End in sight for Crouch End's fenced-off town square

The green space in front of Hornsey Town Hall is set to reopen for the first time in four years, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

The town square in Crouch End has been fenced off for four years

A town square that has been closed to the public for years following delays to a redevelopment scheme finally looks set to reopen next month.

The redesigned square in Crouch End was expected to open last summer, but fencing remains in place around the green space in front of Hornsey Town Hall despite much of the landscaping work having already been finished.

Plans to renovate the Grade 2-listed town hall and build 146 homes were approved by Haringey Council in December 2017. The scheme, led by developer Far East Consortium (FEC), promised to bring a range of benefits to the town centre, including a hotel, restaurants and an improved town square.

Although work on the project began in 2019, residents are currently still unable to access the green space. But on Monday (19th), a Twitter account linked to the team behind the development announced that the green would open on 17th July.

Luke Cawley-Harrison, Crouch End ward councillor and leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group, said it was “disappointing” that the town square had been closed to the public for several years.

He added: “The importance of prioritising the square has been stressed by councillors, community groups, reps and residents throughout; and despite seemingly being ready last summer, a number of unfinished elements and incomplete conditions seems to have prevented its opening.”

Mark Afford, chair of Crouch End Neighbourhood Forum, said that when planning permission was granted the redevelopment was supposed to be finished by the end of 2020 – and the Covid-19 pandemic did not explain the extent of the delays.

Mark said the town square green should have been opened last summer and it was “very disappointing” that it remained closed off. But he also questioned when the other promised benefits of the scheme – the hotel, restaurant and a new arts centre – would be delivered, as residents currently “just do not know”.

Insisting the development would be “a really good thing for the local area” if it goes according to plan, he added: “All this stuff is really of value to the local economy.

“It is all about visitor numbers – and if they get it right, it could really help with that.”

A spokesperson for the council confirmed it is waiting to receive a detailed hard and soft landscaping scheme required as part of the approved planning permission.

They added: “We have been liaising with the developer to help them with an updated submission and are awaiting further details.

“We have already given the green light to the developer to take down the fencing around the public space, on the understanding that they address other outstanding issues at the site in a timely manner. We understand that the removal of fencing is being progressed and have encouraged them to do this as soon as feasibly possible.”

Cllr Cawley-Harrison said he was “really pleased” that the square would be open by mid-July after the developers got the green light from the council’s planning team – although he added that it is currently in a “sorry state” and he hoped work would take place to “make it look as good as possible” before it opens to the public.

FEC was approached for comment.

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