After months of chasing Haringey Council, the Lib Dems have finally secured repairs to a badly damaged stretch of pavement on Colney Hatch Lane, near Greenham Road, N10.

The problem was first reported by Lib Dem councillors last winter after a leak from the shops on the road caused damage to the pavements and made the surface muddy. Hairngey Council logged the complaint for inspection in February of this year.

However it remained unrepaired, despite pressure from the Lib Dems, with Haringey Council citing poor weather or lack of materials as reasons for the inaction.

Finally this month repairs have been made following further complaints from Cllr Lynne Featherstone and her Fortis Green colleagues. She is pleased that the repairs have taken place but is concerned at the length of time it has taken to repair the pavements that have been hazardous for the best part of a year.

Cllr Featherstone comments: “I’m pleased that the Council has finally taken action to repair this pavement which has been particularly hazardous to elderly and disabled residents who have had to contend with the slippery and unstable surface.”

Cllr Gilbert (Fortis Green) adds: “It is a concern that it has taken nine months for Haringey to take action over this particular issue. We will be paying close attention to make ensure that the Council doesn’t make a habit of this kind of inaction.”

Lib Dem Social Services spokesperson Ron Aitken has expressed ‘deep concern’ following the news that no senior managers or politicians are to resign following the revelations last week that Haringey Council had employed a convicted paedophile, Dennis Bell, as a school bus driver.

Bell, who had a string of nine convictions dating back to 1972, was employed to drive a bus for disabled children without police checks. He worked for Haringey for several months before police following up a motor offence raised the alarm.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Ron Aitken had tabled a series of questions under Urgent Business to the Director of Social Services and Lead Member Cllr Kate Wynne for a key Child Protection meeting on 23 September.

However, Labour Councillor George Meehan, who chairs the Children Services Advisory Panel, ruled that the questions relating to the employment by Haringey of Bell were “not urgent business but very old business indeed”.

Cllr Meehan refused to allow Cllr Aitken to state his reasons for demanding the resignations of leading politicians and senior managers. Cllr Aitken says that Haringey Council leaders’ failure to take responsibility for the near-catastrophic failure to police check Bell demonstrated how little they had learned from Victoria Climbie tragedy.

Cllr Aitken Comments: “Yet again, arrogant Labour politicians, some of whom were criticised by Lord Laming’s Report on the death of Victoria Climbie, have refused to face up to their mistakes.

“Cllr Meehan does not think employing a paedophile is an urgent matter for a child protection meeting and that is deeply worrying. I hope that some of the Labour politicians and senior managers, who kept this quiet, re-examine their consciences and resign”.

Lib Dem traffic spokesperson, Susan Oatway has tabled an urgent oral question to the next full meeting of Haringey Council (4th October) regarding the traffic situation in Dukes Avenue and the neighbouring roads.

The request comes a week after a consultation report was published on road calming measures for Dukes Avenue and just days after a resident was hit by a car while crossing the road.

Cllr Oatway, who represents Alexandra ward, has worked closely over the last two years in drawing up the plans to tackle some of the traffic problems on the busy rat-running route. However now that the consultation report has been published, she wants Haringey Council to start implementing the measures and she will be seeking clear time scales to which the agreed work will be completed.

She says that the work will go someway to addressing the traffic problem, but there are still many issues regarding road safety in the area that are yet to be addressed.

Cllr Oatway comments: “The agreed works must be implemented as soon as possible before any more accidents happen. The area has been waiting long enough for these safety measures.”

Lib Dem Deputy Leader, Wayne Hoban has written to Vodafone to confirm that residents in Alexandra ward remain opposed to their proposal to install a mobile phone mast and base station in Harcourt Gardens pocket park, N22.

The action follows a meeting held with local residents last night organised by Cllr Hoban and chaired by fellow Alexandra Councillor Susan Oatway at Alexandra Park School.The meeting was called to discuss the current status of Vodafone’s plans for the pocket park based at the junction of Albert Road and Durnsford Road, as well as feeding back responses from Haringey Council and Vodafone to questions raised at the previous meeting held in March.

Concerns had been raised over the summer when a BT contractor team turned up unannounced one weekend during the summer to undertake preparatory work, including digging up the road, without being required to submit their plans to Haringey Council.

Cllr Hoban believes that this act demonstrates that the law needs to be changed to ensure that mobile phone mast installations are subject to planning control, which they are not at present.

Cllr Hoban (Alexandra): “This is an issue of great importance to local residents and Haringey must press the Government to look into reforming current legislation to give local planning departments more power to control the growing number of base units and aerials.

“I have written to Vodafone to express local opposition to their current plans, but in the absence of legislation to control such developments, we can do little more than protest.”

