An operation to clean up four of Haringey’s scruffiest stations is underway following months of pressure from Lib Dem councillor Lynne Featherstone. Harringey, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace and Bowes Park stations were all earmarked for clear-ups after Ms Featherstone invited a Network Rail representative to visit the sites and take photographs of the litter, fly-tipping and fencing problems at the stations. A month on and Alexandra Palace station has seen its embankments cleared of rubbish and remedial repair work carried out to the fencing.

Bowes Park has also seen some repairs to its fencing and all fly-tipped waste will be removed within the next couple of weeks according to Mick Murphy, Network Rail representative who visited the sites with Ms Featherstone on 7 July.

Cllr Featherstone is pleased with the progress that is being made on the problem. However she is concerned that the rail operator WAGN has yet to produce a timescale for the clean up of litter within 100 metres of the station platform, which is technically their responsibility. Both Ms Featherstone and Mr Murphy have promised to keep an eye on progress, with Mr Murphy hoping to revisit the sites within the next couple of weeks.

Cllr Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I am very pleased with the progress that is being made on the clean up of our local stations. There is plenty of work that needs to be done before the stations meet an acceptable standard, but things are now heading in the right direction.

“I will keep the pressure on the various contractors and ensure that they are playing their part in improving our borough’s stations. Residents deserve clean, safe and welcoming stations, this is a step in the right direction.”

Liberal Democrats have welcomed the Council’s rejection of plans to build a housing development on the site of the Avante Garden Centre, Cranley Gardens, N10 following Wednesday night’s planning meeting (30th July). They say the rejection has highlighted the serious questions over the suitability of the site and its impact on the surrounding area.

The proposal for a total of four, two- and three-storey terraced houses were rejected principally on the grounds of their effects on the environment, including in particular the views from the nearby Muswell Hill Road bridge, the effects on the local townscape, the crammed site that would result, and the effects on the Parkland Walk, which is a statutory local nature reserve as well as a valued walking path.

Lib Dem councillors Lynne Featherstone and David Winskill say the proposals have raised serious questions of principle.

Lib Dem Planning Spokesperson, Cllr David Winskill (Crouch End) comments:

“We are pleased that this development has been rejected. The buildings currently occupying the site have a very low visual impact, allowing sight lines across them from the surrounding houses. What the developers proposed would have seriously affected local views and could have had a detrimental affect on the wildlife around the nature reserve and the amenity of the walk. There are concerns about the continuing loss of facilities that help make up a balanced local community.”

Local Lib Dem Councillor Lynne Featherstone adds:

“I hope that the developers will think again before challenging this decision. Ideally, we would like to see a garden centre retained, but if that is not feasible then a detailed redevelopment plan must be put forward addressing all issues from the environment to employment.”

Lib Dem councillors are calling on Haringey Council to tackle a growing problem of dumped rubbish outside the Kurdish Community Centre in Hornsey. The call comes following failed attempts by the Council’s Hornsey Area Housing Office to ensure that the Centre’s refuse is properly dealt with.

Lib Dems say that the issue has partly arisen due to the lack of a contract for waste collection between Accord, Haringey’s waste contractors and the centre. However Lib Dem environment spokesperson, Bob Hare says that the Council has been aware of the problem for quite some time, but nothing has been done to alleviate the situation.

Cllr Hare says that the refuse problem is being greatly compounded by fly-tipping, which the Council is very slow to clear up. Not only does this make the wider area look a mess, but it aggravates the problem by attracting more dumping.

He believes the situation could be simply resolved if the Council regularly checked what has become a dumping hotspot, with rubbish strewn over a large area and even thrown up onto the roof of the porch. In addition, the Council must insist that the community centre make satisfactory arrangements for the secure containment and regular collection of their own refuse.

Cllr Bob Hare comments:

“This problem is unacceptable and completely avoidable. It is a major and highly visible eyesore, and is causing distress to the many Hornsey residents who live near or pass by the area.

“The Council must institute regular checks on this fly-tipping hotspot. Also they must contact the Community Centre, make them aware of the problem and ensure that proper arrangements for their refuse are established immediately.”

Following concerns raised by local residents, Lib Dem councillors in Muswell Hill and Fortis Green wards have secured police patrols around Coldfall Primary School, Muswell Hill, to deal with parking problems and enforcement in the immediate area. Muswell Hill councillor Lynne Featherstone hopes that extra patrols will improve the situation when children return to school in September.

