, 6 churches and numerous community groups staged art drama, dance, film, poetry, and photography events at over 60 locations in and around Couch End. There was music of all kinds and even an outdoor cinema.

Crouch End’s shops, and especially its many cafes, restaurants and pubs, and independent businesses, all provide opportunities for social engagement within the local community. And this sense of community is further enhanced by cinemas, fitness centres, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and an excellent library. The extensive green spaces in the area are home to tennis courts and cricket pitches.

The friendliness of Crouch End extends over all ages from seniors (the incredibly successful and dynamic local University of the 3rd Age) to the youngsters of Highgate Woods and other local secondary schools.

Great to even better: opportunities / potential policies

However, for all these positives, residents agree that there is plenty of room for improvement. The Crouch End Neighbourhood Forum’s visioning workshop identified how the Neighbourhood Plan can make what is already a great place to live and work even better.

(S&C 1) Increase provision of outside public spaces

There was universal support for measures that build on 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. Workshop attendees specifically highlighted:

• The need for safe, social, public spaces around Crouch End where people can meet without having to buy a coffee. So, 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.
• A desire for intergenerational spaces that are safe for toddlers and include seats with arms and backs for older people, shade from the sun and some separation / screening from busy traffic.
• The need for modern toilet facilities, bike and cargo-bike parking and bike repair facilities.

Attendees also discussed the importance of finding ways to ensure existing and new facilities are fully accessible and provide opportunities for social contact for those who may be at risk of exclusion. There was strong support for the suggestion that we work with the Meadow Orchard Community Garden (behind Queenswood Medical Centre) to understand how social and community engagement can be enhanced, particularly for vulnerable and socially excluded clients.

(S&C 2) Protect and develop community buildings, cultural spaces and local landmarks

A stand-out priority, not just for Crouch End’s locally based creative communities, which include many writers, artists and musicians, but for residents generally.

• Crucially, ensuring 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.

Existing community buildings, cultural spaces and events, and local landmarks that could / should be earmarked for protection

[This is a first draft and not exhaustive]

Managed by Harringay:

• Hornsey Library, including the galleries and meeting rooms
• The Clocktower

Community / not-for-profit:

• Hornsey Vale Community Centre
• St Mary’s Tower
• Hornsey Historical Society
• Crouch End Festival
• Crouch End Chorus
• Crouch End Literary Festival
• Crouch End Players
• Crouch End Open Studios

Commercial:

• Recording Studios – The Church Studios, Konk Studios, Crouch End Studios, The Crypt
• Cinemas – The Picturehouse (also offers rooms for community events) and The Art House
• Kings Head Comedy Club
• Several pubs offer popular quiz nights and live music / open mic events

(S&C 3) protect and develop Crouch End’s sports facilities

Crouch End has a rich history of providing sports facilities, including football, cricket, women’s football and tennis.  The Crouch End Vampires FC played in the first London League season in 1896–97. The Crouch End Cricket Club was established in 1874 as Calthorpe CC, playing on its current ground on Shepherds Cot in the early 1900s with the first XI becoming the Middlesex Premier League champions in 1915. In 1895 women’s football made its official debut in Hornsey.

Today Crouch End is home to a multitude of privately-owned gyms and leisure centres including, for example, Virgin Active (gym, pool, classes), Pure Gym (gym, classes) and 3 Tribes (yoga, fitness, classes).

Haringey runs the Park Road Leisure Centre and Lido while a Trust runs the Shepherds Cot green space that is home to a multitude of sports clubs and facilities, including cricket and tennis clubs and playing fields.

(S&C 4) Protect and develop facilities for young people

The need for better youth facilities in the area was raised as a high priority issue by more people than any other issue when a community survey was carried out at the Crouch End Festival in July 2023. How to improve facilities in a way that can be sustained at a time when finances are limited is a major challenge as is how to get the views of Crouch End young people about the facilities and services they want.

The Forum is working on a series of policy options for the Neighbourhood Plan.