Haringey Council is reviewing a proposal to develop 190 homes on Rowans site
Opened in the late 1988, Rowans is way more than just a bowling alley, it’s a bonafide London institution. You can bowl, you play arcade games, you can do karaoke, you can throw shapes on the dancefloor with a pitcher of beers in hand, and it’s still one of the best nights out you can have in the city.
Now the venue could be under threat as a Draft Local Plan from Haringey Council includes the addition of a “high-density, mixed-use development” with capacity for up to 190 homes on the site of Rowans, opposite Finsbury Park station. Details are thin at the moment but the plan also states that an appropriate leisure/community facility would have to be added to the new development to replace the existing bowling alley.
Speaking about the plans, Cllr Sarah Williams, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning at Haringey Council. said: “We know that Rowans is a much-loved local space for our community and there are no proposals to replace it.
“Should the owner of Rowans come forward at a future date with plans to redevelop the site, the Local Plan safeguards provision of community, culture and leisure facilities, including a bowling alley.
“The Draft Local Plan, which is currently out for consultation, is the council’s 15-year vision for new buildings and development in the borough. It sets out a borough-wide framework for placemaking and complements the council’s overall vision for Haringey.”
This isn’t the first time Rowans has faced threats from developers; locals opposed similar plans back in 2013, and in 2017 the Council drafted another proposal, like this one, for the redevelopment of the bowling alley site. This current plan is under public consultation until 5pm on Fri 19th December, and you can have your say on it here.
In response to the news about the Draft Local Plan, Rowans posted the below on Instagram, saying that they’re not going anywhere. Long live Rowans!
Key Information
Address | 10 Stroud Green Road, Finsbury Park, N4 2DF
For more information | rowans.co.uk
