Why aren't covered reservoirs on Mount View Rd open to the public?
  • the northern heights
    Why aren't the covered reservoirs on Mount View Rd off Crouch Hill open to the public?

    The covered reservoirs are a large green open space,but noone is allowed to use this space as it is locked off and fenced in.

    Should the water company open this space up to the public and stick a few park benches there, so you can smoke a spliff and admire the view, rather than having to climb over the fence at nighttime.

    Is it a case of NIMBY,the people in the big posh houses overlooking the reservoirs don't want the local spliff smokers to sit out their in front of their posh houses being rowdy and chucking beer cans about?
    So they are happy for this place to be shut off to the public? Despite "really caring about the environment darling".

    Is this reservoir something that Mayor Boris Johnson could do something about via the capital growth initiative.

    I believe water companies in other areas have opened up land.

    On 5th November standing on the grass on the top of the covered reservoirs is a good place to see the fireworks and the great view across to central London.Seems a shame this space is wasted.

    Surely the council could pay the water company some money to open up this land and to maintain it for kids to play there etc.

    As I don't live in this are of SG I'm not sure about these issues.

    See page 15 the Ecological column of 13th Feb Saturday weekend section of The Telegraph.Neil McCormick's article about covered reservoirs how this land can be best made use of.

    Stationers Park is getting a cash injection soon so why not this?
  • taff bach

    There used to be a play area up there but Margret Thatcher privatised and its now private land with the keepers house sold off. So reassuring to know that people have such short memories that they may well get in again.

  • ArkadyArkady
    I live on Mount View, though not opposite... I agree that something should be done to open up the space. Where's the best place to get in at present?
  • graeme
    @taff bach, 13 years of economic chaos and warmongering can do that to a voter's memory.
  • ADGS
    And in the meantime we've had a government who are conservative in all but name and have if anything accelerated the sell-off of public land and institutions.
  • miss annie
    I don't live anywhere near there but I don't feel any desire to sit by a covered reservoir with the local pot smokers. There are plenty of fabulous open spaces within easy strolling distance - Highgate Woods, Ally Pally, Hampstead Heath all have amazing views. Dear old Finsbury Park is right on the doorstep. Even if the council did open the space up it would probably be locked at night to deter drug users and alkies from loitering about. The Heath's open all the time if you feel the need for a midnight ramble and a splendid look at the city panorama
  • the northern heights
    Bump.

    Has anyone from Stroud Green Residents Association or any Haringey Council councillors contacted the water company that owns the covered reservoirs in Mount View Rd to ask them if they would consider opening this site up to the public? If so what was the outcome of these enquiries? A childrens playground and some benches for the mums to sit on and admire the view of central lon would be a start.

    Anyone know the contact details of the company that owns the covered reservoir like an email address? So locals can drop em a line.

    Don't want to bump/start another thread about this: read in local rag that the wooden outside standing and seating area at Faltering Fullback pub has to be removed because it was constructed without planning permission and locals complained about people standing on those wooden balconies and stairs that go up up up and making noise etc. Read story quickly and can't remember exactly facts n figures of story though in this weeks local paper islington gazetter or hornsey paper

    Bump,up you go to the top of the forum son,up you go. Get up there

    Don't want to be a bump addict loon like some of the loons on here though - is there a psyciatric condition for those addicted to bumping threads on a local interenet forum? Lets call it tosscat syndrome or ADGS syndrome.Something like that.
  • ADGS
    I only reply to the recent threads which show as having unread replies. Same with Tosscat, so far as I can tell. Are you maybe thinking of Slabber?
  • the northern heights
    Type the words: "reservoirs on mount view rd boris johnson"

    into google

    and this thread pops up

    can any of the media monkeys in n4 or labour party heads or

    local rag merchants (local newspaper journalists)

    contact big bag boris

    n get him to comment on this thread on here

    that is if you arent too busy chasing cat up tree stories

    for the local rags

    have the local paper journalists asked people in mount view rd what their opinion of this thread is - could be a story for you local paper

