A dedicated space for young people to socialise, learn and get advice and support will be set up in Wood Green.

Wood Green Youth Hub, which will be based just off Noel Park Road in Lymington Avenue, will provide "vital" services in a space designed to support young people’s development and help them prepare for their professional lives.

It is hoped the facility will help youngsters affected by deprivation, crime, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on jobs and schools.

Participants will be able to take part in activities such as arts, sports, music and film production, web design and employment and life skills workshops.

Haringey Council’s cabinet agreed to award a £1.1 million contract to fit out the building during a meeting on January 18, and it is hoped the hub will open in time for the summer holidays in July.

According to a cabinet report, the lack of a youth space in the Wood Green and Noel Park areas has been a concern for many years.

In 2018, the council dropped plans for a £6.5 million youth centre in White Hart Lane amid concerns young people from many parts of the borough would not be willing to travel long distances to the site.

The cabinet report states that Noel Park is in one of the country’s most deprived areas, with young people disproportionately affected and at risk of gang and knife crime.

It adds that the youth hub will create a "focal point" for young people, promoting creativity and providing a safe space for socialising, advice and support.

Cllr Zerna Brabazon, cabinet member for early years, children and families, told the meeting it had been a "very long time" since the council had any youth provision in Wood Green, despite "high levels of youth violence and unemployment" in the area.

She added: "This contract will provide a youth space that has been co-designed with young people working with architects, a group called Wood Green Young Voices who have been actively engaged in the design process."