Editing Hornsey (section)

===Economic development===
[[File:New development on Chadwell Lane, Hornsey - geograph.org.uk - 1098912.jpg|thumb|21st-century housing in Chadwell Lane, Hornsey]]
In the 1840s a section of a major new railway line from London to the north, the [[Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)]], was constructed right through Hornsey near to the centre of the village, and a station - the first out of London on the line - was built to serve it on Tottenham Lane, opened on 8 August 1850. It was successful and sidings on both sides of the line were constructed s well as goods depots, so Hornsey became somewhat of a railway town. This tradition continues: two major maintenance depots for the new electric trains running from Finsbury Park to Brighton have been constructed beside the main line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/passenger/siemens-beats-bombardier-to-thameslink-train-order/36028.article|title=Siemens beats Bombardier to Thameslink train order|website=Railway Gazette International}}</ref>

In 1870 the first shop of what would become the [[David Greig (supermarket)|David Greig]] national grocery chain, once a rival to Sainsbury's, was opened in 32 Hornsey High Street by Greig's mother.

In 1951 the first [[Lotus Cars]] factory was established in stables behind the Railway Hotel (now No5 Dining) on Tottenham Lane. The company was formed as Lotus Engineering Ltd by [[Colin Chapman]]. The Railway Hotel pub was owned by Chapman's father. In its early days, Lotus sold cars aimed at private racers and trialists. Its early road cars could be bought as kits, in order to save on [[purchase tax]]. Lotus moved to [[Cheshunt]] in 1959, and to Hethel in Norfolk in 1966. Adjacent to the pub was the first Lotus showroom (formerly part of Jewson's) where there is now a memorial plaque to Colin Chapman erected by Club Lotus. An application to demolish the building by Jewson's, listed by Haringey Council as an "historic building of interest", was turned down following a public campaign by local resident Chris Arnold, son of the former Lotus Sales Director Graham Arnold. It was briefly a plumbing shop but is now empty. Suggestions have been made to turn it into a Colin Chapman museum or the Colin Chapman Innovation Centre for young people. The site is now being developed by Fifth State<ref>[https://thelotusbuilding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Lotus-Building-A1-Boards.pdf proposal]</ref> as the Lotus Buildings and will celebrate the Lotus heritage with a community cafe, new public spaces and housing for students.

Established in 1964, [[Hornsey Co-operative Credit Union]] was Britain's oldest [[credit union]], until it merged with [[London Capital Credit Union]] in 2013.

Since 2000 Hornsey's residential developments have been architecturally diverse and overall accommodative of a diverse range of the local community. This has included estates of more than 50 homes with a proportion available under [[social housing]] and [[affordable housing]] schemes.

The Hornsey Water Treatment Works were developed alongside the [[New River (London)|New River]], the water supply system constructed in the 17th century that brings water from Hertfordshire to London.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://harringayonline.com/group/historyofharringay/forum/topics/a-river-through-it-development-of-the-new-river-and-water-works-i|title=A River Through it - Development of the New River and Water Works in Hornsey|website=www.harringayonline.com}}</ref> The brick buildings associated with the works were the last constructed by the [[New River Company]] before the [[Metropolitan Water Board]] took over in 1904. They are now run by [[Thames Water]] and still supply some of London's water.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=1285|title=Engineering Timelines - Hornsey Water Treatment Works|website=www.engineering-timelines.com}}</ref>