Councillors have warned children could be put at risk due to a lack of play areas on a major new development.

Members of Haringey Council’s planning committee said bin wagons and other vehicles could pose a danger to youngsters playing on the Hale Wharf development in Tottenham.

The proposed development has a ‘site-wide’ play strategy, which means youngsters can also use facilities in nearby Hale Village – but mainly ‘informal’ areas marked off by boulders and hedges on the actual site.

Most of the plans for the 245 homes in blocks of up to ten storeys had already been signed off by the Mayor of London after the council turned them down in 2016.

Yesterday (Monday, November 12), councillors were asked to approve parts of the scheme relating to its layout, scale and other aspects of the design.

Cllr Sarah James, Labour member for Harringay, said: “What I was concerned about was the quality review panel were still raising questions about the lack of child play space and the fact that Hale Village was being referenced as a play space.

“They felt there should be more common space available on the site, and the issue about play space being shared with bin vehicles was highlighted and had not been addressed.”

A spokesman for the applicant – Michael Orr of Muse Developments – said the plans had since been amended to ensure the issues raised in the report were addressed.

One of the council’s planning officers said similar schemes in Germany and the Netherlands had successfully used informal play areas without putting children at risk.

He said: “The whole point is to ensure this space is very much a more informal, pedestrian-friendly area.”

Cllr Sarah Williams, Labour member for West Green, also raised concerns about the play areas.

She said: “They need to be properly designed for the children who will be using them.”

Planning officers agreed to include a road safety audit that will look at traffic movements on the site to ensure children using the informal play areas would not be put at risk.

The plans were approved after three councillors voted in favour, one voted against and three abstained.