Haringey Liberal Democrats have expressed concern at the disturbing findings of a report into Haringey Council published this week by the Audit Commission. The preliminary feedback from Haringey Council’s annual Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) highlights Haringey’s failings in no less than 19 different areas.

The Lib Dems are particularly concerned at the criticism that, ‘the Council’s engagement with the west of the Borough is less thorough than that in the east’. Lib Dems say that this statement puts in the spotlight concerns raised by both residents and Lib Dem councillors in the past. Residents feel that issues of real concern to residents in the area are of little interest to Haringey Labour.

Additionally Haringey Council is criticised for its failure to undertake scrutiny, the process used to hold the Council to account, in accordance with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s best practice guidelines.

The Lib Dems, who are the Council’s official opposition, have been critical of the Council’s current arrangement of ‘jobs for the boys’ that has meant Labour councillors hold all executive positions as well as all scrutiny chairs – a practice strongly criticised independent bodies. The Lib Dems argue that this is unhealthy for local democracy and is in marked contrast to practice in Lib Dem run Islington.

Haringey Council’s failings are summed up with the citing of a Mori Poll that shows ‘satisfaction levels related to quality of life are low in comparison with London Authorities’.

Lib Dem leader, Cllr Neil Williams comments:

“These worrying findings confirm many of the concerns we have been expressing about the way Labour runs Haringey Council. Unless changes are made, Haringey will not see substantial improvements in its performance or reputation and will be unable to attract the brightest and best people to work for the Haringey.

“Many of the criticisms that are damaging the borough’s reputation could be avoided and quickly put right, but there is little willingness on the part of Labour to do so.”

Parliamentary spokesperson Cllr Lynne Featherstone adds:

“This is an extremely disappointing preliminary report, which confirms that over thirty years of Labour control has left a long list of problems in Haringey. The lack of engagement in the west of the borough is a huge concern, and will only cost Labour more seats in the area if they do not seek to put this right.”

Haringey Liberal Democrats have uncovered huge dissatisfaction with health services by residents living in the west of Haringey. The results show more than one in three residents saying they are ‘unhappy’ or ‘very unhappy’ with NHS services, with problems finding NHS doctors and dentists in the area one of their major concern.

The figures were obtained from responses to questions in the Lib Dems’ annual residents’ survey that was sent out earlier this year.

The statistics showed a worrying disillusionment with the NHS with only 16% happy with the service it provides. Additionally more than one in ten residents say they have encountered problems finding an NHS doctor. This backups up figures revealed by Lib Dem MP Paul Burstow earlier this year that one in three GPs in London is unable to take on any new patients.

Coupled with results produced in June showing nearly four in ten residents had trouble finding an NHS dentist, the Lib Dems say that the evidence suggests that the health service in Haringey continues to face severe problems.

Lib Dem Health spokesperson and group leader, Cllr Neil Williams (Highgate) says that the numbers support the concerns that have been raised by residents with their Liberal Democrat councillors.

Cllr Williams comments: “Far too many residents are not able to get an NHS doctor or dentist. My biggest worry is that this is resulting in people failing to get early medical help, which is often the key to good medical help.”

The reopening of Muswell Hill police station’s front counter has taken another step forward with the handing over to the police of the names of a fifteen further possible volunteers by Lynne Featherstone (Lib Dem, Muswell Hill), who has been leading the campaign.

She met last week with Diane Dodd, the new Met Police volunteer recruitment officer, who is now stationed in Muswell Hill police station tasked with getting the front counter opened. Ms Dodd will be contacting the new people in the next few days.

Ms Dodd also showed Ms Featherstone around the new facilities, the new front counter and office.

The first wave of nineteen volunteers are already well on their way to being ready for opening day. Ms Dodd is just completing the vetting and if all is well, the front counter will open over August, giving the volunteers a chance to settle in during a traditionally quieter part of the year before the official opening in the autumn.

Lynne Featherstone said:

“Diane is clearly going to make a success of the reopening of the police front counter. Local people have called for the front counter to reopen for years. I am absolutely delighted that this is now a reality and look forward to opening it with Sir John Stevens, the Met Police Commissioner, in September.”

