Council promises 'open tender' for new community venue in Tottenham park

Parents staged a demonstration this summer calling for Living Under One Sun to return to Down Lane Park, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Haringey Council says it will run a “fully transparent, open tender” to find a new organisation to run a community hub in a Tottenham park.

It follows protests this summer by parents who are upset at the departure of childcare charity Living Under One Sun (LUOS), which had previously operated from the pavilion in Down Lane Park.

The community-led charity, which has been active for around 20 years, moved into the existing pavilion in 2018 and, in 2021, began working with the council on delivering a new, permanent community hub.

But earlier this year, following a dispute with the council over the direction of its plans, LUOS moved out.

Parents and youth workers gathered at the pavilion this summer in a so-called “buggy blockade”, calling for the return of the charity’s services, which included affordable childcare.

At the time the council claimed protestors had “stormed the building” and had “unlawfully” occupied the site.

LUOS released a statement on social media saying it was “extremely concerned with the tone” the council had used to describe the protestors, particularly “the repeated references to being ‘unlawful’”.

Claims of the premises being “unsafe” did not “ring true”, according to the charity, due to the “conscientiousness of the occupiers” and the “precautions LUOS took before leaving”.

LUOS stated: “All involved need to commit to working together to find the resources needed to ensure there is a community hub that Tottenham’s community needs and deserves after years of development, displacement, and distrust.”

Asked what the council’s future plans now were for the site, Ruth Gordon, cabinet member for placemaking and local economy, said: “We remain committed to providing community facilities including a purpose-built community hub and garden as part of our £2.5m improvements to Down Lane Park.

“Our masterplan also provides for an under-twelves play area and sports court which will complement earlier investment in the north of the park. This is already significantly enhancing facilities for young people in the area with a new high-quality play area and outdoor gym.

“We are looking at the potential to support affordable childcare services as part of the new building.”

Cllr Gordon added: “We will run a fully transparent, open tender for an operator of the future community hub to provide services locally and will be sharing information in advance to give interested local groups the time and resources to prepare an application.

“We are no longer working with LUOS as a primary partner since they vacated the existing building. We will continue to engage with them along with all local groups and the wider community as we move forward collaboratively with the transformation of the park.”

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