Liberal Democrat councillors from Muswell Hill and Crouch End are urgently seeking details of the correspondence between Thames Water and Haringey Council with regard to the sitting of a new skate park in Priory Park, N8.

The call comes after it was revealed that Haringey Council was told as long ago as February that the site was unsuitable due to large open drainage chambers situated beneath the concrete area outlined for the construction.

This news has alarmed Lib Dems who earlier this month received a response to a question regarding consultation between Thames Water and the Council that stated:

“Farrer Huxley Associates (Landscape Architects) undertook preliminary consultation with Thames Water between February and March 2005; however no conclusive feedback was received from Thames Water.”

They now are demanding all correspondence between Thames Water and the Council to establish what comments Thames Water have really made about the sitting of the skate park.

Councillors Gail Engert (Muswell Hill) and David Winskill (Crouch End) are concerned that once again councillors and local residents are being kept in the dark over the skate park development. They say that if the reports are true, Haringey Council has abused its power, wasted public money, and failed to answer Council questions openly and honestly.

Cllr Engert (Muswell Hill) comments:

“It is deeply worrying that ten months after Thames Water apparently said the site was unsuitable, Haringey Council continues to waste thousands of pounds of local tax payers money pursuing something that is a non-starter.”

Cllr Winskill (Crouch End) adds:

“If the reports are true then Labour-run Haringey Council has deceived councillors and local residents about their discussions with Thames Water. We are urgently seeking the correspondence between Thames Water and the Council to establish the facts.”