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NEWSLETTERS OF THE MUSWELL HILL AND FORTIS GREEN ASSOCIATION

PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR

NEWSLETTER HEADLINES: MAY 2012

As a member of the Association you are entitled to receive regular Newsletters published 6 times a year.

Please join now by visiting the membership page.

Here are the highlights of the latest Newsletter.

Dustbin discrimination - Veolia in the spotight
New voucher scheme for our newsletter
Alexandra Palace public consultation
Springfield Avenue steps get long awaited repairs
Localism Act - a developers charter?
Pinkham Way battle rages on
Muswell Hill Bowling Club faces closure
Local planning matters
Membership column
Members Letters, Meetings and Local events

SELECTED ARTICLES FROM PAST NEWSLETTERS

Click on the box dates below for fast links to archived newsletters

2012	2011	2010	2009	2008	2007
January 2012	January 2011	January 2010	January 2009	January 2008	March 2007
March 2012	March 2011	March 2010	March 2009	March 2008	May 2007
	May 2011	May 2010	May 2009	May 2008	July 2007
	July 2011	July 2010	July 2009	July 2008	September 2007
	September 2011	September 2010	September 2009	September 2008	November 2007
	November 2011	November 2010	November 2009	November 2008

NEWSLETTER: March 2012

Terrorism - vigilance is needed

Muswell Hill is at risk from terrorist attack as much as anywhere else in London - the message received by our members at our February meeting. Sgt. Underwood and Constable Kavaliares were keen to give us confidence to trust our instincts and report anything that might seem out of place. They stressed that every report is taken seriously and that we know our area and workplace better than they do.

Current threat levels are rated as "substantial" and this will increase during the London Olympics. The anti-terrorist hotline is 0800 789321.

Waitrose comes to Muswell Hill

Muswell Hill finally said goodbye to the Slug & Lettuce pub and restaurant on 11th February. The site, which is to house upmarket grocer, Waitrose, was taken over almost instantly by squatters. Chairman John Hajdu lost no time in contacting Waitrose. Property Manager James Armstrong thanked him and said "We have reported this and are in the process of taking all appropriate steps to lawfully evict the occupiers as soon as possible."

Waitrose had applied for planning for a "little Waitrose" convenience store, which was approved. The planning includes a new shopfront and conversion works. A condition of the approval is that all deliveries must be at the front of the building and large deliveries must be restricted to the hours of 6am to 7am on weekdays and Bank Holidays. Waitrose aims to open in July.

Flower troughs in bloom thanks to local trader

Following cuts made by Haringey Council last year, one casualty, the flower troughs at the roundabout in Muswell Hill Broadway, have been thrown a lifeline by local trader Bones Furniture, trading at 23 Muswell Hill Broadway. They stepped forward following our Association's request for help from the Muswell Hill Traders' Group to restore the good looks of the troughs by replacing the compost and replanting them with some colourful blooms.

Our Environment Officer, Brian Livingston said: "The flower troughs had begun to look very ragged after the Council withdrawal of funds, so we should all be grateful that Bones has stepped forward and replanted them. They now look wonderful and really enhance our area.. Our thanks go to Elizabeth Smith, the owner of Bones and to Fredrika Debrabant from the shop, who undertook the planting."

New shops and shopfronts

Our Association representative for shopfronts, Tanya Shamlian, says that she is encouraged to see lots of new shops in Muswell Hill lately. As well as taking photographs for the Association shopfronts dossier, Tanya also keeps track of new shops' adherence to Conservation Area (CA) rules. She reports that Mint Velvet looks good while American Dry Cleaning with its corporate branding was always going to be disappointing. Barnado and Shelter, the charity shops, had predictable fit-outs but nothing garish.

Tanya also distributes Association packs to new shops reminding the owners of CA regulations and guidelines and gives them useful contact details. She has recently done this at the new Japanese restaurant replacing Melbury and Appleton on Muswell Hill Broadway.

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NEWSLETTER: January 2012

Crossover Controversy

A deluge of heartfelt correspondence by members on the undesirability of converting front gardens into private car parks has been received in response to an item on crossovers in November's newsletter. The committee asked whether we should object, on principle, to local planning applications for vehicle crossovers . The response was a resounding 'Yes'.

John Crompton, our Conservation Officer, said "The article in the November newsletter produced a flurry of very interesting and well-researched responses. It is clear that members wish the Association to take a firmer line with regard to pavement crossovers. We did not get a single response from anyone who had installed a crossover to explain why they had felt it necessary to do so. I have been the Association's representative on the local Conservation Area Advisory Committee for many years and the loss of front gardens has been a matter of great concern throughout that period. These garden walls are a characteristic feature of the Conservation Area: the materials they are made from, unlike metal, would not have been needed as part of the war effort and so the walls look the same now as they did when the houses were built. Clinker and reclaimed bricks were largely used to build the walls so Muswell Hill people were at the forefront of recycling initiatives even then. A further point that needs to be made is that once a wall has gone it is very unlikely that it will ever be rebuilt because, as one of our members has reminded us, 'This right (to build a crossover) is sold to an applicant by the Council in perpetuity. No time limit is applied to the presence of a vehicle crossover'.

"There are, of course, many other things not to like about the provision of crossovers - loss of trees and established greenery and attractive front gardens as well as road safety considerations for both pedestrians and other road users."

Alexandra Palace

The newest proposal is to seek the designation of the South East wing of the Palace as a Unesco World Heritage Site. The Joint Consultative and Advisory Committees heard in detail of the lengthy, torturous, bureaucratic and potentially expensive process involved: that the next review of the Tentative List would not occur until 2021/23 and that designation was unlikely to assist in attracting funding. Bearing in mind the present difficulties in funding essential repairs and restoration, members decided to recommend to the Trust Board that the aspiration be supported in principle but be pursued as part of the on-going regeneration and renovation of the fabric of the Palace.

The Chief Executive, Duncan Wilson, informed us that a bid had been made to English Heritage for funds to investigate the source of leaks into the roof of the theatre and surrounding areas.

The Park Manager emailed members of the two Committees his report, asking for rapid feedback on a proposal to carry out a foul drainage installation crossing the Park grounds to Newlands Field in addition to the surface water drainage work previously approved as part of Phase One of works intended to improve the Cricket Club grounds prior to their proposed use by Haringey Heartlands School. This included the provision of an above ground storage tank next to the Club. Many members felt that there was a mismatch between the present Park Management Plan emphasising environmental policies, the yet to be applied for planning for the MUGA hard surface area, and this rushed drainage proposal.

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NEWSLETTER: November 2011

The Zone Ranger

Muswell Hill may get its own version of Mayor Boris Johnson's cycle hire scheme with the introduction of a newly stocked electric bike dock in the region of Planet Organic's shop near the Odeon Cinema. The Muswell Hill Sustainability Group (MHSG) has been in talks with Colney Hatch resident Va Hua, inventor of the Spencer-Ivy electric bicycle, who has expressed interest in setting up a bicycle hire scheme locally. Initially it would cater for round-trip journeys with the new docks being used both as pick-up and return points on a day hire basis. Decisions about charging are yet to be made.

Mr Hua is keen to organise the scheme in Muswell Hill as it is a low carbon zone. While similar in principle to the Boris Johnson bikes scheme, his venture would not be connected to it and his is therefore in the process of investigating local interest.

Spencer -Ivy electric cycles use a Panasonic crank motor system, which includes a torque sensor to detect the power a rider is applying to the pedals. This, in turn, dictates how much assistance is delivered through the chain. In this way the rider remains in control and can stop the electric motor assisting simply by stopping pedalling. Gears are used in the normal way.

Priorities List for our Local Area Plan

Our committee members have compiled their own list of priorities for our area following Haringey Council's exercise in seeking such opinions as part of its development of a local Area Plan for each of the seven area forum committees across the borough. and navigate to Council and Democracy then Area Committees and then Your Area - Your Priorities.

The committee's preferences are:
Conservation and the use of green and open spaces
Anti-social behaviour
Transport and infrastructure
Support for local businesses

New Planning Policy

John Crompton, our Conservation Officer, has written to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) section of the Department for Communities and Local Government, to express our Association's views on recent changes to planning policy. Here are some extracts:

We do not share the thinking behind the NPPF that the present planning regime is an inhibitor of development as, in fact, the vast majority of applications are approved. This is especially true of domestic applications where the quality of the decisions made is very important. This is particularly valid in an urban area like Muswell Hill where relatively affluent people live in terraced houses and where there are plenty of householders with the resources to fund substantial extensions to their houses. The planning system is necessary to ensure that a householder's right to carry out development is tempered, where necessary, by the right of near neighbours to not suffer a severe loss of residential amenity by the development....It would appear that the NPPF seems to have far less emphasis on community consultation and this would be a wholly retrograde step.

We are aware that there is concern that the Framework may lead to the loss of rural land and we are concerned that it appears to downgrade the 'town centre first' policy enshrined in PPS4. The opportunity has not been taken to look at how planning policies can promote sustainable development in town centres and to promote them as places in which people might wish to live.

The desirability of town centres as places to live does depend on the continued existence of adjacent open spaces: both formal spaces, such as parks, where people can go for recreational purposes, and also less formal spaces and undesignated spaces that act as a welcome break in the built environment. These can be large back gardens and small vacant plots of land which sometimes occur between rows of houses. We are concerned at what seems to be a dilution of controls to prevent the development of such sites and would welcome a robust statement that the changes will not have this effect.

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NEWSLETTER: September 2011

Disorder in Muswell Hill

Violent events in neighbouring areas spilled over into Muswell Hill on 8th and 9th August when two shops were attacked and suffered damage A climate of fear was reported amongst other unaffected shopkeepers although a heavy police presence ensured that the problems did not escalate. Panoptica, the opticians, was left with a bill for approximately nine thousand pounds after windows were smashed and thieves escaped with a haul of designer frames. Windows at Carphone Warehouse were broken the following day but an arrest was swiftly made.

Our new Sergeant for Muswell Hill, Julie Flemming, said: "Police officers and Police Community Support Officers from the Muswell Hill, Fortis Green and Alexandra Safer Neighbourhood teams have been committed to patrols in Muswell Hill across the three wards following rioting in Tottenham and elsewhere in London. Officers altered shift times and worked extended hours to provide reassurance to the community. Additional officers from response teams in the borough have also patrolled streets in Muswell Hill, particularly the Broadway."

"We have assisted our CID colleagues with a number of enquiries as part of the ongoing investigation into criminal activity linked to the riots both within Haringey and elsewhere in London. The results of some of these enquiries have already been publicised and efforts to detect and prosecute offenders continue. We would like to thank members of the community for their support throughout recent weeks."

Alexandra Palace gets new Chief Executive

Duncan Wilson joined Alexandra Palace as Chief Executive from the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College where he has worked since 2002. Before that he was at Somerset House. He will lead the regeneration effort and concentrate on conservation of the Palace. His appointment was warmly welcomed by all interested groups.

National Policy Planning Framework and us

Local people, alongside borough councils, can now produce plans for their own neighbourhoods, which reflect the needs and priorities of their communities. John Crompton, our Conservation Officer, tells us more about this important development and adds his comments.

The Government initiative, The National Planning Policy Framework, reduced 1000 pages of planning legislation down to 52 pages and allows us, in conjunction with Haringey Council, to produce our own 'distinctive local and neighbourhood plans'. Development will be expected to be sustainable and well designed but not at the expense of the environment, according to a Government minister.

We will be looking at these proposals to see how they might affect things like the control of development in conservation areas vis a vis the recurring theme that there will be strong presumption in favour of sustainable development. The mention of distinctive local plans is a good thing as are the increased powers to communities over local decisions like housing and planning.

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NEWSLETTER: July 2011

St Luke's Hospital site Sale

Three quarters of the area of the St Luke's Hospital site in Woodside Avenue is to be sold by Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust to fund the building of modern mental health facilities on other sites it owns outside our area.

The sale is to include the Grade II listed Administrative Building and other locally listed buildings on either side of it.

