Liberal Democrats are calling for action from Haringey Council over traffic problems in Alexandra ward after a key meeting with Derek Turner, Managing Director of Transport for London (TfL), held in an attempt to break the deadlock.

Liberal Democrats secured an agreement from TfL to provide up to £100,000 towards traffic calming in Alexandra, provided that Haringey Council produced sensible and detailed plans. However, despite the offer first being made in November 2001, the money is still unspent as Haringey Council has repeatedly failed to produce the necessary plans and information to free up the money.

Muswell Hill ward councillor and London Assembly Transport Policy Committee member Lynne Featherstone met with Derek Turner last week to try to break the deadlock. Mr Turner confirmed that the money was still available if Haringey Council presented appropriate plans and supplied the technical details required by Transport for London, but he warned that if appropriate plans and detailed information were not presented the money might even be lost to Haringey: “it was an unlikely but potential risk.”

Following the meeting, she has written to Peter Norton at Haringey Council urging the council to get a move on. Alexandra ward councillor, and Muswell Hill Area Assembly chair, Susan Oatway has also been pressing for action, and has now secured agreement for the much-delayed “focus group” consultation process to restart.

Councillor Oatway comments,

“The local residents have worked tirelessly on this issue for months and I find it frustrating that the council has yet to come up with any viable plans. The council keeps on changing the goalposts for the consultation process and all the time the months tick away without the £100,000 being used.”

Councillor Featherstone comments,

“The council has in the past claimed that the money can’t be spent until issues related to the North Circular are resolved – but TfL has made it clear that this isn’t the case. If the council carries on delaying and trying to tie this money in to other projects, people will inevitably suspect that the real motive is the Labour-run council attempting to take the money away from Alexandra and spend it in other wards.”