Highgate and Archway’s Lib Dem councillors are calling on Haringey’s Labour-run Council to think again over new parking controls that have unexpectedly appeared in one of the area’s most densely parked areas. To the surprise and anger of local residents, Haringey Council has this week introduced double yellow lines into a wide residential area near the Archway Road. Local councillor and Lib Dem leader Neil Williams says the situation is adding to the already huge parking problems in streets where major gas works and works on the nearby Archway bridge are already taking up valuable parking spaces.

After pressure from Lib Dems and local residents in the area known locally as ‘The Miltons’, the Council had recently agreed to make some parking spaces available in a nearby, and largely unused, council car park at Tudor Close.However, despite the present chaos due to the street works, the Council has now painted double yellow lines near the junctions and in other parts of the street that appear entirely unnecessary.Cllr Williams, who is asking for an urgent review of the restrictions and for more parking at Tudor Close to be made available, says that some of the double yellow lines are clearly unnecessary and that the timing of the new works beggars belief.

Lib Dem Leader and Highgate Councillor Neil Williams, comments:

“I have asked Haringey to look again at what they have now done, and they have agreed to visit the site. We have been battling for months now with parking problems in the Miltons as the Council timed its own Archway Bridge repair works to coincide with the disruptive, but necessary, works to the gas mains.

Lib Dem Great London Authority candidate Lynne Featherstone adds:

“The yellow lines, as well as being over the top, could not have been more ill timed. The whole area is under siege from street works, and resident have had more than enough.”

Safety measures for Muswell Hill moved a step forward this week with the installation of bollards at the foot of the hill.

The news follows months of pressure from Lib Dem ward councillor Lynne Featherstone.

Calls were made for safety improvements earlier this year following a number of accidents and near misses on the junction at the foot of Muswell Hill. Cllr Featherstone requested a number of improvements, including the installation of a speed camera on the busy route, which are currently under consideration by the London Safety Camera Partnership.

Cllr Featherstone comments:

“I am pleased with the news that bollards have been installed, although I am surprised at how long it has taken for the work to take place.

“I am hopeful that further improvements will be implemented soon and this accident blackspot will become less hazardous to both drivers and pedestrians.”

Muswell Hill councillors Gail Engert and Lynne Featherstone have expressed their anger and dismay at the felling of trees in the council-run car park behind Marks & Spencer’s in Muswell Hill.There was outrage on Monday 24th May when it transpired that three trees in the car park had been felled, and that Haringey Council’s tree officer had not been consulted in advance of the action – an undertaking that had been given to Ms Engert by Haringey Council.

CllrEngert had in fact asked for the Council to increase the number of trees in the car park and to replace previous tree losses. While Haringey argued that the trees were difficult to protect in their present location in the car park, Ms Engert says that the Council had agreed as recently as five days ago that it would look at providing the existing trees with proper protection. As a last resort, Haringey had said itwould re-site them if necessary – but the trees were felled a few days later.

Cllr Gail Engert comments:

“I have asked for all works to be stopped immediately and that officers agree to a site visit to look at the impact of the loss of trees on the car park site. Trees should not be removed in this way. I have now asked that all further work on the site is suspended until the situation is properly assessed.”

Cllr Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I want Haringey Council to undertake to protect the remaining trees and plant extra specimens to replace the losses.”

There was outrage following the full Haringey Council meeting where the Labour group on Haringey Council moved to abolish the borough’s respected watchdog committee on local crime issues.The Lib Dems say they will be seeking advice from the borough’s legal watchdog on the controversial move, which will be a blow to policing issues in the borough.

The party says that the move shows yet again that the Labour Council holds the scrutiny process in contempt. Cllr Lynne Featherstone, along with Highgate councillor Melanie Simpson, had been nominated as the Lib Dem representatives on the committee – but neither was informed of the plans to sweep the body away. Lib Dems say the move will anger local residents, as Ms Featherstone has been highly prominent on policing issues in the borough, with her high profile campaign to reopen the police station front counter at Muswell Hill – despite a total lack of support from Haringey Labour.

Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams, who spoke out against the plans at full council yesterday, comments:

“This is a totally cynical move from Labour, who have removed a committee where Lynne Featherstone was playing an extremely valuable role. Even the former Labour chair of the body has paid tribute to her work.

“This is not the end of the matter, as we believe that Haringey Labour have clearly acted outside the rules. It is yet another appalling example of Labour bringing the whole scrutiny service into disrepute.”

Lib Dem GLA member and 603 bus campaigner Lynne Featherstone has welcomed assurances from Transport for London that the service of the 603 Muswell Hill to Swiss Cottage bus will not suddenly cease when the six month trial ends in June. Ms Featherstone says the news is an encouraging sign that the service could be moved to a full timetable.

TfL have told Lynne Featherstone that a review of the operation of the 603 will take place later this summer. No change will be made to the service until the review has taken place and a decision made. The best estimate for completion of the review is currently August/September. Bus bosses will look at passenger numbers and the impact on local traffic, as well as feedback from customers.

To encourage that vital feedback, Lib Dem Lynne Featherstone has launched a text message poll on the increasingly popular local service.

Local people can now send a text message to Ms Featherstone on whether the route should be expanded to a full service. The expansion of the route has secured the backing of Lib Dem Mayoral candidate Simon Hughes, but failed thus far to get the support of Labour’s Ken Livingstone. To vote ‘yes’ for a full service on the route, respondents should text ‘bus yes’ to 07795 328 405, or ‘bus no’ if they don’t back a full timetable on the 603.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“This is a positive sign from TfL – but we must keep up the campaign. It is vital that as many people as possible show their support for the bus route, keeping up the pressure on Labour.”

Pressure is growing on Haringey Council to scrap its controversial charges for the collection of bulky rubbish, such as old fridges and other large items. Local residents are still responding to a Lib Dem petition on the issue, and a new set of signatures was being handed to Haringey Council today from those demanding an end to the charge.

Lib Dems say that partly because of the charges, large items such as old fridges and other large waste litter the borough’s streets. Lynne Featherstone has labelled the policy a false economy, as it results in the unscrupulous dumping of these large items – with Haringey having to foot the bill anyway as they have to clear up the mess. The Labour-run council has recently admitted to Lib Dem councillors that demand for collections of bulky rubbish have declined by almost 75% since the introduction of the charges.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“Haringey needs to recognise its policy is not working, and is leading to more dumping in the area. Any revenue the Council gains is cancelled out by the extra fly-tipping.”

Cllr Wayne Hoban adds:

“This is also a financial issue for local people. Some residents can not afford bulk collections and others resent having to fork out extra when they believe this should be covered by the Council Tax.”

Cllr Lynne Featherstone has welcomed the decision to relocate a set of recycling units from outside a Bounds Green block of flats after months of pressure.

The issue was originally taken up by Cllr Featherstone back in October 2003, after she had been contacted by residents living in Embassy Court, Bounds Green Road, who said the units had created a lot of noise and attracted dumping in the area.

Ms Featherstone raised these concerns with Haringey Council on a number of occasions, but it was only early this month that she got a response to her request. The Council has confirmed that they are currently looking to relocate the units to a new site by a pub on Bounds Green Road and Warwick Road. They added that although they are not aware of a dumping problem around the units, their contractor, Haringey Accord, would ensure that the area is regularly checked for dumping.

Cllr Featherstone has welcomed the belated response to the problem by the Council. However she is concerned with the length of time the action took, and wants to see the Council responding quickly to these issues.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I am glad that the Council has finally acted on my request to have the recycling units moved away from Embassy Court.

