The appeal against the refusal of planning permission to build houses on the land at the rear of 2-16 Lauradale Road was heard on 14th September at the Royal British Legion in Muswell Hill. Local Lib Dems have welcomed the strong turnout from concerned residents.

More than 40 residents turned up to oppose the developer’s appeal, along with the Headmistress of Tetherdown School and local Lib Dem ward councillor for Fortis Green, Matt Davies. The appeal was heard by an independent Planning Inspector, Paul Jackson. Haringey Council formally opposed the appeal and a number of residents spoke against the proposals.

“I was delighted at the strong turnout,” says Cllr Matt Davies. “The Planning Inspector will have been left in no doubt as to the depth of local feeling and residents spoke very well to reinforce the objections outstanding since the beginning of the planning application process.

Cllr Davies also spoke against the proposals at the appeal hearing. He said:

“The strength of opposition to this proposed development is the largest I have known since I was elected to represent the area. This is indicative of the importance the wider community attaches to the footpath which would be lost to the public if this development were allowed.

“Parking, environment, wildlife, visual amenity, overlooking, employment, local character, walking to school, the adjacent conservation area – there are many strong reasons for refusing the appeal. But the strongest of all is the issue of the footpath. This path has been used by schoolchildren and families for years and without safe access along it, this valuable route will be lost. That is not conducive to the aim of encouraging a healthy lifestyle and getting children to walk to school but would lead to an increase in traffic on our already overburdened roads.”

The Planning Inspector’s judgement on the appeal is expected during October.

Seven residents agreed to become new committee members of Coldfall Residents’ Association at a meeting on Monday night. The meeting was called to inform residents about some of the work the association had already been doing and outline opportunities for the future.

The meeting, held at Coldfall Primary School, was attended by around 30 residents, council officers and local Lib Dem Councillor Matt Davies.

“It was great to see so many residents there,” says Cllr Davies. “With the new committee members, the association will be able to share the workload and build on the work already being done. My Lib Dem colleagues and I are looking forward to helping them as much as possible and working together to get improvements for the Coldfall area.”

Local residents raised a number of issues including alley gates, noise nuisance, street lights and dog control. Cllr Davies is taking these up with Haringey Council and the residents’ association will be able to press for quick resolutions to these problems as well.

There was disappointment and dismay among councillors and residents alike when Labour members of Haringey Council’s key ‘watchdog’ committee moved to crush the concerns of residents over major events in Finsbury Park.

Labour members voted in favour of a report which claimed that residents’concerns over the level of disruption and damage caused by such events had been fully addressed, and moved to stop residents from highlighting the damage done in recent months.

Labour members blocked moves by Lib Dem councillors to try to limit the number of events taking place in the park, and to address residents’ genuine concerns. When local parks campaigner Sally Billot attempted to address the meeting, having waited patiently for three hours to do so, procedural devices were used to cut short her speech.

Lib Dem local councillor Laura Edge, who sits on the committee and represents the area around the park, comments:

“I am extremely disappointed that residents were not given a fair hearing and that the committee agreed a report which essentially claims that any problems with events in the park have been addressed. Park campaigners were not given a fair hearing to present their view of damage done to the gates during recent events. Haringey Council seems determined to use the park as a financial milch-cow, diminishing its role as an open space which the local public can enjoy.”

Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams, who was also at the meeting and proposed limits to the number of events, adds:

“There are serious issues with events at the park and the self-congratulatory report agreed by Labour will do little or nothing to address residents’ concerns.

“I’m dismayed at the behaviour of Labour councillors who simply moved to silence local campaigners who had waited extremely patiently to put forward their views.”

Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams (Highgate) has condemned Haringey Council for organising a ‘Leader’s Conference’ to discuss Community Care in the borough while preventing the attendance of non-Labour councillors. He says that in reality the event is a Labour Party meeting, Haringey Council resources should not be used discuss Labour policy.

Lib Dem councillors, who were initially invited, have now had their invitations withdrawn for the meeting. However, other Labour party representatives, including the borough’s MPs, have been asked to attend.

