Wood Green at Work
Wood Green at work
Wood Green is a place bursting with character, full of potential and inspiring people. As a council we want there to be more employment and training opportunities on your doorstep and more employment space available for businesses. Wood Green should be a destination of choice for Haringey residents and beyond. This transformation will take place over time but we are working now to support existing small businesses and grow the local economy.
The Wood Green Business Improvement District, ‘Future Wood Green’, supports many local businesses and is making a real impact on your high street. You can find out more about this initiative below.
Understanding Wood Green
A Wood Green Economy and Employment Space Study was carried out in 2019 and focussed on creating a better understanding of Wood Green’s current non-retail economy, its potential future growth, and its spatial needs: what type of premises and buildings do current businesses occupy, how might this change in the future, and what kind of town centre environment would be beneficial to businesses?
Wood Green has a great variety of businesses, from office-based to industrial activities to creative industries and the social purpose sector, altogether providing over 6,500 non-retail jobs. One of the aims of this study was to understand more about the social enterprises in the area and how they benefit the local economy.
This study was undertaken pre-Covid-19. It has given us an insight into what businesses want and need to be successful and along with the Good Economy Recovery Plan, will help us make sure Wood Green is a place where business can, and will, thrive.
Business Improvement District (BID) – Future Wood Green
The BID was set up in Wood Green in early 2018 after a successful ballot of town centre businesses who, for a five-year term, will collectively fund nearly £2 million of improvements to the area.
Future Wood Green’s aims are to support businesses in the BID area through training, development and marketing and help improve the town centre environment making it more attractive to locals and visitors.
One of the key focuses of the Wood Green BID is to improve safety and security along the High Street. Supporting this work are the Street Rangers.
The Street Rangers are there to help improve a visitor’s experience of Wood Green. They can help if you need directions but are also there to support the work of the police and try and reduce incidences of anti-social behaviour and shop-lifting.
If you would like to find out more about the work of Future Wood Green BID, or get involved, visit Future Wood Green (external link)
Blue House Yard
The brightly-coloured, award-winning Blue House Yard is rapidly becoming one of the most photographed areas in Wood Green. It features nine sheds and 13 studios full of creative, independent businesses and entrepreneurs who make, do and sell. 
The space on Station Road is situated on a previously unused site owned by Haringey Council and is a five-year “meanwhile” or interim project with High Street Works - a partnership between Jan Kattein Architects and Meanwhile Space, creating a go-to creative space in Wood Green.
To find out more about the space and the businesses that have made Blue House Yard their home, visit the Blue House Yard website (external link).