The Trust will retain the remaining quarter of the site and buildings for their existing NHS use. The child and adolescent beds housed in Simmons House (run by Whittington Health) will remain on the site. There are currently 11 buildings there.

Our Planning Officer, Pat Bloomfield says: 'The Trust held a consultation meeting on 7 June attended by our Committee member Brian Livingston and a further meeting took place on 20 June, which he and other Committee members attended. It is hoped that our Association can have some influence on the brief that Haringey (Council) prepares for any purchaser of the site'.

The St Luke's Hospital was opened on 8 November 1930 and since has provided various types of mental health care to residents of Camden and Islington. In 2008/9 the acute in-patient beds were relocated to other sites and the services at St Lake's were greatly reduced. Now 80, years on, the Trust says that after investigating the option of building new wards on the site, it has concluded that this is not viable since there are various related constraints such as its listed buildings.

Brian Livingston, our Environment Officer, has been tracking these developments and reports that the Trust first published a discussion document to explain its plans. The two following public meetings were well attended, lively affairs, with many questions raised about the Trust's plans, the shortness of the discussion period and the development of the site. The one month discussion period ended on 20 June and the Trust was not prepared to extend this period. The paper is due to go to the Trust's Board at the end of June for a decision.

'One positive outcome from the public meetings', comments Brian, 'is that the Trust has agreed to organise a planning workshop (open to the public) to enable the local community to say how they would like to see the site developed and this information would be provided to prospective buyers of the site and to the Haringey planners.'

Alexandra Safer Neighbourhood team return

Our Chairman, John Hajdu, has successfully negotiated the case with police authorities for brining the Alexandra Safer Neighbourhood team base back to the Fortis Green Police Station. Sonia Davis, Chief Inspector in charge of the teams in Haringey, has now confirmed that this will happen shortly.

John argued that all our local teams will enjoy better co-operation and working relationships when using the same base. It will be a cheaper option too since there is plenty of space available at the police station. On top of this, the Alexandra team members will be saved the walk from their current base near Wood Green's Civic Centre to say, Dukes Avenue.

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NEWSLETTER: May 2011

Association Social - a first

Our first Association social was an outright success, say members, and they call for the event to be repeated next year. It was attended by over 40 guests who enjoyed the hospitality of Margaret and Stephen Brearley in Pages Lane. As well as enjoying a wonderful spread, members took the opportunity to meet each other and the officers of the Committee. Our Chairman, John Hajdu, delivered a short speech to thank our hosts for the delightful evening and as a token of our appreciation, an Association bouquet was presented to Dr Brearley.

Pinkham Way - our special correspondent reports on how you can feedback NOW

Tim Hunt, our special correspondent covering the Pinkham Way planning application, says that as the representative on the Pinkham Way Alliance for this association, he advises our members to send in letters or emails to all the members of Haringey's Planning Committee asking them for full and fair public consultation on the planning application. The Committee comprises: David Beacham, LD (Alexaandra); Joanna Christophides (Bounds Green); Stuart McNamara (Bruce Grove); Sheila Peacock (Northumberland Park); Katherine Reece; LD (Stroud Green);Errol Reid, LD (Hornsey); Reg Rice (Coleraine); David Schmitz, LD (Harringay) and Ann Waters (Woodside). You can reach them all by email using this:firstname.surname@haringey.gov.uk.

The views of Lynne Featherstone, at this stage, remain unknown. Contact her by writing to lynne.featherstone@parliament.uk

Write to Mayor Boris Johnson at mayor@london.gov.uk. This planning application must be referred to the Mayor who is required to provide a statement of compliance with the London Plan within six weeks.

Local farm food and solar energy

Our sister group, Muswell Hill Sustainability, has teamed up with Church Farm near Stevenage to offer a new farm box scheme to Muswell Hill and Fortis Green residents. Members can pick from vegetables, fruit, meat and organic dairy produce. Church Farm's aim is to produce a maximum variety of food for customers, with 50 per cent less fossil fuels from farm to fork. It is a traditional mixed farm wit h fruit and but trees, chickens, pigs and cattle.

Those taking weekly or fortnightly farm boxes become members of the farm. They gain a deeper involvement and build a connection to the land and the food produced from it. Membership benefits include free family farm tractor tours with the farmer every season, free farm experience days and discounts off all farm workshops, seasonal events and camping.

Boxes will be delivered to the little shop next to Fortismere School at 5a Tetherdown on Thursdays. They can be picked up between 4-6pm or after wards by prior arrangement. Contact the Group at info@mhsgroup.org to find out more.

Muswell Hill Sustainability Group is also running a low carbon buying group to bring down the cost of installing solar renewables on house roofs.

Alexandra Palace - Cricket Clubhouse MUGA and floodlighting plan

Our representative, Denis Heathcote, reports that the first informal joint meeting of the Consultative and Advisory Committees provided opportunities for members to express views on various matters. Proposals to improve the facilities at the Cricket Clubhouse and grounds to enable Heartlands High School to use the pitches were discussed. The first phase of works, to provide segregated facilities in the clubhouse and to install drainage to the pitches, was generally welcomed, but there many reservations about the second phase involving the creation of a MUGA, a hard standing playing surface surrounded by floodlighting, which would extend beyond the current boundaries of the club grounds.

Potential damage to wildlife habitat and the presence of floodlighting close to the conservation area were among the fears voiced by members. The meeting recommended full consultation with the local community before Phase 2 proposals are submitted for planning permission in September 2011.

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NEWSLETTER: March 2011

Plans to build giant industrial waste plant in our area

A major planning application from North London Waste Authority to Haringey Council is to be made in May to build a huge 'black waste' reprocessing plant in the north corner of Alexandra Ward . This is on the site of a long gone sewage works, now a wooded area, just south of the Pinkham Way stretch of the North Circular Road A406.

The building will additionally serve as parking for all of Barnet's refuse collection vehicles and initially HGVs from Haringey and Enfield, resulting in at least 560 vehicle movements a day from 6am to 7pm. A consortium of 7 north London boroughs are involved in this waste plan for North London.

The development would cover an area of 6.6 hectares, 2.8 of which are for the plant and the remainder for vehicle parking. The plant will be a large box 20 metres high and about 120 metres long with the capacity to deal with 300,000 tonnes of waste a year. working 24 hours a day. This plant is called a Mechanical Biological Plant (MBT) now common in Europe but rare in the UK. MBTs sort and process waste from wheelie bins by sorting and heating it to reduce it to a form where is can be incinerated, (in another plant), used for power generation or land filled. The plant will be one of only two serving all seven North London boroughs and the most centrally located.

One of our members, Tim Hunt, says "We must acknowledge that a major industrial plant is being planned for one of our unspoilt and green residential spaces. We need to campaign against what I see as the greatest threat to our environment in the thirty years I have been living in Muswell Hill."

- Our area will be affected by a huge rise in traffic volume. All traffic to and from the plant will use the existing slip roads leading to and from Friern Barnet Retail Park bridge.

- The plant will generate noise 24 hours a day.

-Our area will be polluted by diesel exhaust fumes and the smell of the plant itself. Other emissions may also come from the plant.

-Environmental considerations include the destruction of the partly wooded site and the habitat of flora and fauna thought to include bats. The rural views from the Muswell Hill Golf Course, the Allotments and park land will be affected. The human environment will be badly degraded for residents and school children using four schools close by the plant.

NLWA held some public consultation meetings in February but many people were unaware of them. This Association was not consulted. When the plans go to the planning department there will be only 21 days to send in comments.

Solar success for church

The Muswell Hill Sustainability Group (MHSG) is installing solar panels on the roof of the Methodist Church in Pages Lane, using surplus money from their previous project - fitting 100 solar panels to the roof of Marks and Spencer on the Broadway. This work will be completed by Easter. The panels will then provide electricity for the benefit of the community.

The GLA is funding the MHSG's efforts, jointly with Haringey Council, to reduce carbon emissions in the Muswell Hill Low Carbon Zone by 20 percent by March 2012.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change is funding the Group's promotion of renewable energy (solar panels) in partnership with Haringey Council. The Council has installed panels on three school roofs and has constructed the Living Ark in the grounds of Muswell Hill Primary School; a zero carbon house of the future that is available for inspection, education and community use.

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NEWSLETTER: January 2011

Slippery Slopes

After two blizzards this year, dropping huge amounts of snow and resulting in lots of melt ice, our Chairman, John Hajdu, has secured a change in Haringey Council's gritting priorities with regard to Dukes Avenue. The matter arose in his recent meeting with Michael McNicholas, the council's contract manager responsible for gritting our roads, when they reviewed this winter's operational plan to make our roads and pavements safe for vehicles and pedestrians alike.

Previously, Dukes Avenue was not on the priority list for gritting although it has steep inclines, a major factor qualifying it for inclusion. John also gained assurances that the new gritting bins in our area would be refilled regularly.

At the time of the first blizzard in mid December, the council did an exemplary job in meeting local gritting needs. Some members complained however, that at the time of the second blizzard several of the steepest roads and pavements in our area were not made safe. Haringey's gritting priorities are frost patrols, which grit carriageways and heavily used pedestrian areas with the steepest gradients; pre treatment and finally post treatment work.

Some members have expressed doubts about clearing the pavements in front of their properties for fear they may be sued if someone has an accident there. Legal advice is that liability for personal injuries requires proof of fault and negligence. A pedestrian who slipped on a cleared footway would not normally have a case.

Alexandra Palace: Little Dinosaurs loses appeal

Several new features added to the Little Dinosaurs cafe and children's play area in Alexandra Park's The Grove must be removed within six months following a recent decision by Haringey's planning Inspectorate. They include a side extension for storage added to the building; raised wooden decking and concrete paving placed over an old tarmac area.

The tenant of the previously derelict building sought guidance from the Haringey Planning Department last year and was advised verbally that the proposed changes were acceptable and did not require planning permission, but that retrospective planning permission might be required should the changes cause local concern. On that basis, the Park management agreed the works could proceed.

After certain members of this association and other local associations complained about these changes, member, Lynne Zilkha, obtained a copy of the tenancy agreement (redacted) which revealed that the tenant had covenanted that no non-structural alterations would be made without previous written consent. The Planning Department, in light of this, issued an enforcement notice in April requiring removal of the alterations with two months. The tenant then appealed against this.

The Inspector's decision announced on 9th December, rejected this appeal largely on the grounds that the alterations had a significant impact on the character and appearance of the building and its setting within the listed Alexandra Park and Muswell Hill Conservation Area. But the appeal succeeded in extending the period of compliance to six months.

Our representative at Alexandra Palace Denis Heathcote remarked 'This whole episode illustrates both the influence which local residents can have in protecting the open spaces of the Park and shortcomings in the current consultative process with the two committees for the Park and Palace. Although the original proposals for development of Little Dinosaurs was brought to both committees for comment before a planning proposal was submitted, supported then in principle, subsequent events have only been reported in retrospect. It remains to be seen whether the Alexandra Palace and Park Trust will agree to make public and consult over proposed leases and alterations to planning consents in the future or whether local residents and associations will have to rely on applications under the Freedom of Information Act to find out what is going on.'

Colney Hatch verges revived - after plant thefts

The November newsletter lead story about plant thefts from the Colney Hatch verge beds attracted a big response from members. The Muswell Hill & District Horticultural Society came forward with a very helpful donation as did several others. This enabled our volunteers to implement a second dig-in to replace the stolen shrubs and to add some new ones as well.

Our Chairman commented: 'While we were very upset so much was stolen after our first dig-in, it could not defeat us. This time, we have put in signs explaining that this is entirely our work and nothing to do with the Council. I hope this will stop vandalism. I wish to thank all of those who either contributed a donation or hard work, especially Susan Bennett, our gardening expert. On both occasions she bought the plants, transported them and worked on the dig-ins. '

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NEWSLETTER: November 2010

Thieves steal our Colney Hatch bedding plants

Members were outraged by recent thefts of donated plants from the Colney Hatch verge beds at the junction of Pages Lane. The donations of these plants came from generous community minded members to enable a 'dig-in' on Sunday 17th October. Six of the largest plants were carefully uprooted by these despicable thieves during the night of 24th October and only the holes were left to show for the money and efforts of our Association volunteers.

