HTH Construction Steering Group Minutes – 3 June 2021

Attendees

Beth Park (SEC Newgate UK) Chair (BP)
Paddy Kent (SEC Newgate UK) Secretary (PK)
Mark Afford (Crouch End Conservation Area Advisory Committee) (MA)
Amanda Carrara (Crouch End Festival) (AC)
Cllr Luke Cawley-Harrison (Haringey Council) (LCH)
Susan Cooper (Resident Representative) (SC)
Chris Currer (Crouch End Festival) (CC)
Alison Boulter (Far East Consortium) (AB)
Katy Ghahremani (Make Architects) (KG)
Lewis Freeman (Crouch End Traders) (LF)
Scott Lau (Far East Consortium) (SL)
Cllr Tammy Palmer (Haringey Council) (TP)
Benjamin Lesser (Hornsey Town Hall Trust) (GJ)
Andrew Major (Time & Space Co.) (AM)
Liz Sich (Hornsey Town Hall Trust) (LS)

Joe Pitt (Ardmore Construction) (JP)
Henry Powell-Jones (Brunsfield) (HPJ)
Liz Sich (Hornsey Town Hall Trust) (LS)
Paul Toyne (Resident Representative) (PT)
Angela Walsh (Far East Consortium) (AW)

Apologies:

Cllr Dawn Barnes (Haringey Council) (DB)
Phil Briscoe (SEC Newgate UK) (PB)
Graeme Jennings (Hornsey Town Hall Trust) (GJ)
Dean Hermitage (Haringey Council) (DH)
Tobias Finlayson (Haringey Council) (TF)

Miranda Pattinson (Resident Representative) (MP)
Nick Poon (Far East Consortium) (NP)
Kathy Smith (Weston and Haringey Park Residents’ Association) (KS)

1 – Apologies

1.1 Apologies were received from DB, PB, TF, GJ, DH, MP, NP and KS.

2. Attendance and introductions

2.1 BP did a roll call of attendees and introduced the meeting.

2.2 AW introduced Alison Boulter, Customer Care Manager, Far East Consortium.

3. Approval of previous meeting minutes

3.1 The minutes of the meeting on 25th February 2021 were approved by CC and seconded by
SC

 4. Update from Ardmore Construction

4.1 JP gave an overview of the latest construction developments:

4.2 Block A (large residential block) – concrete finished, installation of brick and glass reinforced
concrete on facades underway, roof near to completion, and internal fit-out is progressing.

4.3 Block B (smaller residential block) – concrete frameworks are around halfway complete and
are due to finish in July.

4.4 Main building – internal walls are being installed in the hotel section. The roof has had slates
removed, about two-thirds of which have been replaced.

4.5 West wing – structural work has taken place to lower the basement. New foundations and
new stud columns have been installed. Renovation works are also taking place to allow
repairs to windows etc.

4.6 Broadway annex – transforming the shell into the new Marketing Suite.

4.7 Town Hall Square – the horse chestnut tree currently on the green has been subject to
previous surveys in 2017 and 2019, prior to construction commencement. A further report
has concluded that there is a risk of branch failure that could compromise safety of
pedestrians nearby. An application has therefore been made to remove and replace the
tree.

4.8 A decision from the Council is expected in the next three to four weeks. This would mean
that a replacement tree could be installed around November. The intention remains to
reopen the western parcel of the Town Hall Square in the Autumn; however, the area may
initially be limited until the tree works are complete.

4.9 BP acknowledged that this is a sensitive issue and people need to be kept informed. A
newsletter updating the community will be distributed imminently. However, because the
tree is located in a Conservation Area, it will be up to the Council to decide whether it
should be replaced and the species it would be replaced with.

4.8 MA said that the current tree created a visual barrier between The Broadway and the Town
Hall and asked whether the new tree could be repositioned slightly to the north.
4.9 KG was invited to comment on this suggestion but explained that the tree removal and
replacement was not a matter for the architects.

4.10 LCH asked how much of the Town Hall Square will be reopened to the public, and what
the time frame is for doing this. JP said that there was a theoretical line running north from
the cashpoint at Barclays Bank and that an updated phasing plan will be issued. The team
are still hoping to reopen part of the Town Hall Square in the Autumn.

4.10 AC said that there was a sycamore tree adjacent to the horse chestnut and asked whether
it would be worth keeping the sycamore if the chestnut was being removed. JP responded
that the team needs to deal with the horse chestnut because it is diseased and that
removing a healthy tree such as the sycamore is not something Ardmore could consider.

4.11 AC suggested that the removal of the horse chestnut tree would need to be
communicated sensitively and that the newsletter alone was not enough. AW said that
alongside the newsletter, the team would also make use of their mailing list and post on
social media. She encouraged members of the Construction Steering Group to help spread
the word.

4.12 CC agreed that the removal of the tree would need good communication.

4.13 LCH asked how the repair and clean-up works following damage from high winds was
going. JP said it had been completed within 2 days.

4.14 PT asked whether extended hours were still required and whether dust suppression
measures were in place. JP said that the team were not making use of the extended hours at
present and clarified that the typical working hours were Monday to Friday 8am-6pm and on
Saturday 8am-1pm. There has been construction ongoing in neighbouring properties, which
may explain some of the activity taking place outside of these hours.

