Bowes Park residents were annoyed last Thursday (November 23rd) by another dose of Haringey’s “ham-fisted” consultation when they received glossy brochures outlining local traffic-calming measures. The brochures showed a detailed scheme worked out by Haringey, Traffic for London and Enfield Council aimed at cutting down rat-running caused by the A406 North Circular bottleneck. And they told residents about a public exhibition where they could learn more about the scheme.

The only trouble was, the exhibition was taking place during the next two days. Said one irate resident, Robert Austin, of Ireland Place:

“These are important issues, costing a lot of money and affecting all our lives. But Haringey only gives us a day’s notice to see this exhibition. As an exercise in consultation, it’s completely ham-fisted. First CPZ, and now this.

“It so happens I have to go away for the weekend. I will have to miss the lot. With more notice, I could have planned. The whole thing’s a disgrace. You really expect better from a council department. I did phone to complain. But no-one replied.”

Commented Cllr John Oakes, Liberal Democrat spokesman on Community Involvement:

“After Haringey’s repeated CPZ failures to consult, we’re scarcely surprised. It is almost as if Haringey were determined NOT to contact people properly, because they are afraid of getting answers they don’t want.”

“Even now, an estimated one third of all Bounds Green residents have still not been contacted in the second-round CPZ probe, because Haringey is apparently still not giving the distribution company a full set of addresses. Clearly, this is enough to invalidate many of the results they do get. Similarly, they won’t know what people think in Bowes Park, because of this botched exercise.”