Following the publication of the report on the Finsbury Park CPZ satisfaction survey, Stroud Green Liberal Democrat councillor Laura Edge has called on Haringey Council to adopt a more flexible approach to tackling parking problems in the area.

Many respondents living within the current CPZ commented that the hours of operation were too long and that a one-hour block at the beginning or end of the day or a two-hour block in the middle of the day would adequately deter commuter parking. In its report Haringey Council dismissed these concerns maintaining that such hours of operation would not act to discourage “inessential vehicle trips” outside the limited control period.

Ms Edge remains unconvinced and has criticised Haringey Council for adopting a “one-size-fits-all” solution to the problem. She argues that different streets in the area encounter different parking problems and have different needs. She also stresses the importance of balancing the need to secure adequate parking for residents against the needs of local businesses and schools.

Ms Edge is particularly concerned about Haringey Council’s current blanket approach in view of its decision to consult on the extension of the Finsbury Park CPZ. Responses to the survey of residents in roads surrounding the current CPZ revealed mixed feelings about its extension, with 52% of residents in favour and 48% against.

Laura Edge comments:

“The results of the survey of residents in areas surrounding the current CPZ indicate considerable division of opinion within the community over the expansion of the scheme. I hope that Haringey Council will adopt a flexible approach attuned to the particular needs and problems of the area.”

Ms Edge has also called on the Council to improve arrangements for obtaining residents’ and visitors’ permits after 58% of respondents said they were not satisfied with current arrangements. Ms Edge welcomed the decision to pilot the issuing of permits from Hornsey Customer Services but also called for the reduction of bureaucracy around the issuing of permits.

Ms Edge also called on Haringey Council to take immediate action over the problems associated with the garage in Upper Tollington Park, which has been dumping cars in the street. Residents of Upper Tollington Park expressed concern over the behaviour of the garage in their responses to the survey and in its report Haringey Council stated that it was “formulating a strategy”with local police, parking attendants and the DVLA to deal with the problem.

Ms Edge says that this is not good enough:

“I was told back in May of this year that Haringey was devising a strategy to deal with this problem. How much longer is this going to take? Local residents aren’t interested in strategies – they want concrete action to tackle a problem which has become a long-standing blight on their lives”.

Lib Dem councillors have welcomed the demonstration streetlight at the corner of Etheldene Avenue and The Chine (N10). The new lamp is designed to be sympathetic to Haringey’s conservation areas where houses are generally older.

The lamp is approximately 30% higher than the old cast iron gas lamp columns, which have all long been converted to use electricity with a pipe extension holding the bulb. If liked by local residents, the new columns are likely to be used in a number of roads that are in need of new lighting in and around Highgate, Crouch End, Muswell Hill and Fortis Green. All of the new columns would be fitted with a lamp that gives a white light providing a better level of illumination than existing streetlights.

Lib Dem Councillors Bob Hare and Gail Engert believe that the new lamp could be the compromise that Haringey Council has been looking for. Many residents in Crouch End were dismayed last year whendistinctive old cast iron columns – many of which have the borough’s initials cast into them – were replaced with modern ones that were not in keeping with the surroundings.

Both councillors welcome the potential of the lamp, but say that it is important that residents look at the new lamp and feed their comments back so that an informed decision can be made. Lib Dem Environment Spokesperson Cllr Hare adds that there are a few roads both in the west and east of the borough where the period of the houses and character of the area may mean the best option is to restore the original columns with new lamp fittings.

Cllr Gail Engert (Muswell Hill) comments: “This lamp offers what may be a more suitable replacement for old lamps in the conservation areas. However, it is important that residents make their views clear on the new lamp and I would encourage as many residents who can to go and see the lamp and let us and Haringey Council know what they think of it.”

Cllr Hare (Highgate) adds: “It is also important that Haringey Council ensures that, whatever the verdict is on the new lamp, at least some of the specially cast period lamp posts in the area are restored to ensure that the area’s local distinctiveness and heritage is maintained.”

Lib Dem Councillor Lynne Featherstone is calling for Haringey Council to take urgent action to resolve the fly-tipping problem in Queens Wood after Haringey’s contractors, Haringey Accord, informed her that it was not their responsibility.

Cllr Featherstone, along with her colleagues in Muswell Hill and Highgate wards, have campaigned for the last couple of years for Haringey Council to take action to control this fly-tipping blackspot with some success.

Haringey Accord have made Queens Wood Road a priority road and have made assurances that road sweepers will report fly-tipped items on regular sweeps of the area. They have also installed CCTV to record those dumping at this location.

However Accord have stated that the wood itself is not their responsibility and as a result much of the fly-tipped rubbish remains uncollected.

