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=Ward's Corner market wins temporary reprieve= Elizabeth Pears - Haringey Independent (Friday 25th July 2008)


 * The fight to save Ward’s Corner from demolition secured a small victory this week after developers decided to review their planning application.

Grainger Plc’s application was due to be considered at a Haringey Council planning meeting yesterday, but pressure from politicians and the community prompted the company to reconsider its designs.

A Grainger spokesman said: “To allow more discussions to take place, the decision has been taken to defer the current application that had been due to be taken to planning committee on July 24. || || “All parties remain fully committed to finding a speedy resolution to deliver much needed benefits for the whole community without further unnecessary delay.”

Grainger was proposing to bulldoze the entire Wards Corner site, next to Seven Sisters Tube station, to make way for luxury flats and a shopping area featuring high street chains such as Woolworths and Marks & Spencer.

The 70 traders from Seven Sisters Latin American Market, also known as Pueblito Paisu, based on the site, would have been forced to find new premises, and small businesses in West Green Road feared their trade would suffer.

The Wards Corner Community Coalition (WCC), made up of traders, conservationists and concerned residents, who oppose Grainger’s plans have fought a long-running campaign, but turned up the heat in the run-up to the planning meeting.

On Saturday, a 500-strong human chain was formed around the site with a huge billboard that read: “If Haringey Council approves the plan to demolish these buildings, it would completely destroy a thriving local community.” The coalition had won the support of London Mayor Boris Johnson who called on the council to reject the application.

Tottenham MP David Lammy also spoke out against the proposals. He said: “During the course of recent weeks it has become clear to me the current plans do not have the breadth of community support necessary to go forward.”

Wendy Keenan, of WCC, said: “This is fantastic news and it is what we have asked for.

“Our organisation in- cludes people from a broad spectrum of the community and from all walks of life so there was no choice but to listen to us. “I am pleased Boris kept his promise and came through in the end.” The coalition now hopes to be approached by Grainger to form a steering group to produce plans acceptable to all parties.