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Wards Corner Redevelopment
29 January 2020
Lead MP
David Lammy
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
No tags
Other Contributors: 4
At a Glance
David Lammy raised concerns about wards corner redevelopment in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Mr Speaker, you may not know that Seven Sisters tube station in my constituency has about 3 million people visit it every year. I can tell that you are aghast. It is because it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and people arriving to see them often come through the station. Wards Corner is part of that gateway. In the year of my birth, 1972, the former Edwardian department store was left abandoned. Soon it fell into a state of disrepair and throughout my childhood and teenage years, the space remained unused. However, it was not until the early 2000s when new arrivals came to Tottenham—from Peru, Honduras, El Salvador, Brazil and other countries across South America—that it became lively again. Many had fled chaos and upheaval at home but in Wards Corner they spotted an opportunity to build a new home out of the disused space. Stepping inside the Latin Village that they created is like entering a whole different world. The smell of Argentinian meat, freshly made empanadas and tamales is impossible to resist. As day becomes night, the aisles fill up with young couples, groups of friends and families sitting down at tables to eat. The volume of the sound system is turned up. Beers imported from South America are passed round. People chat, their faces illuminated by fairy lights and the hues of shop fronts. Couples dance. Out of the rubble, Tottenham’s South American community has created a treasure trove of culture, community, love and life. London is often hailed as a centre of openness, diversity and multiculturalism; this is a corner of the capital that lives up to the hype.
Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker
Chorley
I am not sure that the debate will roam as far as Northern Ireland, but I am sure that there will be a reason—perhaps the hon. Gentleman is a visitor to the precinct.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
The intervention asked if any development strategy must be robust and ensure that those from different communities within the overall community feel important, heard and understood. Further, it was questioned whether plans should never exclude people from their businesses and marketplaces, ensuring to understand their effect on people’s ordinary lives.
Esther McVey
Con
Tatton
The right hon. Member congratulates Mr Lammy on securing the debate regarding Wards Corner regeneration and acknowledges the importance of the matter to Seven Sisters market. The Minister explains that due to ongoing legal challenges, she cannot comment freely on the specific CPO for Wards Corner. She emphasises the Government's commitment to regeneration and planning and outlines the background of the Haringey Council’s CPO application and subsequent judicial review proceedings. The Minister highlights the economic benefits expected from the development, including job creation and investment in Tottenham, and discusses the wider purpose of the CPO process as an important tool for regeneration. She details the legal framework governing compulsory purchase powers and ensures that the right to legally challenge a CPO is respected. The Minister supports Haringey Council's commitment to regeneration and acknowledges ongoing developments in Tottenham Hale and around the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
David Lammy
Lab
Tottenham
The Member intervenes by asking if the Minister would be concerned about local authorities engaging in evictions or using false pretences to vacate buildings while a CPO is still being challenged in the courts, raising questions about fairness and legality.
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