Cllr Featherstone is concerned at the current gap in Haringey’s clean-up service. She has contacted Haringey Council to seek assurances that they will resolve this issue with Accord and ensure that fly-tipped rubbish is removed from the wood within 48 hours of it being reported.

Cllr Featherstone (Muswell Hill) comments: “It is a concern that Haringey Council appears to have gaps in the service.

“However, I am pleased that action is being taken with respect to the road itself and I hope that the CCTV will help to prosecute those responsible for this most anti-social practice.”

Haringey Liberal Democrats have welcomed the decision on the Alexandra Palace traffic calming consultation report presented at Haringey Council’s Executive last week.

The consultation process was to decide how best to spend the £100,000 secured by London Assembly Member Lynne Featherstone (Lib Dem) to address concerns by local residents over speeding and traffic on Dukes Avenue and the surrounding roads in N10.

The initial focus group involved more than 10 local residents’ groups from the area who, along with council officers andlocal councillors help designed three road calming options.

Earlier this year a consultation document was sent out to all residents in the area with three options presented:

Option One: Traffic calming – a series of pinch points, with give-way priorities and refuge islands along Dukes Avenue, The Avenue, Grove Avenue, Rosebery Avenue and Muswell Road to encourage a reduction in speed whilst travelling through the area.

Option Two: Zoning – road closures at strategic locations to prevent the area being used as a through route; pinch points to encourage a reduction in speed along The Avenue, Grove Avenue and Dukes Avenue.

Option Three: – opposed to both options or do nothing: it was also agreed that the wording of the questionnaire would allow residents to register their objection to both options.

The Council received over 850 valid consultation responses by the 9th July deadline, a response rate of 32.9%.

By a clear majority, local residents opted for Option One. Lib Dem traffic spokesperson and Alexandra ward councillor, Susan Oatway, has welcomed the result. She has been involved with the focus group from the beginning and is pleased that a clear decision has been reached following over two years of consultative meetings.

Now that consultation has been concluded, Cllr Oatway is keen for Haringey Council to start working on its quick implementation. She is also hoping that the busy Alexandra Park Road will be considered for interactive speed signs along with Dukes Avenue, Muswell Road and Rosebery Road, to help remind drivers of the speed limits.

Cllr Oatway (Alexandra) comments: “We welcome the decision at the end of a long and thorough consultation process and I would like to thank all the residents who have been involved.

“There is a significant majority in favour of traffic calming and the Council have taken the various comments from different roads intoconsideration. I have asked that they consider a vehicle activated speed sign for Alexandra Park Road to help increase road safety for the many children walking to and from school.

“I am hopeful that the agreed action will ensure improvements in speed reduction and road safety in this residential area.”

Amidst the growing public concern over the application to build a concrete batching plant on the Cranmore Way Industrial Estate in Hornsey, local councillor Laura Edge (Lib Dem, Stroud Green) is calling on Haringey Council to conduct a full environmental impact assessment of the development.

In light of concerns expressed at last night’s public meeting, Ms Edge says such a detailed study is essential in view of residents’ fears and advice given by English Nature on the issue. She also points out that Haringey Council had initially asked for an assessment but the applicant appealed to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister which ruled that this was not necessary.

Laura Edge is also asking Haringey Council to ensure that a noise assessment is carried out in front of Chettle Court, the nearest property to the proposed site. Noise consultants failed to make such an assessment, claiming that they could not gain access. Ms Edge says that confidence in the planning process will not be achieved until an independent noise assessment takes place.

Laura Edge comments:

“I firmly believe that the site is not suitable for a concrete batching plant, and I believe that these comprehensive appraisals will demonstrate this. These must now take place. As a matter of fairness and courtesy, Haringey Council must also keep residents fully informed at all stages in the planning process. This includes writing to everyone who attended the meeting to let them know when the plans will come before Haringey Council. Green N8 and the other local groups which have worked hard on the issue must be kept fully informed.”

Cllr David Winskill (Crouch End) who was also at the meeting adds:

“I am particularly concerned at the admission last night that from London Concrete that their present estimate of 56 lorry movements a day are based on the plant working to approximately 50% capacity. If the plant was working at full tilt, we could be looking at well in excess of 100 movements per day.

“This would have a dire environmental impact on the local area, and must be factored in to any assessments by Haringey Council.”

Commenting on the report in the Evening Standard that Haringey had employed a bus driver with convictions for sex offences against children, Cllr Ron Aitken, Lib Dem Social Services Spokesperson, said:

“The employment of Dennis Bell, a known and persistent threat to children, clearly shows that Haringey Council has failed to learn the lessons of the Victoria Climbie case.

“Yet again, assurances that Haringey Council’s child protection procedures were being implemented properly have shown to be without foundation, with potentially terrible consequences.

“It is time that senior staff took responsibly for this alarming discovery. Those responsible should resign.”