New council homes in South Tottenham win approval

The existing area around Tiverton Road was described by a councillor this week as looking like a dystopian movie, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

The plans for the Tiverton Road development in South Tottenham (credit Haringey Council) — Plans for the Tiverton Road development in South Tottenham (credit Haringey Council)

Plans for 17 new council homes in South Tottenham have been approved by Haringey councillors.

At a meeting yesterday (Thursday 5th) Haringey Council’s planning committee voted in favour of clearing a site in Tiverton Road to make way for new flats.

The existing site “currently comprises an underused green space and hard-standing parking areas,” according to a planning report presented to councillors. It is surrounded by existing post-war housing blocks, which will remain as they are.

The new development is set to be spaced across two four-storey blocks with a communal garden and 39 reconfigured parking spaces, as well as bike storage facilities.

The scheme, submitted by the council itself, is set to be delivered by a private contractor on behalf of the local authority.

Prior to the decision, some councillors voiced concerns that the communal garden and area around the site could fall into disrepair and attract antisocial behaviour after work is completed.

Planning committee chair Barbara Blake expressed concern with the state of the current area surrounding the development and even compared it to scenes from a classic dystopian film.

“The shops, most of them empty, do look as if they’ve just come off the set of A Clockwork Orange,” Cllr Blake said.

Council officers responded by saying these buildings were outside the remit of the application, adding that the local authority was working to find ways of improving public areas surrounding new housing projects in the borough.

Labour committee member Reg Rice said he was “not particularly pleased” with the communal space outlined in the plans, due to worries about ongoing maintenance. He said there was a risk of it falling into disrepair and becoming a place for antisocial behaviour.

The planning committee was told there would be funding from the developer for maintenance of the site for two years after completion, with scope to extend this period.

The proposals were voted through, although numerous conditions were added. These include a pledge to ensure ongoing maintenance.

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