The future of Jacksons Lane

My fellow Highgate councillor Rachel Allison has written to local residents to day, as once again, we are battling to safeguard the future of Jacksons Lane - a wonderful community and arts centre that serves not just Highgate, but is a popular and bustling venue across a wide area of Haringey.

Arts council funding is threatened, and we have stalemate, as the they are clearly determined to force Haringey to show a bit more committment to the future of Jacksons than it has done in recent years.

Rachel's email says it all:

I am writing to enlist your urgent help to press Haringey Council to save Jackson's Lane Arts Centre.

Campaigning with local residents we secured a twelve month reprieve from the Arts Council - this runs out next Wednesday! Supporters of the centre and local Liberal Democrats have been working behind the scenes to secure its future, but we have reached an impasse with Labour-run Haringey Council.

The Arts Council will not continue to fund it without a real financial commitment from Haringey Council. If Haringey Council committed to £50,000 to employ a fundraiser we hope that this will satisfy the Arts Council - this amounts to roughly 20p per Haringey resident per year.

Haringey Council claims it has already done its bit, but this boils down to repairing the roof and financial support while the centre was closed for the roof to be repaired. This is the bare minimum you would expect of a landlord and hardly the acts of a council committed to supporting a vibrant centre of performing arts which has been instrumental in nurturing stars such as David Walliams, Jo Brand and Eddie Izzard.

So what can you do? Please write to Labour’s Cabinet Member in charge of Jackson's Lane, Councillor Matt Cooke asking him to reconsider. His email address is matt.cooke@haringey.gov.uk Our pleas have fallen on deaf ears, but with enough support from local residents we hope he will act to preserve one of the last remaining art centres in our community.

If the Arts Council withdraws funding I have little doubt Jackson's Lane's demise will be swift. So please do not delay in expressing your support - the Arts Council will be making its decision this Wednesday. Thanks in advance for your help. Kind regards, Cllr Rachel Allison Liberal Democrat Councillor for Highgate.

Pic: Rachel Allison and Lynne Featherstone
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