Muswell Hill councillor Lynne Featherstone has welcomed plans for a much needed safety improvement for a busy Muswell Hill junction. Double yellow lines are to be placed at the bottom of Cranley Gardens at the junction with Park Road, where parking close to the busy junction was creating a hazard as drivers attempted to make the turn.

The works are to be rolled out as part of a programme of measures over the coming months.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“Improved lines of sight at the junction are sorely needed, and I am pleased that the yellow lines will cover the short stretch to St George’s Church. Vehicles are regularly parked right up to the junction, making it difficult for emerging traffic, and also causing tailbacks during busy periods. It is a welcome move.

“It must not be forgotten, though, that Labour promised action on more substantial traffic calming measures for Cranley Gardens in the re cent by-election. We will continue to press them for solutions to the problem of dangerously fast traffic passing along the road.”

Lynne Featherstone and Highgate’s Lib Dem councillors have expressed satisfaction as their pressure for better road surfaces in Highgate has achieved another success. Haringey’s Council has agreed to resurface all the roads in Highgate identified as in need of urgent action by the Lib Dems. They include Highgate High Street, Hillside Gardens and Jackson’s Lane.

Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson and Highgate resident Lynne Featherstone comments:

“This is good news at last. Many Highgate roads have been waiting far too long for resurfacing. In the case of Southwood Lane, the surface is very potholed and falling away at the sides and no amount of patching seems to solve the problem.

Local councillor Melanie Simpson adds:

“We’ll be keeping an eye on the works, as there is a definite feeling that Highgate roads do not always get the attention they need from Haringey Council. Southwood Lane and Jackson’s Lane both carry a lot of traffic and have clearly needed resurfacing from some time. I am pleased the Council has finally agreed to action in the coming financial year.”

Haringey’s Labour-run council has agreed it needs to improve its poor record on recycling plastics, following pressure from the Liberal Democrats. The opposition party is pressing Haringey Council to include plastics in its door-to-door recycling service, following the example of Lib Dem-led councils such as Lambeth

In a written answer at Council to a question from the Liberal Democrats, the Council has agreed to review the scheme operating in Lambeth.

Lib Dem environment spokesman, Cllr Bob Hare, comments:

“Haringey still has a limited recycling service at present, and even now is in danger of missing rather modest Government targets. Many residents want recycling of plastics, and other wastes such as cardboard, which the Council will still not collect. It is time they moved such programmes forward.”

Note:

Written question and answer from Council meeting:

What plans he has to introduce home-collection of plastic waste for recycling purposes, for example by providing recycling “sacks” for plastic waste as is now the practice in the London Borough of Lambeth?

The Council has rolled out both kerbside & estates recycling schemes across the Borough within the last 8 months. The purpose of this is to enable the Council to meet its statutory recycling target of 10% for 2003/04. These targets are tonnage based, therefore the Council has focused its energies in collecting heavier materials, such as, paper and glass. Conversely the problem with plastics is that it is a light material that occupies a large volume. Therefore the space that it would occupy on vehicles would not deliver the same tonnage outputs as paper/glass. Also, unless compacted, transportation can be expensive and environmentally unfriendly. However, the Council is open to new ideas and will review the ‘Lambeth Scheme ‘ in more detail together with developing joint schemes with its partner authorities in the North London Waste Authority as part of the continuing process in the development of the Joint Waste Strategy.

Haringey Council has agreed to relax parking controls in one of its own car parks near the Archway Road, to take the pressure off local streets besieged by council-backed road works. The move follows demands from local residents and Highgate councillor Neil Williams (Lib Dem) to ease the parking misery being caused by multiple roadworks of the Council’s own making.

Major gas repair works in Langdon Park Road and ‘The Miltons’ are clashing with Haringey Council’s own works on the Archway Bridge refurbishment – something that could have been avoided, says Neil Williams. The gas works are due to carry on until mid-May, so the Lib Dem councillor has asked Haringey Council to relax the controls on the Tudor Close car park to ease the parking pressure on local streets.

The Council has now told Cllr Williams that it is going to issue a number of additional, short term permits to residents on Langdon Park Road and the lower part of Hornsey Lane Gardens (1-9 odds and 2-26 evens). Letters will be issued this week to the residents and the permits will be issued on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Highgate councillor and Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams comments:

“After several weeks, I am pleased we have the start of some common sense on this issue. The estate car park is often empty, and this should ease the situation which is set to go on for another six weeks. I will be watching closely to see if this action is sufficient, and will be pressing the Council to issue more passes for residents if needed.”

Highgate councillor and Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams has called on Haringey Council to open up for temporary use one of its own car parks following continuing parking misery near the Archway Road as a result of major road works in the area. Cllr Williams says it is the least the Council can do to relieve the problems in Hornsey Lane Gardens N6, as major gas repair works are clashing with the Council’s own works on the Archway Bridge refurbishment.

Councillor Neil Williams says Haringey Council should have used some common sense in ensuring that the two major works did not clash. Despite their own works, Haringey Council gave permission for the Transco gas mains works to take place, causing parking misery for residents in one of Highgate’s most densely developed areas.

Cllr Williams says that the car park in nearby Tudor Close lies largely empty, as the Council refuses to issue permits for use of the oversized car park to local residents not living on the estate.

