Backing local residents' campaign to save Park Road diving

Posted on 3rd Feb 2014 by Lynne Featherstone

Lynne Featherstone MP is backing a local community campaign to save diving facilities at Park Road leisure centre in Crouch End.

Dozens of local residents have contacted the local MP asking for support, after Haringey Council announced that they would remove the diving boards.

The Labour-run Council took this decision without any consultation, and despite previous assurances that the diving boards would remain in place and be improved.

The Liberal Democrat MP last week contacted the Council and demanded an explanation, and is backing local residents’ calls to pause the plans and think again.

Hornsey and Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone commented:

“When Haringey Council gave Fusion the contract to manage Park Road – they promised residents that the diving facilities would remain in place and be improved.

“Now, the Labour-run Council and Fusion are about to remove these facilities without consultation.

“Many local residents have contacted me to express their disappointment and concern at the loss of the diving boards. I am right behind them – and very happy to support their campaign to save the boards.

“As I haven’t yet received a response from the Council – I have contacted the Chief Executive today to request his urgent intervention.”

Residents can sign the petition to save the diving facilities here.

Call for meeting with Borough Commander following shocking burglary figures

Posted on 27th Jan 2014 by Lynne Featherstone

Lynne Featherstone MP has today requested a meeting with Haringey Borough Commander Victor Olisa, following recent news about burglary figures in N10 and N2.

The figures, based on the number of people who have made insurance claims for burglary, place N10 and N2 in the top twenty burglary hotspots by postcode in the UK.

The Liberal Democrat MP and the Haringey Lib Dems have also renewed their call for a replacement Safer Neighbourhood Team base and Police Front Counter in the N10 area. Muswell Hill police station and front counter was closed earlier this year, as part of the Conservative Mayor of London’s changes to policing in the capital.

The N10 and N2 postcodes encompass Muswell Hill, Fortis Green and Alexandra wards within the Hornsey and Wood Green constituency.

Hornsey and Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone commented:

“It’s very worrying to see our local area so high in this list of burglary hotspots. I have requested an urgent meeting with the Borough Commander to see what he thinks of these figures, and ask whether his crime statistics match up.

“In the meantime, our call for a replacement police base and front counter in the Muswell Hill area continues.”

Fortis Green Councillor and Haringey Lib Dem crime spokesperson Martin Newton commented:

“We are still waiting for a proper Police Contact Point in the Muswell Hill area following the closure of Muswell Hill police station. It’s vital that the public have easy access to our hard working and vigilant Safer Neighbourhood Team, if they need to report a crime or raise concerns.

“These figures, if representative of the crime statistics, are a shock to local residents. I am interested to hear the Borough Commander’s opinion on them, and to find out what action he will take now.”

Lib Dem politicians welcome decision to defer Hornsey Depot plan

Posted on 21st Jan 2014 by Lynne Featherstone

The Hornsey Depot application – which would see a Sainburys and over 400 new homes built on Hornsey High Street – has been deferred. This decision was made despite Labour-run Haringey Council’s planning officers saying planning permission should be granted.

At the meeting in Wood Green, Lib Dem Cllr Monica Whyte argued that the developers needed to make changes to the planned development on Hornsey High Street to address local residents’ concerns.

Local Lib Dem councillors and Lynne Featherstone MP had already formally lodged objections to the plans before the meeting – which included concerns about the quality and management of flats in the neighbouring New River site, which were built by the same developer.

Other issues raised by residents and politicians include:

The height of the proposed buildings
The density of the development
Limited play areas for children
The size of the Sainsbury’s store and its impact on local traders.

As a result of the Liberal Democrat and local resident concerns, the Committee deferred the decision and requested that the developers come back with revised plans taking into account residents’ views.

Monica Whyte, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Hornsey, comments:

“I welcome the decision to defer the application for the development of the Hornsey Depot site. We want the site developed but the concerns of residents must be taken into account. The developers need to revise their plans and do more to address the concerns of local residents.

“We want to see the right development on Hornsey High Street, which brings benefits to the local community. The plans put forward last night were just not good enough.”

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

“This is good news for local residents. I hope the delay will mean that the developers take heed and listen to the concerns that the Haringey Lib Dems and residents have raised, and revise their plans accordingly.

“The problems at the New River Village, which I am still campaigning on, can’t be ignored. The developer must also show that lessons have been learnt from that before any further changes are made to our community.”

Hornsey Post Office to be refurbished

Posted on 17th Jan 2014 by Lynne Featherstone

Lynne Featherstone MP has today welcomed news that Hornsey Post Office will soon be modernised, into a ‘main style’ Post Office branch.

