Lib Dem councillors have expressed deep concern at Haringey Council’s continued failure to adequately investigate the impact of plans to build a concrete batching factory in Cranford Way, N8.

The latest comments come just a month after Lib Dem councillor for Stroud Green, Laura Edge wrote to the Council expressing her anger at its apparent decision to renege on assurances made to residents that independent reports would be commissioned into the noise, dust and traffic impacts of the proposed development.

In response to this correspondence, Cllr Edge was assured that if residents compiled a list of the independent studies that they thought necessary, Haringey Council would endeavour to ‘meet them halfway’.

Local action group Green N8 responded swiftly with a comprehensive list of studies they wished to be carried out.

Since the request was sent earlier this month, there has been no written response. However Cllr Edge did receive a phone call from the Council stating that the officer dealing with the application was on annual leave and would look at the residents’ requests on his return.

This would leave officers just fifteen days to decide which studies to carry out and to draw their conclusions before making recommendations to the planning committee on 12th September.

Cllr Edge has this week written to the Council once again demanding that it postpone the Planning Committee hearing in order to ensure that there is enough time for full independent reports to be commissioned and reviewed.

Cllr Edge (Stroud Green) comments:

“Local residents are rightly extremely concerned about the impact of the proposed development on the local area. Officers have a duty to fully assess the impact of the development before making their recommendations to the Planning Committee. There are few signs that this duty is being seriously addressed. The Planning Committee meeting needs to be postponed in order to allow enough time for a full assessment to be made and to restore the faith of the community in the planning system.”

The imperative for postponement is reinforced by recent revelations that residents of Church Lane N8 have not been consulted by the Council, despite assurances made to Cllr Edge and Green N8.

Cllr Edge adds:

“The apparent failure to consult Church Lane residents is a particularly grave omission given that planning officers have themselves acknowledged time and time again that Church Lane will be particularly badly affected by the increase in HGV movements generated by the development.”

Cllr Edge says that this latest string of events has once again demonstrated the Council’s inability to carry out meaningful and constructive consultation with residents. She has promised to continue to pursue this issue until the Council fulfils its promise of a full consultation.