The 'dig-in' came about after our Association won its 'Making the Difference' bid for £2000 of Haringey Council's money to make the roadside verges, part of an important gateway to Muswell Hill, as attractive and welcoming for visitors and residents as possible. The council planted three unsuitable palm trees, two of which promptly died, before informing our Association that the rest of the money was nor forthcoming. Our response was to organise a community whip round to raise money for plants and to build a team of volunteers to select suitable plants for the area, buy and transport them and then to plant them in with compost and fertiliser.

Local plantswoman and garden designer Jenny Kruss of the Muswell Hill and District Horticultural Society and Susan Bennett, National Garden Scheme Assistant County Organiser and owner of Muswell Hill's most famous garden, were part of the 'dig-in' team. They selected plants most likely to flourish in this spot.

Our Chairman commented: "Everyone who donated their money, time and energy to our 'dig-in' demonstrated how community members can work together to achieve fantastic results. Next to this the thieves' behaviour in stealing our plants is all the more shameful. What kind of low people take what are effectively charitable contributions?"

As the area is covered by CCTV it may be possible to identify the vehicle used by the thieves and our Association is contacting various agencies in pursuit of this aim.

Alexandra Palace faces 30 million pound repair bill

The sum needed to put the exterior fabric of the whole palace building back into good repair had been estimated to be in the region of 30 million by inflation rating an earlier survey of 2005. The results of a new survey are expected in the near future.

Other news: The Board meeting of 6th September had decided to adopt the interim model of governance as a stepping stone towards full independence and will be appointing some independent advisers to the Board. Additionally both the Advisory and Consultative Committees were asked to consider joint meetings as a means of making efficiency gains. But Statutory Advisory Committee members were skeptical about the practicality of meeting jointly with the Consultative Committee on a permanent basis but have asked David Liebeck as chairman to set a brief for the Emergency Subcommittee to consider the effectiveness of the SAC and its terms of reference and report back in November.

Muswell Hill shopfronts need a facelift

Our representative on the Muswell Hill Conservation Area Advisory Committee,John Crompton, is liaising with member Tanya Shamlian in pursuit of improvements to the shopfronts in our area. Tanya wrote an impassioned plea in this year's May newsletter for a stay to the 'irreparable damage' being wreaked on Muswell Hill by incongruous shopfronts and offered her services as a lawyer and businesswoman to try and halt the damage.

Points they are discussing include symptoms of neglect such as dirty blinds and canopies, poor maintenance of fascias and surrounding brickwork and plaster. Empty shops and vacant office premises at first floor level show signs of peeling paint, which have a negative impact as well. Liaison with an active traders' organisation in Muswell Hill, perhaps starting with estate agents, might be a first move towards improvement.

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NEWSLETTER: September 2010

New Shopfronts blight Muswell Hill

Haringey Council's recent refusal of planning permission for aspects of Muswell Hill's newest shopfront has been welcomed by members keen to preserve the character of the Muswell Hill Conservation Area. The Rex Cafe, with its large externally illuminated fascia sign and internally illuminated projecting sign, has been judged inappropriate by the Council on the grounds that it 'does not preserve the character and appearance of the Muswell Hill Conservation Area, where a more traditional shopfront and fascia with external lighting would be preferred'. The proposed fascia and sign were also held to be 'unduly dominant' and 'detrimental to the visual amenities of the streetscene'.

Our Association, as well as the Muswell Hill Conservation Area Advisory Committee (MHCAAC) had objected to the retrospective proposal stating, in addition to the points above, that it did not meet Council guidelines. However only two residents made their views felt.

Our MHCAAC representative, John Crompton, is urging all members to be diligent and pro-active with regards to inappropriate developments in the Conservation Area such as this one and a number of others. He says:"It is often the case that a new shopfront is installed overnight or over the weekend and it would be helpful if members who spot that this has happened could let myself or Pat Bloomfield (our Planning Officer) know. A photograph would be very useful. Particular points to look out for are around the material used and the details on the fascias - size of lettering, materials and prominent security shutters. The guidelines state that internally illuminated fascias and projecting signs are not permissible. There is also the related issue of change of use - we certainly want to know about things like new restaurants opening up".

Haringey Licensing policy - our response

Local authorities like Haringey are required to review their statement of licensing policy every three years. The current consultation period ended on 8th September 2010.

Our resident legal eagle, Committee member Peter Thompson, formulated a response on our Association's behalf, to Haringey's statutory consultation on its licensing policy. Our document contains points that include the needs and wishes of communities, drinking in the street and Safer Neighbourhood policing. It discusses the problems members have complained of with regard to various late night establishments in Muswell Hill, including public nuisance and crime and disorder. The Licensing Act of 2003 has not provided a successful remedy for these ongoing difficulties. In fact, we point out, local residents' confidence in current procedures has been shaken to the degree that we have found it necessary to convene public meetings with the police during which much anger has been voiced about the increase in anti-social behavior and an apparent lack of any effective way of stopping it.

We called for Haringey to 'develop and implement a licensing policy that redresses the balance in favour of the needs and wishes of the local community'.

£30,000 is raised to buy Fortis Green allotments

Campaign supporters fighting to save the Fortis Green allotments have finalised the purchase of the site that was to have been sold as building land after raising £30,000 from local supporters. Previous owner, Thames Water, had planned to auction their allotment site for an expected six-figure sum. The site has now been secured as allotments in perpetuity.

A vigorous campaign by the allotmenteers and their supporters, backed by Haringey Council and a number of political parties, ensured that the newly formed Fortis Green Community Allotments Trust could become the new owners after a private sale. Negotiations lasted several months before the purchase price could be agreed. The campaigning and fundrasing has lasted over a year.

The Trust is currently running the allotments and plans more community involvement, especially with schools, to help people learn about growing their own food. The project is part of the Capital Growth Scheme and is supported by London Food Link.

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NEWSLETTER: July 2010

Our attractive and engaging Association publication goes on sale

Our limited edition history book charting the MHFGA's contribution to the development of our area for over 60 years was launched at the May AGM. The well-illustrated paperback has, since that time, proved popular with members keen to learn more about the social history of Muswell Hill and Fortis Green and how it has impacted on the unique area we live and work in today. Almost half of the copies available have already been sold.

The concept for the book originally arose when our Chairman, John Hajdu, took on his current role, receiving, in the process, a large amount of Association paperwork. There had previously been no attempt to record systematically the tumultuous campaigns, fights, protests and running battles with bureaucracy that ensured the survival of the leafy, Edwardian character of our suburb. John decided that there was enough material to produce an interesting and illuminating book that would pay tribute to the succession of dedicated volunteers who fought to ensure the quality of our environment for generations to come. A working group was then set up to research, compile, narrate, illustrate and produce our Association book.

The book contains chapters that highlight the landmarks in each decade of our Association's existence, from its earliest days when it was formed following an outcry over the parking of commercial vehicles, through the thwarted attempt during the 1970s to fell all the mature trees in our part of the borough and right up to the modern campaigns.

Alexandra Palace developments

It has now emerged that a final decision on the future structure of governance for Ally Pally will not be made in the near future. Although the options for governance model have now been reduced to six, there is still some work to do before one is selected. The new, post election, intake of trustees are being brought up-to-date on Ally Polly and the NOVO Good Governance Code which the Board of Trustees has adopted in line with the Walklate Report recommendations.

Our interest throughout is to ensure that the statutory role of the Advisory Committee is not demoted, and that the Committee will continue to have its role to advise on matters of concern to local residents and also to have direct contact with the Board of Trustees.

Notice our Muswell Hill notice board

We had to fight to get this notice board for Muswell Hill and now that it stands proudly near the Odeon roundabout, opposite Rymans the Stationery shop, we are pleased to keep it looking neat and up-to-date with Notices of local interest. At this time of year there are many organisations and schools holding fairs, plant sales and other events. These could be advertised very effectively on our notice board and yet fewer than expected come forward for this free community service. If you are a member of a group or organisation with an event to publicise, please consult the notice board for details on getting your notice included.

Library lanterns glow once again

If you have recently been passing Muswell Hill Library after sunset, you may have noticed that the fine old lanterns, one positioned on each side of its grand portal, are working once again after a long period of neglect. Our Association has campaigned vigorously for years to have these lanterns restored to their former glory as well as for essential repairs to take place to the Grade II listed building. We aredelighted to see now that much progress has been made. The lanterns themselves, when lit, enhance the grandeur of the library building and help to vindicate the years of effort we have put into our campaign to restore this important Muswell Hill building.

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NEWSLETTER: May 2010

Organic Food Tasting at our AGM

A selection of Mediterranean delicacies was on offer after the Association AGM on Wednesday 26th May 2010, provided in the Garden Room of North Bank by Marios Philiou, a local supplier of organic foods. High grade olive oil and olives, antipasti, sauces, salad dressings, a range of pasta and condiments are all available. Also at the AGM was a chance to buy our Association history book, illustrated and written by a team principally of Gerry Saunders, our ex-newsletter editor and a journalist and editor by profession. 'MHFGA: a history of its campaigns and landmark achievements' is on sale for £6.

en10energy

New local company en10energy Ltd launched a public offer of its shares on 28th March at the Muswell Hill Centre, doubling its shareholders in under an hour and increasing its share capital by £1000. The launch party was attended by MP Lynne Featherstone, who made a welcome speech and Claire Kober, leader of Haringey Council, who also spoke encouragingly about the aims of the enterprise. All the speakers welcomed the new enterprise, partly for its novelty but also because its creation was a community-led response to the very heavy level of carbon emmissions generated in Muswell Hill. Secretary of en10energy, Peter Thompson, reported that the event met most of its objectives, including the promotion of the Muswell Hill Sustainability Group.There were stalls where experts demonstrated energy-saving technology including solar panels.

en10energy was formed to handle some of the money raised by the Muswell Hill Sustainability Group through bidding, jointly with Haringey Council, for funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The money will be used to fund such projects as the installation of solar panels on the roofs of large buildings in Muswell Hill's Low Carbon Zone (LCZ). The LCZ is an area south of the Broadway in which carbon emmissions will be reduced with the help of a £250,000 London Development Agency (LDA) grant.

Road Safety

Two o f our campaigns to improve road safety are beginning to bear fruit. We have been concerned about drivers looking for parking spots just outside the Fortis Green controlled parking zone, parking dangerously on corners, obstructing pedestrians and the sight lines for drivers emerging from side turnings. Haringey Council has now agreed, as a matter of urgency, to paint double yellow lines on a number of corners to prevent these problems. The corners are Annington Road and Keynes Close, Fortis Green Road and Annington Road, Twyford Avenue and Beech Drive, Twyford Avenue and Ringwood Avenue.

We have also been concerned about chaos at the road junction near the Bald Faced Stag in East Finchley caused by traffic unable to turn right into Fortis Green out of the High Road travelling northwards. Barnet Council has now agreed to investigate the installation of a right turn green filter light.

Haringey Council has also announced a substantial increase in the number of car club spaces in the borough. Membership in Haringey now stands at 2300; doubling over the last year. 42 additional car club vehicles will be available at 35 new locations. This scheme estimates every car club takes 23 private vehicles off the road. Streetcar's website at www.streetcar.co.uk gives full details of the scheme and how to join. Or call 0845 644 8475.

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NEWSLETTER: March 2010

Invest in your environment

En10energy Ltd is a new local company launching a pubic offer of its shares on 28th March at the Muswell Hill Centre. The welcome speech will be made by MP Lynne Featherstone.

The company was formed to handle some of the money gained by the Muswell Hill Sustainability Group through biddings, jointly with Haringey Council, for funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change. This is being used to finance the installation of solar panels on the roofs of large buildings in Muswell Hill's Low Carbon Zone (LCZ), which was officially launched on 27th February at Muswell Hill School. The LCZ is an area south of the Broadway in which carbon emissions will be reduced with the help of a £250,000 London Development Agency grant.

En10energy is to put solar panels on the roofs of Marks and Spencer, who will derive an income of about £5,000 a year from the resulting solar electricity.Solar panels will also be installed on the roof of Valette Court, St. James' Lane.