This will mean a newly refurbished branch with longer opening hours for local residents. The Post Office will offer the same products and services, with the addition of Car Tax.

The Post Office on Hornsey High Street will close for refurbishment on Thursday 20^th February, and will reopen on Friday 28^th.

Five post offices were lost in Hornsey and Wood Green under the previous Labour Government. Nationally, 7,100 Post Offices disappeared in Labour’s 13 years in office.

The Liberal Democrats in Government have provided £640 million in additional funding to modernise and protect Post Offices, on top of the no involuntary closure programme and £1.34 billion funding to ensure the Post Office network maintains its 11,500 branches.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“It’s great to hear that Hornsey Post Office will be modernised and have longer opening hours – providing a better service for local residents.

“Since entering Government, the Lib Dems have made Post Offices a priority – stopping the kind of involuntary closures we saw under Labour, and providing over £1billion in funding to help modernise and maintain existing offices.

“Local Post Offices are vital parts of our communities, and thanks to hard working post masters and the Lib Dems in Government, they’re now here to stay!”

Local Lib Dem campaigner Dawn Barnes said:

“Many local people use Hornsey Post Office and really value the service it provides, so I am delighted that its long-term future has been secured.

“This great news follows the successful local Lib Dem campaign to keep Hornsey Sorting Office open – meaning residents here will now have great postal services all around.

“It is also great news for residents that the Post Office will be refurbished and open later on Saturdays.”

Meeting with Haringey Housing Chiefs to demand vital repairs

Posted on 15th Jan 2014 by Lynne Featherstone

Lynne Featherstone MP and Cllr Richard Wilson last week met with Haringey Council and Homes for Haringey to request that vital repairs are made to the Noel Park estate in Wood Green.

Last year, Labour-run Haringey Council announced that no ‘Decent Homes’ repair work would be made to the entire Noel Park Estate – despite previous promises to complete the work, and despite receiving an extra £25million grant from the Coalition Government.

This prompted outrage from residents, local MP Lynne Featherstone and the Haringey Liberal Democrats – who have since been robustly campaigning for the Decent Homes work (which includes fitting new kitchens, bathrooms and other repairs) to take place as scheduled.

At the meeting, the Council representatives committed to make urgent repairs to properties if necessary, and to consult with residents of the estate about the more extensive Decent Homes work.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“Many homes on the Noel Park estate are in urgent need of repair and modernisation, and residents have been promised just that for years. Noel Park should be a priority, but instead the Labour-run Council is turning their backs on residents.

“It’s Haringey Council’s job to provide tenants with a decent standard of living – and the Government has given the Council extra money to do so.

“It’s no wonder residents are so outraged by the cancellation of the work – particularly following revelations that the Labour-run Council allowed £3.7million to be dished out on bonuses for repairs staff!

“The Council have committed to make urgent repairs and consult residents – which is a step in the right direction but not good enough. The local Noel Park Lib Dem team and I will keep campaigning for full repairs for residents on the Noel Park estate.”

Sign the petition for money to be spend on homes, rather than on bonuses for failure, here.

Taking part in local school project on homelessness

Posted on 15th Jan 2014 by Lynne Featherstone

Lynne Featherstone MP last week visited Greig City Academy in Hornsey, to take part in a student’s citizenship project on homelessness.

Along with a volunteer from the Haringey Winter Shelter, the MP for Hornsey and Wood Green participated in a discussion with a group of year 11 students about how to raise awareness of homelessness.

The group also discussed the help available to young people affected by homelessness.

The Coalition Government has invested over £470 million to tackle homelessness, with the bulk of this being spent on homeless prevention funding.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“I was very glad to see young students tackling the subject of homelessness. The issue should be on the agenda – not pushed to one side and forgotten.

“There are so many wonderful charities and soup kitchens helping homeless people on a daily basis. And the Government is helping, too, with £470 million of funding being used to try and prevent homelessness.

“£3.5 million has been used to extend the ‘No Second Night Out’ programme beyond the London pilot to eight new areas – and only two out of 683 people being helped by the scheme in Merseyside have returned to the streets since February 2012.”

Lynne Featherstone MP responds to Hornsey Depot application

Posted on 8th Jan 2014 by Lynne Featherstone

Lynne Featherstone MP has submitted a response to the application to build a Sainsbury’s supermarket, a car park, and over 400 flats on the old Depot site on Hornsey High Street.

The application was submitted by Sainsbury’s and the developers St James’ last year, and will be discussed by Haringey Council – who will make the final decision on the application – on the 20^th January.

In the response, the Liberal Democrat MP outlined concerns about the impact of the development of local businesses and high street, along with concerns about increased traffic, the height of the development, quality of housing and impact on local services such as schools and doctors surgeries.

