Haringey Council Approves New Tottenham Employment Hub, Promising Significant Job Growth
Haringey Council's Planning Sub Committee has approved plans for a new employment hub on Broad Lane, Tottenham, which is expected to deliver a significant increase in local job opportunities and contribute to the regeneration of the area.
The decision, made at the committee's meeting on Monday, October 5, 2026, grants planning permission for the demolition of the existing structure at the former car wash site and the erection of a new 3 to 9 storey building. The development will comprise commercial and employment floorspace, along with cycle and refuse storage and Blue Badge parking.
The proposal is situated on a Locally Significant Industrial Site (LSIS) and is expected to create 2,944 sqm of new employment floorspace, contributing to the regeneration of Tottenham Hale and supporting local employment. The development aims to increase the site's capacity to support a greater number of jobs compared to its previous use. Specifically, the hub is anticipated to occupy commercial and employment floorspace within Use Classes E(c)(i-iii), E(e) and E(g)(i-iii). This flexible Class E floorspace is broadly equivalent to the former B1(a) office, B1(b) research and development, and B1(c) light industrial use classes. The development aims to support and enhance local employment opportunities and contributing positively to the Council's strategic objectives for the regeneration of Tottenham Hale and the wider Fountayne Road area.
The proposed development is expected to support approximately 411 full-time equivalent jobs, derived from the proposed 4,938 sqm Gross Internal Area (GIA) of office floorspace, applying an employment density of one employee per 12 sqm.
The approved plans include sustainability measures designed to achieve a 37% reduction in on-site carbon dioxide emissions. The development will also incorporate a range of contributions and obligations secured through a Section 106 legal agreement, detailed in the Public reports pack Public reports pack 05th-Oct-2026 19.00 Planning Sub Committee.pdf. These include:
- Carbon offset contributions: Indicatively £27,443 plus a 10% management fee, to be re-calculated at £2,850 per tCO2 at the Energy Plan and Sustainability stages.
- Demolition and Construction Logistics and Management Plan: £5,000 for monitoring.
- Business Car-Free Agreement: £4,000 towards the amendment of the relevant Traffic Management Order. This agreement will be enforced by ensuring
no employees therein will be entitled to apply for a business parking permit under the terms of the relevant Traffic Management Order (TMO) controlling on-street parking in the vicinity of the development.
- Commercial Travel Plan: £2,000 per year for 5 years for monitoring. This plan requires a named travel plan coordinator to monitor initiatives annually, provide travel packs to employees, and offer showers, lockers, and changing facilities. The expected outcome is to
maximise the use of public transport
and encourage a shift towards public transport and walking. - Sustainable and active travel contributions: £60,000.
- Employment initiatives: £51,643. This financial contribution will be used by the Council to
provide and procure the support necessary for local people who have been out of employment and / or do not have the skills set required for the jobs created.
Specific details of these initiatives include funding for full-time apprenticeships (1 apprentice per £3 million Development Cost, including an apprenticeship support fee of £1,500), skills training (25% of the percentage of the local labour target), and ensuring 20% of the peak workforce are local residents, alongside the submission of an Employment and Skills Plan. - Street tree planting: £9,000.
The total financial value of the Section 106 contributions amounts to £157,043 plus ongoing monitoring costs for the Commercial Travel Plan.
Concerns regarding design, massing, and impact on neighbouring amenity were addressed through design refinements. Beyond stepping down the building height towards residential boundaries and incorporating opaque glazing for privacy, design refinements included a more nuanced and articulated massing strategy
. Furthermore, the massing at first, second and third floor levels has been set back approximately 7 metres from the shared boundary with Nos. 1 and 2 Esin Court
, and the tallest element at the eastern end of the site is appropriate, allowing the development to step down progressively through a series of well composed building forms towards the west.
The development is considered to comply with national, regional, and local planning policies concerning employment land, economic growth, and sustainable development. The decision was made subject to the completion of the Section 106 legal agreement, as outlined in the delegated decisions front sheet delegated decisions front sheet 5 October 2026.pdf, which will cover various contributions and obligations to ensure the development's successful integration and positive impact on the local community.
