New Development Stroud Green Road

JT

Good point. The sun seems to have been out every time I have walked by.

andy

I saw it yesterday. I believe it to be in the bold and imaginative architectural vernacular known as "Holiday Inn Express". You can trace this style from the early brutalism of Le Corbusier through to today's challenging and radical portfolio of Holiday Inn Expresses. The innovative tin roof draws on Chinese influences. Specifically, the box that the architect's Chow Mein came in when he was finishing the drawings. In Britain today, the only architectural style that genuinely competes with the Holiday Inn Express is "Tesco Superstore that tries to look a bit like a Church", but this lacks the wit, dramatic grace and formal lines of the HIE (as experts call it). Critics and dullards only see the poorly applied pink render, cheap windows and the cadaverous maw of a Foxtons estate agent daring ask for half of one million pounds for the right to live in a noisy gerbil hutch by four railway lines, but greatness is never recognised in its own time.

Arkady

Hahaha Told.

Donna

anyone know which shops are going to be moving in? is it sainsbury's?

poxy

Has anybody taken a close look at the back of Vista's building? I walked home last night and looked through the fence as I walked along Clifton Terrace. The rats' nests of copper gas pipes and black soil (?) pipes face-fixed to the rear elevation are absolutely shocking. There are even pipes running in front of windows. If these windows were designed to open I doubt they will now. I'm not sure whether the windows belong to communal staircase areas or to the individual flats but the whole thing is a fucking disgrace. I wish I could be on-site for the architects' next visit.

Kate Jones

@poxy Yep. Thats the delightful view we have when we walk out of John Jones. We keep hoping they're going to cover it all up.

hughpear

Does anyone know who the architects are for this building? Always assuming there ARE architects involved?

odd stewart

It does look quite shit.

ShaunG

Just repeating Donna's question above. It must be close to opening now so they must know which shop(s) will be going in?

Arkady

I’ve noticed a new poster go up on the Vista House hoardings, with a website address. If anyone can remember what that address is please can they let me know? It’s gone clean out of my head.

poxy

http://www.theparaden4.co.uk/

Mirandola

The list of local attractions doesn't include Dotori.<div><br></div><div><Outraged></div>

Ali

Notice WLM is top of the list of pubs !

Arkady

I noticed that they don't show any pictures of the actual development.<br>

ActionVerb

No inclusion of Season, Fullback, Dotori (as mentioned above), Stapleton et al, suggests that they don't know the area particularly well. <div><br></div><div>@Arkady - in reference to a previous point I made earlier, it looks like the showflat does have bedroom windows facing a brick wall. Not exactly sure what that wall is, and it may not be an issue once JJ eventually get their scheme up and running. Talking of which, hopefully the agents are telling prospective buyers that they might be living on the back of a building site for a year!  </div>

Jenowl

@barnesbq 'luxury' - yes, I thought the same thing - what constitutes 'luxury'? That word is applied to flats with thin walls, open plan kitchenette, tiny bedroom and a shower-room without a window. Which is not luxurious.<br>

Kate Jones

<P>It makes us feel sad when we come out of our front door.... ;-(</P> <P> </P> <P>Still don't understand how they got planning permission!</P>

NorthNineteen

It makes me sad everytime I walk down Clifton Terrace and think how good the area would look if your development was happening.  It really could become a very vibrant area of North London.<br>

NorthNineteen

Incidentally, what is the current state of play with your development?<br>

nik61

Has anyone else noticed that the shop units are going to be another Sainsburys?  Licensing notices up all along.  Interesting that it will be part sunken, as the top end is below the pavement to give a flat floor.<div><br></div><div>The block itself is looking a bit better now its been cleared up, but it's ridiculously out of scale.  I think the plans must have been drawn on a very small piece of paper.</div>

harpistic

That Sainsbury's has a thread of its own on <a href="http://http://www.stroudgreen.org/discussion/3359/another-sainsbury-s">http://www.stroudgreen.org/discussion/3359/another-sainsbury-s</a>, and is also mentioned on this one: <a href="http://http://www.stroudgreen.org/discussion/3375/good-old-sainsbury-s">http://www.stroudgreen.org/discussion/3375/good-old-sainsbury-s</a><br>;

sophie

surely the worst thing of all is that that paradeN4 website says the units are ready to move in from 'fall' 2011  <br>

sincers

Ok, so I don't live here anymore, so don't really know how the place looks. However, does it gall anyone else that the front of site refers to the flats being available from "fall" 2011. Since when did we start referring to Autumn as fall?!! <div>Or is this another part of the desperate attempt to provide a 'luxury' context to the development?</div>

gardener-joe

...

SBW

<P>John Jones v Islington council going all the way to the high court - but not until May 2012. I still can't believe that the council thinks this is a worthwhile use of its time: a local business wants to regenerate an area, create jobs and encourage a creative hub in a run down industrial estate but the coucil objects to one part of the plan (student accommodation rather than social housing), so mobilises its legal team to stop it. More galling, probably, for JJ is that a plan for a suspect looking block of "luxury" flats aimed at commuters sitting on top of a supermarket is waved through </P> <P><A href="http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/2011/dec/john-jones-art-framers-pickle-over-flat-plan">http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/2011/dec/john-jones-art-framers-pickle-over-flat-plan</A></P>;

ActionVerb

That article is not correct is it? The scheme was refused by the Council, JJ appealed the decision - which they then won, and my understanding is that the Council are progressing a Judicial Review against the Appeal, and they are taking the application to the High Court, rather than JJ. <div><br></div><div>While I think it's a nice looking development, and overall, will be positive for FP, I'm not convinced by the arguments on affordable housing. </div>

Arkady

May now?  *groan*<br>

Padders81

<P>I am interested in one of the apartments in The Parade, they seem to be well priced, built to a good spec, in a good location near the station and nearly sold out. </P> <P>I am interested in one of the apartments looking onto Stroud Green Rd, and Finsbury park. There is land directly opposite which is being used by Network Rail. Does anyone know if there are any plans for this land to be developed in the near future? </P> <P>Also the development is "car free" Does anyone know of any private parking spaces for sale in the area?</P> <P>I was a little concerned about noise being on the main road, and Sainsbury's accommodating the commercial premises however it seems to be well insulated with no noise when the windows are closed, and only a little noise when the windows are open.</P> <P>Looking forward to moving into the area, any advice would be appreciated.</P>

Kate Jones

<P>Despite winning our planning permission at an appeal hearing, Islington then challenged the decision and we now have to go to High Court. This was supposed to be October, but due to riots, the courts are busy so it was knocked back to Feb, then March, now May.... bit frustrating as our business plans are scuppered until we can get in to the new building. Plus we're paying Islington council rates on the empty buildings that we used to rent out - and now can't do anything with! If only Islington would just drop their case, we could get back to our plans and begin to move forward again - with our business and the regeneration of the area.</P>

Kate Jones

@ActionVerb - we've been trying to develop our site for eight years - spoke to Laing, Barrat and numerous other residential developers. They all wanted to do it, but only if John Jones moved off site. We can't afford to move out of London due to our client base being in Central London - and we can't afford to buy a site for us closer in, so catch 22.... then along came Spiritbond with an offer to keep us on site. We actually really like it in Finsbury Park, having been there for 20 odd years. We could have sold up and capitalised on the deal, but our business is what drives us and Spiritbond offered us a way to make it all happen. So we'll just end up with a great new building - hopefully....!