Cllr Neil Williams comments:

“Under the circumstances, the Council should show some goodwill to the residents and at least provide some temporary parking in Tudor Close. After the lack of co-ordination over these works, this is the least they could do. Having refused to take action, I have asked them not to enforce restrictions in Tudor Close while the gas mains works are still ongoing.”

There was a strong turnout last week at the meeting organised by local Lib Dem councillors in Alexandra ward over the controversial and unpopular plans by Vodafone to install a phone mast and base station on the pocket park at the junction of Albert Road and Durnsford Road.

At the meeting, organised by Lib Dem councillor Wayne Hoban and chaired by Lib Dem councillor Susan Oatway, there was disappointment and anger among residents over the failure of Vodafone to agree to attend a meeting on the issue. Company bosses have said they would only consider a round table meeting with local ward councillors and officers, and a small number of local residents. The meeting rejected this option completely, arguing that Vodafone should meet with all the residents – or none at all. Residents agreed to write to the company to oppose Vodafone’s plans, expressing their strong objections on health and safety grounds.

Cllr Wayne Hoban, who has received many letters from his constituents on the proposals, comments:

“This meeting once again showed the strength of feeling on this issue. Local residents do not want this mast on an open public space, and we will continue to press the company to withdraw the plans. There is also genuine dismay that Vodafone would not come and met all the residents, which does not bode well for a constructive dialogue with the company.”

Haringey Council has been criticised by Lib Dem councillors in the borough for not knowing how many of the borough’s 28,000 pensioners entitled to Council Tax benefit do not receive it. Lib Dems says that pensioners failing to claim the benefit can experience considerable hardship as a result. Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson Lynne Featherstone says Haringey must do more to ensure that pensioners struggling to pay Haringey Council’s extremely high Council Tax receive the benefits to which they are entitled.

The move follows a written question by the Lib Dems at last week’s full council meeting which asked Harigeny to indicate how many pensioners were not claiming Council Tax benefit. The figure is believed to run into hundreds or more, but the Council replied that it did not have precise details available.

Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson Lynne Featherstone comments:

“Hundreds of pensioners are suffering needless worry and hardship from Haringey’s high Council Tax bills – and many are entitled to help they are not receiving.

“Haringey has undertaken to do more to encourage pensioners to claim benefits to which they are fully entitled, and we will continue to keep up the pressure to ensure that they do so.”

GLA member Lynne Featherstone and Highgate’s Lib Dem councillors have welcomed progress made at a meeting on the controversial embankment works at Highgate Tube station on the Archway Road. The works, which are necessary to address potential subsidence of the road down the steep embankment, have caused misery to local residents, with in particular the removal of several mature trees and undergrowth on the site causing increased noise and pollution on surrounding roads.

The meeting, organised by Lynne Featherstone, brought together residents groups with officials from London Underground, Tube Lines, and Transport for London, who were frank in admitting a lack of co-ordination between the responsible bodies in the past. The meeting agreed that a secure fence, which will reduce noise, was an urgent priority for the site, and works should minimise the visual impact of the crash barrier that will accompany the scheme on the pavement side of the fence. The issue of replanting the site was also addressed. Further consultation meetings will be held to look at the details for the planting scheme for the embankment.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“An exercise in knocking heads together was sorely needed on this project – and we have made some progress. However there needs to be co-ordination over the fencing and planting issues, and also over other matters such as the location of the bus stop when the works are finished.”

Cllr Bob Hare (Highgate ward) adds:

“It was a useful meeting and there will be real benefit from the wider pavement on what has been a narrow walkway. We will continue to press for fencing proposals along the Priory Gardens side of the site, as the noise there is causing a misery for residents. We are also asking for the crash barrier to be made as unobtrusive as possible, and for the issue of planting along the fence, as well as on the embankment, to be fully explored.”

Download minutes of the Highgate station meeting here (rtf format).

Newly elected Muswell Hill Lib Dem councillor Gail Engert has welcomed the decision by Haringey’s planning committee to refuse a controversial application to build an additional storey on the flats that form part of the Odeon cinema building in Muswell Hill.

Ms Engert, who raised her concerns on the issue during her successful by-election campaign, says that adding another level, including a bridge over the car park entrance with flats above, would have spoiled the appearance of a much-loved local landmark, with its classic silhouette.She has pledged to monitor closely any future planning application for the site.

Cllr Gail Engert comments:

“I am relieved that this application has not had the go ahead. This proposals was literally ‘over-the-top’ and would have ruined the look of the building, as well as piling yet more pressure on the parking and social infrastructure in Muswell Hill.

“I will be watching closely for any further plans that developers may have for the building.”

Stroud Green’s new Lib Dem councillor Laura Edge has welcomed the plans by Network Rail to improve the state of the unsightly railway bridge on Oakfield Road – and has pledged to keep up the pressure to ensure the works, which are in the design stage, will be completed as soon as possible.

Cllr Laura Edge says that the bridge, which is an eyesore and is a magnet for dumping in the area, has been the subject of many complaints from local residents.

The bridge was left in its present unsightly state following works in 2001, and the cladding, which is currently in place, has proved a magnet for dumping.

Stroud Green councillor Laura Edge comments:

“Works to improve the state of the bridge are long overdue and it is a big concern for residents in and around Oakfield Road. Its present condition encourages dumping. I will be working with Lynne Featherstone and keeping up the pressure on Network Rail to ensure that improvement works are carried out as swiftly as possible.”