Lib Dem councillors in Haringey have welcomed progress being made on traffic calming in the Alexandra area. The comments come following a meeting with council officers and the Council’s Executive member for environment, attended by Councillors Lynne Featherstone (Muswell Hill) and Susan Oatway (Alexandra).

The meeting was to discuss the implementation of the road calming measures to Dukes Avenue and the surrounding area, which were backed by residents following two years of consultation. However, Council officers have been presented with a petition from residents of Rosebery Road objecting to ‘pinch points’ on the road of grounds of loss of parking. Similar concerns have been expressed by residents in Muswell Avenue.The Lib Dems says the challenge now is to match residents’ clear preference for traffic calming following the completion of the consultation process in July, with specific and sensible proposals.

Cllr Lynne Featherstone comments: “The working group of local residents associations has worked closely with local people, residents’ associations and Haringey Council over the past two years to ensure the best way of calming traffic in the area. However many residents are still dissatisfied with the details. We will continue to work with them to try to find a solution. If we fail to do so, I fear the money earmarked for this project may eventually be lost to other areas.”

Lib Dem Councillor Wayne Hoban has welcomed the upgrading of Alexandra Library, N22 after almost two years of lobbying Haringey Council. However, he says more needs to be done to bring the library fully up to scratch. The completion of the new fire escape was the final part of an upgrade that also included installation of a computer room, improved furnishings and vending facilities.

The Lib Dems have been campaigning for many years for improvements to Haringey’s libraries. In February 2002 Cllr Hoban and former Fortis Green Councillor Barbara Fabian requested that Haringey Council guarantee funds for maintaining and repairing Alexandra and Highgate libraries after revelations that no money had been put aside in the budget for this.

Lib Dem Deputy Leader Cllr Hoban says that the improvements go some way to bringing the library up to an acceptable standard. However he says that much more investment needs to be made in order to reverse over a decade of neglect.

Cllr Hoban (Alexandra) comments: “I am pleased that we have finally seen some money spent on improving this invaluable local resource. I remain concerned however, that the toilets have yet to be upgraded to facilitate disabled access.

“However it is just a start and I will continue to press the Council to allocate more of its funds to improving this and other libraries in the borough.”

Highgate Liberal Democrat councillors have welcomed assurances from Haringey Council that they will consult properly on any extension of parking controls in the area – and have pledged to continue to ensure that residents’ voices are fully heard in the consultation process. The move follows reassurances given at a special meeting of the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee called by Highgate councillors to hear concerns raised by Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams and others over present proposals for a Highgate station scheme.

As well as local councillors, five residents groups expressed their views and concerns on the Council’s plans. Among the issues resolved were:

-Following requests from residents groups, residents in ‘the Cholmeleys’ and Southwood Lane would receive a consultation paper (with a clear ‘yes/no’ option on whether they want to be included in the Highgate Village Scheme) early in the New Year.

-Streets that have just been added to the process at the statutory stage of the consultation process in the proposed Highgate station scheme will be the subject of a full decision by the Executive at a later stage and not passed ‘on the nod’ by the Labour lead member.

-One road, Bishops Road, which was to have been left out of the consultation process, but could have been surrounded by streets with parking controls, is to be given a say at the second stage of the Highgate Station consultation.

Cllr Neil Williams comments:

“This was a useful meeting, and I am pleased that Haringey Council has now moved to address some of the concerns on the details of the Highgate station scheme. We must ensure that consultation is carried out in a sensible and rational manner, with the detailed proposals meeting the wishes of as many residents as is possible.

“We will continue to work to ensure that residents’ voices are heard – but that schemes are not foisted upon roads which do not want them.”

Labour councillors have not been telling the truth over controversial £1million payments being made to help sell off Alexandra Palace, say Lib Demcouncillors. The payments are for consultants to help turn the Palaceinto a super-casino – plans which now look doomed to failure after theGovernment was forced to slash the number of super-casinos it willapprove.

The payments were rushed through by Labour’s ruling Executive under”urgency” procedures in October, ensuring that they did not receive properand full public scrutiny.

The Liberal Democrats have pointed out thatthere was nothing new in Labour’s sell-off plans which required the use ofurgency powers, and that with proper planning the payments could have beenconsidered by all councillors. Labour used the excuse of ‘urgency’ toblock Lib Dem attempts to ‘call in’ the decision to have it reviewed bythe Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Labour had claimed that the payments were in fact voted through at theOctober Full Council meeting, saying in a recent statement that: “Therequest for funding was agreed unanimously at the last Full Councilmeeting on the 4th October.” [Labour party press release]

However, the Council did not vote the money through. Members at the Full Councilmeeting could not have agreed to any request for funding as the paperworkwas only tabled ‘for information’ rather than for any decision.

