Labour-run Haringey Council is jeopardising the future Green Flag status of a local park by ignoring its maintenance and funding needs says local Lib Dem councillors.

Stationers Park in Stroud Green is celebrating the honour of a Green Flag award on 26th September 2007 but the future of the park’s pond and children’s play fort has been thrown into doubt by a summer fraught by underinvestment and poor upkeep by Haringey Council. Lib Dems are staging a boycott of the event to highlight the failings of Haringey Council to protect a much loved green space.

They are appalled that two key features of the park are under threat through lack of funding by Haringey Council. The ponds are completely dry due to a broken pump and failure to carry out simple maintenance. The future of the popular large children’s play fort has also been thrown into question as Haringey Council has refused to fund its replacement, in spite of previous assurances to the contrary.

Cllr Ed Butcher (Stroud Green Ward) comments:

“Stationers Park is a treasure at the heart of our community.I would love to be there to celebrate this year’s green flag, but it would be a hollow celebration given the likelihood of it not getting the award in the future because of Haringey Council’s neglect.

“I feel driven to this simple stand on behalf of residents to make sure we can preserve the special character of this fantastic little park.”

Cllr Richard Wilson (Stroud Green Ward) adds:

“It’s outrageous that Haringey is wasting money on PR rather than maintaining Stationers Park. The Council has spent more on advertising its parks than would be necessary to make sure Stationer’s Park gets its Green Flag next year, by fixing the pump and doing simple maintenance.

“We are very proud of its Green Flag status, but this is now under threat because of Haringey Council’s failure to fund maintenance and refusal to fund the forts replacement.”