Hornsey Town Hall Construction Steering Group Minutes – 23 April 2023

1. Attendees

Mark Afford (Crouch End CAAC)
Graeme Jennings and Liz Sich (Hornsey Town Hall Trust)
Miranda Pattinson (residents)
Kathy Smith (Weston and Haringey Park Residents’ Association)
Councillors Cressida Johnson and Luke Cawley-Harrison (Crouch End ward)
Chris Currer and Amanda Carrara (Crouch End Festival)
Samuel Uff and Robbie McNaughter (Haringey Council Planning)
Nick Poon, Scott Lau, Angela Walsh, and Alison Boulter (FEC)
Andrew Major (Time + Space)
Joe Pitt (Ardmore Construction
William Belafontaine (LLA Architects)
Katy Ghahremani Make architects)
Phil Briscoe (Chair) and Vincent Carroll-Battaglino (SEC Newgate UK)

2. Apologies

Apologies for absence were noted from:

• Cllr Lester Buxton
• Susan Cooper
• Ellish Kwai (Ardmore)
• Benjamin Lesser
• Introductions

3. Introductions

New members were introduced: William Belafontaine of LLA Architects, who is assisting Ardmore with completing works related to planning conditions to allow final handover to FEC.

4. Approval of draft minutes and matters arising

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved.

After discussion regarding the Christmas tree, CC iterated that CEF needs to be involved in any future instance as it was always a community led project.

5. Ardmore update

• Samual Uff (SU) and William Bellafontaine (WB) updated on bollards, gates, lighting, tree pits, bicycle storage.
• Liz Sich (LS) asked about a timeline

SU noted that the council has provided a letter of comfort to FEC/Ardmore that no enforcement action will be taken regarding the square before work is finished .We provided letter of comfort, we wont take enforcement action for using square before all conditions done, as long as progress is being made and it is safe.

Joe Pitt (JP) suggested the square could be opening this summer.

• CC asked about plants at HTH. Katy Ghahremani (KG) confirmed that dead plants will be replaced as part of works.

• A possible event for opening of the square was discussed for July.

Insurance and other matters will have to be completed. CSG members noted that hoarding should not be taken down by the contractor before FEC was ready to undertake an opening event. FEC agreed.

Since only the front portion would be open, not the fountain to the rear, MA and CC queried the wisdom of an opening event. FEC felt the public would still want an official opening of some kind, but a larger opening celebration would be held when the HTH sits is complete. SU noted that people wanted updates on the situation more than anything else.

• Graeme Jennings (GJ) and Miranda Pattinson (MP) asked about the lighting.

The period lighting at the rear of the square are replicas of 1930s lamps. More modern lighting is to be installed at the front of the square. SU confirmed these can be dealt with in Non-Material Amendments, no further consultation will be needed.

6. Time + Space update

• Andrew Major (AM) reported on Time + Space activity.

T+S is waiting on an open date before mobilising/hiring a team to manage the site. The Arts Centre team will “ramp up” at the appropriate time.

When site is handed over, T+S will work on its own fitout, T+S will be ready to “press the button” upon handover. The composition of the Arts Centre advisory board will similarly be completed based on handover and fitout dates.

7. FEC update

• LS asked about upkeep/management of the square. FEC said that Chloe Walker from Brunsfield will manage the HTH space.

• FEC’s fitout of Assembly Hall before Time + Space takes it on could take up to 26 weeks, other commercial spaces less than that. It is not anticipated that the hotel will open before the rest as hotel guests will not want a construction site.

• Cllr Cawley-Harrison (LCH) LCH asked whether the F&B timeframe was the same. FEC said it has spoken to operators and there is interest, but no commitments can be made before opening dates are known.

• LS and GJ asked about measures to prevent undue delay to opening of HTH

JP said the list for HTH is not as long as for the square and involvement of LLA architects was helping.

For the fitout, FEC confirmed that a tender was out for a single contractor, and FEC was project managing it in-house.

• There was discussion about paving at the rear of the site overlapping with Hornsey Library paving. JP has met with the library and FEC on this.  The black and white paving was approved by Haringey planning, the location is in HTH demise. There is no objection from FEC should the library want to replace the paving themselves using their existing pavers.

• Updates were requested by CSG members on bins adjacent to the library. This is outside the demise of HTH but FEC discussed a contribution with the library. But further emails were unanswered by the library team.

Up-to-date drawings were requested so that CSG members understood more. Info sent to Historic England could be sent on by FEC.

• LCH asked about the entry that leads onto square (ramp)

FEC said it had been looked at: nothing has changed for fire escape routes, the plan is to reposition ramp so that it does not conflict with FEC demise. Info has been supplied to Calvin @ Hornsey Library.

8. Any other business

• FEC reported that the works for Hatherley Gardens would mostly be after handover from Ardmore so as not to be damaged by construction. FEC confirmed Haringey Highways will do the Hatherley Gardens and Rose Place works. FEC was happy for Haringey to design and undertake.

MA asked to see designs and LCH said he would ask the council for these.

• The area between Barclays and Time + Space is to be repaved but street furniture would remain the same.

• AC suggested more frequent meetings and communication.

FEC said that communications had to be accurate and sometimes there is no update or unknown elements. It is better to be sure than give updates which turn out to be inaccurate.

The phone boxes in front of the square were raised as an issue related to but not included in Hornsey Town Hall matters. There is a council-run consultation on phone boxes accessible here: Phone Boxes | Commonplace. It runs until 18 June.