CAMPAIGNERS are furious after learning a Christmas event is to be sponsored by the same property company hoping to build new houses in the borough.

Developer Grainger have given Haringey Council £1,000 towards its winter festival, which will be held on Saturday, December 5. Its logos are also displayed on flyers promoting the event, which will be held on Tottenham Green.

But the company is also hoping to turn Apex House into a 22-storey apartment block and are one of two parties hoping to redevelop Wards Corner and Seven Sisters.

Meanwhile, both Grainger and the Wards Corner Coalition were granted planning permission in 2012. It is now up to the council to decide who can build on the land.

There are concerns the sponsorship deal creates a conflict of interest.

Pam Isherwood, who is part of the Wards Corner Coalition – Grainger’s main rival for the project – raised concerns.

The Wards Corner Coalition is a small campaign group which came together to save long-standing businesses, traders and residents, who could be evicted of Grainger won.

Ms Isherwood said: “Grainger is so huge and rich that sponsoring something like this makes no difference to them.

“Grainger is a bad word for many of the people who live around here, they are not welcomed in this part of Tottenham. Getting their name on the programme for a nice big event is the exact sort of thing they want to do.

“The council, we don’t believe they have not considered our application properly.”

Grainger hopes to turn the Apex Tower until a town houses, flats – 40 per cent of which will be affordable – a market, shops and a garden.

They say their plans will improve the area, upping local expenditure by £1.5million and create 400 new jobs.

But they have not proved universally popular – and group Friends of Marcus Garvey Library called them “cigarette packet towers” and said they do not fit in with the surroundings.

Jasmin Taylor, the chairman of the group, said: “The issue is why the council, out of all the national and local companies, have chosen Grainger AS THE SPONSOR.

“It’s not really appropriate at this stage of the negotiations. It’s just another example of them not dealing with the situation properly.”

A Haringey Council spokesperson said: “We have always made clear that we expect developers working in Tottenham to make positive contributions to the local community.

“We’re delighted that partners like Grainger are helping to make family events like our exciting Winter Festival even better, and we welcome sponsorship that can help increase activities for local people to take part in.”

A spokesperson for Grainger has said: “As a local stakeholder in Tottenham,  we pride ourselves on being part of the community and we are pleased to help facilitate the Tottenham Winter Festival, which is supported by the Tottenham Traders Partnership and the Tottenham Green Market. 

"We look for opportunities and local initiatives to get involved in and, where possible, positively contribute to them.  Grainger has been working in the area for nearly 8 years.  Our sponsorship of the event is simply our contribution to the community”.