4.15 TP also reiterated that the removal of the tree would need good communication and
suggested that the team extend this beyond Crouch End.

5. Update from Time + Space Co

5.1 BP explained that various formal planning documents had been prepared recently. The
Council had requested that the Events and Local Area Management Plan be tabled at the
Construction Steering Group meeting due to the level of local interest in this.

5.2 AM explained that three plans had been submitted to Haringey Council: Public Access Plan,
Community Use Plan, and the Events and Local Area Management Plan.

5.3 Regarding the Events and Local Area Management Plan, AM said he was aware that there
had been some confusion about the team’s intentions in relation to vehicular access along
Hatherley Gardens. The intention is not to have coaches use Hatherley Gardens to drop off
or pick up visitors to the Town Hall, but rather the street may be used to provide prearranged access to the forecourt area for those with mobility difficulties.

5.4 AM added that the intention is to use the southbound bus stop along The Broadway for any
coach drop-off / pick up, subject to consultation and agreement with TFL and LBH.

5.5 TP said she had emailed AM and felt the document had been unclear. AM acknowledged
this. TP added that there were various issues with coach drop-offs in Crouch End – pollution,
parking and traffic were all concerns.

5.6 AM said that the team could imagine a scenario where a wedding party would like to be
dropped off by coach, but would need to confirm this. TP said she would like to see a
revised plan submitted with a commitment to sustainability, e.g. using electric vehicles and
encouraging walking and cycling. AM said that the document would be revised.

5.7 PT asked whether any of the documents had an impact on the side access to the Town Hall
from Weston Park Road and what the future intention was for this access. SL said the access
road would continue to allow access to those properties, with vehicular access to the
garages at the rear and would also facilitate emergency access to the site and also
pedestrian access.

5.8 PT said that the neighbouring residents didn’t have clarity on this. He raised concerns that
there had previously been some anti-social behaviour in the area.

5.9 HPJ responded that the overall estate management strategy had considered the potential
for anti-social behaviour. He said that there was CCTV being monitored live from a
dedicated security suite, that access would be controlled, and lighting reviewed. PT said this
was positive but urged the team to communicate this.

5.10 HPJ said that Brunsfield’s communications would only begin once they were in place as
the estate management, but would be happy to contribute to the communications in place
now. BP said she would work with FEC and Brunsfield to address PT’s points.

5.11 MA noted that Time + Space Co. had previously collated audience reports and asked
whether there would be an opportunity to view them. AM said that they were produced a
couple of years ago but that when the Community Use and Access Steering Group is set up,
it would be useful to look at the audience reports again. AM added that COVID-19 may have
changed audience preferences.

5.12 MA also asked about the letting of food and beverage units on site. AM responded that
Co-Plan are responsible for this – there has been lots of interest and Co-Plan are talking to
interested parties. MA asked when it is envisaged that the F&B operators will open. SL said
he imagined that this would be after the Town Hall has been handed over, as there may be
little point opening them until the Town Hall is ready.

5.13 LF asked if local restaurants or bars had been approached to see if they were interested in
occupying one of the spaces. AW said there had been many such discussions and that FEC
were keen to introduce a variety of operators.

5.14 LS said that she had seen the Events and Local Area Management Plan and suggested that
the Community Use Plan and Public Access Plan should have also been circulated prior to
their submission. LS also asked when the Community Use and Access Steering Group will
meet for the first time.

5.15 AM said that due to tight deadlines, they had not been able to share the documents for
review in advance of submission, but that he would discuss with FEC and BP how to circulate
them retrospectively.

5.16 AM added that he hoped the Community Use and Access Steering Group would first meet
before the end of the summer, but that items for discussion (e.g. pricing structures) needed
to be settled first.

5.17 LCH asked whether the amendments to be made to the Events and Local Management
Plan would result in an amendment to the existing submission, or whether an entirely new
submission would be made. LCH also asked whether the two other reports had been
submitted to the Council.

5.18 SL said that Ardmore were trying hard to open the green to the public, but that the plans
in question would need to be approved before this could happen. LCH asked whether he
could be provided with reference numbers to find them, to which SL responded that he
would enquire with Ardmore. AM responded to LCH’s earlier query, noting that the existing
submission would be amended rather than a completely new plan submitted.

6. Update from Far East Consortium

6.1 AW said that the first completions were still expected to take place in November, starting
with the north side of the Uren building.

6.2 AW noted that Make Architects were making a record of historic items. There is now a
dedicated area of the Hornsey Town website featuring blog pieces on the conservation and
restoration work taking place and the team are using a local photographer, Dan Bridge, to
document the process.

6.3 AM said the Marketing Suite will move into the former Pera Kitchen premises, featuring two
show flats. These are expected to open in the summer, July/August.

7. Date of next meetings

7.1 BP noted that the next meeting is due to take place in August 2021, with the date to be
confirmed in due course.

8. Any other business

8.1 CC asked JP if he had managed to find any storage space on site for use by the Crouch End
Festival. CC and JP agreed to discuss the matter outside of the meeting.

8.2 BL asked AW when she expected bookings to open for the Town Hall venue. AW said it was
too early to say, but currently FEC expect the Town Hall to open in Q2 2022.