Lib Dem councillors have expressed their concern over constant delays in the provision of after-school club facilities in the Muswell Hill area.

The move follows answers to questions from Lib Dem Education Spokesperson Gail Engert, who has been pressing Haringey Council to commit to a date for the provision of services at The Grove N10 and at Rhodes Avenue Primary School N10.

The latest Haringey Council estimate is that the services will be up and running by mid-August and the end of July respectively, despite saying at an earlier meeting they would be open by January or February this year.

The original information was provided to the Council’s Education Scrutiny Panel on 22 November, which stated that the two clubs would be opened in January or February. However, in answer to a question from Cllr Engert on 1 March, the Council now says that the dates have been put back to July and August.

To add to concerns over delays, Ms Engert says that the abolition of the borough’s education scrutiny panel, which is about to be swept away by the Labour group, will further enable the Labour-run council to avoid questions on these and other problems in the education service.

Cllr Gail Engert (Muswell Hill) comments:

“These delays will cause enormous inconvenience and disappointment to parents waiting to use the after-school clubs. The clubs are not likely to open in this school year, despite undertakings that they would be ready last month. They may not even be able to provide holiday provision at the start of the summer holidays.

“It worries me also that there will be no forum in which to raise these issues once Labour abolishes the education committee. If they fail to deliver, they must be answerable to local parents and local councillors.”