Haringey Labour councillors are coming under serious criticism for their refusal to respond to requests to make public the results of the public consultation on the controversial parking schemes they plan to impose on the borough.

Lib Dem councillors and local MP Lynne Featherstone have written to the Chief Executive to demand that Haringey Council make public the results of the consultation on the parking schemes proposed in the London Borough of Haringey, as suspicion over the propriety of the consultation continues to mount.

Labour-run Haringey Council has until now ignored a request that Lib Dem councillors be allowed to see the results. The request was made by Councillor Martin Newton over a month ago. Now the Lib Dems are demanding that residents are also allowed to see the responses to the consultation document, in the interests of transparency.

Lib Dem councillors are also increasingly frustrated by the lack of response to their request to hold an emergency meeting of the Muswell Hill Area Assembly. They had been promised a reply from Labour members by Friday. While chasing the reply, it came to light that Labour’s lead member for Community Involvement, Councillor Lorna Reith, who is responsible for the consultation, is on annual leave until the 16th August, having left before providing a response to her Lib Dem colleagues.

Councillor John Oakes, Lib Dem spokesperson for Community Involvement, comments:

“Labour’s behaviour on this issue beggars belief. Our requests for emergency meetings of the Area Assemblies have still gone unanswered, and it is not hard to see why people have lost faith in Labour’s ability to manage this consultation.

“One solution might be to pass on the consultation to independent consultants. Labour have lost the trust of the public over this issue, and it is perhaps time to consider whether the only way to regain that trust might be to bring in expertise from an external group.”

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“I have never seen such an abuse of power as Labour have wielded over the proposed CPZs. A flawed consultation combined with Labour’s refusal to answer to local residents or even let them speak at Full Council means the outcome of the so-called consultation will be under suspicion. All responses must be available to the public so justice can be seen to be done.”