The Lib Dems say that the traffic problems around Coldfall School are particularly acute, with some vehicles regularly parked on the yellow zigzags outside the school and executing dangerous manoeuvres such as reversing onto the pavement. In one recent incident a front wall was knocked down, but fortunately no children were injured.

The Council has failed to send a parking enforcement officer to the school to ensure child safety, despite repeated requests from local parents. Cllr Featherstone has now secured the co-operation of the police in patrolling the school entrance when the new term starts in September.

“These extra patrols are important,” says Cllr Lynne Featherstone. “There needs to be more orderly parking near the school site, as kids’ safety is paramount. I am delighted that the local police are happy to help.”

Local resident Caron Brooks, who was one of the first parents to raise the issue with Cllr Featherstone and the local Lib Dem team comments:

“Illegal parking and bad driving around the school entrance has been a major worry for parents for some time. The school has tried countless initiatives to make the entrance safe, but now we need enforcement to stop this problem. I am relieved that we will now get some action and am looking forward to being able to get my children to school safely at last.”

Lib Dem councillor Matt Davies (Fortis Green) adds:

“I know the school takes this issue very seriously and has been working hard on a Safer Routes to School scheme. But at the end of the day we do need the back-up of enforcement, and I am delighted that our local police agree and know they will put maximum effort into this problem.”

Controversial plans to build eight new three storey houses with twelve parking spaces on the land of 85-87 Woodside Avenue, at the rear of Lauradale Road, have been sensationally withdrawn 24 hours before the Council’s Planning Sub-Committee was to discuss them. Local Lib Dem councillors for Fortis Green ward have welcomed the news.

“This is great news and a fantastic result for the residents who fought such an organised and clear campaign against these proposals,” said Fortis Green councillor Matt Davies (Lib Dem).

“This planning application was totally unacceptable for the site and the area. Child safety, wildlife and environmental impact, traffic and parking, loss of amenity to surrounding residents – there were just so many things wrong with these proposals it was sometimes difficult to know where to start! But local residents, the primary school and myself were able to put the case successfully and the Council officers upheld the majority of our objections.”

The application was recommended for refusal and was due to be discussed by the Planning Sub-Committee on Wednesday 30th July. However, the day before the would-be developers contacted the Council to say they were withdrawing the application. If they wish to submit a new proposal for the site then the consultation process must start from scratch again.

There were over 60 letters of objection from residents to the application, a sizeable petition of signatures from parents of children at nearby Tetherdown Primary School and objections from Muswell Hill Friends of the Earth. On Monday 21st July, Cllr Davies also spoke to a meeting of around 60 residents who had gathered to organise opposition to the proposed development.

Cllr Davies comments:

“Local residents and their ward councillors are delighted that these proposals are now dead in the water. If new plans are submitted for this site in the future, I know I can call on the expertise and enthusiasm of a huge group of residents to fight any unsuitable developments.”

Lib Dem Health Spokesperson Cllr Neil Williams has written to Health Service chiefs to express his concerns about plans being mooted to ‘rationalise’ vital maternity and children’s Accident & Emergency services in the North London area. Cllr Williams is concerned that vital services for Haringey patients will be affected in ways that are not yet clear, and wants answers on how waiting lists and journey times for patients to local hospitals such as the Whittington and North Mid might change as a result of the NHS plans.

The plans involve concentrating children’s and maternity services at fewer sites in the five boroughs in the North London area, instead of the present spread of services across six north London hospitals. Cllr Williams says that children’s A&E services at certain sites could therefore close, and full reassurances must be given before any ‘rationalisation’ plan.

Lib Dem Health Spokesperson Cllr Neil Williams (Highgate ward) comments:

“I have asked the Health authority to explain how any rationalisation plan might affect Haringey patients. It concerns me that parents may have to travel further to take their kids to A&E, and whether this will be as safe in an emergency.

“Journey times are one thing, but how quickly will children be seen when they get to the enlarged services? If waiting times are increased because not enough extra doctors, nurses and beds are put in place in the centralised units, will children be put at risk? These are questions which must be answered before the Health Service pushes ahead with these plans for North London. I also want to know specifically how they will impact on the two local hospitals, the North Mid and the Whittington.”

Local Liberal Democrats have welcomed the removal of the threat faced by Haringey’s small businesses from Yellow Pages reorganisation plans. Lib Dem Regeneration Spokesman Cllr David Winskill led objections when Yellow Pages put forward proposals to split the existing London North directory into two – Enfield & Barnet and North London.

The way the proposed boundary had been drawn split Haringey in half, and many small local businesses would have been under financial threat from loss of trade.

