Haringey Liberal Democrats have expressed concern following the publication of new research showing only two out of the five Haringey police stations answer phone calls.

The research was carried out by Liberal Democrat London Assembly members between 26th February and 17th March 2007.It showed that only Hornsey and Tottenham stations answered calls when tested.

Liberal Democrats have welcomed the fact that Haringey’s response rate is above that of the London average. However the actual time taken to answer non-emergency calls at the two police stations contacted was significantly higher than the London average – 3 minutes 20 seconds compared with 20 seconds London-wide.

The research shows that 46% (65 out of 141) of police stations in London do not answer the phone for non-emergency enquiries. The research follows a similar survey carried out in 2003 by Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone whilst she was a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority.

Cllr Ron Aitken, Lib Dem Crime spokesperson comments:

“It is imperative that police stations can be contacted in order for the public to report non-emergency crimes. If the public are faced with silence at the end of the line then confidence decreases and intelligence may be lost. These figures really do need to be improved.”

Liberal Democrats in Tottenham have expressed dismay that the end of the financial year on 31st March will also see the end of funding to the Ladder Community Safety Partnership (LCSP), an award-winning residents’ association.

Lib Dems say the news is all the more surprising, given that in the spring of 2006, Haringey Council, through “the Better Haringey Building Safer Communities Together” awards, named the it as Haringey’s “Most Proactive Residents’ Association.”

Yet by December, Haringey Council, through the Safer Communities Partnership under the Chief Executive’s Department, confirmed that it was cutting the 2006 grant in half, and that there would be no funding at all from 2007.

The LCSP, which co-ordinates the work of several neighbourhood watches and residents’ associations in the Harringay Ladder, between Finsbury Park and Turnpike Lane, has for many years brought local residents, Council officers and the police together to benefit the community.

“The LCSP has acted as the eyes and ears of the Council and the police,” says local councillor Karen Alexander (Lib Dem, Harringay ward). “It has identified pockets of anti-social behaviour, helped to improve Harringay Passage, a mile-long passageway through which children walk to school, and has acted as a whistle blower against unlawful developments and late-night openings.”

David Schmitz, Chair of Tottenham Liberal Democrats, adds: “The grant they received was tiny, as most of their work has been done by volunteers. However, the money paid for a part-time co-ordinator who really made things happen. It’s hard to imagine a falser economy than the cutting of this grant.

“The Council seem to be thinking that the new Ward Panel can take the place of the LCSP, but that’s nonsense. Welcome as it is, membership is by invitation only and it emphasises police-related matters, not other things like planning control and the local environment. The panel just cannot include as many people and cover as many issues as the LCSP does.”

New figures revealed by Lynne Featherstone MP show that there has been a dramatic increase in hepatitis C outbreaks in London over the last five years.

The figures show a 124.6% increase in just five years. Ms Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, is urging the Government to priorities raising Londoners’ awareness regarding hepatitis C.

Commenting Lynne Featherstone MP said:

“This is a time-bomb waiting to happen.

“There is little awareness of symptoms and risk factors and this explosive increase shows that the government has clearly failed to tackle this. The problem with hepatitis C is that you can live with it for decades and it might not be obvious.

“We have a silent crisis on our hands, yet the Government is failing to inform Londoners about it. The government must ensure that people are given the information and support they deserve.”

Note: the figures come from an answer to a Parliamentary question.

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, this week gave the thumbs up to Wood Green based water supplier Quench Direct, which was awarded the renowned ISO 14001 for its environmental management and ISO 9001 for quality management systems.

These ISO standards are important milestones for this local young business and are vital for growth in allowing the company to compete for major contracts where these ISOs are often required.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“It is fantastic to see a local business flourish in this way and the importance they have given to assessing the environmental impact of how they do business.I know it has been a considerable investment for the team and I very much hope they reap the rewards they deserve.

Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy offering so much potential in terms of jobs and regeneration so I take my hat off to the Quench Direct team and wish them every continued success.”

Haringey Liberal Democrats have called for Labour-run Haringey Council and Homes for Haringey to provide adequate information to their tenants following an admission of the delay in funding for the Decent Homes programme.

A letter received from the Chief Executive of Homes for Haringey, the Council’s ‘arm’s length management organisation’ (ALMO), has shown that the Decent Homes work promised by Labour to be completed by 2010 will now be delayed until at least 2012/13. However, tenants have not been notified of the delay either by Haringey Council or Homes for Haringey.

The Decent Homes initiative aims to increase the standard of all tenants’ homes in social housing by 2010 but, as Haringey Liberal Democrats have highlighted, this has turned into a broken promise by Labour with the postponement of tenants’ home improvements until 2012/13.

Cllr Catherine Harris, Liberal Democrat Housing spokesperson comments:

“The Labour government have tightened the purse strings and it is the people of Haringey that have to suffer.

“It is totally unacceptable that Labour have, once again, let down tenants, who are entitled to see improvements in their homes, having voted in favour of the ALMO. I would call on the Council and Homes for Haringey to have a open and honest discussion with residents to show why the funding has been delayed.”

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green adds:

“Week in, week out in my surgery I hear so many heart-breaking stories of families in my constituency waiting for decent home.This news is going to be blow for all those people who will have to wait even longer for just even the basic standards.This is total disgrace.”

