Haringey Council’s ‘Better Haringey’ launch last week to celebrate the £5 million investment in improving the borough’s environment is long overdue according to Lib Dem councillors.

The comments come following a report by Lib Dem environment spokesperson Cllr Bob Hare in which he highlights the scale of the environmental problems on just one journey of little more than half a mile to Wood Green shops that he made earlier last week.

The observations made on his report titled “Walk to the shops” included four abandoned cars and five separate fly-tipping sites as well as litter on the streets and an overflowing recycling facility outside Safeway, all of which he photographed and has reported to the Council for action.

The Lib Dems, who have been campaigning for better environmental services for years, are pleased with the Council’s new interest in investing in them.

There have been long-term concerns over the way people’s reports of problems are dealt with, and the time before action is taken. Firm and effective enforcement and positive education are also essential. The Lib Dems will be looking to see real improvements as a result of the money being spent by the Labour run council.

Cllr Hare comments:

“We welcome the extra funding that the Council has made available for environment issues, and we will be looking to see that the new money is being used effectively to improve the borough’s environment.”

Haringey’s Liberal Democrats have scooped their party’s top national campaigning award at their party conference in Brighton. The Penhaligon award, named after the late MP David Penhaligon, was won jointly with the Lib Dem’s Folkestone party.

The award acknowledged the great strides the Lib Dems have made in the area. The party now has 15 Haringey councillors and outpolled Labour in the Hornsey and Wood Green constituency at the local elections last year.Lib Dem councillors Lynne Featherstone (Muswell Hill), Stephen Gilbert (Fortis Green) and Neil Williams (Highgate) received the award on behalf of the Haringey party.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I am absolutely delighted we have won the award, and it’s a tribute to all those who have worked so hard to bring the Lib Dems to a position where we are challenging Labour for control in this area. It is a real fillip.”

Highgate councillor Neil Williams adds:

“It’s great to win, even though that huge trophy is rather heavy. After our local successes and our by-election win in Brent East, we are now in a neck-and-neck battle with Labour in Hornsey and Wood Green, and this award acknowledges that.”

Local residents in Wordsworth House, N8 are still waiting for a new wall to be constructed at the back of the building over a year after the old one collapsed. Haringey Council has failed to rebuild the wall despite pressure from Liberal Democrat councillor Bob Hare and assurances to do so by the end of August.

Residents are very concerned about the security issues raised by the temporary fencing at the back of the building that is easy to pull aside. Cllr Hare for the past few months has been in communication with the Council over the issue and is disappointed at its failure to deliver on its promises.

Local resident, Mrs Walters, comments:

“We are concerned that the wall has been down for over a year and the affect it has on our security. We were promised a new wall by the end of August, and we are still waiting.”

Cllr Hare adds:

“I am disappointed that the Council sees this issue as such a low priority. The current fencing does little to prevent people accessing the back garden, this raises a lot of security issues.

“Crime is a big concern for residents in Haringey and if the Council had a little more sensitivity they would understand that this wall would remove the feeling of vulnerability that many residents feel at the moment. I will continue to pursue this issue until the construction is completed.”

The Lib Dem Opposition has secured a special meeting of Haringey’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the borough’s key ‘watchdog’ committee, to consider the Council’s proposals for parking controls in the Highgate area. The special meeting is to take place on 7 October at 7.00pm in the Council Chamber, Wood Green.

The Council can make no progress on implementing the plans agreed by the Labour Executive until the matter has come before the Committee. Highgate’s Lib Dem councillors, who have arranged the ‘call in’, are urging Labour to consult again on its proposals in the streets chosen for a controlled parking zone, and to demonstrate that it has majority public support in the area for its proposals.

Lib Dem Highgate councillor, Neil Williams, comments:

“Given the controversy surrounding the Council’s present plans, it must take a pause for breath and agree to reconsult in the streets where it has chosen to have a CPZ, but has not demonstrated that it has firm public support. This is what happened in Crouch End, and it is what is needed now in Highgate.”

A steep and treacherous pathway leading from Wood Lane to Highgate Tube Station, N6 will be properly looked after and regularly swept following a written assurance by Haringey Council. The assurance comes after a written question was submitted to a Haringey full council meeting by Cllr Melanie Simpson.

The pathway that in autumn and winter months is often lined with wet leaves and ice has been the subject of much concern by Lib Dem councillors in Highgate who have been working for over a year to ascertain who was responsible for its maintenance.

Cllr Simpson (Highgate) is pleased that finally she has an acknowledgement of responsibility and written assurance that the Council will sweep and grit it regularly. However she is disappointed at the length of time it has taken for the Council to act.

Cllr Simpson comments:

“I am pleased that the hundreds of residents who use the pathway every day will be safer now that the Council have promised to clear and grit it on a regular basis. It has taken the best part of a year to get this assurance from the Council, and the path was dangerous.”

Local Lib Dems have welcomed the rejection of plans to convert garages atthe rear of Haringey Park into 14 flats and 14 live and work units. Thethumbs-down was given on Tuesday night by the Council’s Planning Committeefollowing recommendations by the Council’s planning officers. The move washowever described by the chair as a ‘paper exercise’ because developers havealready gone to the planning inspector for determination of thecontroversial application.