Lib Dems say that most businesses in Haringey employ fewer than 15 staff and have small advertising budgets. They therefore rely heavily on Yellow Pages for increasing their revenue through new trade. Halving the area they advertise to could have had a dramatic effect on the value of their Haringey trade.

Following talks with Cllr Winskill and concerns raised by local organisations, Yellow Pages have now agreed to include local businesses in Tottenham and Wood Green in both new directories – at no charge.

Cllr Winskill says:

“We’re really pleased that Yellow Pages have listened to the concerns we raised and also the comments made by other organisations, including Middlesex University and the Tottenham Green Enterprise Centre. I welcome the decision to make compromises to their original plans, which would have been devastating to Haringey’s small businesses.”

Lib Dem Cllr Matt Davies, who also formally objected to the original proposals, was delighted that the Lib Dems’ hard work had paid off. He adds:

“We have worked hard to ensure that regeneration work in Haringey is not damaged by the Yellow Pages changes. This success will help local businesses maintain and develop their trade, to the benefit of residents in both the East & West of the borough. I am particularly pleased that business in Wood Green and Tottenham will have the added boost of appearing in both editions at no extra charge. It’s very good news for small businesses in the area.”

Labour run Haringey Council has been condemned by the opposition Lib Dems for its failure to address the fly-tipping problem on the Council owned Hornsey Depot, situated less than 20 metres from Hornsey High Street.

Although there has always been a litter problem on the site, the problem in recent months has escalated with the rubbish so high that it is now visible from the High Street. Lib Dem councillors and activists are now working hard to ensure that the Council is made aware of the size of the problem and makes efforts to deal with it immediately.

Cllr Ross Laird (Muswell Hill) comments:

“It is totally unacceptable that fly-tipping has been allowed to continue until we have got to a state like this. We have contacted the Council and requested that they take immediate action to the clear the site. I think it is also important that we get some kind of commitment to rapid clearance in future if dumping occurs again.

Local activist Dave Burridge adds:

“We would also like to see a barrier put in place to prevent ‘casual’ access to this site, as well as a mobile CCTV camera for a few weeks to try and catch some of those dumping here. While many local residents continue to make efforts to rejuvenate Hornsey High Street, this large scale rubbish problem is undermining their efforts. The Council must take immediate action.”

Local residents and Lib Dem councillors have expressed their annoyance to Haringey Council after finding new recycling bins placed on the Triangle N22 without warning.

While the Lib Dems support the expansion of recycling in the borough, the party says the Labour council is in danger or sacrificing the goodwill of residents by placing the bins without properly consulting on suitable locations. The Lib Dems want the bins’ location reconsidered as part of part of a planned consultation on the state of the Triangle.

The green space situated at the junction between Crescent Road and Palace Gates Road has been the subject of much campaigning over the last few months with local Lib Dem councillors and residents working hard to make the patch of greenery a focal point for the area. After months of working closely with the Council to see improvements, all parties are angered by the Council’s decision to place bins without any consultation.

Cllr Wayne Hoban (Alexandra) comments:

“This particular spot is not a suitable site for recycling facilities and I think that if the council had consulted with residents and ward councillors this would have been obvious.

“It is important that recycling is improved in the borough and Lib Dems have led the way on this. However, if we really want residents to participate in bringing up Haringey’s dreadful recycling record, it means consulting on new bins rather than imposing them. The bins should be removed until a more suitable site can be found through the forthcoming consultation on the Triangle.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Matt Davies (Fortis Green) has praised the work of the Christian Action and Response In Society (CARIS) following a visit to their annual Summer Playscheme. The visit to the scheme for homeless children and young people up to the age of 14 took place on Monday 21st July at the St. Ann’s Community Centre, N15.

CARIS is a charity that provides advice and other services for homeless families living in hostels and temporary accommodation sites right across the borough of Haringey. The Summer Playscheme that runs from Monday 21st July to Friday 8th August offers a range of daytime activities as well as excursions to galleries, museums and theme parks on Wednesdays and Fridays. They are expecting to attract over 100 children in the two-and-a-half week period.

Cllr Matt Davies was very impressed with the activities that were going on and the enthusiasm of those running the Playscheme:

“I very much enjoyed meeting the hard-working staff at the Playscheme. It was obvious the children and young people were enjoying it immensely.

“Providing this service for homeless children helps them to be a full part of the Haringey Community. We should pride ourselves on being such a multicultural borough and looking after the most vulnerable children in our society.”