I’m afraid this blog will be on hold for the foreseeable future.

My life got too busy and the lack of help doesn’t allow me to keep up with blog updates.

RSS feeds are always active so you can read the latest about Finsbury Park from some friend site.

All the best,

“A blog for Finsbury Park” admin

Rage Against The Machine reached the Christmas No. 1 spot thanks to those that bought the single and now the massive ‘Thank you’ gig that was promised is finally here!

On Sunday 6th June, Finsbury Park will host the victory party to end all victory parties! Doors will open at midday.

The victory marks a stunning upset against the heavily favoured X Factor single. Following the massive Facebook campaign to make the 1992 track top the Christmas charts, RATM will play a free concert in celebration of this incredible triumph.

You spread the word, you swayed the outcome, you made music history! Now let’s celebrate!

All tickets allocated

Woodberry Down regeneration ‘breaks new ground’ with PDA agreement

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Housing
Tuesday 23rd March 2010 – 2:20pm

One of the capital’s most high-profile regeneration projects continues to break new ground with the signing of a £1billion, 20-year Principal Development Agreement (PDA).

The PDA between Hackney Council, Berkeley Homes, and PCHA, part of Genesis Housing Group, is for the first phase of a wider regeneration plan which will ultimately deliver over two decades more than 4,500 new social rented, shared-ownership and private homes at Woodberry Down, Hackney.

The programme will also deliver a range of new facilities including a community centre, health centre, business centre, new Academy, extended primary school, as well as retail and commercial opportunities.

In January, Woodberry Down received £27million in Homes and Communities Agency funding to build 187 new homes for social rent and 60 for shared ownership built. Work set to begin in March 2010 and the new homes are expected to be completed by 2012/13.

The homes will be built across two sites, Woodberry Grove North, and the other on Green Lanes. The sites are part of Phase One of Woodberry Down’s regeneration programme.

In addition to the support for Woodberry Down, Hackney Council has received one of the highest totals nationally of HCA funding for Local Authority New Build. Earlier this month £6.26 million was approved for 87 homes, on top of nearly £10million announced in September to provide 114 homes, on estates across the borough.

Steve Douglas, Hackney Council Corporate Director for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration, said: “Hackney Council has pledged its commitment to residents to provide first-rate new housing fit for the 21st century.

“This is an important milestone for the regeneration of Woodberry Down, which is providing high quality affordable homes as well as key community facilities.”

Berkeley Homes were contracted to develop the Kick Start sites, and have been selected as developer for the remaining phases of the development.

Construction is well under way with the first 117 social rented homes being built, which are due for completion in 2011. Over 300 private and intermediate homes are also in the process of being built.

Genesis Housing Group has been confirmed as the Registered Social Landlord (RSL) – Genesis will own and manage the new affordable homes on Woodberry Down once they are built.

David Lunts, Regional Director for London at the HCA, said: “It’s very encouraging to see the progress being made to deliver this hugely important regeneration project. Our funding for Woodberry Down and across the borough as a whole means local people will benefit from a range of housing types to suit their needs.”

Justin Tibaldi, Managing Director of Berkeley Homes (Capital), said: “The signing of the Principal Development Agreement and securing of HCA Kickstart funding are key stages in the regeneration of Woodberry Down.

“We are making good progress on the first phase of development and look forward to helping the Council realise the shared vision for the area.”

Neil Hadden, Chief Executive of Genesis Housing Group, said: “This is great news for the development of new homes and a revitalised neighbourhood in Woodberry Down.

“Genesis is immensely pleased to have been selected as Registered Social Landlord partner by both the local people and by the council.

“We are committed to applying our considerable skills and resources as we work energetically with all the regeneration partners to deliver the much-needed high quality affordable homes in this part of Hackney.”

To prepare the workshop, we are looking for videos of less than a minute welcoming viewers to the places that matter in the N4. The videos will be published online. A selection of them will be screened in introduction of the workshop and at an exhibition we are preparing for June.

Please visit our website if you would like to contribute and participate to the workshop. It will be the occasion for everyone to present the places that are important to them and to meet other people involved in the neighbourhood.
http://transitionfinsburypark.org.uk/welcome

Struggling traders set for emergency meeting in Finsbury Park with ‘fat-cat’ banks (Monday 8 March)

Published: 5 March 2010
by PETER GRUNER

BRITAIN’S “fat cat” banks stand accused of turning their backs on traders in Islington at a time when they desperately need financial help to dig their way out of the recession.