Crouch End Lib Dem councillor, David Winskill comments:

“Haringey’s decision is an excellent result for the many householders whoseproperties surround the site. I am delighted that the committee has agreedwith the community that the application is too big, inappropriate for aconservation area and would overlook other properties.”

Cllr Winskill added that there are other concerns about the suitability ofthe live and work units that are still unresolved. He has made contact with the developers on behalf ofseveral residents to explore the possibility of developing a new applicationwhich would overcome the objections of locals to the scheme and wouldprovide a better environment for those who may eventually live there.

A Highgate couple is relieved to have finally received a wheelie bin lastweek following six months of telephone calls to the Haringey Accord’scustomer service line. Residents Mr and Mrs Steiner put the success down tothe intervention of Lib Dem councillor Lynne Featherstone whom theycontacted at the beginning of September.

The Steiners were promised a wheelie bin within four weeks after contactingHaringey Accord at the beginning of April. However, when the bin did notarrive they called Accord again and were promised one within three weeks.This failure to deliver continued until the end of August. Following anotherdelay, they contacted Cllr Featherstone and the Highgate Lib Dems and askedfor help.

Days after Cllr Featherstone contacted Accord, and to the delight of MrsSteiner, the bin was delivered.

Mrs Judith Steiner comments:

“It was a long wait, but our wheelie bin hasfinally arrived. I suspect if it wasn’t for Lynne Featherstone, we wouldstill be waiting.”

Cllr Lynne Featherstone adds:

“I am pleased I was able to help, but we dealwith many such complaints. It is unacceptable that residents cannot getsomething as simple as a wheelie bin without the intervention of acouncillor. The Council must push the contractors to deliver a betterservice to local residents.”

Local Lib Dems are celebratingafter their party’s historic win over Labour in the Brent East by election. The Lib Dems in Haringey say the result shows they are on course to win the Hornsey and Wood Green seat following the 29% swing in Brent East.

Already the main challengers to Labour in the area, if repeated locally, the result would mean a Lib Dem win in the Hornsey and Wood Green constituency, with the party taking over 50% of the votes.

Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson Lynne Featherstone comments:

“Sarah Tether’s win is a fantastic result for the Lib Dems. Labour voters have shown their dismay over their failures to improve the NHS, their decision to invade Iraq and their exaggeration of their case for war.

“As in Hornsey and Wood Green, the Conservatives have shown they are irrelevant, and have performed very badly in a seat where they were once the challengers.

“Sarah Teather deserves heartfelt congratulations, and will be an excellent MP for Brent East.”

Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Bob Hare has accused the Council of showing a disregard for tree protection in Haringey. The comment comes after the discovery that the Council has been using trees as notice boards, nailing signs regarding fire safety and fly-tipping at a number of sites in the area including Western Road and outside Tottenham Town Hall.

The issue was brought to Cllr Hare’s attention by local conservation group the Tree Trust. Despite the Trust writing to the Council, the signs are still there a year later. They see this as the latest in a long run of very poor practice by the Council that include inadequate use of tree protection legislation and damage to trees by reckless Council contractors with lawn mowers and strimmers.

Highgate councillor Bob Hare, who co-founded the Tree Trust, believes that the Council is setting a bad example to the public by showing a disregard for the trees in the borough. He will be pressing them to set a better example and start taking more responsibility for the care and protection of trees in the borough.

Cllr Hare (Highgate) comments:

“We are very concerned about the Council’s lack of care for trees in the borough. The kind of example that they are setting is having a knock on effect with developers removing trees without consent and the Council showing an unwillingness to use tree protection legislation.

“The use of trees as notice boards just epitomises the Council’s disregard. Haringey Council must lead by example and make it clear that damage and vandalism of trees is as unacceptable as fly-tipping or graffiti.”

Local Lib Dem councillor Matt Davies has secured temporary repairs to badly damaged street lights in Twyford Avenue N2, with a five year plan for replacement of the majority of street lights in the area due to be announced later this year.

Following complaints by local residents, the lighting department at the Council has assessed the problem, with repairs being made the following week. Residents are watching the situation closely, to monitor how successful the temporary work is, especially with the weather starting to deteriorate.

“The Council has responded, and made temporary repairs to the street lights along Twyford Avenue,” says Cllr Davies. “Of course, what is needed is better lighting around most of Fortis Green and Muswell Hill. Everyone will be interested to see the plans which are coming before Council in November and hoping that the work can be carried out as quickly as possible – although it is certainly a big task that won’t happen overnight!”

Cllr Davies believes that the Council needs to consult with residents closely over both the style and detail of the proposals, and is delighted that they are planning an exhibition to demonstrate the sort of lights that might be used. This will be held later this month at Hornsey Town Hall and the street lighting department will also be present at Alexandra Palace on the evening of Wednesday 24th September.

“I will be looking at the plans carefully and I know local residents will have a lot to say about them too,” says Cllr Davies. “These improvements need to be made and will be welcome – we must make sure that residents are fully involved and have their say in the plans.”