Hopes that a badly-needed community centre can be re-opened for use by residents have been dashed by a secret Haringey Council plan to turn it into a builder’s depot.

Hornsey’s local Liberal Democrat councillors and residents have been campaigning to get the community centre, on the Campsbourne Estate, back into use. However, it has now been revealed that Haringey Council have secretly given the community centre away to be used by building contractors for the next five years.

Mystery surrounds Haringey Council’s secretive deal, as repeated requests by Lib Dems to confirm the proposals have been ignored. However, residents have reported that contractors’ staff have already started to plan the refurbishment of the site. The Liberal Democrats are appalled at lack of public involvement in this process which has resulted in an important community asset being taken from local residents.

Following years Haringey Council neglect the Campsbourne Community Centre was forced to close several years ago. Unconfirmed reports say that Haringey Council plan to give the centre to building contractors involved in the Decent Homes project. However, the project is yet to start and is likely to take five years to complete.

Lib Dems are writing to the Leader of the Council demanding a stop to these plans.

Cllr Robert Gorrie (Hornsey) comments:

“The contempt for which Labour seems to hold residents and their views is quite breathtaking. There is a desperate need for proper community facilities in the area, especially ones accessible to young people.

“Since December, I have made several written requests to the Labour cabinet member responsible for housing for a discussion with residents on this important issue. These have not even been acknowledged and yet we now have reports that builders staff are actively investigating the site.

“Haringey Council has indicated its lack of concern for the young people of Hornsey by apparently giving away a potential Community Centre to a building contractor. It is unacceptable.”

Local Liberal Democrats last night selected popular Highgate resident Rachel Allison to be their candidate in the Highgate by election set for 6th March

Rachel Allison is intimately involved with the life of Highgate. She has lived in Claremont Road, Highgate for twelve years – and 19 in the borough.Her children attend St Michaels Primary, and she has recently been appointed as a Governor of Blanche Neville, another Highgate School.

A regular user, with her family, of the Jacksons Lane community centre, Rachel Allison is pledged to join the high profile Lib Dem campaign, being run by her Lib Dem colleague and local MP Lynne Featherstone, and Lib Dem Leader and Highgate councillor Neil Williams, to ensure fair resources for the Centre.

Also a regular user of Highgate Library, Rachel knows just how important these community services are for local people.

Rachel cares passionately about the environment. She has an allotment on Shepherds Hill, and is a member of Friends of the Earth, and the Organic Association.

With a hugely varied career and range of talents, Rachel has worked as a freelance copywriter and video producer – but her skills don’t end there. She has recently created a cold sore remedy!

Rachel Allison comments:

“I’m absolutely thrilled to have been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Highgate and I am hugely looking forward to the forthcoming campaign. The Liberal Democrats have done a fantastic job, both in keeping in constant touch with local residents, and in challenging Labour on the council – and I’m pleased to be working with this winning team.

“In Highgate I am looking forward to working with local councillors Bob Hare and Neil Williams on the issues that matter to Highgate and Archway residents, protecting the unique local environment, regenerating the Archway Road, and securing the future of Jacksons Lane.

“Crime and the fear of crime are also important issues for local residents. Having been the victim of a burglary only last week, I know how soul-destroying this can be. We need to work closely with our local police team and campaign for an enhanced police presence in the Highgate area.”

Liberal Democrat group leader and Highgate ward councillor, Neil Williams, comments:

“I’m thrilled that Rachel has been selected. She is enormously capable and talented and would be a fantastic councillor for Highgate. We are all looking forward to working with her on her campaign.”

People living in North Road, Highgate are still waiting to find out whether their street will be included in parking controls – months after Haringey Council completed a consultation and a year after inclusion was planned by Haringey Council.

When questioned by the Liberal Democrats at the Full Council meeting last Monday (21.1.08) about why this had taken so long, Labour parking boss Cllr Brian Hayley did not seem to know.

