Dear Haringey Councillors,
Re.: NLWA Proposal for Rubbish Treatment Plant at Pinkham Way
I am writing on behalf of our Association, which has members that are both Barnet and Haringey residents, to voice, in the strongest possible terms, our complete opposition to the proposed development of our open green space into an industrial waste treatment plant.
In 1883, the then, no doubt, enlightened Councillors of Friern Barnet and Hornsey decided to inflict a sewage farm on the Freehold Community and for 80 years our residents had to put up with the associated odours and impact such a facility generates.
By the early 60’s, the sewage farm was no longer required, and of course, it would have been very reasonable for the then enlightened Councillors to have ensured that the obvious debt that our fellow Barnet and Haringey residents owed to the Freehold Community should be paid, by making good the land they had taken, and providing a much needed and only open space available for our residents.
Well no. What we got was a further 10 years of the site being used as an untreated waste land fill site, with the associated smells and dirt, and the bonus of daily trips by dust carts up and down our residential roads, delivering their less than pleasant loads of used sanitary towels, waste Sunday lunches, dead dogs and old bikes.
Well no. What we were left with was a lump of land that resembled the surface of the moon, except we had the bonus of underground and surface fires, accompanied by more methane production than a herd of cows 500 strong.
By the mid 80’s, the Freehold Community finally received a promise from both Barnet and Haringey that the space would be considered as suitable for public open space, and both boroughs prepared detailed plans of how they saw the site developing. Freehold residents were consulted on what we would like on the site. Things like a park for our children to play in, a community centre, cycle paths, and walks between green trees, with ponds and areas of nature conservation. Of course, there was no money, but at least the promise and the plans were in place.
By the mid 90’s, finally we got first, our community centre, and then a small park. Of course, this was not paid for by Barnet or Haringey, but came about because of planning gain. But at least it was a start, and nature, being more enlightened than mere Councillors, healed the damage inflicted on our community, and gave us an area of mature trees and scrub and grassland. An area important enough for two areas of the site to be officially designated for nature conservation.
It is a haven for wildlife that today provides us with sights of birds of prey, owls, bats, grass snake,s and enough different bird species to make the RSPB proud. Official or not, give human beings open green space and they will use it, and the area has become an adventure playground for generations of Freehold children and a dog-walkers dream. As a community we saw the creation of our community centre and park as part of a work in progress, and not a full stop to the promised open green space.
And now we come to March 2011, and once again the Freehold Community, thanks to our latest group of enlightened Councillors, is to become the slop-bucket for the rest of Barnet and Haringey, and, because we are such a deserving community, they have invited an extra five boroughs to join in the insult.
We hope you will agree that, if any group of residents or any community in either Barnet or Haringey has earned the right to say "NOT IN OUR BACK YARD", it is the Freehold Community. We have paid our dues, and it is now someone else’s turn. We have had 115 years of our area being blighted for the benefit of our neighbours, and we now expect you, as our Councillors, to stand with us and oppose this proposed development.
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Please feel free to copy this letter and photograph to any of your colleagues, that you feel may be enlightened enough to understand our message.
Yours sincerely,
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