Furthermore, the paperwork tabled at the meeting did not specify the£1m which has since been agreed by Labour. If it had, Lib Dems say thatdue to their conflict of interest, Labour councillors who sit on the PallyBoard should not have voted anyway. If a substantive decision on Palaceand Park arose at Full Council, then councillors would have to be advisedthat they would have to consider whether they were acting in their”trustee” or “local authority” role.

Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams comments:

“Labour’s claims about the procedures surrounding the one million poundsprocured for their super-casino plan are entirely false. The facts arethat one million pounds of extra money, without a tendering process, hassimply been signed off by Labour Executive members without givingcouncillors the opportunity to debate on the funding. This is entirelywrong, and the Chairman of the Ally Pally Board in particular, has shown adisturbing lack of understanding of the position.”

Lib Dem Ally Pally Spokesperson Cllr Bob Hare, adds:

“The end result of this sorry state of affairs is that one million poundscould well be wasted. While all this was being rushed through, theGovernment’s controversial plans for super casinos have come spectacularlyoff the rails. The only winners will be consultants, who will be laughingall the way to the bank.”

Lib Dem councillor Lynne Featherstone has welcomed news that Haringey Councilhas responded swiftly to her call for repairs to the uneven paving onBrownlow Road, adjacent to Bounds Green station.

The work currently in progress is the relaying of sections of pavingbetween the station and Maidstone Road. A further order has been made forthe relaying of two metres of kerbs plus some slabs at the Maidstone Roadjunction. The work follows complaints made by Cllr Featherstone on behalfof local residents who were concerned at the deterioration of thepavements and the hazard that this was causing.

Cllr Featherstone has welcomed the news but says that further pavement androad repairs need to be investigated and repaired and she will continue topress for this.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I am pleased that this much needed work isunderway so that the pavements will be brought up to an acceptablestandard.However, the Council should not let paving get into this statebefore repairs are carried out.”

Liberal Democrat councillors in Alexandra ward have welcomed the agreement by the Haringey Council to include the hazardous junction at Winton Avenue and Bidwell Gardens, N22 in its review of traffic calming measures in the area. The agreement was confirmed by the Council in response to a letter from Cllr Wayne Hoban asking for urgent action to be taken.

The news comes following months of pressure from Cllr Wayne Hoban who regularly receives complaints from parents who say that they and their children have to run the gauntlet against ‘rat-run’ traffic to enter and exit Albert Road recreation ground and playground.

The London Borough of Haringey and Transport for London will be undertaking a review of the area to identify where traffic calming measures will need to be implemented in conjunction with plans to widen the A406 road.

Cllr Hoban welcomed the news but cautioned that much was still to be done before any improvements would be agreed.

Cllr Wayne Hoban comments:

“I am pleased that the Council have taken this opportunity to investigate a dangerous junction that is used by many children on their way to school and the recreation ground.

“It is a first step, and we will continue to lobby the Council and TfL until safety improvements are made to this junction.”

Lib Dem Muswell Hill councillor Jonathan Bloch has expressed deep concernat the investment policies of Haringey Council’s pension fund. Hiscomments come after it came to light that Haringey Council has beeninvesting in American oil giant Unocal which continues to work with theBurmese Government.

The military-run Government of Myanmar (formerly Burma) has an appallinghuman rights record with many international organisations calling forsanctions to be brought against the south-east Asian country.

Cllr Bloch says that he will be seeking urgent clarification from theCouncil over their investment policy and pressing for a review of it ifthe response is unsatisfactory.

Cllr Jonathan Bloch comments:

“It concerns me greatly that those investing on behalf of the Council haveinvested in a company working so closely with a Government that has such aterrible human rights record. It is essential that the Council’s stance onethical investment is clarified. I will be seeking this and acting uponthe response.”

Liberal Democrat councillors in Crouch End have unanimously condemned aproposal by Haringey Labour-run Council to close Red Gables Family Centre,which is located in Crouch Hill N8 and provides vital health andwell-being facilities for children and families. The closure would enablethe Council to cut £260, 000 from its budget.

