Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson and GLA member Lynne Featherstone addressed Haringey Youth Forum last week, and spoke to students about the Greater London Authority and transport issues. The hosts were Park View Academy, with attendees from Hornsey Girls, Alexandra Park, Northumberland Park and Park View Academy itself.

Lynne Featherstone told students that transport is clearly a key issue for young people in Haringey.

The session was a lively one, with lot of questions to Ms Featherstone, who is a recent Chair of the Greater London Authority Transport Committee and has chaired an inquiry into Mayor Ken Livingstone’s congestion charging plans.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“To engage with such a bright and enthusiastic group was an absolute pleasure and I have invited them all to make a visit to the London Assembly for Mayor’s Question Time. It’s very important to encourage interest amongst young people in the issues that affect peoples’ lives.”

Liberal Democrat Crime Spokesperson, Cllr Lynne Featherstone, is pressing for more active policing around two of Haringey’s busiest bus routes.

Ms Featherstone wants action to improve policing on the W3 and 41 routes as part of a welcome Metropolitan Police/Transport for London initiative on safer bus routes. The initiative aims both to cut crime and to deal with abandoned cars and illegally parked vehicles that cause bottlenecks and delays for buses and cars.

The W3 route, which runs from Finsbury Park via Alexandra Palace to White Hart Lane, and the 41, which runs from Archway through Hornsey and Crouch End to Tottenham, are two of the key east-west transport links in the borough.

Lynne Featherstone, who is also a member of the Greater London Authority, says:

“I welcome this joint London initiative on bus corridors, and the long term plan to extend it to all bus routes. However, the W3 and 41 have been identified by the police as particular hotspots – so I am pressing for them to be added to the scheme as soon as possible.

“We need the police and London’s transport officials to work together on dumped cars and illegal parking, as well as other transport related issues, to ensure that our bus services run smoothly.”

Local Lib Dem councillors in Muswell Hill have secured the agreement of Haringey Council for the removal of several ugly posts that have cluttered up Muswell Hill Road for months.

The Lib Dems have been pressing the Labour run council for action on the problem, as the array of signs and disused poles installed by Haringey in recent years is both confusing and an eyesore for residents and motorists. The six poles targeted include two disused lamp columns.

Muswell Hill councillor Lynne Featherstone says:

“Many residents have quite rightly complained to me that these signs are an eyesore. Six signs have now been identified for removal, which is a good start in reducing this visual blight, although it will still leave a very large number of posts in place.We will continue to work on this problem.”

Lib Dem councillor Susan Oatway has said that last night’s meeting (Thursday, 5 December) designed to sort out traffic problems in the Alexandra area was a “complete and utter shambles” following the last minute takeover of the chair by a Labour councillor who knows little about the local traffic issues.

The development followed Labour’s last minute removal of popular local councillor Susan Oatway from the chair of the meeting, breaking previously agreed policy that the meeting would be chaired by an Alexandra councillor

The proceedings were criticised by leaders of local residents’ associations, as the new chair imposed by Labour was completely unprepared. Participants sat for two hours, and could only reach agreement on the need to meet again and to set up a smaller working party to look at the traffic issues.

The meeting also failed to sort out what to do with ‘safer routes to school’ money that is already available for Haringey to spend in the coming financial year.

Susan Oatway comments:

“Haringey’s handling of the matter has been a disgrace. They had an opportunity to sit down and agree how to spend significant amounts of money that have been earmarked for the area, and they seem determined to blow it.

“All they want to do is score cheap political points which is slowing up the whole process. The chair simply had no idea what the issues were, and the meeting was a shambles. I will be having discussions with local residents groups to find a way forward out of this mess.”

Commenting on the new local government finance settlement, Cllr Jonathan Bloch, Lib Dem Frontbench Spokesman on Finance, said:

“This is an awful settlement from the Labour Government. Haringey is one of the worst affected Boroughs in the whole of London.

“A 3.7% rise in finance will be wiped out automatically by inflation and wage increases, such as the teacher’s pay award of 4%. We are undoubtedly looking at a huge hike in Council Tax next year as a result of this settlement and also the massive overspending by Labour councillors during the current financial year.”

Cllr Ross Laird (Leader of the Opposition) added:

“I am astounded how little the Labour Government has allocated to our struggling schools and social services.

“This will either mean a double figure rise in Council Tax or very serious cuts. The council’s lobbying strategy has clearly not been successful, and we will be paying dearly for Labour’s financial mismanagement over this past year.”

Haringey’s ruling Labour group have been accused of shoddy attempts to play politics with efforts to solve traffic problems in the Muswell Hill area. The Lib Dem complaint follows Labour’s bid to remove Cllr Susan Oatway, a popular local councillor and chair of the local neighbourhood assembly, from the chair of the focus group looking into traffic problems, due to meet on Thursday.

Ms Oatway, a councillor for Alexandra ward, has been leading efforts to solve traffic problems in the area, and has been attempting to knock heads together between Haringey Council and Transport for London over TfL’s offer to provide £100,000 for traffic calming in the area.

The chair of the group had always previously been an Alexandra Ward councillor. Having been involved in the arrangements for the meeting, Ms Oatway has at the last minute been told that it will be chaired by a Labour councillor from another ward – who is not even a member of the Labour Executive.

This is not the first time Labour has interfered or dragged its feet on the issue. Previously, Labour tried to sabotage an earlier consultation by ordering council officers to arrange a conflicting consultation meeting for the same day and time but at a different location, and have consistently dragged their feet since May over implementing the generous funding suggestions from TfL.

The Lib Dems say that Labour is putting petty politics before making vital progress for residents.

Cllr Susan Oatway comments:

“I am appalled that political point scoring has been allowed into this arena. The focus group has always been chaired by an Alexandra ward councillor, and I know the issues, having worked closely with local residents’ groups.