Cllr Neil Williams comments:

“It is quite outrageous that Labour MPs have been invited to attend, while other councillors are being excluded by an event that is itself being organised by Haringey Council. It is in reality a Labour party meeting to discuss Labour’s approach on this important and sensitive issue.

“I am writing to the Leader of the Council today to demand an explanation, and to call for the meeting to be opened up to all councillors or organised on the Labour Party’s own time and not that of local tax payers.”

Lib Dem councillors in Fortis Green ward are calling for urgent work to becarried out to improve security for sheltered housing residents at BuckdenClose, N2.

Buckden Close is a row of eight sheltered housing bungalows entered from analleyway off Southern Road. Lib Dems say the lighting in the alleyway ispoor and local residents and Lib Dem councillors have been asking theHaringey Council to upgrade lighting to provide a greater level of security forBuckden Close residents – many of whom are elderly. So far, Haringey Council hasonly agreed to prune trees in the area to allow more natural light through.

“While pruning the trees should help the situation a little, it is not asubstitute for proper lighting and of course will not make a differenceduring the evenings when residents feel most vulnerable,” says Cllr MattDavies (Lib Dem, Fortis Green).

“This is getting ever more urgent and I am asking the Lead Member for SocialServices to ensure that an upgrade to the lighting happens before thewinter. Leaving the residents feeling trapped in their own home is simplynot acceptable.”

A tall fence runs along one side of the alley and combined with the largetrees and poor lights this raises security worries for Buckden Closeresidents. After dusk many of them do not feel that they are safe to go out- fearing a fall in the dark alley or even becoming a victim of crime. Localpolice agreed during last winter that improved lighting was needed to makethe alleyway safe.”

“Fortis Green’s Lib Dem councillors and I have raised this with the Councilover recent months,” explains Cllr Lynne Featherstone (Lib Dem, MuswellHill), “as have local residents. Buckden Close urgently needs properlighting and action must be taken now so that residents will feel safeduring the dark winter nights.”

The Haringey Liberal Democrat Councillor who last week revealed that Haringey Council in North London has employed 18 convicted criminals to work with children and vulnerable adults in the last three years has made public additional information indicating further inconsistencies in Haringey Council’s child protection policies.

Since September 2002 Cllr Ron Aitken, Lib Dem Social Services Spokesperson, has been questioning Haringey Council’s policy of allowing senior social services managers discretion to set aside the results of Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks for people working as social workers, care assistants and caretakers. Haringey Council refuses to say what constitutes a minor enough offence to be allowed to work with children.

Cllr Ron Aitken has also asked the Labour Lead member for Social Services how many employees of Haringey Council had been reported to the Department for Education for inclusion on the ‘POCA’ list. The list bars certain people from working with children and vulnerable adults in the last three years. He received an answer that the figure was two.

Furthermore Lisa Arthurworrey, the social worker who is the only Haringey figure to publicly admit her mistakes in the handling of Victoria Climbie’s case is to appeal against her inclusion on the POCA list. Cllr Aitken saysthis indicates more inconsistencies in the Council’s procedures.

“Haringey refuses to say what offences it sets aside for people to work with children,” says Cllr Aitken. “This is making a mockery of CRB checks and undermining confidence in its child protection procedures after the Victoria Climbie case. There is also an indication that it has used the POCA list to scapegoat a junior social worker who acknowledged her inexperience and lack of training in evidence to Lord Laming’s inquiry – the only Haringey employee to do so.”

Cllr Aitken has said he “deeply unhappy” at the inconsistencies and continuing failings in Haringey Council’s child protection procedures:

“The POCA list is for the Ian Huntleys of this world, not a junior social worker left to carry the can by incompetent managers and politicians.”

Liberal Democrats in Wood Green have expressed alarm at proposals for a large-scale residential development on Ringslade Road/Watsons Road, near the centre of Wood Green. Nigel Scott, Lib Dem spokesperson for Woodside ward, says that if the proposals are given the go-ahead, the plans will result in the building of two six storey blocks of flats totalling 70 dwellings, as well as four houses.

