Haringey Liberal Democrats have criticised the £1,600 spent advertising Haringey Council’s ‘successes’ whilst some of Haringey’s parks are left languishing “without a flower in sight”.

Councillor Catherine Harris has expressed her anger at the lack of investment in some parks including Russell Park in Noel Park. Lib Dems have called for Haringey Council to, in future, prioritise funding to make all vital green spaces more attractive for residents rather than draining valuable resources with advertising.

Cllr Catherine Harris (Noel Park) comments

“The park in Noel Park is a pretty miserable affair. Local residents have come to me many times with problems with the park – bottles and cans strewn in the undergrowth, no bins for rubbish, anti-social behaviour late at night, and most insulting, without a flower in sight. The grass area is covered with tyre marks from late night activities that blight local residents’ peace and which do not seem to be monitored or controlled by Haringey Council.

“Come on Haringey, spend money on what local residents tell me they want – a pleasant, safer, and award winning park in Noel Park. I am sure £1,600 would buy more than enough flowering plants to brighten and improve the park in Noel Park for everyone’s benefit.”

Cllr Bob Hare, Lib Dem Sustainability Spokesperson, adds

“The priority needs to be making all our vital green spaces as attractive, visitor friendly and accessible as possible, and not, as the Labour council seems to think, focusing on the ones that are already better. It is a good thing that Haringey’s parks continue to receive more awards, but a wider strategy needs to also address quality issues for many other parks and scores of small areas. These may not have the accolades, but they are nevertheless people’s special and much-appreciated local green spaces, and all too often they have suffered years of poor maintenance.”