The situation is so serious – with cash-strapped businesses threatened with closure, resulting in redundancies – that senior officials from the banks are being summoned to an urgent meeting in Finsbury Park on Monday to explain their position.

The traders have the support of Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn, who has written to Business Secretary Lord Mandelson. Mr Corbyn said he had great sympathy for the traders and accused the banks of being “more concerned with self interest than the public good”.

Chief executive of Islington Chamber of Commerce, Ronke Lawal, said: “In Camden Passage, where traders are struggling with massive new rent and business rate increases, the banks won’t give them a loan.”

Monday’s meeting is being organised by Talal Karim, chief executive of business forum FinFuture, at their offices in Seven Sisters Road.

Mr Karim said: “The taxpayer has pumped a lot of money into these big banks and the government has told them to lend more money to small firms.

“What is worse is that so many of our firms have been loyal customers of the banks for decades, but when they really need financial help the banks are simply turning their backs on them.”

So far Lloyds TSB group, RBS/NatWest and the HSBC have all said they will be sending senior officials. Barclays have yet to confirm that they will be represented.

There will also be representatives from government enterprise schemes which can also provide loans.

The banks are accused of only being prepared to lend money to business that are doing well.

Mr Karim added that the current financial crisis is happening at a time when Finsbury Park is on the up as a result of a major regeneration.

“A lot of businesses are simply looking for a short-term loan,” said Mr Karim. “Otherwise they face closure and making people redundant.”

At Fonthill Road fashion centre, chairman of the traders association Selim Gozubuyukoglu said many businesses were walking a financial tightrope.

“With the banks refusing to lend us money, we are having to borrow on our credit cards,” he said. “As a result people are getting into terrible debt and now credit cards are being taken away.”

Mr Gozubuyukoglu said he had to close a clothing factory and make 15 staff redundant last year because of the recession.

He added: “I needed £100,000 to kickstart my business but the bank wouldn’t even let me have £25,000. I’ve been in business for 30 years and I’ve never known anything like it.

“When you ask the bank why they won’t lend us money they say come back when we have got our financial house in order.

“But we need money today when we are struggling to survive.”

• The traders meet the banks meeting will take place on Monday, March 8 at 6pm at FinFuture, 225-279, Seven Sisters Road, N4 (close to Finsbury Park Railway bridge). Call 020 7272 1465 or visit www.finfuture.co.uk.

£4.5million worth of heroin seized from van

nlnews@archant.co.uk
05 March 2010

ONE hundred kilos of heroin with an estimated street value of £4.5million has been seized by police in Finsbury Park.

The heroin was discovered in the back of a Renault van, stopped by officers in Upper Tollington Park, at 3.30pm on Thursday.

The stop, which was part of a planned operation, was carried out by Operation Trident officers with the assistance of armed officers from C019.

A 45-year-old man was arrested in the van. Another man, also aged 45, and a 38-year-old woman were arrested a short time later in Seven Sisters Road, Holloway.

All are currently in custody at east London police stations and enquiries continue.

Detective Inspector Malcolm Davies, from Operation Trident, which deals with black on black gun crime, said: “This is a major seizure and will severely disrupt the organised criminal networks in north east London. The offence of drug trafficking is a pernicious crime that directly impacts on the public of London. This seizure and arrests demonstrates SCD8′s commitment to disrupting and dismantling major organised crime networks in London.

‘Stolen goods’ cafe shut down

nlnews@archant.co.uk
19 November 2009

A CAF: that had been taken over by dealers in stolen mobile phones has been shut down.

La Roma in Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park, had become the hub of a stolen goods trade among north African men.

And when police raided it on November 3, they found a stolen camera and three stolen mobile phones.

It will now be sealed up for three months after Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court imposed a closure order.

Sergeant Rob O’Connor, who leads the area’s Highbury West Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said: “There are a lot of young Algerian men in the area and a lot of them get pulled into handling stolen goods – some of them can’t get any work, others are asylum seekers and are not allowed to work, while some simply do not want to work.

“The leaseholder was running La Roma with just one other person and he lost control of the premises. People were using it as a place to sell stolen mobile phones and there was a lot of anti-social behaviour inside and outside.

