Plans to build flat above landmark Crouch End site opposed by residents

Dawnelia Properties submitted the application to add the flat above Floral Hall, located on the corner of Haringey Park and Crouch Hill, in December last year.

The plans state that the property's ground-floor façade will be maintained, but the greenhouse structure on the first floor would be replaced.

Floral Hall is in the Crouch End Conservation Area, and residents are concerned that the proposals will affect the character and the aesthetic of the site.

The application requests approval to remove the first floor additions above Floral Hall, and replace it with first and second floor flats (Image: Sally Hall)

One person, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “It would a great shame if Crouch End were to lose its character and aspects of its social history for the sake of a luxury flat.”

They said that instead of the planned development, they would much rather Floral Hall was restored in a way that respected both "the history of the building, and posterity.

"That little part of 1920s Crouch End would always be there, restored to its former glory. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

David Winskill, of the Hornsey Historical Society, said: “This is the latest in a deluge of planning applications in and around the Crouch End Conservation Area.

“The Floral Hall is, for many on the W7 bus, a sign that they’ve arrived home. To demolish the greenhouse structure would be to eradicate part of the history of the area. What is planned to replace it is simply out of character and risks losing employment opportunities."

Floral Hall, in Crouch End, was rented by the Sorrell family between 1955 and 2019, first as a greengrocers and florists, and then as an antiques shop. Since 2019, it has been run as a bar (Image: Sally Hall)

Mark Afford, chair of the Crouch End Neighbourhood Forum, echoed David’s point that Floral Hall is a landmark for those arriving on the W7 bus.

He said: “Given that it's locally listed and within a sensitive part of the conservation area, the local planning authority need to get this one right. Only the highest quality of new build should even be considered.”

A spokesperson for Bowen Architects, on behalf of Dawnelia Properties, said that the façade will be "retained and dealt with sensitively", and that the addition of the flat is due to damage the current first floor is causing.

They said: "We're doing something that's the result of a structural problem that we need to try and rectify. So we're working with the council, and we consulted quite widely before we made the application."

To comment on the application, visit planningservices.harringey.gov.uk/ and search using the reference number HGY/2022/0118.