En10energy is a social enterprise company registered with the Financial Services Authority. Their shareholders are not liable for debts. All officers carrying out work are unpaid volunteers. The Muswell Hill Sustainability group can be contacted via Alan Morton on: homes@twyave.demon.co.uk

Ally Pally trust unveils its plans

The Managing Director of Alexandra Palace Charitable Trust. Rebecca Kane, has written to our Ally Pally representative. Monica Myers, with an update of the Trust's plans for an exhibition roadshow and open day. The following is an extract from the letter:

'We intend to display an exhibition setting out our plans for future governance in a brief roadshow around the London Borough of Haringey. The roadshow is scheduled to take place during the week beginning 15 March which, subject to confirmation, will be held in libraries around the borough and Wood Green Shopping Centre. Details will be available on our website and will also be advertised in the local press. A newsletter will be sent to local residents.'

'The exhibition will be on display at the open day which is to be held on Saturday 22nd May. The purpose of the open day is to bring people up to date with the range of facilities and events that we offer at Alexandra Palace. There will be an opportunity for residents to tour the BBC studio and take a peek at the theatre. We want to demonstrate that Alexandra Palace has a role to play in our community and we will invite local community groups to host stalls to help raise awareness of the range of interests and activities available locally.'

Traders rubbish blights Dukes Mews

One of our new member s, along with other traders and residents of Dukes Mews, has been battling with increasing problems regarding the way that Haringey Council is maintaining Dukes Mews. Improvements to the Mews are proposed such as restored pavements, better lighting and a strict control on traders' rubbish. He has been running his showroom and workshop at the end of Dukes Mews for the last four years. The site was originally the stables for horse drawn buses.

Our Chairman has now contacted Haringey's Environment Department to help him and his neighbours towards a better environment. As a result Haringey has now made an inspection visit and a meeting with the official involved is being arranged.

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NEWSLETTER: January 2010

Fighting for a Safer Neighbourhood

Senior Officers of the Metropolitan Police joined our ward sergeants, the Haringey licensing board lead officer, our local MP and two councillors at our November Association members meeting in North Bank, to discuss what is being done to make Muswell Hill safer and to discourage anti-social behaviour. Our Chairman explained that the meeting schedule had changed in response to the shooting incident at the Hill nightclub on Saturday 29th August to accommodate this event.

Chief Inspector Jon Williams described the function of Safer Neighbourhood Teams and the importance they place on community engagement as a means of setting their priorities. As well as holding regular surgeries, public consultations are carried our every six months; the most recent one occurred just before Christmas. The teams then report to the Ward Panel, which holds them to account.

Inspector Tracy Tempest emphasised that our Safer Neighbourhood Teams are keen to know all the issues relating to safety in their area as this enables them to form an overview of trends which then informs their policing activities. She also made clear their function is also to give out crime prevention advice.

Sergeant Dave Bullock of Muswell Hill told us about a drop in burglaries after a constable detained a man with a knife and also mentioned that motor vehicle crime had plummeted after another arrest.

Sergeant Simon Carver of Alexandra Ward talked about personal safety in Alexandra Park and the problem of speeding on local roads. Close work with traffic officers, he said, was helping reduce incidents in this area.

Sergeant Dave Williams of Fortis Green highlighted the positive results obtained in his ward through increasing the efficiency of street lighting. Burglaries in hotspots such as King's and Queen's Avenues were reduced. He also stated that Haringey comes top of the list in London for burglaries.

Anti-social behaviour in Muswell Hill at night is being tackled by liaison with Transport for London to insure buses are readily available in the evenings, 'Haringey Pub and Club' helps night clubs identify known offenders and refuse them entry, more visible police presence with late night patrols until 3 or 4am and when incidents have occurred, meetings are quickly arranged with club owners. Door to door surveys of residents most affected by disturbances have also been carried out resulting in a drop in bass levels of music coming from clubs.

Very heated questions then followed from the audience but the meeting ended with an emphasis on two-way communication between police officers and residents.

Loss of Whittington A & E dismays local residents

Whittington Hospital may be downgraded to 'local hospital' status, a move that would mean its current 24 hour Accident and Emergency service and its intensive care service will no longer be available.

These proposals,drawn up by local health authorities, have dismayed local residents, who will face longer journeys outside of the borough to access an A & E service. No consultation has been held.

An Association letter was sent to Richard Sumray, Chair of the Haringey Teaching Primary Care Trust pointing out that A & E services transferred to the Royal Free or UC Hospital would mean significantly longer journey times. The Whittington stands at the confluence of four major traffic routes on the Archway Road and is ideally sited for rapid access by many residents. Longer journey times could be life threatening.

There is a perception that reducing the services of the Whittington is a price worth paying for the investment in the new Hornsey Central Neighbourhood Health Centre. One of the issues raised in consultation was whether the setting up of the new Centre would have an adverse impact on our local hospital. The answer then was that it would not.

The loss of the A & E may lead to the eventual closure of the Whittington Hospital and sale of the site. Our member are angry that the modernisation of the Whittington should hardly be completed, at great expense to the taxpayer, before the NHS are talking about running it down.

Mr Sumray responded to our letter on 17th December indicating that he felt unable to rule out proposals for closing the A & E service at the Whittington Hospital. As a result we have now drafted another letter to Mr. Sumray pointing out that this closure would go against the Trust's two main principles: that patient travel times should be reduced and that patients should be treated quickly and effectively. This letter will go out shortly.

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NEWSLETTER: November 2009

The Phoenix prepares for rebirth

The Phoenix Cinema has received £200 from our Association to add to its Centenary Restoration Project funds. During the presentation of our cheque to Paul Homer, Phoenix manager, our Chairman, John Hajdu, congratulated him and his team on the tremendous effort they had made so far to raise £950,000. There is still £118,000 needed before the restoration target is reached. The Phoenix has already received £606,815 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and several other charitable trusts have contributed. In addition the cinema's customers have responded to the appeal in large numbers. There have even been fundraisers collecting at tube stations.

In recognition of our Association's support for the Phoenix over many years, we have been awarded a place in its 'Timeline'. Those donating to the cinema have a year in its history dedicated to them along with a film that was made at the time. We chose the year 1948, when we were founded, as our date and our film of choice from that year is the wonderful 'The Fallen Idol'. The 'Timeline' is to be displayed in the foyer.

The project's aim is to refurbish the Cinema's interior and repair external walls to restore it to its original glory. The building will also be upgraded for today's audiences while retaining its unique style. The current office space will be converted into a large cafe and bar area which will feature a terrace at the front of the building overlooking the High Street.

The Phoenix, an independent cinema, is situated in a Grade II listed building with Art Deco and Edwardian features close to East Finchley tube station, which also has an Art Deco exterior and interior. Owned by The Phoenix Cinema Trust, a charity that prides itself on being run by the local community and volunteers who serve on the board and committees, the cinema first opened in 1910 and is held to be the oldest purpose-built continuously serving cinema in the UK.

Alexandra Palace matters

Our representative on the Alexandra Palace Advisory Committee reports that at the last committee meeting held on 1st September, the focus was on the points that David Liebeck, Chairman, should raise at the forthcoming 'Away Day' for Trustees. The conflict of interest for Board members in being both Trustees and Haringey councillors was discussed. A further point is that many of them serve only a short time on the Board and therefore rarely develop any depth of knowledge or understanding of the Palace issues. Another matter discussed was the need for an independent professional to act as executive officer for the Palace.It was also held that good business practice would dictate that in the future the role of consultant solicitor for the Board should be seen as a temporary one to ensure that the advice given is always impartial.

While it was agreed that the Board chairman would put these points forward on behalf of the committee, several positive points were noted about the governance of the Palace ad Park at the moment. The existing managers of both the Park and Trading Company are specialist professionals. The Park has retained its Green Flag award and has been given an award for its flower displays. The park is maintained under contract by John O'Connor Ground Maintenance. The Alexandra Palace Ornithological Group has succeeded in getting a £2,000 'Making the Difference' grant from Haringey Council to fund improvements to the conservation area for bird life. Work on the boating lake to enhance fishing activities is in progress.

Both our representatives on the two committees have been invited to and will attend an all-day 'Governance Review' Stakeholder's Forum involving a wide spectrum of local interest groups. The aim is to help form a plan of action to enable the current governance arrangements of the Palace and Park to be 'fit for purpose'.

Dangerous pavements get makeover

Following complaints by members about uneven and broken pavement slabs causing tripping hazards, our Association is pleased to report that Haringey Council has put into place a programme of repairs that will tackle some of the problems. The council is informing residents by letter if their roads are affected.

The works consist of taking up and relaying slabs; reusing original ones where possible. Granite kerbs will also be lifted and relaid; abandoned crossovers will be removed and the footway reinstated; the levels of utility covers will be adjusted and tactile slabs will be installed at road junction where possible.

Footways and kerbs in St James's Lane, between the Broadway and the railway arches, were scheduled for repairs in September and this month work has already started in The Avenue and Vallance Road, the entire lengths of which will be relaid. The November programme includes Muswell Road from Curzon Road to Rosebery Road and from Methuen Park to Rosebery Road. In some cases it will be necessary to cut back tree roots but this will be done separately by Haringey's tree specialists.

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NEWSLETTER: September 2009

Victorious bid for Making the Difference

An important gateway to Muswell Hill is to enjoy rejuvenation thanks to our Association's successful bid for £2000 of funds from Haringey Council's 'Making the Difference' fund. Under this scheme, which has been running since 2004, applications to fund local projects compete against one another for a share of the £50,000 that Haringey Council allocates to each of its management areas. Over 500 bids were received last year. The projects are all selected at the Local Area Assemblies.

Our Association's bid was for improvements to the two roadside verges at the junction of Colney Hatch Lane and Pages Lane and was based on the fact that they are frequently used by local people and are one of the first things that visitors see when entering Muswell Hill. The neglect that these verges have suffered is now to be addressed with new stone retaining walls and good quality topsoil. Evergreen shrubs will be planted and tree roots will be protected.

The final result should be a more welcoming view of Muswell Hill from this very busy road intersection.

Our Association's Committee is shortly to be considering our bid for 2009/10.

Our Diamond Jubilee Langton Clock Project is officially unveiled

The unveiling of our renovation of the famous Langton Clock, mounted on the wall above a shop on Muswell Hill Broadway was a great success. Attendees included the Mayor of Haringey, Councillors Gail Engert and Martin Newton, members of the Metropolitan Police and local people along with our Association representatives. This was followed by an informal gathering at Maison Blanc where tea was served.

Hornsey Heath Centre update

The official opening of the Hornsey Central Neighbourhood Health Centre will be on 25th September. After a meeting with senior executives, our Chairman and one of our committee members have found out more details about services from this Park Road centre. GP practices based at the centre will work from 8am to 8pm and will be open at the weekend.Specialist support services will include a pharmacy, diagnostics, physiotherapy, foot-care and blood tests. X-ray services will be available by the end of the year.

There is still no solution in sight however for the transport problems facing residents of Muswell Hill, Fortis Green and Alexandra wards, who need to use a bus stop for the W7 sighted on a steep hillside. There have been suggestions by our Association that some kind of dedicated shuttle bus service could operate. It was agreed that possibilities would be further explored with the transport officer of Haringey Council. In the meantime car users attending the centre will have use of free car parking.

Local trees are felled as part of Haringey's Council's maintenance programme

A street tree felling programme, now in its fourth week, is nearing completion. Dead and diseased trees are identified for felling as part of Haringey Council's cyclical highways maintenance. Notices are placed on the trees to advise residents of the work. On this occasion 18 trees in the Alexandra and Fortis Green wards were marked for removal. Replacement trees will be planted in all cases.

Haringey's Assistant Arboricultural Officer Oliver Tong can be contacted on 8489 5688 if residents have any questions about this work.

Muswell Hill Library repairs

Roof repairs at Muswell Hill's central library in Queen's Avenue are now complete and work is to begin on the first floor and the toilets.Our Conservation Officer, John Crompton, sent a letter to the leader of Haringey Council, Councillor Kober, which was published on the front page of the July newsletter, voicing our concerns about delays to repairs and related matters.

