Tottenham community centre faces uncertain future as legal action looms

Goan Community Centre is being taken to court by the management company responsible for its building, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Goan Community Centre's building in Apple Tree Road, its home since 2017 — Goan Community Centre’s building in Apple Tree Road, its home since 2017

A Tottenham community centre struggling with disrepair is facing legal action from its maintenance provider for unpaid fees.

Goan Community Centre’s chair, Candy Fernandes, explained to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that she was being taken to court by Haus Block Management over £5,000 in unpaid maintenance and legal fees.

But Candy disputes the fees, asserting the services the company had provided, such as accounting and auditing, external cleaning, management fees and landscaping, were not carried out.

She added she had not asked for them to be done and also said it was a “struggle” to get a breakdown of the payments.

Candy spoke emotionally about the distress the legal issues had caused her, adding that her husband who had helped her run the centre had recently passed away.

Gareth Martin, managing director at Haus, aknowledged the dispute over the estate charges had been “going on for a long time” and said: “The simple fact is that the owner of the community centre must contribute to the upkeep of the communal estate in which it is situated. This is set out in the lease for the property, which she has entered into.

“It’s much the same as the obligation of a flat owner, in a block of flats, to contribute to the upkeep of the building by contributing to a service charge.”

Gareth added the organisation hadn’t been fully clear on the reasons behind Candy’s position, emphasising communication between the two parties was distant and difficult, saying there was no “indication” from her that “work had not taken place”.

Candy explained the history of the centre, which opened around 23 years ago in a one-storey portable building, originally on a disused site in Keston Road, West Green.

The building cost Candy £7,000 and the activities it offered ranged from a toy library to stage plays, with visitors varying in age from children to students and adults.

However, in 2017 the land was sold by Haringey Council to make way for a residential development and the centre was moved to nearby Apple Tree Road, a two-minute walk away.

Issues soon began as the centre, now on the second storey of a playgroup building, proved difficult to access. The flight of stairs to get to the centre are troublesome for elderly visitors, according to Candy, adding the single lift the building provides breaks down often.

As a consequence, attendance from older users has dwindled and activities held especially for them such as the lunch club have been halted.

Candy said she had feared this would happen when first moving in but said the council assured her the lift wouldn’t break down.

Recounting one incident, she said: “One day the room [centre] was hired for a wedding and the groom and the father-in-law got stuck in the lift. I thought I was going to die that day, I couldn’t face the world.

“Luckily I phoned the emergency services and they came and managed to get them out after one hour.”

The room the centre uses now is smaller than the original one, according to Candy, adding the only maintenance work she saw carried out was “pest control”.

Along with the lift issues, she said the toilets were often blocked and the handle to the entrance door often fell off in visitors’ hands.

Candy said the lift was a big issue and it had “never worked” properly despite the building being new when the centre occupied it. She said she reported this problem to Haus but had been told it wasn’t their responsibility.

She also reported it to the council, which the centre pays rent and insurance to, but was again told it was the centre’s responsibility to fix these issues.

Gareth from Haus added: “For our part, we do not particularly want to instruct lawyers to pursue our customers for debt, however we have ultimately been left with no other option here.

“If Candy is prepared to engage with us properly we are happy to try and work through the problem, as we have been from the start.”

In response to enquiries Ruth Gordon, Haringey Council’s cabinet member for housebuilding, placemaking and local economy, said: “The lease agreement for the site is a commercial tenancy. The tenant is responsible for complying with their obligations under the lease arrangement, including items such as a lift and keeping it in good working order. We have been consistent on this point in previous communications with them.

“We have provided support to the group, including advice on letting out the space so they can maximise income to help pay for the repairs. We will continue to encourage the group to collaborate with council services and officers will visit to discuss their responsibilities for the building.”

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