Harringay: Artists living in creative warehouses fear losing homes

Residents in one of London's last affordable artist communities fear being made homeless.

Plans to turn Omega Works warehouses into luxury flats in Harringay, north London, mean many creatives who live there could lose homes and livelihoods.

Caitlin Strongarm, who set up the Save the Warehouses campaign, called the development "social cleansing".

MajorLink, the owner and developer, says existing tenants will have priority for the new flats.

It added it had "engaged with residents more than the requirement".

Haringey Council said its planning policy was to secure "a long-term sustainable future for warehouse and creative living".

The site is home to more than 100 people including artists, musicians, and actors.

The former piano factory also houses an independent recording space used by artists including Kate Bush, Liam Gallagher, and Ronnie Wood.

Under the plans submitted in March, most of Omega Works would be demolished and converted into residential flats, with some commercial floor space.

Ms Strongarm said: "If you make 100 people homeless all at the same time, we are going to be battling against our friends and neighbours to find new rooms and they just aren't available.

"The plans they've proposed include no affordable housing, they are pricing out residents."

Masters student Fraser Dahdouh, who has lived in the warehouses for 15 months, called the site a "great community asset".

"Something's going to be lost from London if it's not here," he said. "There aren't many places like this left."

Residents said they had only found out about the proposal when they saw a flyer on a lamppost in 2021, and had only been able to speak to the developer twice since then.

Ata Aksit is an aspiring actor and said he would have to leave London if his home was demolished.

More than 6,000 people have signed a petition against the plan.

A Haringey Council spokesperson says the council "fully appreciates the concerns" over the application.

They added: "Our planning policy seeks to secure a long-term sustainable future for warehouse and creative living and to ensure the unique characteristics of this type of accommodation are provided in new warehouse living developments."

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