The reply from Councillor Kober contains the following statement: "We would agree that one of the library's main purposes is to provide an excellent range of books for all ages and tastes within the community..however it is important to respond to demand for other services, for instance, our wireless connections and fixed PC stations which are extremely popular at Muswell Hill as is the provision of CDs and DVDs."

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NEWSLETTER: July 2009

Muswell Hill Library - 3 years late Haringey takes action

Our Association's three year campaign for essential repairs to the sadly deteriorating Grade II listed Muswell Hill Library has, at last, borne fruit with work now commencing on the roof. This follows a series of problems and postponements by Haringey Council, which have resulted in water damage inside the building becoming ever more serious and even threatening the attractive and historic frescoes in the upstairs children's section of the library.

Prompted by Haringey's Head of Libraries, Diana Edmonds' apparent lack of information at the recent Muswell Hill Assembly as to when renovations might begin, our Conservation Officer, John Crompton, on behalf of this Association, has written to Councillor Kober, Leader of Haringey Council, to again voice our concerns. It expresses our dismay at the library's state of disrepair and the lack of clarity as to the Council's plans for the future of the building. The letter also introduces us as the largest residents' association n Haringey explaining that we work with many departments in the Council on a range of subjects.

The letter points to claims the Council cited over difficulties in getting Listed Building Consent for repairs to a flat roof, which cannot be seen from the street, their withdrawal of a plan to sell off the rear land for development and a failure to secure a building contractor in good time. Our belief was also stated that the primary purpose of the building, is, and must remain, the provision of book-based library activities aimed at all sections of the community and at all age groups in a building which is 'fit for purpose'.

Treehouse School cements good relations with us

Three of our Committee members have obtained important concessions from Treehouse School, Woodside Avenue, with regard to its application to use the fenced off grassed area in the south west corner of the site as a multi-use games area. The application, which had attracted a considerable volume of objections, including one from our Association, was for a hard-standing area surrounded by fencing with floodlighting. It was to be available for use every day of the week throughout the year.

Committee members, Pat Bloomfield, John Crompton and John Hajdu met with the Treehouse Chief Executive, the Executive Head Teacher and two other representatives of the school on 15th June to discuss some of the underlying concerns expressed by our members and many other objectors living in the vicinity. Most of our suggestions were received positively at the meeting and a number of concessions were made. The application is to be considered by Haringey Council's Planning Committee on 13th July.

Here is a summary of the main points discussed and agreed at the meeting: Treehouse agreed that the multi-use games area should not be open to commercial use - - They would retain the freedom to use the area at the weekends, but have no plans to do so. Should this be implemented the times would be limited between 10am and 6pm - - The possible reduction of the height of the floodlighting posts from eight to five metres - - Lowering the fencing from 4.5 metres - - The planting of more beech hedging along the alleyway and Woodside Avenue to compensate for loss of grassed areas - - The hard surface to be green - - An annual meeting with the school and local residents to be started in September.

The Planning Report can be accessed online at the Council's website under planning. Their officers are recommending that permission be denied.

Marks and Spencer expansion

The proposed expansion of retail space in the centre of Muswell Hill Broadway by Marks and Spencer, which includes the whole of the area currently occupied by Crocodile Antiques and cafe, has caused a degree of concern among our members and the public alike. The scheme, which is subject to agreement with adjoining building owners, incorporates nine new flats, three of which would be sited in the existing 'cottage' building due to be restored, and six of which would be in a new build recessed behind it.

Members of the public have contacted our Association to express their fears that existing Muswell Hill businesses might be adversely affected by the expansion and also that an elongated shop front would have a detrimental impact on the Edwardian character of the surrounding buildings as evidenced by the Abbey Building Society shop front opposite. Our Association is exploring some of the concerns in conjunction with Marks and Spencer before it submits a planning application. These include reducing the sense of enclosure for pedestrians in the Broadway, improving the appearance of the shop front and getting assurances from the company about the range of goods to be sold in order to lessen any possible negative effect on existing traders. This opportunity will also be used to try and iron out problems with access to the car park at the rear.

New BT Cabinets appear in our conservation area

Blanket objections have been made by this Association and the Muswell Hill Conservation Area Advisory Committee to the new green BT cabinets that have suddenly appeared on residential pavements in our area.The objections describe the cabinets as visually intrusive and protest at the amount of pavement space they take up. Some of them are placed near kerbs so that car owners cannot use kerbside doors, some are positioned in close proximity to other cabinets making a row of four in some cases, and they use pavement space to the extent that pedestrians cannot walk side by side down the path. Several cabinets have already attracted graffiti and litter is being dumped behind them. BT have submitted planning applications in retrospect.

It is believed that the cabinets have been installed in connection with a fast broadband service, which is being trialled in Muswell Hill. Our Association and the Muswell Hill CAAC are urging BT to investigate an alternative approach, for instance to devise shared use of cabinets or to bury the services underground.

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NEWSLETTER: May 2009

Making the Difference

Our Association is to renew its bid this year for Making the Difference funding from Haringey Council to improve two roadside flower beds near the Colney Hatch Lane junction with Pages Lane. These unkempt beds are located on a busy stretch of road that is the main route into Muswell Hill from the North Circular and are therefore well placed to give that 'welcome to Muswell Hill' feeling.

Over the years, the condition of these beds has deteriorated to the degree that they now look like nondescript grass verges. This spring has seen a few brave daffodils struggle to make a small display but the effect is rather sad. The proposal therefore, is to refurbish the beds and plant some new shrubs. New stone retaining walls would also be built and the soil replaced with good quality top soil. Tree roots will be carefully avoided. Handsome new beds such as these will make a real difference to thousands of road users and pedestrians using this busy junction. If our bid is successful, the result will be source of pride and enjoyment for our local community.

Park Road Health Centre visit

Our Chairman, John Hajdu, visited this site on 8th April. He describes it as a large, functional building on two floors with the ground and first floors for patients and the top floor, with a conference room, for around 100 staff. Two GP surgeries and a minor surgery unit will exist alongside a sexual health h clinic, a dementia unit, a diabetics unit, physiotherapy, podiatry, a blood testing unit (open only between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday). There is also going to be a coffee shop and pharmacy.

Of the 106 car parking spaces, about 20 will be for the disabled. Parking will be free, but tokens will have to be collected on leaving, to open the barrier.

Concerns were raised by our Chairman about transport to the centre, the blood testing unit opening times, queueing at reception, and he asked for an assurance that North Bank will continue to provide local health services.

Alexandra Palace news

The bombshell at the end of March was that Firoka has made a claim on the Palace for 6 million pounds. Refuting this will involve time and legal fees. It will be yet another financial burden on the Trustees, who are Haringey Council. Now that the Palace is firmly back in the hands of the Trustees, planning for the future has been made possible. Rebecca Cane has been appointed as the new manager for the trading company that deals with commercial events at the Palace. She was previously with English Heritage.

The second Walklate report, dealing with the period of time when Firoka was using Alexandra Palace, is available for viewing on Haringey's website at www.haringey.gov.uk. The recommendation to the The Board is that they take no further action on this matter.

The possible hiring of the cricket club grounds by the new Heartlands Secondary School, for sporting uses, will be negotiated with the Cricket Club, which has the lease. Many local football clubs and cricket teams already use this facility. However, should floodlighting, extra buildings or extra grounds be involved, this will become a planning issue and will come before the Advisory Committee and the Alexandra Palace Board. Planning consent will also be required from Haringey Council.

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NEWSLETTER: March 2009

The hidden streams of Haringey

North Bank hosted a very popular event on Wednesday 18th February when 65 people crowded in to hear local historians Albert Pinching and David Dell delivered an illustrated talk on Haringey's hidden streams. Local photographs, historical paintings and maps assisted in the research for their book entitled 'Haringey's Hidden Streams Revealed', which took 3 years to write. Published by the Hornsey Historical Society, it is in its second printing. Copies of the book are available by contacting David on dell103@btinternet.com.

Most of the streams in Haringey arise from our own Association area, Muswell Hill and Fortis Green. One head-stream, originating near the Odeon Cinema in the Broadway, runs in a westerly direction through Cherry Tree Wood before forming the River Brent, which then joins the Thames at Brentwood.Three springs arise from North Bank itself. The Muswell Hill Stream derives from three principal head-streams rising on the north-east slopes of Muswell Hill. The main source being the 'Mus Well', located at 40 Muswell Road and now capped. This well was proclaimed by papal edict in the 12th century to have curative powers after a visiting Scottish Kind was cured of an unknown disease. It is also, of course, the source of the present name of our area.

The talk also covered the courses of other significant streams, which although culverted , can still be found today.

Green plaques scheme is a success

Our Chairman, John Hajdu, delivered a speech at the Haringey Local History Fair at Bruce Castle Museum in February about our role in initiating and developing Haringey's green plaques scheme. He described how the need for such a scheme had occurred to him after he was approached by a member of our Association who was trying unsuccessfully to arrange for a plaque in honour of local crystallographer and mineralogist William Barlow. After meetings with Haringey Council, the scheme got the go-ahead and a design for the plaques was agreed. Since then 6 plaques have been erected on local houses and there is a shortlist of candidates for future plaques. It is so popular that it has been agreed that one will go up every three months starting this spring. The scheme is very firmly established and is a great success story for our Association's history.

Alexandra Palace news

The new Chair of the Board of Trustees of Alexandra Palace is Pat Elan, who recently introduced himself to our committee members standing on the Consultative and Advisory committees. Since the lease issue is now off the agenda, the Board is focusing much more on the views of local residents. This is good news as a constant complaint of the Advisory Committee over the years has been that its recommendations to the Board have not been given sufficient weight - most recently over the whole issue of the proposed sale of the Palace lease to Firoka. Following the recommendations of the Walklate Report, the Board will be meeting more frequently as will be Advisory Committee. In addition it is proposed that a consultative assembly of the members of both the Advisory and Consultative Committees will be scheduled twice a year. A further report has been commissioned from Martin Walklate.

Park security is now an issue as Haringey Council is disbanding the Parks Constabulary at the end of this month and cutting the services they provide for Alexandra Park.Alternative provision for Park security will be provided by the Alexandra Palace security contractor on a more flexible basis. This should allow for more security at peak times such as school holidays and summer evenings. The Alexandra Ward police Safer Neighbourhood Team will continue with its high visibility patrols.

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NEWSLETTER: January 2009

North Bank to be our new meeting venue

North Bank in Pages Lane is extending its repertoire of services to the community by throwing open its doors to our Association and hosting our future events and AGMs. Members are sure to be delighted with this new central and accessible venue providing as it does free parking, a well-lit entrance and a lift as well as bright and comfortable facilities. Our meetings will take place in either the pannelled Oak Room or the Garden Room of this historic building, both of which have an audio loop system.

We will be joining a robust and lively community of service providers, users and volunteers, who make this newly-refurbished Victorian villa adjoining Muswell Hill Methodist Church a hive of local activity. Among them are health visitor and antenatal services and a well-established programme of drop-in groups for babies and toddlers. There are a number of courses available including baby massage, pregnancy , yoga and other independently run children's activity groups. North bank makes available to its users information on groups in other locations in N10 and provides a base for many other groups including The Vintage Club for older people on Thursdays with guest speakers and afternoon tea.

North Bank is set in large landscaped grounds that contain Muswell Hill's oldest tree; a healthy horse chestnut more than 300 years old with a trunk circumference at shoulder height of some 15 to 18 feet. Visit www.mhmc.org.uk for more information.

Traffic Update from Chris Barker

It's a small step towards sustainability but we are getting some hybrid buses. These are driven electrically and powered by batteries. The batteries are charged by the movement of the bus aided by a small diesel engine. The results is a quiet, smooth ride and a saving on fuel. There has been one on the 141 bus through Wood Green High Road for some time and now there are more on the same route. Check them out. They can be identified by green shrubbery painted along the sides.

