The Liberal Democrats have expressed dismay over admissions by Haringey Labour that it is spending £396,000 per year of council money on a publication that very few households read. The revelation follows a probe by Lib Dem Councillor Susan Oatway (Alexandra ward), after Labour claims in the Council chamber last week that their magazine ‘Haringey People’ was popular with local residents.

Haringey Council produces 97,000 copies of ‘Haringey People’ each month. It was the subject of extravagant claims in the council chamber last week by Labour’s Deputy Leader, who said that a survey showed it was popular with 90% of local residents. However Lib Dem inquiries have forced Labour to admit that only 465 residents responded – less than half a per cent of the total circulation.

Liberal Democrat councillors are questioning the cost of the publication – and are accusing the Labour leadership of being out of touch with how to communicate effectively with residents in Haringey.

Cllr Susan Oatway says:

“Writing a newsletter is not the only way in which a modern council, which claims to be concerned about the environment, should be seeking to communicate with people in Haringey. Given the huge cost of Haringey people, perhaps Labour should produce real news for local residents at a much lower cost.”

Cllr John Oakes, Liberal Democrat Community Involvement spokeperson says:

“If people were reading it, you would expect a much greater response, but this is clearly not the case. Perhaps if ‘Haringey People’ reflected the real things the people of Haringey were worried about rather than just a fluffy view of what the council is up to more people would be engaged.”

A street which wants to be inside Haringey’s Bounds Green CPZ scheme has been completely ignored by Haringey Council officials, claim two of its residents. They say Haringey dismissed the results of a comprehensive street petition they carried out, and told them to shut up.

“Haringey Council has simply refused to listen. They told us to prove we wanted the CPZ by getting a clear majority in a petition. We did. But yet they’ve still left us out and despite countless calls won’t tell us why.

“At the same time Herbert Road and Queens Road, which are right next to us, and whose residents didn’t want the scheme, are included.

“Haringey seems to be completely confused about who wants what and only hear what they want to hear. Their attitude stinks. This could really affect our lives but none of the people we’ve spoken to seem to give a damn. One actually told us not to kick up a fuss,” says Mrs Emma Croxall of Richmond Road, Bounds Green.

“After Haringey’s first survey, most of us were horrified when we found out our road wasn’t going to be included in the CPZ despite ALL the surrounding roads having it – we’ll be swamped with cars and we’ll be in the unbelievable situation of having to drive through a CPZ to get to our own road!

“We spoke to Haringey and they told us to petition the street. So I and my sister organised a survey of our own, which showed an overwhelming majority in favour of having a CPZ. Haringey have clearly chosen to ignore the results of our petition in their report.

“Cllr Haley clearly said the Council was not going to impose things against our will,” said Mrs Croxall this week. “But it has done. Why isn’t the council listening?”

The story emerges as Bounds Green residents get their third mail out in the consultation process. Liberal Democrats, who have consistently challenged the accuracy of the Council’s consultation procedures, say the sisters’ story is further proof of Haringey’s bad faith throughout the exercise.

Says Bounds Green Liberal Democrat councillor and spokesman on Community Involvement, John Oakes: “This bizarre story underlines Lib Dem fears that this sort of dishonest approach underlies Haringey’s whole CPZ strategy.

“The Council’s first survey found that 32% of residents didn’t want the CPZ. But the sisters’ survey found the 67% who do want it. The Council should have listened.

“Haringey just doesn’t want to get it right. Only two hundred yards from Richmond Road is the Springfield parade of shops, in Bounds Green Road. This has been placed on the outside edge of a CPZ scheme, which threatens to put them all out of business because of the parking charges key staff will have to pay every day. They have repeatedly protested against this to Haringey, but Cllr Haley has ignored their letters and emails. His officers have insulted them in public meetings.

“And a resident survey of adjacent Park Road shows it too is heavily against a CPZ scheme. But again, it has been included.

“This sort of behaviour shows Haringey’s true attitude: it is straight out of the Kremlin.”

Local Liberal Democrat councillors have fought hard to secure written assurances from Haringey’s Primary Care Trust (PCT) that health services would not be moved out of the Muswell Hill and Fortis Green area without a full public consultation.

The promise came at Wednesday night’s Overview & Scrutiny meeting to discuss public concern over the proposed sale of the Fortis Green clinic. Proposals to move services from the clinic are expected to be approved at the PCT board meeting on January 24th. Pressure from the Liberal Democrats has now ensured that local alternatives have now been found for all the clinic’s services – on Pages Lane and Colney Hatch Lane, both also in Fortis Green ward.