The announcement made at the Social Services and Health Scrutiny Panelcomes just months after the Council announced the closure oftwo day hospitals for people with mental health problems in the area.

Despite Lib Dem Health Spokesperson Cllr Aitken and Crouch End colleagueCllr Peter Floyd voting against the closure on grounds that new children’scentres promised will not be up and running for at least two years, theLabour members forced it through.

There is also fear that the centre, located on a prime site in Crouch Endcould be sold off to a developer for a large capital sum, depriving thewest of Haringey with a much needed facility and leading to yet anotherhigh density housing project in Crouch End. Fellow Crouch End and Lib Demcouncillor Dave Winskill backed the opposition to the closure of RedGables.

Cllr Winskill (Crouch End) comments:

“This is an appalling decision whichis badly managed and has the strong smell of political neglect in thewest. This side of the borough has been crying out for years for decenteducational provision: to create another massive hole for two years in thealready depleted provision is beyond belief.

Cllr Aitken (Crouch End) adds:

“It is yet another closure of vital serviceby Labour. It has been a miserable and uncertain year for vulnerablegroups in Haringey who looked to New Labour to protect them, instead jobsand facilities are to be cut and dedicated staff and carers faceuncertainty. We will continue to fight these closures.”

Lib Dem councillors in Highgate and Crouch End are backing compromiseplans from local residents over tough new parking controls proposed byHaringey Council. The Council is presently consulting on plans which wouldpaint double yellow lines down much of Hornsey Lane, which has concernedresidents living on a road which already has a shortage of parking.

Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams, who represents Highgate ward, has beenworking with the local residents’ association, the Hornsey LaneAssociation, and local campaigner Ralph Crisp, to see if a sensiblecompromise can be agreed.

The Council had agreed to a request from CllrWilliams to put on hold the implementation of the scheme until alternativeplans could be worked out. Hornsey Lane’s six Lib Dem councillors are nowbacking the alternative plans, which would allow parking to continue onparts of the Lane, but also create new breaks which would allow for thebuild up of traffic bottlenecks to be addressed.

Lib Dem Leader and Highgate councillor Neil Williams comments:

“I hope theCouncil will listen to the views of the residents, who have come up with aworkable plan that will improve traffic flow without unnecessarily takingaway parking places. The road is a bus route and a main road connectingHighgate and Crouch End, so we must ensure traffic can flow -but I thinka balance can be struck.”

Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson Cllr Lynne Featherstone adds:

“John Gordon, Ralph Crisp and the Hornsey Lane Associate deserve much credit forthe hard work they have put in to developing their alternative proposals,and I hope the council will adopt them.”

Haringey Lib Dems have welcomed news from Haringey Council that they will be extending the range of items that will be collected under the door-to-door recycling scheme. Residents in the area covered by the expanded scheme will soon be able to put cardboard and plastic in their green boxes for collection.

The announcement follows three years of persistent pressure from the Lib Dems for recycling improvements. The party pledged in their 2002 local election manifesto to press for an extensive door-to-door recycling service in the borough.

The extension to the current door-to-door green box scheme will include, in addition to the cardboard and plastic, mixed paper and green garden waste and comes two years after Haringey Council bowed to pressure from the Lib Dems and extended door-to-door recycling. However, since that success the council’s official opposition has continued to lobby the Council to provide the recycling services that the residents have asked for.

In the last two years Lib Dem successes have included securing a review of recycling and waste minimisation in the borough by the Council’s scrutiny committee and launching a Lib Dem recycling factsheet with all the contact details and information on the subject that the Council has failed to provide. Additionally, individual councillors have worked hard to secure more recycling facilities where local residents want them.

Lib Dem environment spokesperson, Cllr Bob Hare and Muswell Hill councillor Lynne Featherstone are pleased with the Council’s long overdue decision to extend the scheme to include plastic and cardboard.

Cllr Bob Hare (Highgate) comments:

“I am pleased that the Council has woken up to its responsibility and persistent Lib Dem pressure. I hope that they have learned from the debacle of the green box roll out two years ago and residents will be properly informed of changes to the service.”

Cllr Featherstone (Muswell Hill) adds:

“I have received many letters complaining about the Council’s poor recycling services in recent years, and I am pleased that the Council is finally listening to these complaints and starting to take action.

“There is still much that the Council needs to do to reverse years of neglect on this issue, but it is a step in the right direction and we will continue to press for the comprehensive service that we have been lobbying for.”