“The Labour member chosen is not even a member of the Executive, and I have already been involved in the arrangements for the meeting. It is disgraceful behaviour by Labour, and it clearly shows they have little interest in solving the traffic problems in the area.”

Crouch End councillors are calling for the present consultation on the Crouch End controlled parking zone (CPZ) to be abandoned, following the abandonment of the public ‘listening event’ held on Thursday afternoon (5 December).

The Lib Dems say that while the raised temperatures at the abandoned meeting were very regrettable, it remains that case that the consultation exercise put in place by Haringey Council was flawed. Questions remain over the information provided during the initial consultation. Insufficient notice was given of the listening event and there was confusion over what the developers are proposing on part of the BT site.

Lib Dem councillors have produced a five-point plan that they want implemented as soon as possible. They want the council to:

1. REVIEW the current consultation procedure.
2. END the link between the CPZ and the planning application at the former BT building. This would let the developers implement the existing planning permission. Residents could then see for themselves how the new building (when opened) impacts on parking in the area, enabling them to make a more informed decision.
3. IMPOSE a new consultation condition insisting that there is a review after six months, and if necessary repeated thereafter, as the impact of the BT development unfolds. If necessary and with residents’ consensus, parking controls could be implemented at the developer’s expense.
4. ENSURE that the council consults more widely in outlying streets, so that local residents in all areas which might be affected have their say.
5. REQUIRE the developers of the BT site to provide some funding for a local residents’ Parking Forum to ensure that everyone’s voice is fully heard.

The Lib Dems also say that there should be an overall review of car parking arrangements in Crouch End for both residents and shoppers. The Lib Dems would like to see the Town Hall car park open during daylight hours – something that the Labour-run council has so far resisted.

Crouch End Councillor David Winskill says that the first immediate step should be a meeting of ward councillors, local businesses, residents’ associations and the council to sit down and consider the next steps forward.

Crouch End councillor David Winskill comments:

“We must take the heat out of the present situation, so that everyone can regain confidence in the process. We need a system of consultation in which all residents have confidence, whatever their views.This can all take place in the new year if the present consultation is now abandoned.”

Liberal Democrats have elected popular Muswell Hill councillor Ross Laird as their new leader to follow Lynne Featherstone. Ms Featherstone, who is also a member of the Greater London Authority, has stepped down to concentrate on local campaigning and her GLA work after four years and considerable local successes in leading the party in Haringey.

Councillor Laird, who was previously Ms Featherstone’s deputy, received the unanimous backing of the 15-strong Lib Dem opposition group at their monthly meeting on Thursday night.

Councillor Laird was first elected to Haringey council in February 2000, after a spectacular by-election win. He has been the party’s education spokesman, and has consistently campaigned to ensure that Haringey’s privatised schools services can be held to account by local residents.

Alexandra ward councillor, Wayne Hoban, takes over as deputy leader. Lynne Featherstone retains a prominent role as Crime and Community Safety spokesperson, responsible for policing issues. Cllr Barbara Fabian (Fortis Green) takes over as Education spokesperson.

Commenting on his election, Ross Laird said:

“It is a great honour to lead such a successful local party, and to have had such a vote of confidence from fellow councillors. We will continue to hold Haringey Labour to account for the way it is running our borough.”

Lynne Featherstone adds:

“While I am in some ways sad to be stepping down, I know that the leadership is in Ross Laird’s very capable hands, and I will continue to be at the forefront of local campaigning. The policing brief is a great challenge, and we will continue to press for improvements in community policing in the west of the borough, in particular the reopening of the Muswell Hill front counter and a new police kiosk for Highgate.”

Haringey Liberal Democrats are fighting plans by Haringey’s ruling Labour councillors to hand over major planning powers to unelected council officers. The Lib Dems say the council could use the powers to push through more controversial ‘backlands’ developments in the borough without proper scrutiny.

The changes, which Labour councillors voted through at the Constitution Advisory Panel on 28 November, will mean that officers will be able to process applications for up to five houses and office space up to 500 square metres without them going to planning committee. This would remove a key opportunity for residents to have their say on the plans.

Under the new arrangements, councillors would have to call in planning applications which fall into this category, rather than them being automatically sent to the democratically elected committee. The proposals were opposed by Cllr Stephen Gilbert and Cllr Ross Laird.

Cllr Stephen Gilbert, Lib Dem whip and a member of the Constitution Advisory Panel, said:

“We already delegate well over 90% of our planning decisions. As we have seen with the number of backland developments coming forward, even an application for one house is often contentious. Labour has once again ditched democratic procedure in a bid to seek Government favour.

Lib Dem Leader Ross Laird adds:

“Local residents will rightly be furious to know that their Labour Councillors have effectively weakened their ability to oppose developments of up to five houses. The proposals must be resisted.”

Commenting on the allocation of £2 million by the Department for Education to meet unseen costs (such as furniture removal) of the PFI deal for Haringey secondary schools and the rumour that the Labour run council is contemplating a PFI deal for primary schools, Lib Dem Leader Cllr Ross Laird said:

“It certainly speaks volumes that the council has had to make this suggestion to Ministers in order to gain the welcome £2m to make up the education budget shortfall brought about by the secondary schools PFI deal.

“Having spoken to the Lead Member for Education and officers, I gather that the council did indeed flag up the possibility of a PFI deal for primary schools. This would clearly be a long way off and no actual plans exist. Given all the problems with the secondary schools PFI, it seems rather foolhardy to be suggesting a primary schools PFI.”

Cllr Barbara Fabian, Lib Dem Education Spokeswoman, added:

“I would hope that if Haringey is contemplating future PFI deals they would consult stakeholders and parents first.”