The new countdown system, which tells you when the next bus is due, will be up and running during 2009. The indicators will be the same but they will be fed from information derived from Global Positioning Satellites, which can tell exactly where the bus is all the time, unlike the present system which replied upon the bus passing beacons every now and again.

Transport for London has confirmed that the service on route 603 will continue as it is. The possibility of adding more journeys has been considered but rejected. Future discussions on changes in the times of existing journeys will not include potential users.

We are pleased to note that the signs describing parking hours in Muswell Hill Broadway have been changed to appear less ambiguous. Parking is banned during rush hours including Saturdays. Haringey Streetscene says that a review of restrictions is in its provisional works programme for this year. Local shopkeepers are concerned by the present restrictions.

Alexandra Palace matters

Committee member and member of the Alexandra Palace Advisory Committee, Monica Myers, is calling for members to get involved in the Palace's future, especially at this interesting time in its development. A good way to do this, she suggests, is to attend the official meetings, which are open to the public, at which the future of the Palace is discussed. The general public can attend Board meetings, as well as the Advisory and Consultative Committee meetings. Most of the meetings take place in rooms above the Palm Court in the Palace itself. She also has some remarks on the subject of the scrapped gantries that used to welcome people into the Alexandra Palace park. They dated from after the 1980 fire, when the AP logo, still seen on the litter bins on the upper pathway, was designed. Since they were found to be unsafe, their removal was agreed by the Heritage Lottery Fund managers as part of the plans for the park. She feels that our Association would certainly like to see a clearer demarcation at the entrances to the Park than the present notice. "Finance is the stumbling block. However, the changed road markings, mini-roundabout at the ice-rink entrance and the light-operated pedestrian crossing in front of the Palace have at least helped to slow the traffic down".

The Friends of Alexandra Park Theatre held a bring and buy table top sale in December to promote awareness of the theatre and to raise funds to host future theatre events. During the sale, member s of the public were invited to step into the theatre itself and admire tits decaying grandeur. It first opened in 1875, two years after the first Alexandra Palace was destroyed by fire. Designed to seat 2,500 people, it has not been in use now for 65 years. If you would like to join the community of Friends in supporting this Grade II listed building, contact Anastasia on anastasia.christofis@googlemail.com.

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NEWSLETTER: November 2008

GP numbers in West Haringey will remain stable

Helen Poole, Head of Primary Care, West Haringey and Project Leader for Hornsey Central Hospital, described the Primary Care Strategy as a long term plan with 'a shelf life of about 30 years', the result of which would be a network of GP practices that will feed into the services offered by the new Hornsey polyclinic. Meetings are now to be held with all GP practices, which will determine where practices see themselves in relation to the developments. This stage of the process will be clinician-led. There is also to be a public consultation this year. No decision had yet been made, stressed Helen Poole, about details relating to the 'hub and spoke' model or about how remaining space at the polyclinic would be allocated. She added that while no guarantees could be given about the location of some GP practices and how many would remain, GP numbers in West Haringey would not be reduced. She acknowledged that the Hornsey Centre was not well sited for access by public transport.

Muswell Hill Festival Volunteers praised

A huge thank you has been delivered to the MHFGA volunteers who assisted at the Muswell Hill Festival by Julia Stanger-France, spokesperson for the Hornsey Trust and leader of the Festival team. The volunteers' contribution. particularly in collecting admissions charges, clicking in the numbers and distributing programmes, played an invaluable role in making the Festival the success it was. Julia estimates visitor numbers were around 8,000 while money raised was well over ten thousand pounds.

Langton Clock renovation appreciation

Clock expert John Kendall is almost at the end of his labour intensive task of restoring the landmark Langton Clock.He deserves all our thanks and appreciation for all his wonderful workmanship. It has now been waterproofed and is connected up to a master controller, which will pick up GPS time signals. He reports plenty of interest in the clock with members and passers by calling in to his shop to admire it. The next stage is for EDF to access the procedure needed for mounting it onto its brackets.

Ally Pally report shames trustees

The highly critical independent Walklate report on the temporary licence to manage Alexandra Palace granted to Firoka last year, was commissioned by Matt Cooke, the newly appointed Chair of the Trustees. A temporary licence had been issued as a matter of urgency on the assumption that Firoka was going to withdraw from its agreement to purchase the 125 lease to redevelopment the Palace. The report states that the evidence to back this up was questionable and the licence was rushed through without recourse to legal or financial advice or any consideration of the alternatives. Firoka, while occupying an office on the site, was able to profit from the revenue made by the Palace during the period of the licence at an enormous loss to the business and, ultimately to Haringey council tax payers. In the meantime, the sale was subject to a judicial review, ultimately upheld due to irregularities that were found.

The independent report also revealed the lack of clarity between Haringey Council, which legally holds the trusteeship of the Palace, and the Board of Trustees. The Board is made up of appointed Haringey councillors and operates on powers that are delegated by the Council. Our Association commends Councillor Cooke for commissioning the report, the result of which is a detailed action plan to improve the governance of the Palace. It involves legal and financial Council officers, training sessions for staff and Trustees as well as regular reviews. The report is included in the minutes of the Alexandra Palace and Park Trust Board dated 26th September 2008 and can be found on Haringey Council's website at www.haringey.gov.uk.

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NEWSLETTER: September 2008

Local GPs battle to survive

The failure of the Haringey Teaching Primary Care Trust's draft Strategy document to include the highly successful Rutland House Practice in Colney Hatch Lane in its outline plan for healthcare in our area has caused dismay to its 6000 patients. They are now left with the prospect of longer journeys to the new Hornsey polyclinic and the loss of their personal doctor-patient connection. The Strategy document sets out a new 'hub and spoke' healthcare plan, which centres around a polyclinic in Park Road and only three GP practices mentioned as spokes.

Our Chairman contacted TPCT Chair Mr. Richard Sumray to ask for clarification regarding Rutland House's status in the Trust's healthcare strategy. Mr Sumray replied that the public had reacted to the Trust's proposals with 'misperception and confusion'. The fact that Rutland House was absent from the Strategy document was, he said, not significant as 'absolutely no decision has been made about the future of any GP practice at this stage.' Our Association became concerned about the future of healthcare services in our area when the decision was made to sell off Fortis Green Clinic in 2006. The May draft of the TPCT's 2008 Primary Care Strategy entitled 'Developing world class primary care in Haringey' can be seen at www.haringey.nhs.uk/home and look for publications - Primary Care Strategy.

Muswell Hill Library suffers setback

Urgent remedial works to Muswell Hill Library, housed in a Grade II listed building, have been postponed by Haringey's Cabinet Committee until 2009 or 2010. It is not clear whether the promised roof repairs are to suffer the same fate as the rest of the building. This latest setback follows over two years of campaigning by our Association for improvements to the building. Before this latest news, Pat Bloomfield, our Planning Officer, had contacted Diana Edmonds, Assistant Director of Culture, Libraries and Learning, to see if she could find out any more about Haringey's timescale for the library works. She discovered that a roof survey had been done and was told that 'a full specification will now be commissioned and tenders procured.' The repairs to the roof would then have been completed within six months.

Pat now says that since the deferral she is in despair about the difficulty in getting any firm information about library works. The listed building continues to deteriorate with evidence of damp and water damage inside. Even the splendid lanterns at the library entrance remain unused because the necessary wiring cannot be connected until the other works are done.

Green Plaque unveiling for local naturalist

Haringey Council is hosting a new plaque unveiling in honour of noted English naturalist William Bernhardt Tegetmeier, who lived in St. James' Lane. Tegetmeier (1816-1912) had a special interest in pigeons and bees and became a published authority on poultry. He met and eventually corresponded with Charles Darwin and eventually became a Darwinist himself. He was the founder of the Savage Club and published several works on domestic science. His remains lay at East Finchley Cemetery.

The Haringey plaque scheme is our Chairman's brainchild and came to fruition in 2007 after three yeas of planning with the borough council and local historians. A local craftsman, Paul Jones, makes the plaques, which are financed by Haringey Council. This is the borough's sixth plaque, the first of which was erected in Muswell Hill.

The plaque will be unveiled on Friday 5th September with our Chairman John Hajdu performing the unveiling in the presence of members of the Tegetmeier family.

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NEWSLETTER: July 2008

Champagne celebrations for our Diamond Jubilee

Members at the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 21st May celebrated our Association's 60th anniversary with champagne and a magnificent cake. The party concluded a well-attended meeting. The committee underwent a re-shuffle with the departure of four old stalwarts. Committee member and past Chairman of our Association, Bill Tyler, spoke on behalf of all members when he thanked Gerry Saunders, Eugene Myerson, Dawn Miles and Robert Andrewes for their sterling efforts over the years in helping to build our Association. The four have almost 60 years of service on the committee with Robert Andrewes having the distinction of being our longest serving Chairman from 1988 to 2001. As a sign of gratitude and appreciation each was presented with life membership. A new committee member, Brian Livingston, joined us as guardian of the environment and green spaces. The remainder of the committee was re-elected en bloc.

Muswell Hill Library development doubts

Feelings ran high at the May Muswell Hill Area Assembly when the subject of Muswell Hill Library came up. Some in the audience, most of them Association members, spoke to protest against the proposal to sell land to the rear of the library to fund its refurbishment and expansion. The plan is to use the plot to build either six one bedroom flats or four two bedroom flats with two parking spaces. The buildings would be two storeys high to align with the adjoining mews buildings. This issue has been bubbling for over 2 years. The comments from the floor were that sums raised from the land sale could not be adequately predicted in light of falling house prices and that plans drawn up for library development might not be viable. Doubts were also raised that the space left for the library extension would not be big enough. Alternative suggestions for the use of the land were put forward including transforming the area into an arts centre like the Chocolate Factory in Wood Green or making it into a paying car park. Haringey Head of Libraries, Diana Edmonds, pointed out the difficulties in obtaining money for libraries from external sources saying she and her colleagues were keen to provide the public with the modern library it wanted. While essential repairs are already covered by an ongoing maintenance fund, she stated that the dilapidated state of the Grade II listed building would require a large sum of money for restoration. The Deputy Leader of Haringey Council, Cllr. Lorna Reith and Cllr. Liz Santry declared that they were confident that the professional advice the Council has taken on the library development ensured that it was realistic. The sum required for the library development is £1.3 million and they assured the public that all moneys raised by the sale and development of the rear land would be ringfenced for the refurbishment of the library.

A century of local postal services ends

At 1pm on Wednesday 25th June 2008, Alexandra Park sub-post office closed, ending almost a century of service to the local community, in spite of a vigorous campaign by residents to keep it open and a petition against closure with over 3,000 signatures. The profit-making branch served 45,840 customers, more than Muswell Hill's main Post office at 44,808. But this held no sway with the officials authorising the closure. As branches were selected for closure according to how much money they would save, many local residents have questioned the purpose of the six weeks consultation. A statement from the Haringey Federation of Residents' Associations brands these closures as a contemptuous dismissal of the views and protests of Haringey residents.

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NEWSLETTER: May 2008

Lease of life for Langton Clock

The much-loved iconic Langton Clock on Muswell Hill Broadway has been taken down for repairs and restoration thanks to three years of MHFGA campaigning and success in securing a grant from Haringey's Making the Difference fund. The clock, which was above the Kate Kuba shoe shop, once Langton the jewellers, is now safely with a local clockmaker receiving all the care and attention it deserves. (pictures and more details on Notices page)

Local Police meeting attracts over 100 residents

A public meeting to discuss anti-social behaviour and recent events in Muswell Hill was held on Tuesday 15th April at the Birchwood Centre on Birchwood Avenue. Run by Shaun de Souza Brady, Chief Inspector for Community Engagement in Haringey, it was attended by over 100 residents eager to discuss their concerns about a range of problems. Three sergeants from Fortis Green, Muswell Hill and Alexandra wards were also there to address the issues that cause residents most concern, thereby adopting a partnership approach to their work. In a lively meeting, residents outlined a general feeling that Muswell Hill and the surrounding areas were becoming increasingly dangerous and threatening at night and that an improvement in policing was needed. Chief Inspector de Souza Brady detailed proposed measures to improve policing like more precise information from CCTV cameras, leaflets on licensing law will be distributed to residents and a street drinking ban is likely to be in place by Christmas 2008. The latest crime figures for Haringey provided by the Metropolitan Police show a decline over the period of 12 months up to February 2008 in all areas apart from residential burglaries and car crime.

