6/23 Environment Report

Haringey Parks Department – General
Many thanks to the Haringey Parks Department who have promptly re-planted the raised beds at both ends of Fortis Green Road and placed bark around the new plants to help retain the moisture. The plants selected have taken into account the dryness of the beds and the longer dry spells we are experiencing. Despite the use of a membrane barrier quite a lot of weeds have grown after the rainy spell in May.  On this occasion, the beds have been weeded, but we need volunteers to help with the weeding as the Council rarely has time for this work. Please contact Brian at environment@mhfga.org if you have some time to spare.

We are following up:

• Blaenavon Gardens – One of the Memorial benches could do with a sanding down and a coat of varnish.
• Twyford Avenue borders – The redundant metal post still needs to be removed – waiting for update. 
• Pocket Park (opposite Village Green PH): plans for refurbishment and repair under discussion.
• Loose/missing coping stones – bed outside COOK and Top of Muswell Hill, left hand side seating area.
• Grand Avenue raised bed – Parks to consider the viability of this being turned into a low shrub area with the local residents assisting with the maintenance. To be reviewed later in the year. 

New Benches by the raised beds outside Cook near the MHFGA noticeboard in the Broadway
The benches are on order and the Highways department are expecting them to be delivered by mid-June. We are waiting to hear back about the possibility of attaching a plaque to the benches.

New Tree at the Muswell Hill bus terminus
The Haringey Arboricultural department advises that it may be possible to plant a new tree in this location but that they first need to carry out a survey for underground services. If there are no issues, the new tree could be planted in November or December using the “trees for streets” scheme. The Association would pay the standard cost. 

Muswell Hill Broadway Flower Boxes and the Trough
Planted the boxes with geraniums in the first two weeks of May and watered them using the tap on roundabout. We purposely purchased the smaller plants without flowers as experience has shown that these are less likely to be stolen after planting.

Colney Hatch Lane Beds
Planted 5 new plants at the end of March – drought resistant varieties selected with  Sunshine Gardens – and maintained the beds.

Path through Muswell Hill Fields and Play Area
The works originally planned for March, are due to start on this June. The play area is a longer term project, some small items have been completed e.g. new zip line wire, but other items are waiting for new funding from the 2023/24 budget.

Taps for Watering the Flower Boxes and Colney Hatch Lane Beds
This is still work in progress with Thames Water.

Queen’s Avenue and Avenue Mews Rubbish Problems
We mentioned this problem at the Haringey Week of Action (see below)

Graffiti and other issues
With Jack Whitehead’s and Bill Jago’s retirement from their graffiti patrols the work is going to be taken over by members of the MHFGA committee.

Haringey Week of Action 15th – 21st May 2023
We only found out about this a few days before. Apparently, also the local councillors had not been given sufficient notification. We visited the event on one day and gave them feedback about the lack of notice and suggested that they notify local groups well in advance. We also suggested that they produce a list of all the local groups which they clearly do not have. The session attended was disappointing, not many of the Council services were represented e.g. Highways were not there. We asked for the fly posting to be removed from around St James’s Square and for a few of the multi occupancy houses to be visited regarding improving their wheelie bin storage.

Haringey Survey of Problem Phone Boxes
Haringey have a survey on their website which residents can complete by locating a pin drop on the map and giving feedback on the phone box, including if it should be considered for removal. I have completed the survey suggesting removal of three dilapidated phone boxes, two in Fortis Green Road and one outside Waitrose. I suggested that the old style phone box opposite the library should be refurbished.

See the survey at  https://haringeyphoneboxes.commonplace.is. Deadline for submissions: 18 June 2023.