    - local rag story - they are going to smooth out the parkland walk for the cyclists - isit go0d use of haringey council money when the cyclists run u down when u walk finsbury park to ally pally on parkland walk?
  • ArkadyArkady
    I'd prefer it if they restored the railway on the Parkland Walk... I'd like the tube stop restored by Londis please.
    Arky
  • andy
    it's like gibberish in haiku
  • the northern heights

    big bad boris lives in barnsbury in islington

    so why arent you stroudgreen.org locals getting the B-man to comment on your stories on this local forum he is your neighbour

    all you have to do is email him and arks thats ark-s him 2 comment

    boris loves a bit of islington council proper-granda chit-chat cr-p

    boris loves a cycle ride - he's probably on the parkland walk with his mate dave cameron all the time - its him who has got thousands of squid via tfl transport 4 london to make the cycle track on parkland walk like a cement cycle track and wreck it from what is was all as nature intended - nice nature walk to tory speedway cycle path nonsense with lycra louts slamming past u on bikes at high speed

    whats wrong with having a nice walk in the country wihout boris johnson and david cameron smashing past you on mountain bikes

    and whats wrong with boris johnson writing his comments on here he knows his thread is up here because people told him he is ignoring us in stroud green you email him n tell him 2 comment

  • ADGS
    Didn't this Parkland Walk story already do the rounds a couple of years back and get squashed? They're just improving the drainage so it doesn't turn into a morass unfit for bike or foot for a week after every rainfall.
    Of course, that was then and this is now, so I suppose it's *possible* that they are now actually planning to do what was just an alarmist misreading that time. But it seems unlikely, unless anyone has a link?
  • andy
    There was a lot of discussion about Parkland Walk at the time this was discussed. There are discussions on this board and elsewhere. The Friends of Parkland Walk took the lead and watch this pretty closely. When they send through emails they tend to get put up here.
  • andy
    And if you think Boris Johnson has to comment on this thread, just because this thread exists, you probably need to lower your expectations about how the internet works.
  • Misscara
    ...or how Boris works!
  • the northern heights

    In the local rag this week there is a story saying how Boris Johnson is giving cash via TFL to the Parkland Walk to make the parkland walk a smooth surface so that cyclists and wheelchair users have a smoother ride - or so they can run over mums n tots n dogs over while travelling at high speed in the case of cyclists.So if Boris can give all this money to Parkland walk via Transport for London,maybe local newspaper reporters could start a campaign in the local papers asking for Boris Johnson to give money to open the covered reservoirs in Mount view Rd to the public via the capital growth initiative.

    It's a shame more local councillors don't comment on this forum more really.

    Can anyone solve the riddle of the missing park tavern pub sign?

  • the northern heights

    see article called "speeding bikes fear" page 8 of this weeks hornsey and crouch end journal newspaper. Boris Johnson gave the money via greenways scheme to improve cycling facilities in open spaces, Boris gave £175K of tfl cash to haringey council for this - see also page 13 of this paper

    If Boris has got £175K to spend in his tfl pot he could have offered that to the water company to open up the reservoir to public rather than increasing the chances of lycra louts mowing town mums n tots n dogs see www.hornseyjournal.co.uk

  • Hugh@HarringayOnlineHugh@HarringayOnline
    There's a group up the road who have plans for the space - http://stroudgreenreservoir.ning.com/
  • the northern heights

    Lovely job...

  • the northern heights

    Hugh who I believe runs the other local forum called Harringayonline has flagged up the comments on stroudgreenreservoir.ning.com

    On stroudgreenreservoir.ning.com locals write: " Thames Water are concerned that we may contaminate the water in their reservoir,this cannot happen if we garden organically using permaculture techniques."

    Meaning that if allotments put on top of covered reservoirs Thames Water claim this will contaminate the reservoirs -

    If you read the comments on the website some locals complain that their mansions might be overlooked by allotments on this site.

    NIMBY.

    Why aren't locals saying we want a kids play area for tots and benches for mums to sit n admire the view if the Thames Water are fobbing off locals with this rubbish argument that "allotments might contaminate the water in the reservoir"

    That is the worst argument I have ever heard from Thames Water that their reservoir might be contaminated,what a load of rubbish. If they care about that then how is a play area 4 tots n mums going to contaminate their reservoir,it isnt,so why dont they do it then?

    They dont want to spend money - give them the money boris johnson

    If we are voting for Dave Cameron and Boris Johnson then we need to know what they are doing for us so what are they doing about this?

    am i right or am i right?

  • the northern heights

    On the Stroudgreenreservoir.ning.com local council councillor Richard Wilson makes some comments he says that: Local MP Lynne Featherstone contacted the Labour government and asked them what was the governments line on why this s green covered reservoir space was being wasted when it could be used for the community.

