Tottenham Hale
Tottenham Hale
The walking tour of Tottenham Hale that took place during the BURA Re:Invigorate event in April, 2007, was led by Ms Shifa Mustafa, Assistant Director of Planning for LB Haringey. It covered six sites as identified in the Tottenham Hale Urban Centre Masterplan (2006)
Tottenham in context | |
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The six sites consisted of: Hale Wharf, the former GLS Depot site, Tottenham Tube Station Interchange, Ashley Road Area, Tottenham Hale Retail Park and High Cross Housing Estate.
Hale Wharf
The Hale Wharf area immediately adjacent to the River Lee was the first site on the walking tour. It is a linear site extending northwards from Ferry Road, and its primary uses include the Lock Dining Bar and Tottenham Lock at the south end, and an assortment of warehouse units. LB Haringey is currently in discussion with the owners of the site to demolish the warehouses and redevelop the property as a residential-led mixed use scheme, consisting of ground floor commercial development and residential units above.
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| The Tottenham Hale site shows much potential for development | A new office and leisure complex at Hale Wharf |
An initial proposal included a 20-storey building on this site, but this was deemed too high for the character of the area. The process has now gone back to developers, who are now considering four different lower-scale options resulting from a design competition, and a new proposal is expected to be submitted by the end of 2007. It is thought that the new design will consist of buildings that decrease in height as one moves further away from the tube station, so that they better integrate into the surrounding residential areas. Its location along the River Lee suggests opportunities for the site to be opened up for public use. It will also serve as the starting point for a bridge link, which will cross the River Lee towards the next development site, facilitating east-west linkages among the six development areas.
Former GLS Depot
The second site on the walking tour was the former GLS Depot area, which lies to the west of the River Lee and adjacent to the Tottenham Hale tube station. Of the six development sites set out in the Urban Centre Masterplan, this is at the most advanced stage of development.
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| The large GLS site will be redeveloped for mix use | The ecology of the area wil be protected |
The proposal includes approximately 1,200 new residential units, local retail developed as a crescent along Ferry Road, a health centre and a new primary school. An 18-storey hotel will serve as the landmark building on this site, with the first three storeys dedicated to the hotel, and private uses located above. Between this site and the tube station lies a narrow strip of green open space that has been designated as ecologically valuable. While this linear green space will help ensure pedestrian linkages to other sites identified in the masterplan, it is important that the ecologically sensitive character of the area is protected from development.
Station site
The Tottenham Hale Tube Station was the third location on the walking tour, and is the site of a station improvement project. Whilst the station provides strong transportation links to the City centre and Stansted Airport, it is dominated by the bus and taxi waiting areas, automobile traffic generated by the gyratory system, and in general is not a very pedestrian-friendly environment.
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| The gyratory system needs to be remodelled | Pedestrian linkages between the various parts of Tottenham are a priority |
While the existing gyratory was identified by the Mayor as the worst example in the City, the estimated costs to remove this system are £60 million. This figure has proven prohibitive, as it is too high to garner through a Section 106, and there is currently no funding for this aspect of the project. Partnership opportunities that would include public sector funding are currently being explored.
Ashley Road
The Ashley Road area is located northwest of the Station Site, and comprises a mix of light industrial uses. The proposal for this area includes building on its historical role as an employment centre, and redeveloping the site as a mixed-use scheme that retains one of the historical buildings for employment uses. The potential for a residential component to help contribute to the Tottenham Hale wide target of 5,000 new homes has also been identified. The location is advantageous in both its proximity to the tube station and the recreation grounds to the north. However, as issues with crime have surfaced within the park, these need to be taken under consideration when developing proposals.
High Cross Housing Estate
This area is the most westerly of the six development sites, and is one of the few that is owned by the Council. It comprises a mix of medium-rise social housing units, some local retail uses and a primary school. The longer term proposal for this area includes enhancing the existing residential uses and providing improvements to the public realm to ensure a more safe and pedestrian-friendly environment. Chestnut Road, which runs through the middle of the site, will crucially provide the physical pedestrian linkages necessary to connect the other areas identified in the masterplan with the imminently regenerated Tottenham High Road.
Tottenham Hale Retail Park
The Tottenham Hale Retail Park was developed in a style typical of the 1970s, and consists of low-rise ‘big box’ or warehouse-type retail units and at grade parking provision. The site does not provide a pedestrian-friendly environment, as is it not easily accessible on foot due to the gyratory system, and is poorly landscaped. The proposal for this site includes increasing densities to provide a less car-oriented development, and introducing a residential component. This proposal is likely the furthest away from implementation, as much of it is dependent upon the progress made in removing the gyratory system.
Summary
One of the key issues to emerge from this walking tour was the imperative of establishing pedestrian linkages among the six sites, so that both new and existing residents will be able to access the newly regenerated areas on the High Road and in Tottenham Hale. One of the key mechanisms to ensure pedestrian access is to focus on the physical linkages, and establish walkways with a safe, attractive and enhanced public realm. Equally important however, is ensuring that the mix of uses in the east provides desirable places that will encourage new residents with increased spending power in Tottenham Hale to shop on the High Road. As such, one of the key challenges put forward to the participants by Ms. Mustafa was to consider what uses on the High Road would encourage people to walk from Tottenham Hale. It was also emphasised that pedestrian linkages need to facilitate movement in both directions, so that the local community in the west can benefit from the new development in the east. As such, the proposals put forward cannot benefit new residents at the expense of the existing community, and the two sites need to be conceived of in relation to one another.