The MP for Hornsey and Wood Green held a public meeting to discuss the development in November, and together with the Haringey Lib Dems, asked thousands of residents for their views about the plans. Residents’ views arising from the meeting and survey have been used to inform the response.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“Nobody wants this site to remain derelict, but the consequences of over-development or pushing ahead with plans against the will and advice of local residents could harm our local area.

“Concerns remain about the impact on local traders, the increased traffic, the quality of housing and the increased demand on local schools and GPs a surge in population will cause. These concerns and more are outlined in detail in my response.

“These considerations must be addressed before local residents and I can fully support the planned development.”

Lynne Featherstone MP welcomes Haringey health funding boost

Posted on 6th Jan 2014 by Lynne Featherstone

This year, Haringey will receive a £7.6 million funding increase for local health services such as hospitals and walk-in centres.

The above inflation increase for Haringey was announced by NHS England in December, after the funding formula used to allocate money was reviewed. The new formula ‘will more accurately reflect population changes and include a specific deprivation measure.’

The announcement follows a campaign for fairer health funding by Lynne Featherstone MP, the Haringey Liberal Democrats and local residents.

During the campaign, the Liberal Democrat MP contacted both the Department of Health and NHS England, demanding a fairer deal for Haringey health services – which have been historically underfunded.

Alongside welcoming the increase, the MP for Hornsey and Wood Green has vowed to continue the campaign to secure further funding for local services.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“Haringey health services have been underfunded for decades, unfairly receiving less money per person than neighbouring boroughs.

“I am so pleased that the Government has changed the funding formula, giving Haringey health services a much needed funding boost. Thank you to all the local residents who got involved in the campaign for more funding, and helped add pressure for change.

“We don’t yet have truly fair funding, though, and I will continue to push for even more money for our local services.”

Tory and UKIP MEPs fail to condemn female genital mutilation

Posted on 13th Dec 2013 by Lynne Featherstone

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, and Liberal Democrat European human rights spokeswoman Sarah Ludford MEP have strongly condemned Conservatives MEPs who voted against or abstained in a European Parliament vote on condemning the disgraceful practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

Four Conservative MEPs – Marta Andreasen, Nirj Deva, Sajjad Karim and Timothy Kirkhope – voted against the motion to condemn FGM, and several UKIP and Conservative MEPs including UKIP’s London MEP Gerard Batten abstained.

Lynne Featherstone commented:

“It is deeply shocking that so many Tory and UKIP MEPs refused to condemn female genital mutilation.”

“I have made it a priority of this government to end this horrific practice within a generation. That means working through international organisations like the EU to help shape cultural attitudes worldwide.”

“Sending out mixed signals like this completely undermines the global fight against FGM on which Britain is playing a leading role, in support of the many African countries who have already banned the practice.”

Sarah Ludford added:

“Yesterday’s vote was a betrayal of the millions of young girls who have been subjected to genital mutilation the world over.”

“Tory and UKIP MEPs would do better to put their personal attitudes towards the EU aside when it comes to something as important as the fight against FGM. Surely we should be standing united in condemning this barbaric practice and working together to end it.”

Lib Dem efforts secure extra money for Haringey schools

Posted on 11th Dec 2013 by Lynne Featherstone

Lynne Featherstone MP and the Haringey Lib Dems have welcomed a revised funding formula for local schools.

The Hornsey and Wood Green MP reacted angrily and demanded a rethink last year, when Labour-run Haringey Council produced a funding formula which left a number of schools with less money, despite the council receiving £millions more funding from Government.

The local MP publicly criticised the Labour administration and asked the Department for Education to intervene. Under the new formula, all schools in the borough will receive a rise in funding next year.

Haringey Borough received an extra £13million to give to schools this year, thanks to the Pupil Premium policy introduced by the Liberal Democrats in Government. An additional £7.3 million will also be received following the Liberal Democrat MP’s successful campaign for fairer education funding.

The new funding formula is due to be approved at the Haringey Council cabinet meeting next week.

Haringey Lib Dem spokesperson for children, Cllr Katherine Reece, said:

“I am pleased to see that Liberal Democrat campaigns are having a real effect on the ground, and that Haringey’s children are to benefit from the success of these campaigns.

“After so many years of losing out, Haringey schools are close to having truly fair funding.”

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“The Lib Dems, both locally and nationally, have worked hard to secure over £20 million in extra funding for our schools – so it is quite right for every school in the borough to get a boost.

“I was absolutely livid last year when Labour-run Haringey Council put together a botched formula which projected a loss of money for some local schools.

“Thankfully, the revised formula, which is more in line with national standards, has produced a much better result.”