    The reply from the Labour Government was the usual useless cr-p.

    Please can Lynne Featherstone contact the government,when I say the government I mean David Cameron and his mate from slough comprehensive,thats Boris Johnson,and ask him can they get anything done about this issue. Labour were useless,maybe tories will do somehtihng,like bring in new legistlation to say covered reservoirs should be made available to local community.

    One local commets on stroudgreenreservoir.ning.com that in the 1980's kids ran around on the covered reservoirs as part of their sports day from school and thames water gave permission for this - looks like they thought the kids werent going to contaminate their reservoir in the 1980s so whats changed now? Nothing has changed

    Nothing has changed they are just money grabbing thames water who dont give a stuff about the local community just their bank balance. Thames Water are capitalist tw-ts who dont care about the environment otherwise why wouldnt they do something - simples

  • Liz

    @ Northern Heights: you can email Lynne via her website if you want to contact her http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/contact to ask her directly about the reservoir. I am sure BoJo's website has a similar facility.

  • the northern heights

    Thanks Liz - are you the lady that runs the other local forum called harringayonline, the forum - with Hugh? If so you are doing a better job than andy and dave on stroudgreen.org... Just the quality of people on harringayonline really,its a question of class pure and simple and the quality and standards of debate,simples.

    massdebate is important with the general erection cumming up...

    I read harringayonline and its much better run than this forum.

    Regular readers of both this forum and harringayonline will know...

    I have Emailed Lynne - officially fit - Featherstone,to ask MP Ms Featherstone to please comment on this thread. Thank you very much Ms Featherstone for any replies.

    Ms Featherstone - winner of fit MP contest- is a member of this forum,as I have read comments she has written on this forum in past about the faltering fullback pub .... So we know the beautifull one reads this forum...

    So if Ms Featherstone doesn't reply she is just ignoring us as usual...

    Really the point is that the Labour Party are a complete joke - and so maybe Ms Featherstone could ask "call me Dave" n BOJO what their thoughts are on the issues brought up on this thread and report back on this thread.

    I won't hold my breath for a response however as councillors and MP's seem remarkably shy to use this forum to reply to the good quality concerns of local residents - local people get ignored time and time again by both MP's and councillors on this forum,something I think is a poor reflection on both MP's and councillors.Because they read this

    Also on harringayonline - which arguably is a better run and more serious forum - local people flag up their concerns - yet time and time again both MP's and local councillors ignore these locals concerns

    Thank you very much.

  • Ali

    There is a covered reservoir in Finsbury Park which seems to have all sort on members of the public running all over it playing football etc.

    The Mount View Road one was built in 1885 and the one at Finsbury Park in 1867.

    Was there not a move by Thames Water to sell the Mount view one for housing and there was a bit of a local outcry from the likes of Neil Morrissey who over looks it ?

    Does any one know if it has actually got any water in now that the Northern extension of the London Water Ring is complete ?

    Finally does the misspelling of Haringey on the “other” blog have any significance ?

  • miss annie
    @ the northern heights

    A resident's forum is not the most effective channel for communicating with your MP or any other politicians and banging on about it is unlikely to provoke them into a reply.

    Why don't you just pop along next time Lynne Featherstone holds one of her weekly surgeries and raise your concerns with her in person?
  • ADGS
    Haringey/Harringay are just variant spellings from olden times. It has since been formalised as Haringey the borough and Harringay the area, but really that's only an attempt to impose order on chaos. cf Shakespeare - we have him writing his own name five times, never the same twice, and never spelled as we now do.
  • andy
    Thanks for letting us know how rubbish we are for providing a free forum at our own expense, with little or no benefit to ourselves.

    Cheers.

    I'm sure the forum you obviously provide, at your expense, is loads better. Can you let me know where I can sign up for it?

    I am duly chastened and do not, at all, think less of you or your opinions as a consequence.
  • ActionVerb
    ALL YOUR RESERVOIR BELONG TO HARINGAY.

    And now to move on from the crude attempt to replicate the joke in the Venezia thread...

    This is the most tiring and poorly argued thread on SG. Waaaah Thames Water only care about making money. Waaaaah politicians don't post on every board in the world. Waaaaaaah none of you care and therefore inferior to me.

    Waaaaah.

    Waaaaaaaaaah.

