English: Replacement gate, Chesnut Road Tottenham N17. The old broken gate has finally been replaced. But the new gate remained open when Martin Ball took these photos on 23 November 2018.

What's this about?

Since May 2018 some local residents - including Martin and I - have been asking and reminding Haringey Council to repair or replace the broken gate.

As part of Haringey Council's apparent worship of the car, and to increase the profits of property developers, they've been eyeing a possible east-west "green link" route from Tottenham Hale station to the High Road, slicing through our local Down Lane Park and Chesnut Road.

There's nothing wrong with a walking and bicycle route. Provided that cyclists don't adopt a two-legs-good; two-wheels-better approach. And begin treating walkers with the arrogance and lack of care with which some driver treat cyclists.

But my suspicion - shared with some other residents - is that this may prove to be the thin end of the wedge. And that the pedestrianised middle section of Chesnut Road may be seen as an affront to the religious doctrine of "permeability" and holy "shared spaces" beliefs whereby soft lamb-like human bodies naturally belong snuggling-up with the metal lions of SUVs and trucks.