‘New approach’ to Latin Village from council

Long-running redevelopment plans for Wards Corner in doubt, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

A community plan for a market building could be considered as an alternative to a regeneration deal after Haringey Council’s leader signalled a “new approach” to the site.

Traders at Seven Sisters Indoor Market have put forward a plan to redevelop the site in Wards Corner, Seven Sisters, as an alternative to developer Grainger’s plans for 196 new homes and retail space.

The community plan for the market, which is also known as Latin Village, involves restoring and improving the building, which would be managed by market traders and the local community. 

Ruth Gordon, cabinet member for housebuilding, placemaking and development, said the council was “behind the community plan”, which she described as “universally supported”. 

She made the comments at a meeting of the housing and regeneration scrutiny panel on Thursday, 8th July, where councillors were given a brief update on the site.

Grainger won permission to develop the Wards Corner site in 2012. As part of a legal agreement with the council, it is required to provide a temporary market at Apex Gardens, opposite the site, while development takes place.

But according to the update, Grainger told traders in April that it is unable to instruct the works to open the temporary market due to “viability challenges” with the Wards Corner scheme.

Cllr Gordon told the meeting senior councillors had been discussing options for the site with traders. Their community plan also has planning permission.

Panel member Noah Tucker said that while the update included details about talking to people and a “new approach” from leader Peray Ahmet, it did not set out what the council was trying to achieve.

He suggested the council could have pledged full support for the community plan in writing, as well as setting out plans to use the site “for the maximum provision of council homes”.

Cllr Gordon said: “Once we have a clear path, we will come up with a whole number of options in conjunction with the traders at the market.”

The land on which the market sits is owned by London Underground and managed by Transport for London (TfL). According to the update, TfL is “accelerating a review of options for a temporary market” and “assessing work to restore the market hall and wider buildings”.