“I am concerned that it has taken six months to gain a response from the Council on an issue that has been causing misery to local residents. The Council must investigate complaints quickly and effectively and I will be maintaining the pressure until I see an improvement.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Jonathan Bloch has written to the new leader of Haringey Council, Charles Adje, and requested that he overturns the Labour administration’s refusal to support efforts by local traders to have an archaic ruling that restricts Saturday trading removed.

The Lib Dems are trying to gain Haringey Council’s support for the removal of an ancient royal charter which stops the Ally Pally farmers market taking place on a Saturday.

The Lib Dems asked the Labour leadership if they would approach the Old Enfield Charitable Trust with a view to persuading them to seek an alteration to the Royal Charter, which dates back to 1601.

The Labour Council rejected the request citing a number of reasons including the belief that the Sunday Farmers’ Market was currently ‘free from problems’ and that the Council has no ‘direct interest’ in it and thus was uninterested in getting involved.

Liberal Democrat Muswell Hill councillor Jonathan Bloch is hoping that a new administration will correct what, in his opinion, has been a bad misjudgement by the Council.

Cllr Jonathan Bloch (Muswell Hill) comments:

“It is very disappointing that Haringey Council has been so negative about local traders’ efforts to repeal this Charter. I hope that the new administration will have a bit more sense and support efforts which, if successful, will be good for the local economy.

“We will continue to support the efforts of local traders to secure an end to this bizarre Charter. It is an unacceptable and unfair restriction on doing business in Haringey, and it should be removed.”

Liberal Democrat councillors attending a packed meeting of parents petitioning Haringey’s Education Authority to provide extra primary school places in the Muswell Hill area were aghast to learn that the waiting lists at local schools are so long that it is actually not just one, but two, extra primary classes that are needed locally.

After hearing Haringey Council admit the depth of the problem at a meeting with MHSCG (Muswell Hill Schools’ Crisis Group) last Thursday, Liberal Democrat and Muswell Hill Ward councillor Lynne Featherstone commented:

“We are clearly in a crisis situation. Haringey Council should make an unequivocal commitment to create two extra primary classes in the area, subject to agreement with the schools’ head teachers and governing bodies. Local children should have local places.”

Fellow Muswell Hill, Liberal Democrat councillor, Gail Engert backed her call saying:

“This is a crisis that should never have been allowed to happen. The warning statistics of the increasing number of local pre-school children in the area were readily available to anyone, so why were they not heeded by Haringey? Yet again we have a gross failure by Haringey Council to plan ahead and the problem will continue to grow with the increasing new developments of family houses in the area.”

Lib Dems have condemned controversial moves by Haringey Labour’s new administration to abolish a key watchdog committee which looks at policing issues in the borough.

The Lib Dems say that Labour intends to abolish the much-respected Crime and Community Safety Scrutiny Panel at the Council AGM without any consultation with the police or other local groups.

The party says that the move will remove a forum for discussing policing in the borough and shows yet again that the Labour Council holds the scrutiny process in contempt. Lib Dem councillors were only informed of the planned change, plotted by Labour for weeks, when a ‘pro-forma’ was circulated asking for details of committee members for next year.

Cllr Lynne Featherstone, along with Highgate councillor Melanie Simpson, had been nominated as the Lib Dem representatives on the committee – but neither was informed of the plans.

Ms Featherstone, who has been particularly prominent on policing issues in the borough with her high profile campaign to reopen the police station front counter at Muswell Hill, says that the Labour proposals are completely unacceptable.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“The Crime and Community Safety Panel, has done a lot of good work on policing issues in Haringey over the past two years. To attempt to shut it down without any discussion is totally unacceptable. What are Labour afraid of?”

Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams adds:

“This is the worst possible start for the new Labour administration. Haringey’s scrutiny service has already received the thumbs down from the independent Audit Commission in recent weeks. This will only add to the sense that all constructive criticism and scrutiny is treated with contempt in Labour Haringey.

“We will be fighting Labour’s cynical plans to shut down a watchdog committee that has been doing a good job on policing issues in the borough.”