Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams has expressed his dismay over the use of emergency powers by Haringey’s Labour-run council. Cllr Williams fears that the rules are being exploited to avoid proper scrutiny of important council decisions, including those over Hornsey Town Hall.

The move follows the publication of papers for the Labour Executive meeting on 21 December, in which no less than seven times, including the proposals for Hornsey Town Hall, are being pushed through as ‘urgent business’. The move follows concerns raised in October, when a one million pounds payment to the Alexandra Palace for the hiring of consultants was also put through by Labour under urgency procedures.

Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams comments:

“I will be asking for a full review of the use of the urgency rules by Haringey. Some of the reasons given are questionable at best. Most importantly, this denies councillors and residents the chance to properly scrutinise all of these decisions – papers are received late, and decisions can’t then be brought to the Council’s Scrutiny Committee. It is not acceptable.”