Moves must be made to minimise the impact of the “horror story” retail development set to appear at the north end of Archway Road, according to Highgate Lib Dem councillor Bob Hare. Cllr Hare made the remarks at the Annual General Meeting of the Highgate Society last night after local residents time and again expressed their concerns over the controversial plans, which would see three brightly coloured retail warehouses constructed on the large and highly sensitive site adjacent to Highgate Wood.

Cllr Hare said he feared the plans could not be stopped, as permission for the controversial development was given by Haringey council back in September 2000. However, Cllr Hare told Highgate residents that the developers needed to be challenged over lighting, the colour scheme, and the screening of the site with additional trees – not all of which had been laid down in the original planning application.

Bob Hare comments:

“It’s terribly sad that this development was ever given permission, and it is totally unsatisfactory that the strong objections of the Highgate Society, which were made back in 1999, were not noted. It is a major planning blunder by Haringey dating back over two years. We now face the consequences, and we are left with the trying to mount a damage limitation exercise in this very sensitive site.”