Cllr Neil Williams (Highgate ward) comments:

“I don’t know what’s more ridiculous, that it can take HaringeyCouncil half a year to review the findings of a consultation or that they don’t know why it is taking so long.

“Some residents in North Road have only been excluded from the CPZ through a cock-up in the first place. They should not be left waiting any longer. I expect Haringey Council to take action and get this completed. Completing a consultation involving part of one street in Haringey is hardly the most complex thing Haringey Council has to deal with on a daily basis, so why are they making such a meal of it?”

Financial mismanagement is to blame for a near £2 million overspend on a project to expand two schools in the London Borough of Haringey, according to the Liberal Democrats.

In addition to being massively over budget, the projects at Coleridge and Tetherdown primary schools are both behind schedule. The funding crisis was revealed in documents released for Haringey Council’s Cabinet on Tuesday 22nd Jan 2008.

The Liberal Democrats have raised concerns over Haringey Council’s ability to manage projects of this scale, particularly as Building Schools for the Future (BSF), due to start this year, involves a much greater sum of money. The project aims to upgrade facilities at Haringey’s secondary schools and build a new secondary school at a total cost of around £200 million. Similar overspends on this project could see Haringey Council trying to fill a £20 million black hole.

Councillor Gail Engert, Lib Dem Children, Schools and Families spokesperson, comments:

“This should send alarm bells ringing for the people of Haringey who time after time see their taxes badly managed by Haringey Council. If residents cannot trust Haringey Council to keep to a budget these two small projects, how can we trust them with a scheme due to cost £200 million?”

Red-faced members of Labour-led Haringey Council were forced to admit this week that their promise to deliver better housing for Haringey residents by 2010 will not be met.

Labour’s housing boss admitted at a meeting on the Full Council on Monday that Homes for Haringey, which reports directly to the Council, will not get a place on a funding scheme called ‘Decent Homes’ until April this year. This will be bad news for Haringey tenants who have been waiting years for much needed improvements to their properties.

Back in 2006, a key part of the Labour election campaign was promising residents that the improvements will be made by 2010. The latest delay means that this pledge will now not be met.

Questions still remain over why the Council failed to get a place on the central government run funding scheme. Earlier in the year, the Council said they would get the money after achieving a two star rating from the Audit Commission.

Cllr Carolyn Baker, Lib Dem Housing Spokesperson, said:

“Yet again, Labour has failed to deliver for the people of Haringey. Good quality council housing should be a top priority for any council. But it seems that Haringey Council has not pulled its finger out to get on the list for funding.

“Because of their failure to shout up for Haringey when the money was being distributed, residents will have to wait even longer for the improvements they badly need whilst they live in properties lacking in basic modern amenities.

“On top of this, tenants are facing huge increases in rent for properties that are in need of repair. This is not good enough, and someone needs to explain to residents how this has happened and what they are going to do about it.”

Haringey police officers were joined by Liberal Democrat councillors on Wednesday as they marched through London in search of better pay.

Councillors Ron Aiken and Monica Whyte lent their support to over 200 officers from the borough who attended the 22,000 strong rally protesting against the Government’s rejection of a 2.5% pay award for all police.

The award was recommended on the advice of the Independent Police Arbitration Tribunal but was turned down by the Government because of the public sector pay squeeze.

Earlier in the week at a Full Council meeting, when challenged by Cllr Aitken the Labour administration failed to come out and support the officer’s call for better pay.

Cllr Ron Aitken, Liberal Democrat Policing Spokesperson adds:

“The police in Haringey do a fantastic job, working hard to keep our streets safe. It’s only right that their salaries reflect this. The Liberal Democrats are proud to back the police on this issue whereas the Labour run Council praise the police in one breath, but refuse to support them in another.”

Cllr Monica Whyte (Hornsey) adds:

“All over London the Police are being squeezed to breaking point. To not recognise their hard work by failing of offer a fair pay deal is outrageous.”

A move to reduce the amount of plastic bags across the borough has been stalled by Labour-run Haringey Council, despite recent successes by residents and independent traders in Crouch End.