Television heritage of Alexandra Palace

John Thompson, Curator of Alexandra Palace TV Group Museum and Chairman of the British Vintage Wireless and Television Museum entertained our members at the March meeting with a lecture on the early development of television in the years before the Second World War, with the focus on Alexandra Palace and John Logie Baird. Using film and early TV images, he explained that when Alexandra Palace began broadcasting, both the Baird and EMI systems shared the south-east wing of the Palace, but in February 1937 the EMI technology was chosen exclusively to provide the service. Although television broadcasting ceased during the War, Alexandra Palace mast was still used, but for broadcasting on frequencies close to those used by the Luftwaffe for homing in on London targets, causing targets to be missed. TV services resumed from the Palace in 1946 but moved to Lime Grove in 1950. The transmitter was still used for news broadcasts between 1954 and 1969 and became the first dedicated new facility in the world. The studio wing was then taken over by the Open University before finally closing down.

Helicopter Noise

Many comments have been received from members about helicopter noise following an article in the March newsletter which reported concerns about low flying, especially late at night. Some observed that the aircraft are occasionally engaged on police operations but that most are private. Many consider flights to be increasing especially in the summer moths. It appears that Alexandra Park is the worst effected, possibly because the Palace is being used as a navigation aid. Concern was also expressed about the environmental impact of the use of helicopters.A helicopter route map provided by the Civil Aviation Authority shows our area as being just a few miles north of an expanse of restricted airspace called the London CTR. A London Assembly report, produced by the Environment Committee, calls for more effective monitoring of helicopter movements and a clear and accessible public complaints system. This report is available on their website at www.london.gov.uk - assembly environment meetings.

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NEWSLETTER: March 2008

Our New Newsletter Editor

Barbara Erskine, born and bred in Muswell Hill, is taking over from Gerry Saunders. as Newsletter Editor from the May edition. A long-time MHFGA member, she brings with her years of sound knowledge of local issues built up through years of voluntary work and campaigning. Barbara is also secretary of Friends of Alexandra Park and sits on the committee of the Park and Palace CAAC.

Broadway CCTV cameras on 24-hour watch

After a two-year campaign in which our own Association has maintained constant pressure on the local authority for action, closed circuit television cameras are now to be placed at each end of Muswell Hill Broadway, which will come under 24-hour surveillance for the first time. It is believed that both will be in operation by mid March, managing traffic and monitoring community safety during the day. After 7pm, the cameras will be used solely to monitor anti-social behaviour and will help prevent theft and other crime.

One camera, on the roundabout at the top of Muswell Hill, covers Queens Avenue and Colney Hatch Lane and is already fully operational. The second camera close to St James's Lane will cover the south of the Broadway and towards Highgate, St. James's Lane and Fortis Green Road.

Firoka still interested in Palace lease

Firoka, the development company, are still interested in buying the long lease of Alexandra Palace, reports Monica Myers, our representative on the AP and P Advisory Committee. Following the High Court ruling last November, more information will need to be released this time when the public is consulted by the Charity Commission on the sale of the lease. Currently the Commission is deciding how to comply with the court's judgement. The Advisory Committee on February 5th suggested yet again that the trustees advocate the adoption of public sector best practice for consultation, which involves the disclosure of documents. Had this been adopted for the first consultation, the public would have had sight of the terms of the lease.

A draft proposal is being drawn up by the Save Ally Pally group for the future of what the group describes as "The People's Palace'. It is still in the consultative stage and further information is available on their website www.saveallypally.com.

Debating the paths to a more sustainable way of life

The packed house at the first of our spring meetings in February demonstrated very clearly that many of our members are well aware of the need to foster a more sustainable way of life by combatting carbon emissions that produce global warming. Our Association is a member of the Sustainable Haringey Network and committed as a body to raising local awareness and promoting community solutions. Four prominent local residents, with our environmental specialist Dawn Miles in the chair, told of measures taken in the cause of sustainability.

Quentin Given of Friends of the Earth said that groups like Sustainable Haringey will thrive and become effective and that local groups should be focussed on the best ways to get people to make changes in their own behaviour. Dr. Bill Smith, one of our members and a local pioneer in the installation of solar panels for domestic hot water, explained the grants available, the advantages and costs, and the need to balance environmental considerations with the important conservation aspect. Architect Ruth Schamroth focussed on insulating our homes, which in Muswell Hill is no easy task with pre 1920 housing in many areas, that were not built to conserve energy. Her message was to 'close the gap' by draught proofing, using double glazing where possible, insulating lofts, sealing floor boards and skirting panels. Fred Fitzke, a member with an allotment and fruit and vegetables in his back garden, said his aim was for self-sufficiency in food. Grow your own, was his advice. Getting started is crucial, he said, so dig a small area and work up. He said that for instance, two to three months of the year he harvests raspberries.

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NEWSLETTER: January 2008

February launch for our sustainability campaign

Our first spring meeting on Wednesday February 20th was devoted to the pressing and ongoing subject of sustainability as part of this Association's contribution within a borough-wide network working together to make our lives, our communities and our society sustainable for generations to come. The target of our campaign will be to encourage participation in national aims for the future. Keynote speakers outlined their vision. Quentin Givens from Friends of the Earth showed ways of achieving carbon footprint reduction, Dr. Bill Smith related his experiences of using solar panels and Ruth Shamroth, our local energy auditor, enlarged on her free services for householders in increasing energy efficiency. Ruth provides her service through the Our Homes group of the Haringey Sustainabiity Network.

Our own newsletter is produced on tinted stock manufactured by International Paper, one of the world's largest paper groups. Their environmental policy is at least as strict as national legislation. More than 70 per cent of their wastes are recovered, recycled or reused in some way.

Parkland Walk consultation

Second stage stakeholders' consultation on works to take place on the Parkland Walk was held before Christmas with general agreement on most issues. Drawings and designs for public consultation should be ready for the Muswell Hill Assembly meeting on January 29th. A six-weeks public consultation period will follow with work beginning at the end of the summer. Our anti graffiti specialists Jack Whitehead and Bill Jago are still reporting Muswell Hill underpass (on the Parkland Walk) is still being treated as a hot spot and clean-sup time is good.

Haringey launches new Tree Warden Scheme

Haringey Council launched a new Tree Warden scheme at Bruce Castle Museum on December 1st. Alex Fraser, the Council's Principal Arboricultural Officer said: 'Tree Wardens are local people who care about trees and would like to be involved in practical projects in their community, which protect and enhance the borough's trees'. The launch day included an introduction to the scheme by the Tree Council, the Tree Trust for Haringey, live music and the planting of a number of new trees in Bruce Castle Park. A programme of training and talks for new tree wardens will take place during 2008, to teach the skills required to undertake a basic range of activities, including tree planting and aftercare, winter and summer tree identification, the tree work industry and woodland ecology and management. Details can be obtained from Alex Fraser on 8489 5657 or email at alex.fraser@haringey.gov.uk. Our own association has had a team of three tree wardens for some time who advise on such matters as tree felling, lopping and pruning.

More Green Plaques for our famous citizens to be unveiled

The first Haringey green plaque was unveiled in October and now three more are to be installed soon - at 14 Cranmore Way, 25 Southwood Avenue in Highgate and at the High Cross United Reformed Church in Tottenham. On January 28th the Mayor of Haringey, together with our chairman, will unveil a plaque at 14 Cranmore Way in memory of W.J.Collins (1856-1939), who was the architect and developer of estates in Muswell Hill and lived in a house called Rookfield which stood where Cranmore way is now. The second at 25 Southwood Avenue is to commemorate William Heath Robinson (1872-1944); artist, illustrator and cartoonist known as the 'Gadget King' who died in this house in 1944. The third plaque, to be unveiled at a later date, will be at the High Cross United Reformed Church in Tottenham and is for Priscilla Wakefield (1751-1832), Quaker, author and philanthropist, who founded the Penny Savings Bank in 1798 and lived in Ship Yard, near the site of the church.

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NEWSLETTER: November 2007

Hornsey Hospital gets broadside from meeting

Of the views expressed loudly by the 50 or so mainly elderly people at a crowded meeting at the Muswell Hill Bowling Club on October 17th can be considered an accurate reflection of the views of people across Muswell Hill and Fortis Green, then the Haringey Teaching Primary Care Trust can be in no doubt of the widespread unpopularity of its decision to close our Fortis Green Clinic and relocate many major services to the new super centre at Hornsey Central Hospital. James Slater, Director of Performance and Primary Care at the Trust, was the speaker at our open meeting that night who in his own words has a passion for front-line public service. He said it was hard to find doctors to work in small practices like the ones to which we had become accustomed. He added that many GP premises were not up to standard and about a third of them could not be improved.

Location was the key word in the arguments from the floor against the Hornsey project. It was not within walking distance for most people in our area and some people said they would have to take two buses to get there. The current arrangements at North Bank and Rutland House, approved by this Association, offer some local services.

First Haringey Green Plaque unveiled

The first Haringey green plaque was unveiled at the beginning of October on the wall of a house at the corner of Muswell Hill Broadway and Hillfield Park. The scheme to mark the houses in which some of Haringey's more famous citizens have lived was the brainchild of our Chairman. The first plague commemorates William Barlow, mineralogist and member of the Royal Society. He lived in this house from around 1880 and died in 1934. The next plaque to be unveiled will mark the fact that Oliver and Adelaide Tambo lived in Alexandra Park Road between 1960 and 1990. Oliver Tambo was President of the African National Congress between 1977 and 1991.

Alexandra Palace judgement

The Appeal at the High Court was successful and found that the consultation on the order to grant a lease of 125 years to developer Firoka, was flawed and consequently that it is on hold. The legal objection to the order was put forward by the Save Ally Pally Campaign led by Jacob O'Callaghan of the Hornsey Historical Society (transcript of the judgement is on our notices page). All but four of the 328 responses to the Charity Commission' s invitation last December to make representations were critical of the lack of information about the terms of the lease, as was this Association. Questions that now need to be answered are: Who will bear all the legal costs? What is the response of the Charity Commission? Will Firoka withdraw or re-submit?

A look at what's happening at Fortismere School by Aydin Onac, Head Teacher (edited)

After much debate and a fair amount of media interest, Fortismere School became a Foundation school on September 1st 2007. As the school moves forward into a new era, this will give us greater flexibility to steer and manage our vision and to employ and retain the very best staff. Most importantly, now that the governors, rather than the Local Authority, have become the owners of the freehold, it will enable them to preserve the site rather than allowing parts of it to be sold off. After many years of being a specialist technology college, Fortismere changed its special status to Maths and Music. Also following an excellent Ofsted report in which the school was described as having many outstanding features, we have been formally identified as a High Performing Specialist School and, as such, have been offered the opportunity to take on a second specialism, which will be Modern Foreign Languages.

Staff are already working with architects to plan for best use of funding from the government's Building Schools for the Future (SF) programme. We hope to address some key priorities: creating better 21st century catering facilities for students and staff; developing new accommodation for music (to replace the current ancient huts); building a new boundary fence, especially along the Twyford field end; reviewing whether we can bring the swimming pool back into use. (Full speech in our newsletter)

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NEWSLETTER: September 2007

Langton Clock will tell the time again

The iconic clock in Muswell Hill Broadway, high above what was Langton the jewellers and is now the Kate Kuba shoe shop, is to come to life again, thanks to this Association and John Hajdu, our Chairman. The restoration is virtually a solo effort by John who, after three years campaigning, has secured a grant of three thousand four hundreds pounds from Haringey's Making the Difference fund to make it possible. There were 500 applications to that fund.

This handsome decorative clock has been a famous local landmark since the beginning of the 20th century. It was put up in 1899 by E.W.Langton's shortly after they established a branch of their watch and clock-making shop at 3 Princes Parade; which was itself laid out and built in 1898 by the Edmondson family. Initially the mechanism had to be wound by hand, but in the 1950s it was changed to electrical operation. When Langton's left the premises more than ten years ago, the clock stopped working and has been still since then. To repair and restore the clock to its original condition, it will be taken down and transported to Number Four, a local clock maker in Fortis Green.