Liberal Democrat councillors in Haringey are urgently requesting that Haringey Council explain the huge disparities between the school place figures given earlier this year and those given in answer to a written question at the council meeting on 19th July.

Cllr Engert, who has been working closely with parents in the Muswell Hill area over this issue, contacted Haringey Council in April requesting information on children not allocated places at any of the schools on their preference list in the Muswell Hill area. Haringey Council informed her that 35 pupils had not received their first choice places. Considering the maximum size of a class is 30, residents and Cllr Engert were extremely concerned at Haringey Council’s lack of forward planning which had produced such a large deficit in places.

However, the situation appears to be considerably worse than first thought. The figures quoted in response to Cllr Engert’s question suggest that as many as 85 children from the Muswell Hill area were not offered a place in one of their three preferred schools.

Although Cllr Engert accepts that many of the 85 children may have received places after being put on schools waiting lists, the original figure given of 35 did not show the scale of the problem in the area. She is concerned that due to either the Labour-run council’s incompetence or manipulation of figures the true scale of the problem is only just being realised.

Along with fellow Lib Dem Councillor Lynne Featherstone, Cllr Engert also wants an explanation from Haringey Council as to why there is such a huge disparity between Haringey Council’s two sets of overall figures for children without places in the borough.

Cllr Engert comments: “This is a crisis which could have been avoided. Through lack of planning, Haringey Council has left dozens of children without a local place to start school this year – and have no intention of doing anything about it. The numbers are changing and the Council is not being open about the extent of this problem.”

Cllr Featherstone adds: “With the number of new development in the area, any short term fix for next year will be just that – a short term solution. Haringey Council needs to start planning much further ahead, otherwise these crises will become a running sore over the next few years.”

Liberal Democrat councillor for Crouch End Peter Floyd is demanding an urgent assurance that the future of Park Road Pool is secure, following the news that Haringey Council is to abandon its plans to hand it over to Aqua Terra along with other Council sports facilities.

Haringey Council’s Executive was told at their meeting last night that the Aqua Terra bid to run Haringey’s pools and sports facilities will not proceed.

Cllr Floyd is now seeking an explanation as to why the bid has been abandoned at this late stage. Over the last two years he has been working with swimming pool users to ensure that there is no loss of facilities and no unreasonable charge increases if the pool is transferred to a private company like Aqua Terra.

“We need to know the exact reasons for the bid being abandoned before we can welcome this news,” said Cllr Floyd. “Most importantly, we need assurances from the Labour Council that if the pool is run directly by Haringey Council they will not close it down and sell the land for development”.

Local Lib Dem councillors have reacted with dismay to the Labour-run Haringey Council’s attempts to fudge a motion tabled at a full Council meeting that highlighted the failure of Haringey Council to prevent the current school places crisis in the borough.

Following a clear and well presented deputation by Muswell Hill Schools Crisis Group (MHSCG), the Lib Dems moved to bring the motion forward for discussion arguing that both sides of the chamber had acknowledged the importance of this debate.

However, the Labour Council claimed that the agenda was too full and the motion could not be brought forward. In a vote, all the Labour councillors present voted against hearing the motion while the residents were still present.

This resulted in the important motion being hurriedly discussed 15 minutes prior to the end of the meeting, late at night when virtually all the parents who had presented their deputation, two hours earlier, had gone.

The motion proposed by Muswell Hill Councillor Gail Engert highlighted the distress that Haringey Council had caused to families not offered places for their children at any of their three nominated primary schools. The main reason for this was identified as the Council’s failure to carry out adequate forward planning.

It went on to resolve that the Council bring forward a proper ten year plan, updated annually, as well as ensuring that information relevant to such decisions is placed in the public domain.

In proposing the motion Cllr Engert criticised Haringey Council’s reaction to this crisis as insufficient. Although proposals have been made for an extra reception class in 2005 at Coldfall School, there has been no provision made for the children without places this year. The extra places at Coldfall in 2005 will also have little impact on those living in the centre of Muswell Hill, especially when the housing development at Osier Crescent is complete.