“There was one robbery in which a woman had her bag snatched. The thieves ran into La Roma – and the bag disappeared within 10 seconds.”

Police are talking to the shopkeeper about what measures he could take to allow La Roma to reopen.

Two men, aged 24 and 35, have been arrested and bailed on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

This is not the first police clampdown on the stolen goods trade in Blackstock Road. Back in March 2008, 19 shops, cafés and flats were raided in an attempt to clean up the area.

Venue Details

Title Gillespie Park
Address Drayton Park, Islington, London United Kingdom
Postcode N5

In a City the size of London, the Underground system is the quickest way to get around and we are disappointed with the Mayor’s decision to shelve 22 of the 45 planned step free access projects across London only committing himself to providing step-free access at 29 per cent of all stations by 2017. This is a major step back from previous plans to provide step-free access on a third of the network by 2013. As a result, many disabled passengers, older people and parents with young children are being denied access to this mode of transport. This is particularly concerning in the run up to the 2012 Paralympics and makes us wonder how the Mayor is planning to keep his post-Beijing pledge to make London’s Games the most accessible ever.

http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/give-us-access-to-finsbury-park.html

Burglary rates are falling, insist police

nlnews@archant.co.uk
26 August 2009

POLICE insist soaring rates of burglary insurance claims are at odds with the borough’s falling break-in rates in crime-hit streets.

Hornsey and Crouch End were named and shamed as the second most risky areas to live in the capital according to the number of insurance claims filed last year.

But Haringey’s borough commander said the most recent burglary rates in the N8 postcode are actually dropping.

Chief superintendent Dave Grant, said: “In terms of wards covered by the N8 postcode, early unconfirmed figures that we are working to show that Hornsey, Crouch End, Muswell Hill, Stroud Green and Harringay wards have all experienced good reductions in residential burglary this financial year to date and we are working to replicate these results across the borough.”

He added the Safer Neighbourhood Teams in Harringay and Stroud Green are carrying out patrols and home security checks which have resulted in a drop in offences since April this year.

The survey by price comparison website moneysupermarket.co.uk also revealed N8 was the eighth most risky postcode for burglaries in Britain.

BLAZE at derelict Stoke Newington library sparks fears of explosion.

hg.editorial@archant.co.uk
26 August 2009

A mystery blaze at a derelict library sparked fears of an explosion after gas cylinders were discovered inside this morning .

Flames engulfed the former council-run Brownswood Library on the corner of Brownswood Road and Seven Sisters Road, Stoke Newington, which closed 13 years ago and has been occupied in recent times by squatters.

The Fire Brigade received numerous calls from passerby and nearby residents after the blaze broke out at 7.15am.

Fire crew manager Paul Dykes, from Stoke Newington Fire Station said firefighters had to be extra careful to prevent the gas cylinders exploding.

The one-storey building had been earmarked for development by the Genesis Housing association into a five-storey block of 17 residential flats.

Please your palate at Harringay Food Festival

7:00am Friday 14th August 2009

FESTIVAL organisers are searching for residents who are a dab hand in the kitchen to get involved with the Harringay Food Festival.

The first Harringay Food Festival, to be held in Green Lanes on September 20, promises to be a celebration of the cuisine, culture and history of the area.

Organisers are anticipating hundreds of people to flock to the one-day party and Haringey Council has pledged to close one of the roads so the street festival can really kick off.

Stalls are available for hire for food, information or arts and crafts.

Rob Chau, of Harringay Traders Association, said: “We want to celebrate all of the fantastic things Green Lanes has to offer with a tremendous variety of food and a range of interesting stalls.

“There will be hundreds of residents and visitors enjoying the fun on the day. Taking out a stall – whether to sell food, crafts and other goods, or to hand out information – will be the perfect opportunity to reach a captive audience for a very reasonable price.”

Councillor Nilgun Canver, chair of the Green Lanes Strategy Group, said: “The festival will be a fantastic event and I’m confident that we will see a great range of stalls reflecting the wonderful diversity of this area.

“We are looking forward to welcoming a variety of different hot and cold, sweet and savoury, international and local food stalls to help make the festival a success.”