Cllr Martin Newton (Lib Dem, Fortis Green) comments:

“We are pleased that the PCT eventually listened to local campaigners and decided to relocate the clinic services in nearby local premises.

“The long-term plan was to relocate these services to the new Hornsey Hospital when it is up-and-running but we have now got the PCT to agree to carry out a full public consultation before they move these services out of the Muswell Hill and Fortis Green area.”

Cllr Matt Davies (Lib Dem, Fortis Green) comments:

“It is highly regrettable that the PCT did not consult more widely and for a longer time on this issue. But at least local alternatives have been found.

“We now have assurances that local health services will definitely not be moved from Fortis Green and Muswell Hill without a proper consultation and will not automatically transfer to Hornsey.”

A senior Labour councillor has admitted to the Liberal Democrats that the behaviour of Patricia Hewitt in relation to the provision of vital health services in Haringey ‘was not acceptable’. George Meehan, leader of the Labour-run council, was responding to complaints from the Liberal Democrats that the minister failed to answer a letter sent to her by a key council committee.

The letter questioned the minister about cuts to Primary Care Trust funding in the borough – representing a total of £11million. Overview and Scrutiny Committee members were astonished to receive a standard response from a customer care centre that did not address the concerns raised in the letter.

The Liberal Democrats, on behalf of the committee, have continued to press for an adequate response from the minister and raised the issue at the meeting of Haringey councillors on Monday.

Cllr David Winskill, who raised the issue in the chamber, says:

“No wonder the NHS is in such a mess when the Health minister in charge can’t even respond to a letter. This issue is of vital concern to every single person living in Haringey, who deserve more than to be ignored by those in charge of our health service. Patricia Hewitt has shown grotesque disregard for this borough. The people of Haringey deserve more than this.

“This Labour Government can’t even be bothered to respond to concerns raised by a Labour-run council – no wonder George Meehan finds this behaviour unacceptable. Let’s hope his own intervention will result in a more serious response.”

Lib Dem Councillor Gail Engert (Muswell Hill) has welcomed the news that Transport for London (TfL) is proposing to provide a much needed half-hourly night service on the popular 102 bus route. The move follows a campaign that Councillor Engert launched in the local press in May 2005 proposing the service for the route.

The Lib Dems have argued that the large number of people attending and working in the night clubs and restaurants of Muswell Hill needed a safe route home. The campaign attracted support from many, including the Muswell Hill Safer Neighbourhoods police team, Bus Watch West Haringey and local night club owners.

The proposals for the new night service are currently out for consultation – Cllr Engert is encouraging local people can make their views known by emailing Consultation@tfl-buses.co.uk. Cllr Gail Engert would be grateful if anyone commenting could copy her in at Gail.Engert@haringey.gov.uk

Councillor Gail Engert comments:

“After nearly two years of campaigning it is very exiting that this vital bus route that links so many town centres may soon get the night-time service it deserves.

“I do hope as many people as possible will respond positively to this consultation. The whole campaign has shown how important it is for a community to work together to get things changed.”

Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, has made a personal heart-felt plea for funding for the reopening of the Hornsey Central Hospital to Ruth Carnell, Chief Executive of the London-wide Strategic Authority.

Meeting this week in Parliament, Ms. Featherstone spelt out the case for £7m bid for the Hornsey & Wood Green.She sought assurances that the area would see more GPs, rather than just existing ones centralised into new premises, and that the proposal would be fully integrated into existing health services, such as other practices and local pharmacies.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“My constituency desperately needs this injection of cash into its health infrastructure.I wanted to make it absolutely clear at the highest level that NHS officials have to make good on their promises to residents to re-open the site.

“I underlined how important it is for local residents and other NHS service providers to be consulted and involved in the planning process. While everyone wants to see investment in new facilities, people are concerned about the impact on existing GP practices, clinics and pharmacies.People care about their local health services and want NHS managers to listen to their concerns.”

Councillor Richard Wilson, Haringey Lib Dem Health Spokesperson added:

“This Hornsey Hospital site is the NHS’s opportunity to reverse the outrageous decline in health services that has taken place in the west of Haringey.

“But this new hospital simply cannot be an exercise in robbing Peter to pay Paul – shifting health services into one location rather than increasing them. Haringey NHS services must see real growth if our health care is not to suffer further.”