The motion was seconded by fellow Muswell Hill Councillor Lynne Featherstone who attacked Haringey Council for their failure to recognise the severity of the situation and properly address the problem. Cllr Featherstone also noted the extra transport required for a long school journey.

“There is a significant environmental consequence of Haringey’s failure to provide school places, in addition to the negative effects on individuals and the local community,” said Cllr Featherstone. “The school run is recognised as one of the most environmentally damaging elements of people’s transport habits, yet by offering children school places miles from their home the Labour Council is giving many parents no option but to exacerbate this problem further.”

All Labour councillors present voted against the Lib Dem motion identifying the problems and calling for immediate action. Instead they voted for their own watered down version which notably omitted the acknowledgement of lack of forward planning and any plans to help the children without school places for this September.

Cllr Engert was disappointed with the Labour Group’s decision to play politics with the issue. However she is confident that with continued pressure from the Lib Dems and local groups such as MHSCG the current situation can be improved.

Cllr Engert (Muswell Hill) comments:

“I will continue to put pressure on the Council to urgently fulfil its pledge to provide local community primary school places within walking distance of their homes, not only for the children of Muswell Hill, but for every primary school pupil in the borough.”

Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Bob Hare is calling for Haringey Council to get tough with erectors of illegal hoardings, while warning local residents to kick up a fuss or face them becoming permanent.

The advice comes following information received on request regarding planning laws that state that hoardings erected illegally become legal if they are not removed within four years of erection.

Although four years seems like a long time, Cllr Hare is well aware of how long the process can take to remove illegal hoardings in Haringey. He successfully campaigned for the removal of unsightly advertising hoardings by Hornsey Waterworks last year.

Cllr Hare says it still took many months of campaigning before action was taken by the Council to enforce the removal of the illegal advertising boards. He is concerned that the number of illegal hoardings in the borough which have become legal because 4 years has passed is on the increase and wants the Council to get tough and act swiftly to deter others from exploiting Haringey.

He says local residents should report illegal hoardings as soon as they are erected and that the Lib Dems will continue to press the Council to increase its efficiency in enforcing the removal of them.

Cllr Hare (Highgate) comments:

“Labour run Haringey is viewed as a soft touch by hoarding companies who seem to erect adverts wherever they want, knowing full well they are unlikely to face the kind of swift action they would in some of the neighbouring boroughs.

“I would urge residents to contact the Council when new hoardings are erected and we will continue to lobby the Council to get tough on these companies and ensure they are removed well before they threaten to become permanent eyesores.”

In response to a question raised by Lib Dem Deputy Leader Wayne Hoban at the Haringey Council meeting held last night (19th July), the Labour Executive Member for Community Involvement confirmed that she “had no idea” why an envelope delivered by hand to a council office by a local residents’ action group with a request that the contents be distributed to all councillors was not delivered.

She also confirmed that no trace could be found of a faxed request from the same action group seeking permission to send a delegation to the next council meeting, despite the fact that the resident had a fax receipt indicating that the message had indeed reached the correct destination.

Cllr Hoban had previously received written confirmation from the Chief Executive that all post delivered by hand to council offices which is intended for other council buildings is collected on a daily basis by couriers from the Civic Centre and brought back for onward transmission. He also confirmed that “there is no reason why mail left for councillors by a local resident should not have been delivered to councillors in the normal way.”

Despite this assurance, the Labour Member for Community Involvement advised in her response that local residents should not use the internal mail system as it was unreliable and that they would be better off sending their communications by post.

The Lib Dems claim it is unacceptable that local residents who hand deliver communications destined for councillors or council officers to council offices in good faith cannot be offered the assurance of guaranteed delivery.

Cllr Hoban comments:

“This Labour council’s claim to be open, accessible and responsive to the needs of local residents sounds a little hollow today.”

Lib Dem Councillor Lynne Featherstone has welcomed the installation of the new pedestrian crossing at the top of Muswell Hill, N10.

The zebra crossing was installed last month following a long campaign by Cllr Featherstone and local residents who were concerned for the safety of pedestrians crossing the busy road.

Cllr Featherstone (Muswell Hill) comments:

“I am absolutely delighted that local residents have got what they worked so hard for – a safe place to cross on Muswell Hill.”