For more information on stall hire contact Rob Chau on 0871 230 2388 or Marcia Connell on 020 8489 4543 for non-food stalls or visit www.harringayfoodfestival.com

New cyclists come out for London’s Cycle Friday

The first Cycle Friday has made its mark on London, and the London Cycling Campaign (LCC) is pleased with how today’s rides have gone. The Cycle Fridays in the city have been launched to encourage novice cyclists to commute to work in the hoe that they tempt new cyclists into the saddle.

Run by the London Cycling Campaign (LCC) in partnership with Transport for London, the rides will run for the next eight weeks until October 2. By then it’s hoped the novice cyclists will have improved in confidence enough to follow routes alone.

There will be eight rides per week and today saw six routes running from the suburbs into Central London – Brixton to Russell Square, Finsbury Park to St Pauls, Mile End to St Pauls, Ravenscourt to Trafalgar Square, Swiss Cottage to Holborn and Greenwich to St Pauls. Our London correspondent, TR was a marshall on the ride from Finsbury Park you can find out how he got on on his blog.

Charlie Lloyd, a back up marshal from the LCC, said: “The first cycle Friday has gone really well. We were targeting around 25 new riders per ride and we were pleased with the support. There were two rides of 24 people from Brixton, and the Greenwich ride saw a similar turnout. I was on the Finsbury Park one and it was a nice ride in and we hope to see everyone again next week and some more new riders.

The LCC provide qualified and experienced marshals to guide each ride, which make full use of cycle lanes, start at 8am, and hope to show cyclists the safest routes into the city centre.

Transport for London will be publicising the led rides through the cycling pages of the TfL website.

The Cycle Fridays come on the back of a series of successful BikeTubes events run by the LCC in June.

Friday bike convoys converging on City of London

12 August 2009

By Mike Brooke

A SERIES of bike ‘convoys’ led by experienced riders begins on Friday (August 14) to guide novice commuter cyclists into central London.

The ‘Cycle Fridays’ are departing at 8am from six locations in all directions for riders who need a little extra support to start cycling to work.

The East London convoy to St Paul’s in the City begins at the Mile End Green Bridge in Mile End Road.

EAST LONDON ROUTE

Cyclists are being accompanied through Mile End Park alongside the Regent’s Canal, over the canal bridge at Solebay Street, along Harford Street past Shandy Park, turning right into Ben Jonson Road, left into Stepney High Street past St Dunstan’s, right along Stepney Way, left into Jubilee Street, crossing over Commercial Road into Sutton Street down to Shadwell, then right into Cable Street, all the way to Tower Hill, then Monument and onto St Paul’s.

Other starting points across town are from Cutty Sark Gardens in Greenwich, Finsbury Park in north London, Brixton’s Coldharbour Lane in south London, Swiss Cottage in north-west London and Ravenscourt Park in west London.

The Friday convoys were inspired by the London Underground strike in June.

‘Drugs’ shooting shocks estate

nlnews@archant.co.uk
13 August 2009

PAUL DELAPPE outside Fallowfield: “”Estate is bad for drugs

A MAN was shot in the head for his BMW and three mobile phones just yards from people’s front doors.Detectives are investigating whether last Thursday’s shooting – during which the victim narrowly escaped with his life – was a drug deal gone wrong.

Worried residents claim that the Six Acres Estate, off Durham Road, Finsbury Park, is rife with users and pushers – and that two other shootings have also taken place in the past two years. Neither the victim nor his attackers were from the block, which has had thousands spent on security measures designed to stop non-residents gaining access. The shooting took place at about 8.45pm inside the estate’s Fallowfield block.

The 23-year-old South London victim was in a stairwell when he was assaulted by two handgun-wielding robbers. One of them pistol-whipped him before taking his phones and car keys. The other shot him in the head. Then they fled in the victim’s grey BMW 1-Series, which still has not been found.

The victim was taken to hospital where the bullet was removed. He has since been discharged and is expected to make a full recovery.

A police source confirmed that they were looking into whether the shooting was a drug deal gone wrong. He said: “Drugs is certainly one line of inquiry that we are pursuing.”

Islington police deny that Six Acres is a lawless area – but on Tuesday they brought in a dispersal zone giving them the power to break up groups of troublemakers gathering on the estate.

People living in Fallowfield insist that more must be done to specifically tackle the drug problem.

Paul Delappe, area panel representative for the Six Acres Estate, said: “This estate is very bad for drugs. Kids of 14 or 15 stand in the stairways selling drugs.