Stroud Green’s Lib Dem Councillors are demanding Christmas Lights on Stroud Green Road next year, to bring the busy road in line with other North London high streets.Stroud Green Road is on the boundary of Haringey and Islington Borough’s and the councillors are pressing for the two Councils to work together to get decorations up in 2007.

In other roads councils and traders both contribute towards the costs of decorations and lights, and Councillors have asked Haringey Council Officers to take a lead in organising a similar arrangement in Stroud Green Road.

Cllr Richard Wilson said:

“Stroud Green Road really is such a fantastic place for shopping and eating, but because it is on the border of two Boroughs it doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Given the festive efforts made elsewhere, we’ve put the cogs in motions to try and make sure it does not look like the road Santa forgot next year.We have asked officers at Haringey Council to take the lead in trying to get lights and decorations organised for next year. “

Cllr Laura Edge added:

“It’s so sad that Stroud Green Road is so bare this Christmas whilst other high streets look so festive.Shoppers and residents deserve a bit of Christmas sparkle.”

Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, comments:

“Christmas decorations are so important to local traders and residents.I very much hope the two councils will be able to work together for next year to enhance one of the most vibrant roads in my constituency.”

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey & Wood Green was yesterday promoted to the Liberal Democrat shadow cabinet with the role of Spokesperson for International Development.

Ms Featherstone’s promotion comes only eighteen months after election to Parliament and her successful term as deputy Home Affairs Spokesperson.She succeeds Susan Kramer as the party puts itself on an election footing ahead of a possible snap general election next year.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“Nowhere are the issues of liberalism and equality more relevant than in the sphere of international development. I am looking forward to championing the development cause in Parliament and challenging the government’s performance on one of the most important problems of our age.

“Fast paced globalisation means that what happens in one part of the world, increasingly affects us all and the Liberal Democrats will continue to campaign for Britain to play a more constructive international role”

Menzies Campbell, Lib Dem Leader adds:

“Lynne Featherstone is one of our very best campaigners and after her excellent work as Home Affairs Spokesperson, I am delighted that she has joined our Shadow Cabinet team.”

Plans to relocate vital local health services from Fortis Green Clinic to sites such as Bounds Green Health Centre and the Whittington Hospital, to enable the NHS to sell off the Clinic land, have been rejected by Lib Dem councillors. The proposed new locations for the Fortis Green Clinic sessions were revealed in a ‘discussion paper’ that Haringey Primary Care Trust (PCT) started distributing last week, ahead of a final decision on the closure being made at the PCT’s Board Meeting on 24th January.

The Liberal Democrats have argued that the clinic should not close, at least until the new community hospital is built at the Hornsey Central site, which will not be completed until 2008 at the earliest.According to the discussion paper, around 200 patients a week use the Fortis Green Clinic to get services such as foot care, blood tests and check-ups for babies.

Lib Dem Fortis Green Councillor Sara Beynon comments:

“This clinic is used by many elderly people and parents of new babies who will find travelling long distances very difficult. Places like Bounds Green Health Centre and the Whittington Hospital are not accessible to many people and are not suitable alternatives.Why should Muswell Hill residents have to travel miles just to get basic healthcare services?”

Cllr Martin Newton, also Fortis Green, comments:

“Services at Fortis Green must remain, at least until the new Hornsey Central Hospital is up-and-running and clinic sessions can transfer there. Making patients travel further to get to brand new facilities at Hornsey Hospital is one thing, but asking people to travel half-way across Haringey to use Bounds Green Clinic, which itself is under threat, is quite different.

Lib Dem Health Spokesperson Cllr Richard Wilson said;

“The PCT wants to make a decision on the 24th January, but this does not leave nearly enough time to consult with patients and residents, many of whom will be busy with Christmas and family for the next few weeks. I have written to PCT Chair Richard Sumray asking him to hold off making the decision on Fortis Green Clinic, and to listen to the concerns of people who don’t want to see valued health facilities disappear before there is anything new built.”

Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, has paid an early morning visit Christmas visit to the Royal Mail’s N8 sorting office.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I jumped on the opportunity to visit our local sorting office, even if it was at six in the morning. It is quite amazing when you see the logistical challenge they face in making sure everyone gets their Christmas cards and parcels on time.

“Since my election, I have received a significant number of complaints about Royal Mail delivery and I am pleased to see the positive effect of greater scrutiny into what the organisation is doing address the reasonable concerns of my constituents.

“I have established a good working relationship with Royal Mail officials so I would urge anyone who is still experiencing problems to get in touch with me so I help get something done.”