Press+-+Tottenham+Journal+-+Boris+joins+battle+to+save+Wards+Corner

=Boris joins battle to save Wards Corner= Tottenham Journal (Wednesday, 23 July, 2008)

LONDON Mayor Boris Johnson has joined the battle over the future of Wards Corner - branding plans to demolish it and evict a thriving Latin market "unacceptable".

He has waded into the tug of war between developers Grainger and residents over the site's future and demanded Haringey Council throw out Grainger's planning scheme.

His intervention follows a human-chain protest on Saturday, believed to be the largest demonstration in Tottenham for decades, where 500 people joined hands to surround the former Wards building above Seven Sisters Tube station.

Mr Johnson appealed to Haringey Council to stop demolition and save the Latin market, Pueblito Paisa, home to 60 market stalls and 11 businesses.

He said: "This much-loved market is vitally important to the Latin American community and home to many local traders. The proposed re-development of Wards Corner would pull down the market and only offer space to a handful of people, which is unacceptable." He called for the council to "urgently review this proposal".

The Grainger planning application is due to be heard by the council tonight (Thursday).

If approved it could result in the former Wards department store being demolished to be replaced by gated luxury flats and traders in the Latin market losing their livelihoods and homes.

But opposition from the community is likely to be fierce.

The Wards Corner Community Coalition (WCC), a group of residents and traders who have lodged an alternative planning application for the site, are due to protest with 300 people outside the meeting at 6.15pm.

Lagu Sukumarn, owner of Fair Deal Cash and Carry, West Green Road and WCC member, said: "We are not pausing or stopping until we get concrete evidence that this scheme has been stopped."

Tottenham MP David Lammy, who has met separately with the WCC and Grainger, called for all sides to work together on "meaningful regeneration" but said there was a need to "pause and take stock".

He said: "During the course of recent weeks it has become clear to me that the current plans about to go before the planning committee do not have a breadth of community support necessary to go forward."

He added: "We cannot allow this opportunity for regeneration to be lost for another generation."

A spokeswoman for the council said: "The council has received a planning application for the site which will be considered by the planning committee in the normal way."

WCC members were also furious that a huge £560 billboard poster placed outside Wards Corner had been "grey-washed" over on Wednesday morning.