“They are dealing crack, heroin, everything. They have done all the security work but we don’t feel any safer.”

Chief Superintendent Wise said: “There have been concerns about youths from neighbouring estates congregating in the area but we have been banning them with injunctions, we have a dispersal order and we are working to put in place activities to keep young people occupied through the summer.

The suspects are black, about 5ft 7ins to 5ft 11ins tall and aged about 20. Anyone who can help should call Trident on 020 8733 4774 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

’30 bullets’ fired into sports store with machine gun

nlnews@archant.co.uk
12 August 2009

MACHINE gun fire rang out across a busy street on Tuesday night as two men sprayed bullets into a shop.Up to 30 shots were fired at a sportswear store with no name in Seven Sisters Road, close to the junction with Yonge Park, Finsbury Park, at 9.20pm.

Armed officers raced to the scene but the gunmen had disappeared by the time they arrived. Miraculously, no-one was hurt – but the shop was left littered with bullet holes.

A male eyewitness said: “I was sitting in a car and heard about 27 to 30 shots. I knew it was a type of sub-machine gun straight away because I used to be in the army.

“As soon as I heard it I ducked down. When the shooting stopped I came out and had a look. The shopfront was riddled with about 30 bullet holes.

“I don’t know how many people were in the shop at the time but they ran out. Then I heard another couple of shots ring out towards Isledon Road and then another shot by Finsbury Park station.”

He added: “A guy who actually saw the shooting said that two men had come down with hoodies on. They walked up Seven Sisters Road and calmly stood in front of the shop, got out their weapons and sprayed the whole shop front with bullets.”

Paul Delappe, area panel representative for the neighbouring Six Acres Estate, said: “I was absolutely petrified because my boys had just gone round to the kebab shop. They heard the shots and came running back saying ‘there’s been a drive-by’.”

Witnesses say it is not the first time the store has been targeted in recent weeks.

A second eyewitness said: “Two months ago when it was a barber’s shop some people drove by and shot at it then too.

“The day before Tuesday’s shooting at about 11pm there was a fight on that side of the road involving about eight people and baseball bats. These people are maniacs.”

A police spokesman said: “We responded to reports of gunshots in Seven Sisters road at 9.20pm. Evidence of shots was found but no victims have made themselves known to police. Inquiries are ongoing.

‘Unsafe’ festival is axed

nlnews@archant.co.uk
06 August 2009

A TWO-day fashion and music festival in Finsbury Park has been scrapped just four days before it was set to take place – after police raised “serious safety concerns”.

Police claimed organisers of the first ever Africa Caribbean Asia Fashion Week would struggle to cope with up to 10,000 visitors expected to take over the park on Saturday and Sunday.

A panel of councillors, prompted by fears for public safety, refused to give the festival approval at a licensing meeting on Monday.

Now critics fear the streets will be awash with revellers – many of whom have already bought tickets to the charity gig, expecting to see big-named artists like rapper Sway.

Haringey councillor Ron Aitken, who sat on the licensing committee, said: “Unfortunately, the application did not demonstrate the organiser could give a reasonable assurance of public safety, so it was turned down. So we may have several thousand people turning up on Saturday and Sunday with nothing to do.”

The festival was set to take place from 2pm-7pm on both days and feature live music, dance and a catwalk modelling show to raise money for charities, including the Great Ormond Street Hospital and Christian Aid.

Sergeant Simon Willmott, of Haringey police football and events office, said: “Police had serious concerns about public safety due to the inadequacy of the event management plan presented by the organiser and the inexperience of the people that were expected to deliver and be responsible for the event.

“Police attended the licensing meeting on Monday night and made these representations to the council licensing committee, along with other organisations that also raised concerns.

“If the proposed performers were advertised, there is the possibility of numbers above 9,999 being attracted to the event.”

Residents had also raised concerns over noise and revelry, claiming neighbours’ peace and quiet would be destroyed.

Now organiser Kate Ajike will have to cancel the event and gives refunds on tickets, the majority of which had already been sold. The 23-year-old from Enfield said before the meeting: “I think people are missing the main aspect here – it is a charity festival, we finish at 7pm both nights and we are not here to make a profit.”

A council spokesman said: “It was declined because the applicant was unable to submit a clear, well thought-out, event management plan to satisfy us that she could uphold public safety objectives.