Local Lib Dem councillor and GLA member Lynne Featherstone has called for a meeting with London Mayor Ken Livingstone to protest about Haringey’s attempts to push through controversial ‘backland’ developments in the borough.

The Lib Dem leader says that Haringey cannot use the Mayor’s ambitious London development plan to push through such unpopular developments and she will be urging Ken to make this clear to Haringey in future.

Ken Livingstone’s London Plan requires Haringey to find 19,000 new homes over the next 16 years.

The Lib Dem leader says Haringey is using the target as an excuse to squash houses into inappropriate ‘backland sites’, despite the fact that this was never the intention of the Mayor when the plan was drawn up. On Friday, Ms Featherstone visited one such controversial development site in Hornsey, situated between situated between Priory Avenue, Clovelly Road and Lynzee Roads.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I am asking Ken to write to Haringey to make it clear that this kind of development is not what is intended by his plan. This particular application is an abomination and should be thrown out before it gets any further. The need for houses in Haringey can’t be met by tiny developments which stuff houses into inappropriate places like this.

“Haringey needs to fill up its empty homes and increase housing around transport hubs. I am sure Ken Livingstone will make it quite clear to Haringey that backland developments are not any part of his London Plan.”