8+September+2008

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**Minutes WCC with external partners Monday 8 September. 7pm – 9pm The Bernie Arts Grant Centre 28 people assisted represented** Minutes by Isaac Bigio

•	WCC (Pueblito Paisa, Tottenhan Trade Association, SSTA, Pedro Achata Trust, Minka News, local residents and traders). •	Bioregional (low carbon Development Company). •	Haringey Federation of Residents Association. •	Parity Projects (Observer ethical award winning ecobuild/retrofit old buildings). •	Development Trusts Association. •	Tottenham Civic Society. •	Conservation Area Association Committee. •	Planning Aid for London. •	East (achictecture, landscape, urban design). •	Glasshouse.

The meeting opened with a power point presentation by the WCC on how the WCC works, its history, its vision and its priorities.

Then there was a round of discussions. There follows some of the points discussed

•	The public meeting organised by the WCC in Conel and the human chain around WC were the largest meetings in Tottenham’s latest history.

•	GLA supports strategic direction of Grainger plan.

•	George Meehan, leader of the Haringey Council, believes that plan is still alive.

•	Plans for investments in WC are value at £80 million, from which £2 million was subsidized with public money. Grainger does not own the majority of the block and not enough to get a demolition order. However, it owns the WC backdoors but not the building (which is TfL property).

•	7S is not part of an important chain of developments.

•	WC is part of the Tottenham conservation area.

•	WC has a very fabulous daylight illumination. It has 16,000' 2 floors unused upstairs space.

•	Grainger valued the entire building at £350,000.

•	WC has 15 business, 13 houses and 8 one bedroom flats.

•	To demolish would seriously damage multicultural character of the area.

•	It would became a sort of new ‘Holly Wood Green’ an area that increases crime, lost its particular appeal and damaged multi-ethnic relations.

•	Alternative plan does not need too much investment and it is going to bring a back entrance and it is more ergonomic.

•	They can modernise WC and make an iconic building at Apex.

•	It is a very important place for the LA community (1 million strong in the UK) who doesn’t have yet a social, cultural and commercial centre.

•	The fact that WC has been associated with such big community was very good pushing all the candidates to call for the defense of the market.

•	During the campaign a newsletter has grown (Minka News) and it is being distributed to all MPs as well as 100,000 people, and that had helped the preservation of the building.

•	In N15 lives 1,500 Irish, 900 Latino-Caribbean, 700 Indians and then other communities. Hispanics has 400 years presence in the area.

•	No access to developer agreements.

•	Grainger talked with Glasshouse.

•	Private sector can work with community.

•	Planning aid can offer independent mediation.

•	Try to make an attractive proposal to Grainger like putting an iconic building in Apex with commercial values.

•	Necessity to develop a better business plan to peel them apart.

•	The idea of a Latin Quarter is very attractive (Planning Aid for London)

•	What WCC has achieved in very big (Glasshouse)

•	WC could be redeveloped with retrofit.

•	It was recommended that collaborative meetings should go ahead even with council attendance.