Pinkham Way
STILL AT RISK
URGENT ACTION
Submission to Haringey Draft Local Plan – Regulation 18 Consultation
October 10th – December 19th 2025
Click here for more information.
Add your signature.
Let us (PWA) represent your views for the consultation.
Our Aims
Restore
Full of trees and home to protected species, we want to restore the nature conservation value of this rich but neglected site
Access
Restoring community access to a much-needed green open space near homes and schools
Connect
Working to integrate Pinkham Way into the chain of accessible green spaces running north through Barnet and south via the Parkland Walk to Finsbury Park
‘…..a unique resource….of high ecological value’
Since 2011 the community has come together to save the nature conservation site at Pinkham Way. On the borders of Haringey and Barnet by the North Circular Road, this 15-acre site is rich in biodiversity and offers a green corridor in London’s urban landscape.
ABOUT
Since the Friern Barnet sewage works closed in 1963, nature has quietly reclaimed the land. It has matured into a valuable wildlife refuge of woodland and scrub, and is an important green link between other nature sites, from Finsbury Park in the south to Coppetts Wood in the north.
Pinkham Way and surrounding nature sites
KEY:
Metropolitan –
Site of London-wide Importance
Grade 1 – Site of Borough Importance
Grade 2 – Site of Local Importance
The site is home to numerous bird species including song thrushes, woodpeckers, owls and black caps. It is a Grade 1 Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). Natural England considers it a site of London-wide importance.
‘…..a unique resource for Haringey of high ecological value’ (LUC, Haringey Council Open Space and Biodiversity Study, October 2014)
Why it matters
- Potential community green open space
- Habitat for numerous bird, insect and plant species
- Provides protection from flooding
- Woodland acts as a valuable ‘carbon sink’
- An important link in a chain of nature sites running from Finsbury Park in the south to Coppetts Wood in the north
What it is
Pinkham Way has remained undeveloped since the former Friern Barnet Sewage Treatment works closed in 1963, over 60 years ago. It is now an open green space of 15 acres, much of which is woodland with over 1,500 trees. A Grade 1 SINC (Site of Importance for Nature Conservation), it is rich in biodiversity and is a haven for endangered species.
Where it is
On the border of Haringey and Barnet, the site adjoins the A406 North Circular Road. The East Coast Main Line runs along its eastern edge.
The land is in the borough of Haringey, but until 2011 it was wholly owned by Barnet Council.
Recent history of the site
In February 2011, Barnet Council sold two thirds of the site to the North London Waste Authority (NLWA), which announced a waste plant proposal to process some 300,000 tons of black bag waste per year.
The NLWA’s purchase was an integral part of a costly, oversized procurement exercise for a 30-year waste contract.
At the same time, the NLWA and Barnet Council submitted a planning application to Haringey Council, for the NLWA to build its waste plant, and for Barnet to relocate its waste lorry depot on the land it had retained.
In November 2012, the NLWA discovered that its long-term waste projections were so unrealistic that it didn’t require the Pinkham Way plant after all.
Show your support for nature by donating to the Pinkham Way Alliance today
Since 2011 the community has come together to save the nature conservation site at Pinkham Way. We are entirely reliant on donations to continue this vital work and any gift you make will help us ensure the site is restored as a green open space available to all.
To date, we have raised over £120,000 which has helped pay for expert planning and legal representation, as well as ecological surveys of the site. The expert representation we have paid for complements the immense in-depth work done by our skilled volunteers, and we are so grateful for their support.
And to everyone who has donated to the campaign so far, a huge THANK YOU!
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Sort Code: 40-04-37
Account Number: 81689320