Mr Scott says the area is already one of the worst rat runs in Haringey used by drivers seeking to avoid the major and congested junction at Wood Green Tube station. He wants traffic access to be fully considered, as any major housing scheme would severely add to traffic problems nearby.

Nigel Scott comments:

“Existing quiet residential streets should not be dominated by a mammoth housing scheme. This development is inappropriate for the relatively small size of this site, and there may not be adequate provision for all the vehicles coming in and out. This is a very worrying development.”

Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson for the area, adds:

“This type of scheme is all too typical of plans to cram as many blocks of flats as possible into existing residential areas in Haringey. The roads system and local infrastructure will hardly be able to cope.”

Lib Dem social services spokesperson, Ron Aitken today welcomed the coroner’s report into the death of Roger Sutherland in February this year after being released by the Whittington Hospital.

An open verdict was given at the inquest at St Pancras Coroners’ Court. However the coroner chose to use his powers, under rule 43 of the coroners’ rules, to write to the Whittington Hospital Trust and other health services involved in Roger Sutherland’s care and draw their attention to issues involving psychiatric liaison between Accident & Emergency, mental health teams and GPs.

Roger died after setting fire to his flat hours after being released by the Whittington Hospital. In the last few months leading up to the tragedy, Roger’s family had turned to Councillor Ron Aitken for advice. He says that on six or seven occasions Roger’s condition was made known to Ambulance drivers, his GP and the Whittington Hospital.

Cllr Ron Aitken comments:

“The death of Roger was a tragedy and our sympathy goes to the family. I am pleased that the coroner is writing to all involved and hope that some positive changes come out this.”

This week Haringey Liberal Democrats launched their latest factsheet for residents in Haringey. The recycling factsheet was produced following complaints from local residents that Haringey Council provides inadequate information on recycling in the borough.

The factsheet has been launched by Lib Dem Environment Spokesperson Bob Hare and contains information ranging from where to recycle in the borough to how to recycle old mobile phones. It has already been sent to over five hundred residents who have raised concerns about recycling issues with Lib Dem councillors in the last year via residents’ surveys and letters.

Environment Scrutiny member Matt Davies hopes it will answer many of the questions that are often asked by residents. He is critical of Haringey Council’s lack of public information on recycling and says that the factsheet is a demonstration of the Lib Dems’ continuing commitment to improve recycling rates in the borough.

Cllr Davies comments:

“Our factsheet should give residents the information they need to recycle things the Council still doesn’t collect door to door. We will continue to press for improvements to the service.”

You can download a copy of the factsheet (in pdf format) here.

Haringey Liberal Democrats Leader Neil Williams has welcomed moves by a group of North London councils to tackle the problem or radio piracy in the area. However, he says that he is disappointed that Haringey Council is not yet participating in the group and is urging Haringey Council to join forces with neighbouring boroughs to help tackle the problem of illegal radio broadcasts.

The new group, the London Pirate Radio Enforcement Practitioners Group, met for the first time last week and includes representatives from Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Barking Councils.

Cllr Williams says the problem of pirates radio stations is a serious one, particularly in hilly Highgate where illegal operators attach aerials to blocks of flats in the area. As well as blocking the airwaves, the pirates can instill fear among residents from the sounds of the people installing them at night. Lib Dem councillors in Highgate have previously called on the Council act quickly to remove aerials on council properties, as pirates will soon get tired losing their aerial and broadcasting equipment if faced with a determined local council.

Cllr Neil Williams comments:

“Haringey Council needs to work with other councils to tackle this problem, as pirates will often move their aerials from one location to another. There is too great a tendency to see pirate operators as heroic pioneers, when in reality this is a social menace which is a nuisance to residents and can interfere with legitimate broadcasters, police and emergency service frequencies.

Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson Lynne Featherstone adds:

“I welcome this initiative, and we are asking Haringey to ensure they get involved in the new group as soon as possible. Telecoms regulators and radio stations are on their own not able to get to grips with the problem of piracy, and it is only with boroughs working together and sharing information on pirates that they can be controlled.”