Commenting on the announcement that Haringey Councilhas agreed to get on as soon as possible with consultation on the Highgate station CPZ after a high profile campaign by Lib Dem councillors and local residents, Lib Dem Leader and Highgate councillor Neil Williams said:

“Firstly, this is a great victory for local residents who have worked so hard with local councillors to get the Council to see sense on this issue. From a flat ‘no’, in a couple of weeks, we have had a complete U-turn from the Council.

“However, Haringey’s attempts to blame Islington council for the mess they have created are quite pathetic. They have had since last July to sort this problem out, and if they didn’t know Islington were expanding residents parking on their side of Hornsey Lane, then you have to wonder what on earth they are doing.

“It is quite dishonest, because they already knew all about the Islington scheme when they were refusing to take action a couple of weeks ago. Cllr Brian Haley and Haringey Council would hide behind anyone rather than take responsibility for their own blunders.”

Cllr Jonathan Bloch (Muswell Hill) has welcomed the decision made by Haringey Council to refuse planning permission for the retention of a portakabin for use as a nursery on Crouch End Playing Fields.

The application by North Middlesex Cricket Club was refused by the Council on 6th March 2007 on the grounds that the building was inappropriate, visually intrusive and has potential nuisance for adjoining properties.

Cllr Bloch comments:

“I welcome this ruling and now urge the developers to engage with the local community and to obey planning regulations and procedures”.

Labour councillor Lorna Reith (Executive member for Community Involvement) dropped a bombshell at Monday’s (12 March) meting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC). She announced that Haringey is about to adopt a new logo, corporate colours and typeface.

The whole project has been conducted in secret with no consultation.

Chair of OSC, Labour councillor Gideon Bull, on hearing the news, described himself as “Speechless, absolutely speechless.”Not something people would normally associate with the usually ebullient chair, say the Lib Dems.

All seven members of OSC, in common with all Labour backbenchers and all Lib Dem councillors had no idea that such an announcement was to be made or even that consultants had been engaged.The new logo was described by Lib Dem councillor David Winskill as looking like “…a squashed spider under a bookcase.”

On a practical point, Cllr Gail Engert, herself a professional designer, questioned the wisdom of using a rust-red typeface on a black background. “I am sure that this will be difficult to read by people with sight impairment.”

Labour Councillor John Bevan was astonished that the project was even being undertaken, “at a time when we have just has a terrible financial settlement from the Government.”

Cllr Winskill suggested that the project could have taken the form of a competition. He comments:

“Haringey is bursting with graphic design talent. Why it never occurred to Haringey to organise a competition and pay the winner is typical – Labour councillors are so out of touch. A competition could have been a great boost for youngsters trying to start their careers.”

Haringey Liberal Democrats have highlighted the growing uncertainty surrounding the allocation of secondary school places in the London Borough of Haringey. Figures released by Haringey Council have shown the percentage of children not receiving their first two secondary school preferences has grown to an unprecedented one in five.

The number of children not receiving their first two places increased over the past three years – from 11% in 2005, to 18% in 2006 and now 20% in 2007.

The increase is exacerbated by a chronic shortage of places in Haringey’s secondary schools. Figures released for the School Organisation Committee meeting on 14th March 2007 shows that Haringey’s secondary school surplus capacity is 2.06% compared to the Department for Education and Skills recommendation of 5%.

Cllr Gail Engert (Lib Dem Children and Young People spokesperson) comments:

“It is unacceptable that this crisis is getting worse each year. Haringey Council need to take action. The Lib Dems have said that the new secondary school in Haringey was needed in 2008 rather than the projected 2010. The lack of secondary school places is something that, as a consequence of Labour’s indecision, will not diminish in the near future”.

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green adds:

“The situation is clearly spiralling out of control. With so many parents being denied their first and second choice, Labour’s rhetoric on education and choice will mean nothing to families who now face the difficult and often heart-breaking decision in working out what to do next.This Council has simply failed to plan in any coherent way and again Haringey parents are suffering the consequences.”

Labour Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt has been forced to apologise for not replying to a letter sent to her by Haringey Council’s ‘watchdog’ committee.

Haringey Liberal Democrats have highlighted that whilst the apology is welcome there are no commitments to ensure the raid of Haringey’s health spending will not happen in the future.

A letter was originally sent by the Overview and Scrutiny committee in November 2006 and questioned cuts to health spending in Haringey. This received only a standard customer services reply prompting the Liberal Democrat to press for an adequate response and forcing the Labour Council leader to declare the letter “unacceptable”.

Patricia Hewitt finally replied saying the recent raid on Haringey’s health budget was a “contribution” and that this will be paid back within three years. However, she refused to say when the £12m that will be taken from the 2007/08 budget will be returned.Liberal Democrats believe that Patricia Hewitt shows in this letter the endemic failures of the Health Service under Labour and to her own declaration she does “not understand the over-spending in some parts of London”.

Cllr Richard Wilson (Lib Dem Health and Social Services Spokesperson) comments:

“Haringey Liberal Democrats believe that Patricia Hewitt should be apologising for the financial chaos she and the Labour government has put the NHS in.Haringey Primary Care Trust has been told to expect a raid of up to £12 million on this year’s budget, with no guarantee of when this money will be returned.This raid means our local NHS faces another round of cost-cutting and service reduction.”

Cllr Neil Williams (Leader of the Opposition) added:

“Haringey’s Labour MP and Labour councillors need to do more to stand up for the NHS in our area and against the Government’s mismanagement of its finances.”