    And using 'Simples' does not make you big nor clever, it makes you a small minded, easily manipulated, (blunt) tool of the advertising industry. Well done you.
  • fordster
    Couldn't have put it any better.

    Northern Heights - must be difficult getting around and about with that almighty chip on your shoulder.....
  • miss annie
    What do we know? According to the northern heights members of SGOrg are of a far inferior class to the people on Haringey/gay online.

    Being rude about the people who run or contribute to this forum shows a complete lack of class. The chaps do a splendid job and I think it's an great forum.
  • Ian

    Not really much sense in joining a free online group then insulting its members and the people who set it up. Nothing forces you to read this, nor comment on it and it is not a very civilised way to behave to join such a community forum then indiscriminately insult people.

    I'm afraid the rudeness, as Miss Annie points out, says more about you than it does about the people here and singling out Andy and Dave seems odd. Aside from putting the hours in to set this up, which I and others greatly appreciate, they don't choose the company they keep - far from it it seems...

  • Liz

    @ Northern Heights - I don't run the other forum. I posted Lynn's contact details as a polite way of suggesting you contacted her directly rather than via this forum. I'm with Miss Annie on this one.

  • tosscat

    Isn't Harringay Online broadly by and for the Upper East Side?

    I like to think of sg.org as being a bit less formal, and all the better for it.

  • missisclack
    I think that we've all got the measure of The Northern Heights.
  • ShaunG

    H Online I always think of as being essentially Green Lanes/ Ladder focused, though maybe it creeps over the tracks. The picture of the guy with the mug puts me off a bit, but anyway it's not a competition, good luck to them. I just prefer (and hugely appreciate) this place. Andy and David, don't worry about the occasional knocker, they usually go away after a bit.

    But where is the covered reservoir in F Park?

  • ADGS
    Between Mount View Rd, Ossian Rd, Mt Pleasant Villas and Ferme Park Rd.
  • twinspark
    Crouch HIll, Ferme Park Rd. Mountview Road and Mount Pleasant Villas are areas with a high risk of subsidence due to London clay, traffic etc. [ it's true - ring for a home insurance quote and see - the building firm Purkellys on Mount Pleasant Villas was one man and a van 20 odd years ago, then they became specialists in underpinning and subsidence repair, now they have yard with lorries and kind of plant and kit. Therefore the covered reservoir represents a risk to the public if used as an open space - imagine if the earth opened beneath you mid-spliff or whilst your dog was doing it's stuff!
    It's an old, dreary argument I know and yes Thames Water has long claimed it would increase contamination. - i.e. more leaks for them to not fix.

    Three other reasons why it's not become a park:
    Finsbury Park
    Stationers Park
    Priory Park

    Green space is reasonably abundant in the area plus a council is unlikely to spend money on ground it doesn't own. Then there's the Parkland Walk - the escape route to Highgate and nirvana beyond that is?¿ 'the Heath' oooh!

    The covered reservoir would be a perfect venue for a Lib-Dem rally and further their opportunist borrowing of votes - although if a fissure were to appear in the ground they'd have to act sharpish or disappear down a gap in the middle!

    @ Ali @ADGS
    Harringay is the original spelling for the borough but this was amended to Haringey when it was enlarged to incorporate the borough of Hornsey.
  • ArkadyArkady
    Haringey, Harringay and Hornsey *all* have the same etymology, if one looks into it. Wikipedia say “The name Hornsey originated from a Saxon chieftan named Haering; 'Haering's Hege was Haering's enclosure.[1] It shares this derivation with Haringey which is a modern variant now applied more specifically to the Borough.”
  • ADGS
    There isn't really an 'original' spelling, or at least not one which can now be traced, and at the time it wouldn't have been considered a meaningful question anyway. The two spellings both drift back off into the mists of time, and all that varied was which was preferred by whoever had the upper hand at the time either of them was formalised in respect of any particular issue.
  • Ali

    Stroud Green: A History and Five Walks. This excellent little book says that the Northern Heights Tennis club used to operated from the covered reservoir before the 2nd World War so it have been used before which I assume no problems to the Water.

    Does anyone know if the allotment group have got anywhere with Thames Water?

  • odd stewartodd stewart
    So there's this lot:

    http://stroudgreenreservoir.ning.com/main/authorization/signIn?target=http%3A%2F%2Fstroudgreenreservoir.ning.com%2F

    It says you can only join if you are invited. Anyone know someone who can invite?
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