Vulnerable local shops

It has become only too obvious that the reason behind the closures of some of our best-known shops in the Broadway, is swingeing rent increases beyond the ability of the traders to pay. At the last committee meeting this Association recognised that independent retailers were highly vulnerable in a rising property market and that local residents should be encouraged to use their shops if they don't want them to disappear. The absence of a retailers' orgnisation looking after the interests of traders in the wards we cover means that it is impossible for shops to put up a united front.

Our community initiative wins a Better Haringey Award

This Association was presented with the prize for the best community initiative in the Better Haringey Awards 2007. This prize was one of many awarded in Haringey council's top priority programme, with twenty million pounds invested to make real and visible improvements in the environment, working with residents, businesses and community for a cleaner, greener and safer borough.

Planning White Paper: CAAC submissions

Following publication of the government's White Paper on planning for a sustainable future, the Muswell Hill conservation area advisory committee (CAAC) made a submission to the effect that it welcomed the idea that permitted development rights for householders should be based on impact rather than a volume allowance. This would be beneficial in conservation areas. CAAC however, was not convinced by the suggestion that householder applications should be dealt with by agreement between neighbours.

John Crompton, Chairman of CAAC, responded to the section dealing with climate change, saying it would not support the general use of wind generators on houses, but thought there was more scope for solar panels to be installed on new builds. The opportunity was taken to refer to statements made by several Ministers at the time of the recent floods about the effects of concreting over front gardens to point out that local councils had very little power to control this and to suggest ways in which it might be controlled - and indeed the trend reversed by offering incentives for householders to revert back to gardens.

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NEWSLETTER: July 2007

Worrying loss of shops on the Broadway - and planning applications

The recent rash of shop closures on Muswell Hill Broadway - some as yet only rumoured and some already fact - has made our committee even more determined to continue to oppose all changes in our admired shopping centre from retail to other uses, says John Hajdu, our Chairman. He said: "It is not known of course whether the latest shop closures will result in a change of use, but the moves could pose a real threat to the character of the Broadway. The suggestion that some of the closures are due to swingeing rent increases means only that the sites can be attractive to multiples or other operations like restaurants, coffee bars or estate agents at the expense of the independent traders. It is a nationwide problem which is only now beginning to make a significant impact on Muswell Hill. It started a little while ago when we lost a number of outlets like the sports shop, the cycle shop and the photographic business, all of which were important independents."

There has been considerable shock in recent weeks about the possible closure of Bond and White near the Odeon. Following news of the Oddbins closure at 376 the Broadway, Costa Coffee Shops have made an application for changes to the fascia and signage. The Woolwich Building Society has merged with Barclays Bank and their Broadway outlet is moving into the Barclays branch on the roundabout. Developers are understood to be interested in the run of single-storey shops opposite Sainsbury's, which includes a highly popular florists. A block of nine flats in a modernist manner could take their place. Not on the Broadway, but another familiar local landmark, the Clissold Arms on Fortis Green is also the subject of controversy over plans to extend their dining arrangements into the car park.

MHFGA signs up to sustainable Haringey

Our Association committee, at its last meting, decided that it would be right for the MHFGA to sign up to the Founding Statement on Sustainability as outlined at the Haringey Federation of Resident Associations' conference at the end of March. The statement reads: "Our lives, our communities and our society should be sustainable for generations to come. We agreed to support the development of a Sustainable Haringey network." Our Association was represented at, and participated fully in, the conference where the statement was approved unanimously. Several councillors attended the conference. They claim that Haringey already implements "sustainability" policies to the full, but there is plenty of room for improvement and part of the network strategy is to engage with councillors and Haringey on a plan of action. They would like to have the support in this task not only of bodies such as Friends of the Earth and the Tottenham Civic Society but also of large and influential residents' associations like our own, where climate change is an environmental issue in which our members are engaged.

Alexandra Palace legal challenge

There have been reports in the press about a legal challenge to the Charity Commission's agreement to the lease of Alexandra Palace to Firoka. An application to the High Court for a judicial review can be made within three months of the date of the decision made on April 27th to grant the lease. Our APP correspondent Monica Myers said: "We await the outcome with interest."

Walk on the wild side in Alexandra Park

A return walk in June for our members around Alexandra Park to see the all-but-completed Heritage Lottery Fund scheme was led by Dominic Cole of Land Use Consultants who was responsible for designing the landscaping scheme on the basis of the original Victorian plan and negotiating and agreeing it with English Heritage and the Fund. Land Use have also been responsible for the construction work on the ground. Dominic himself has been involved for 12 years. Everyone also met and welcomed Mark Evison, the new Park Manager, in post for only four weeks.

The walk involved a look at the boating lake, a trip into the conservation area via grassland and hoggin paths which took us past a 300 year old oak tree. On past the fenced-in pond, surrounded by tall reeds, rushes and yellow flag irises, we looked at the reservoir and waterfowl from one of three viewing platforms. The treatment centre in construction at the far end of the reservoir posed a threat to views from the park, but following objections its planned elevation has been reduced and Thames Water is paying for tree screening. The walk continued across the lower slopes in lovely sunshine and ended in the Grove, where the cafe was being fitted out. Mark Evison welcomes any volunteers to man the information kiosk, lead walks etc.

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NEWSLETTER: May 2007

Plaques remember the Haringey famous

After three years of planning with the local authority and local historians, an imaginative scheme to commemorate famous people who have lived and worked in Haringey with a plaque on their place of abode is finally coming to fruition. The plaques, brainchild of our Chairman John Hajdu, arose out of a discussion in 2004 with Professor Alan Mackay, one of our members. He had been trying to arrange for a plaque to be put up to William Barlow, a crystallographer, mineralogist and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He lived from 1845 to 1934 and occupied a house on the corner of Muswell Hill Broadway and Hillfield Park. The plaques will be produced by Paul Jones, a local maker, in the Haringey green and with the borough logo and financed by Haringey Council. The first plaque will commemorate William Barlow and a ceremony to inaugurate the scheme will be held at the site of his home late in June. A plate beneath it will mark the occasion. Other plaques will be put up and will be reported in our newsletters.

Aid from an old covenant saves backland site from development

When more than 80 Hornsey residents attended a meeting to learn about the history of their Edwardian estate they heard how the discovery of an 1898 covenant helped to prevent a back site development on a small plot of land behind Linzee Road, Clovelly Road, Priory Avenue and Priory Road. The site, originally a tennis court, was used to store cars. A campaign to oppose the development was set up. Resident Matthew Walker remembered mention of a covenant in his title deeds. It restricted the number of houses and their location. He started to investigate how the covenant could be enforced to stop the proposed development and discovered The Covenant Movement based in Ealing, which told him to tell the developers of the covenant. The plan to which the covenant referred was eventually found in dusty archives. It set out the building lines along which the original houses had to be built. After four years of planning battles, fundraising and negotiation with the landowners, the residents succeeded in buying the site, which is to become a communal garden.

Stop and Shop review rejected by Haringey Council

Despite considerable opposition to Haringey Council's controversial pay and display parking schemes for Muswell Hill and Crouch End called Stop and Shop, an attempt in April to have the decision reviewed by the scrutiny committee was rejected. The committee did not refer the case back to the Executive or full Council. That stage was reached after several phases of consultation, during which our Association criticised some details of the scheme but generally held a neutral position as there seemed no overall majority among our members for or against. The proposals now go for formal approval at a meeting on May 21st. Cllr. Brian Haley, executive member for environment and conservation, agreed to review the scheme after six months, it was reported.

Muswell Hill's Architectural heritage

Over the past year our Treasurer John Crompton has been patiently standing in Muswell Hill Broadway and Fortis Green waiting for gaps in the traffic to take photographs of all the shopfronts. The study is now complete, although give the rapidly changing nature of our vibrant shopping centre, it will soon be time to start again, he says. The two typical reactions from those who have seen the photographs is that they show the tremendous architectural heritage which has been bequeathed to us and secondly how sad it is when retailers choose to ignore this and disfigure the buildings, with nasty internally illuminated fascias, cheap and inappropriate off-the-peg shopfronts and external shutters. A selection of the photographs will be available for viewing at the AGM and on the website. The full album can be viewed by appointment with our Chairman. We hope to have the full album on display on our stand at this year's Muswell Hill Festival

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NEWSLETTER: March 2007

A New Constitution for our Association

The new Constitution contains much which for many years has formed the basis for our existence, our aims and objectives, all designed to promote a spirit of community within our area. It covers conditions of membership and subscriptions and outlines the formal framework within which our Association operates. After much deliberation within committee, it is now believed that the contemporary document, which takes full account of current circumstances and the likely needs of the foreseeable future - it is hoped well into the 21st century - is comprehensive enough to take us safely into that era. It is expected that our range of activities will get even wider and the involvement of our officers and committee in community affairs extended and with greater impact. The New Constitution will be formally accepted at our AGM on May 23rd.

Haringey Council review crossovers and front garden car parking

(This article has been contributed by Colin Marr of Methuen Park, an expert on the implications for our environment of the paving over of front gardens.)

The January issue of the Newsletter included an article on how Haringey Council, in response to concerns expressed by residents, was carrying out a review of crossovers (the term used to describe the kerb lowering which allows vehicles to cross into front gardens.) The report, which is strong on environmental concerns, goes a long way to meet residents' demands to tighten up on the conditions that have to be met before a crossover/footway agreement can be granted. At the meeting, further assurances were given about strengthening the conditions in conservation areas, although no timescale was set. It is not legally possible for Haringey Council to withdraw all permitted development rights and inevitably there will be some new crossover agreements and new gardens to be lost, but if the new policy and rules are enforced the benefits will be significant.

In particular the new rules will only permit parking in gardens which are at least 4.8 metres deep so that cars can park at 90 degrees to the road - the days of new concessions for parking parallel to the footway in shallow gardens have gone. There will also be a requirement to retain a maximum of green space.

If these new rules had been in force over the past year or so, the effects would have been significant. In the roads that I am familiar with, five out of six crossovers in Methuen Park would have been refused, all four in Muswell Road would have been refused as would all three or four in Woodberry Crescent, Curzon Road and others in Leaside, Coniston and Muswell Avenues. Similarly, the paved-over areas in gardens in Wellfield, Elms and Dukes Avenues would have been reduced by about 5 per cent. Sadly, there can be no turning back of the clock. The new policy will be reviewed again in six months time and residents are again to be given the opportunity to have an input into this.

Fight to retain clinic services in Muswell Hill

Despite fierce opposition from local residents' bodies - our own 600-strong Association highly prominent among them - the Haringey Teaching and Primary Care Trust finally announced the sale and closure of the Fortis Green Clinic and the transfer of services it provides to other centres in the area. Our Chairman, John Hajdu said: We shall continue to fight for the retention of the clinic's services in Muswell Hill and oppose a move down the hill to the rebuilt Hornsey Central Hospital, whenever that might be.

Following a letter written by John on behalf of our Association and of patients and local residents, to local MP Lynne Featherstone, she confirmed that she had taken up the matter on our behalf with the Secretary of State for Health. Right up to the official news of closure, talks were going on between the Trust and our Association. Two delegates - the Chairman and committee member Peter Thompson - appeared before the Haringey Overview and Scrutiny Committee on January 10th where our case was presented in full. It was at that meeting that John had a discussion with a director of the PCT, which led to three delegates attending a meeting on January 23rd to express the concerns of our members.

All this to no avail. The services previously offered at Fortis Green are now to be transferred to the large, modernised GP surgery in Rutland House at 40 Colney Hatch Lane and to North Bank in Pages Lane. The Dukes Avenue GP practice at no.1 will also be involved.

At the Scrutiny Meeting in January the PCT gave assurances that the services in question will NOT be moved out of Muswell Hill if local residents would be better served by keeping them in N10. On this issue they have promised full consultation of residents including this Association

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Page updated 8th March 2011