Neighbourhood Forum [email protected]

2nd January 2019

The Review Officer (Haringey) Local Government Boundary Commission for 1st Floor, Windsor House 50 Victoria Street SW1H 0TL

By email [email protected]

Dear Sir, Please find suggestions made for the setting of new ward boundaries for Haringey by the Crouch End Neighbourhood Forum. CENF has been in existence since 2015 and our work has included substantial work in the mapping of local allegiances. The fact that our Forum meetings have to include councillors from four different wards underscores the shortcomings of the present boundary arrangement. We will be publishing the boundary information on our website (the consultation is published here http://www.crouchendforum.org.uk/ward-boundaries-to-be-re-drawn-your-turn-to-spot-crouch-end/ ).

1. Electorate projections Our initial observation is to query the assumptions underpinning the projected electorate figures contained in the reports. The population of Crouch End was maintaining a growth rate of about 1.5% per annum in the decade 2001-2011, so the suggestion of electorate growth of just 94 people from 2018- 2024 (0.17% pa) leaves us perplexed. Furthermore we are aware of current brown field developments due to complete in the next 2 to 3 years which do not appear in projections. For example, the polling district ‘CE4’ will in reality see 200+ new residential units before 2021 including developments on Lane and the large 146 unit development of Town Hall. These homes should add an estimated 350-400 voters to the electoral roll – however the supplied numbers for CE4 add a mere 39 (3854 in 2018, rising to 3893 in 2024). This seems to us a considerable undercounting of developments already under construction.

2. Suggested arrangement of wards for Western Haringey

Please see image below. Our map of the western part of Haringey seeks to take into account current and previous ward boundaries, whilst producing a coherent and recognisable map of local communities. It uses the figures supplied in the Boundary Commission and Haringey papers. The CE Neighbourhood Forum do not consider themselves adequately placed to comment on the pattern of new wards in the eastern part of Haringey.

The key division across Haringey remains the rail mainline, so our principal observation is that if part of the western area is to be transferred to the central section of Haringey, then the only coherent solution is that a part of the current 'Alexandra' ward becomes part of suitable wards to the east. The area identified as ‘’ often includes parts of the residential area to the west of the mainline.

We believe the suggestions for , Crouch End, and Hornsey are strong, and actually represent an improvement on current boundaries : Highgate now includes the whole of the area designated as a Neighbourhood Forum Area. It includes, for example, the western part of Shepherds Hill home to the Highgate branch library (currently and oddly in Crouch End ward); Stroud Green is expanded a little to the north to include both sides of Weston Park, a micro-area named ‘Hornsey Vale’ which has its own community centre; Hornsey loses the southern section which is actually part of central Crouch End, but is extended west to include the whole of the ‘Warner Estate’ another micro-area well represented by a residents’ group; Crouch End itself now includes much the majority of the district shopping centre, rather than it being awkwardly split to three separate wards, together with the Crouch End Playing Fields. loses the N8 addresses (which causes considerable local confusion – MH is N10). We are of the view that a N/S split across Muswell Hill better reflects smaller communities (with the ‘’ and ‘Cranley Gardens’ areas intact) and the topography of the area (dividing along the ridge line). The nomenclature employed is for convenience.

Our best estimate is that this arrangement would produce ward electorates of (your 2024 figures) : • Highgate 9750 (-1% variance) • Stroud Green 9900 (0%) • Crouch End 9950 (+1%) • Hornsey 9850 (0%) • Muswell Hill South 9750 (-1%) • Muswell Hill North 9850 (0%) • (with 3100 ex-Alexandra to Bounds Green etc.)

With regards, Mark Afford, Chair, Crouch End Neighbourhood Forum