Two months ago campaigners against the North London Waste Authority's plans for a very long term and extremely expensive procurement contract for waste processing services were celebrating the cancellation of the procurement (see this earlier report). Although the Authority has denied it, it is almost certain that this major volte face was in large part due to the effectiveness of the campaign run by the Pinkham Way Alliance.
However, the Alliance is not resting on its laurels. It has now shifted its focus from the wider issue of waste planning across North London to the narrower issue that it was originally set up to campaign about - defence of the important green space of Pinkham Wood, adjacent to the North Circular Road near New Southgate (see map).
Though Pinkham Wood was at one time the site of a sewage works, that was many years ago and it has long since returned to nature and is now classified as a Borough Grade 1 Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. However, in 2011 it was purchased by the North London Waste Authority, who intended it as the site for a large waste processing facility. Even though the NLWA's plans are now all up in the air, the sheer amount of money paid for the site (£12 million) suggests that they will not easily give up the intention of building there. Similarly, site co-owners Barnet Council show no sign of stepping back from their plans to relocate their entire fleet of waste vehicles there, despite its proximity to one of the most congested and polluted roads in London.
This week the Pinkham Way Alliance issued the following appeal to their supporters:
Haringey Council will soon decide how Pinkham Way should be treated. We must press them to ensure they understand that it's inappropriate for waste usage.
Our position on this is clear: it is greenfield land, and not, as currently designated, brownfield. As a rare and valuable conservation asset, it shouldn’t even be marked as suitable for employment.
PWA experts have spent months preparing the planning case for this, and now need help from the consultant who worked with us so effectively to beat Haringey’s audacious attempt to designate Pinkham Way as ‘industrial’ early last year.
We've all benefited enormously from the tireless work of a few talented volunteers who have put in an astonishing amount of time and effort. At professional rates, our bill for the work they've done without pay would have sailed past half-a-million pounds a long time ago.
To continue the fight to defend our open space, please help out however you can, and ask your neighbours to do the same.
You could set up a monthly donation by standing order, or give something via Paypal, bank transfer or cheque. Full details on how to make a donation can be found on the donations page of our website.
Among the supporters of the PWA campaign are mezzo-soprano Verónica Chacón and pianist Laïla Barnat, who will be donating part of the proceeds from their next recital, at 7.30pm on Saturday 7 December at St Andrew's Church (N10 2DD). The programme will be French and Spanish melodies from the 19th and 20th centuries, concluding with some light opera.
