be strongly in favour of it, a lot of the residents, the majority, seem to be very against it.
We are based just down the road from it, and we think that one of the best things about Tottenham is how unique many of the shops are. Apart from a few banks and betting shops, the vast majority of business's here are small independent business's. Walk up West Green Rd, and there are independent Caribbean, African and South American shops, sitting side by side. There are no chain shops that we can think of in the whole road, and we think it gives the area a unique feel.
We're not against plans to re-rejuvenate the area. On the contrary, the recent building work in Tottenham Hale has helped to really improve the area in such a quick time, and we're massively in favour of it. The area has taken on a feeling of vitality that was sorely needed, and we take our hats off the the builders and planners, they have done a sterling job. Our only concerns are that, if you are going to dictate to the residents how the future of their area will develop, and not listen to their opinions and take them on board, how are people meant to feel that the area is theirs? In the aftermath of the riots, many people said that there was a lack of pride, and they were bemused as to why people would wreck their own neighborhood. But when the council doesn't take the views of the locals on board, it's hard for people to really feel part of the community. How can you feel pride for something that isn't yours?
As the writer of the article points out, "From a Colombian mini-market I bought chocolate from Argentina, coffee from Brazil and seasoning from Peru. Spanish was being spoken everywhere." He's right, the area has a great feel, that cannot be easily replicated. Add to the mix that building work will shut the site down for 3 years, if the building schedule goes to plan, in which time many traders will have re-settled elsewhere, along with confirmation that rent will nearly double when it does opens, we can't help but feel that an important part of the community could be lost.
If the council want the residents to be proud of their area, they should invest in it, as opposed to bulldozing it and starting again. We like a Pizza Express meal as much as the next person, but we can't help feel that it would be a case of putting a square peg into a round hole. Anyone who has spent any time in the area can see that the shops currently there are there for a reason, ie. they are in demand. The residents want them. Force these independent business out, especially in such an economic climate, and with the added costs of relocating and finding new premises, many small business's could go under. And where would they go, even if they could re-locate? Most business's in the area, us included, are run on a tiny budget. When Mill Mead Road was closed last year for 7 days due to the shooting which sparked the riots, it took us the next 5 months to financially recover.
Why not build the complex at Tottenham Hale? There is a large bit of land in front of the station, currently occupied by Maplins and KFC. These are business's that would actually benefit from a sleeker presentation, and modern facilities. When they started re-developing Tottenham Hale, 1 business, a storage depot, was occupying a few acres. Storage depots don't make the same community contributions that cafes and bars do, so it was easy to knock it down and start from scratch. The owners were compensated. Will the business's in the market be compensated?
At the end of last year, the Walthamstow Standard shut down, replaced by a chain supermarket, and with it, another reason to visit the area. We hope that the same doesn't happen to "El Pueblito Paisa". If the business's are affected, we hope they will be compensated and assisted, and suitable replacement units, within the local vicinity, are sourced prior to them leaving their current locations. At the very least, we hope that people will pop along to see the market while it's still here. It's right outside Seven Sisters tube station, and is barely 12 mins from Kings Cross.
We are based just down the road from it, and we think that one of the best things about Tottenham is how unique many of the shops are. Apart from a few banks and betting shops, the vast majority of business's here are small independent business's. Walk up West Green Rd, and there are independent Caribbean, African and South American shops, sitting side by side. There are no chain shops that we can think of in the whole road, and we think it gives the area a unique feel.
We're not against plans to re-rejuvenate the area. On the contrary, the recent building work in Tottenham Hale has helped to really improve the area in such a quick time, and we're massively in favour of it. The area has taken on a feeling of vitality that was sorely needed, and we take our hats off the the builders and planners, they have done a sterling job. Our only concerns are that, if you are going to dictate to the residents how the future of their area will develop, and not listen to their opinions and take them on board, how are people meant to feel that the area is theirs? In the aftermath of the riots, many people said that there was a lack of pride, and they were bemused as to why people would wreck their own neighborhood. But when the council doesn't take the views of the locals on board, it's hard for people to really feel part of the community. How can you feel pride for something that isn't yours?
As the writer of the article points out, "From a Colombian mini-market I bought chocolate from Argentina, coffee from Brazil and seasoning from Peru. Spanish was being spoken everywhere." He's right, the area has a great feel, that cannot be easily replicated. Add to the mix that building work will shut the site down for 3 years, if the building schedule goes to plan, in which time many traders will have re-settled elsewhere, along with confirmation that rent will nearly double when it does opens, we can't help but feel that an important part of the community could be lost.
If the council want the residents to be proud of their area, they should invest in it, as opposed to bulldozing it and starting again. We like a Pizza Express meal as much as the next person, but we can't help feel that it would be a case of putting a square peg into a round hole. Anyone who has spent any time in the area can see that the shops currently there are there for a reason, ie. they are in demand. The residents want them. Force these independent business out, especially in such an economic climate, and with the added costs of relocating and finding new premises, many small business's could go under. And where would they go, even if they could re-locate? Most business's in the area, us included, are run on a tiny budget. When Mill Mead Road was closed last year for 7 days due to the shooting which sparked the riots, it took us the next 5 months to financially recover.
Why not build the complex at Tottenham Hale? There is a large bit of land in front of the station, currently occupied by Maplins and KFC. These are business's that would actually benefit from a sleeker presentation, and modern facilities. When they started re-developing Tottenham Hale, 1 business, a storage depot, was occupying a few acres. Storage depots don't make the same community contributions that cafes and bars do, so it was easy to knock it down and start from scratch. The owners were compensated. Will the business's in the market be compensated?
At the end of last year, the Walthamstow Standard shut down, replaced by a chain supermarket, and with it, another reason to visit the area. We hope that the same doesn't happen to "El Pueblito Paisa". If the business's are affected, we hope they will be compensated and assisted, and suitable replacement units, within the local vicinity, are sourced prior to them leaving their current locations. At the very least, we hope that people will pop along to see the market while it's still here. It's right outside Seven Sisters tube station, and is barely 12 mins from Kings Cross.
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