Liberal Democrats have expressed concern with the stop and search operation conducted outside Wood Green underground station on 26th August 2007. Lib Dems see the activity as ineffective and unfairly targeting black and minority youth groups. Metal detectors were erected outside the tube station to identify weapons in an effort to crack down on incidents at the Notting Hill Carnival during the weekend.

Lib Dems have voiced their concern for the blanket approach used and considered it as resource intensive but yielding little results.

Cllr Fiyaz Mughal (Noel Park ward) comments:

“We have all seen over recent months the need for effective police action on knife and gun crime. However I am concerned at the high proportion of black and ethnic minority members of the public being stopped in this exercise. Stop and searches based, not on intelligence led operations, but on blanket, knee jerk profiling is not what is needed. This only serves to harm community relations if one group it unfairly targeted.

“It only takes one individual to call through to his or her friends to alert them to the stop and search for this measure to be rendered useless. Using better intelligence and even tracking people who have previously been troublemakers would be more legitimate and effectual means of reducing gun and knife crime.”

Cllr Ron Aitken, Lib Dem Crime Spokesperson, adds:

“The use of so many police officers in this manner, although good for public perception, is an ineffective use of the limited police resources. Using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut will not work.

“There is a fine line between the need to combat terrorism and crime and the freedom of all individuals – I am sure that this approach does not serve any that well.”

Residents of Colwick Road and Hannay Lane, Crouch End, have been given the opportunity to speak out about issues affecting their lives at a joint meeting with local councillors and the police.

Local Lib Dem councillor Lyn Weber and Crouch End Safer Neighbourhood Team Manager, John McGrath, held a joint surgery session on Tuesday 4th September, 6.30pm – 7.00pm in Colwick Close and at 7.30pm – 8.00pm in Hannay Lane.

Residents raised a number of issues including safety concerns, parking, trees, Parkland Walk, fly-tipping, anti-social behaviour. Residents and all involved remarked that the joint surgery was a resounding success.

Cllr Lyn Weber (Crouch End) comments:

“This surgery was a great success and I’m pleased that residents took time to meet us. It is vital that residents feel as though their local representatives and the police are working closely together and available to them.”

Sgt John McGrath adds:

“I see it as very important for the police to reach out with our partners to local people and speak to them, on their doorsteps, about the issues that affect them.The first outing was very successful and I look forward to further opportunities to meet more of our residents in the near future.”

Local Liberal Democrats in Crouch End have secured a meeting with parking boss, Labour councillor Brian Haley, in the wake of dozens of inquiries from angry residents embroiled in parking misery. Last week Lib Dem councillors and Lynne Featherstone MP visited residents affected by the parking chaos in Crouch End, caused by the introduction of several new parking zones, to listen to their problems. Lib Dems have notified residents that a meeting between Haringey Council, residents’ associations and representatives of groups from Crouch End will be arranged soon but have vowed to keep up the pressure on Haringey Council to act immediately.

Liberal Democrats remain concerned that adequate funding for parking controls has not been allocated by Haringey Council in this financial year and continue to demand immediate action to alleviate the parking debacle and for Cllr Haley to visit the residents affected.

Cllr Lyn Weber (Crouch End) comments:

“Haringey Council needs to see further than their own noses when implementing parking restrictions. I hope that this meeting will go some way to helping Haringey Council really engage residents’ views to enable the best solution. The Lib Dems are always updating residents with developments, perhaps Haringey Council should too.”

Cllr David Winskill (Crouch End) adds:

“In the meantime, Lib Dem councillors are continuing to demand immediate action and press for CPZ permits for local residents to park in adjacent CPZ zones to help alleviate the pressure in Crouch End’s residential streets.”

The exclusion of residents from planning site visits introduced by Haringey’s Labour Council has been criticised by the Liberal Democrats. Local Lib Dem councillors have again expressed their opposition to the new measures at last night’s (3 rd September) planning committee meeting saying that barring residents is unacceptable and detrimental to the transparency of decision making. Lib Dems have called for a reinstatement of resident attendance and will continue to pressurise Haringey Council for this.

Cllr Bob Hare, Lib Dem planning committee member, comments:

“Planning site visits have always been an opportunity for residents affected by planning applications in their area to be involved in the process. The ban imposed by Labour is totally unacceptable.”

Cllr Jonathan Bloch, Lib Dem Planning Spokesperson, adds:

“Properly managed involvement of residents in planning decisions is fundamental. The ‘gold standard’ is the way the government’s planning inspectors carry out their site visits, where residents are given full opportunity to explain their concerns. Haringey Labour’s exclusion of residents is anti- democratic and will only serve to put more people off getting involved in local issues. The decision flies in the face of Council efforts to involve the local communities in area assemblies and I can only wonder how the council squares these two contradictory policies.

“We will continue to press Haringey Council to have these appalling rules withdrawn.”

Haringey schools receive a shocking £736 less for each pupil compared to neighbouring ‘inner London’ schools, leading Lynne Featherstone MP to demand a rethink in government policy to ensure a fair deal for schools across the London Borough of Haringey.

On average boroughs designated ‘inner London’ by the government, such as Hackney, Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea, receive an average of £6,216 per pupil compared to only £5,480 in Haringey.

Lynne Featherstone MP has demanded a face to face meeting with Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, to make the case for a fairer deal for Haringey pupils.

Commenting, Lynne Featherstone MP says:

“Haringey certainly has equal if not greater educational challenges than many inner London boroughs. So it is plain ridiculous that if you stand on one side of Seven Sisters Road a child is worth £736 less than on the other, simply because of a borough boundary.

“This funding system is completely arbitrary and seems to have little to do with the real educational needs of our local children.

“I will be demanding a rethink from Mr. Balls as this is about a fair deal for our schools.It doesn’t cost any more to hire a teacher in Hackney than it does in Haringey so why the discrepancy?”

The announcement that Homes for Haringey has received a two star ‘good’ rating has been welcomed by Haringey Liberal Democrats but they have renewed calls for the Decent Homes funding to be invested. Lib Dems believe that the Audit Commission decision on 23rd August 2007 should now clear the way for the investment of millions of pounds promised by the Government to bring all of Haringey’s homes to a ‘decent’ standard by 2010. The Labour government however has delayed funding until at least 2012/13.

Lib Dems have also called for the areas of weakness identified by the Audit Commission to be urgently addressed by Haringey Council. The Audit Commission recommended that customer services, gas servicing, rental collection and complaints procedures need improving.

Cllr Catherine Harris, Lib Dem Housing spokesperson comments:

“The two star rating is welcome but won’t help residents if the Labour Government will not loosen the purse strings and give the residents of Haringey the investment they promised. The Audit commission has said that the lack of investment in housing stock over a long period and stock condition data is inadequate. If Homes for Haringey is going to get any better at providing decent homes for everyone they will have to be given this money now.

“I call for immediate action by the Council to ensure Homes for Haringey gets moving on improving tenants’ homes across the Borough.”