Cash boost for community spaces across Haringey

A government ‘Pride in Place’ grant of £1.5m will be used on a wide range of projects across the borough, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

Community spaces in Haringey will get a spruce up after the council confirmed a new £1.5million award from the government set aside for regeneration projects.

The money will go towards everything from improving paddling pools to pigeon-proofing. There will also be upgrades to many of the borough’s parks and play areas, as well as at least 60 new trees in residential streets, Haringey Council confirmed at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday (10th).

The money was awarded through through a special ‘Pride in Place Impact Fund’ aimed at helping improving the community environments of “in need” areas. The borough was one of 95 to be awarded with money in the government’s 2025 spending review.

Haringey is the sixth most deprived in London, with high levels of unemployment, child poverty and inequality. Cabinet member for placemaking and local economy Ruth Gordon said: “We absolutely need this money.”

The Labour councillor added: “We’ll spend it really quick and then hopefully our residents will see those tangible improvements that they deserve.”

Among the projects is a plan to improve Tottenham DIY skate park with investment in security, new gates, lighting and CCTV.

The largest sum, £310,000, will go to works at Lymington Avenue in Wood Green. These include deep cleaning, pigeon proofing, pavement resurfacing and a project with Rising Green youth hub to improve their façade.

A council report states a new “natural play area” will be built at the entrance of Lordship Rec in a bid to “disrupt long-standing anti-social behaviour at that location”

The paddling pools at Bruce Castle Park, Lordship Rec and Priory Park will be given a new lease of life with £200,000 set aside to replace their drainage systems. Ducketts Common will also be improved with new equipment in its play area.

The borough’s older residents won’t be forgotten, either, with improvements set for Bruce Castle Park to “protect and support” Haringey’s oldest tree.

One of the stipulations of the £1.5m government award is that it has to be spent by March 2027. This time frame influenced some of the projects selected.

“There are a lot more schemes we could’ve picked,” explained Cllr Gordon, “but we had to try and find something that we could deliver in time.

“If the government wants to give us any more money we’ve got a longer list so they can always hand us a bit more and we will get it out the door!”

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