Six months ago I decided to launch a campaign against Stroud Green’s ugliest railings, with this post on my website. Since then I have been waging an email war with Haringey to try to get this ugly and pointless railing removed from near the Larrik pub (facing on to a quiet side street called Mount Pleasant Crescent).
My quest has involved numerous false starts and set backs, and I have been passed between quite a few different council officers. Initially I was told it was not possible for anyone to inspect the railing until April 2011 at the earliest. Then, when I did get it inspected I was told the railing couldn’t be removed for safety reasons. However, I was told that if another team inspected it, it might be able to get it replaced with a new railing. Following this further inspection I was told the it would be replaced – but then heard no more.
However, when I walked past this weekend, I noticed that the railing had gone completely, which is excellent news - seeing as it served no discernible purpose.
Obviously, I accept this is a limited victory against Haringey bureaucracy: If removing one metre of railing takes 6 months it could take me a century get all of Stroud Green’s ugly old railings removed or replaced. But hopefully I can use this experience to try to change the culture at our local Council to make it more ‘can do’ and less ‘that’s more than my job’s worth’.
April 16th, 2010 at 6:44 am
Fantastic, thank you Richard!
What a great idea to removed unneeded railings in Stroud Green!
The same ugly and damaged railings exist just round the corner in Stapleton Hall Road are also not necessary and are incomplete.
The similar railings at the junction of Stroud Green Road and Stapleton Hall Road were replaced with better looking ones under the fpp works. At that time I tried to pursuade the workmen to fit them further from the pavement edge as every few months these particular railings get hit and bent over by turning traffic.
The railing intallers told me it was impossible to do make that adjutment because of the council. Sure enough a few months later these new railings were damaged and a few months after that repaired in the same position.
Lest hope when Lib-Dems take over we can improve all this ugly and badly maintained street furniture in Stroud Green.
Thanks again Richard!