In a motion to the Full Council meeting last night, Liberal Democrats proposed that Haringey Council leads the way in promoting similar schemes to Crouch End’s ‘Bag for Life’, with the aim of making Haringey plastic bag free by 2010.

There was outrage in the Chamber when Labour’s controversial environment boss, Brian Haley, said that the idea was “unnecessary and unworkable” – despite the success of the scheme. Another Labour councillor claimed that the “unions weren’t consulted”.

Lib Dem councillor Bob Hare, who proposed the motion, said the response of Labour was “mean minded” and showed “a lack of willingness to engage.”

Mr Hare, Highgate councillor and Lib Dem sustainability spokesperson, comments:

“I am extremely disappointed that Labour has failed to support this motion. Full support of Haringey Council would have sent a signal that Haringey is taking the problem of plastic bags seriously and wants to lead the way on tackling climate change on a local level.

“Once again Haringey Labour is lacking the political leadership to stand with residents and support a proven grass-roots initiative that has already saved over half a million bags in Crouch End alone – instead waiting for legislation that their own reports admit may never come.

“Haringey Labour talk about working with residents and their commitment to the environment, but at the first, inexpensive and proven opportunity to put this into action, they fail to act.”

Cllr Lyn Weber (Crouch End) adds:

“In Crouch End, residents and traders have backed a great scheme that has culminated in the Crouch End ‘Bag for Life’. By rejecting our proposals to promote this across the London Borough of Haringey, Labour has discredited their hard work. It is very discouraging now for other areas looking to introduce similar schemes if Haringey Council has shut the door in their faces.

“Some of the comments from Labour were astonishing – that local action on climate change was not a priority, and that the benefits of a reduction in plastic bags would only be good for big business. We say that reducing our dependency on plastic bags would be a long-term benefit to everyone in this borough. Unfortunately the inward looking Labour administration have once again failed to engage with residents to work together to combat climate change.”

Local MP Lynne Featherstone has welcomed a decision by Transport for London (TfL) to conduct a site visit to discuss the controversial location of Highgate Village’s main bus stand, following a meeting she had with top London transport boss Peter Hendy.

Lynne Featherstone, along with the Highgate Society, have been pressing TfL to consider the issue for months, as something that could have a major positive impact – right in the heart of the village.

Now, in response to a direct plea by Ms Featherstone, Mr Hendy and London Transport officials have agreed to the meeting. Lynne Featherstone hopes that they can be persuaded that moving the stand will have a huge positive impact on local businesses and the community.

Ms Featherstone and the Lib Dems want the Village’s vital 271 bus route extended to East Finchley, so that it connects better with other local services and East Finchley Tube. This will not only create more joined-up bus services, but will allow the removal of the bus stand, making Highgate’s Pond Square a much more pleasant public place for local people to enjoy.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I am pleased that TfL are beginning to address this issue. We will use it as an opportunity to show them how these really sensible plans would benefit the village, and hopefully they will see sense.”

Highgate councillor Neil Williams adds:

“It’s a positive step. We will be keeping up the pressure on London Buses to extend the 271 route, as we need better bus links for Highgate. We will also be working for a great improvement to a public space that is right at the heart of the village. It should be possible to put an end to buses sitting there, chugging out fumes and blocking the view. How could TfL refuse?”

Councillor Ed Butcher, Lib Dem Fire Authority member and Haringey councillor (Stroud Green) commenting on Friday’s LIFE (Local Intervention Fire Education) course that he attended, the first to involve young people from Haringey:

“As Fire Authority lead on Community Safety I have seen several of these displays before, but I certainly felt an extra twinge of pride today to see young people from my home borough taking part for the first time.

“Well done to all the young people who completed today’s LIFE course.I hope the experience will have shown them what can be accomplished with teamwork.

“Modern fire safety is about more than putting out fires; it’s about stopping them before they happen. I strongly believe that we must continue to be proactive in preventing anti-social behaviour that can lead to fires and projects like LIFE contribute to this important aim.”