Transport for London (TfL) has agreed to act to take swift action to sort out a highly dangerous pedestrian crossing on the busy Archway Road in Highgate. The move follows a meeting on Friday with Highgate Lib Dem councillor Bob Hare, who took a TfL official through this and several other outstanding problems at the vital junction, where TFL works on the junction layout are just being completed.

TfL agreed to act promptly after Councillor Hare pointed out the danger to the official present. When A1 traffic coming south turns left into Muswell Hill Road, the new pedestrian crossing remains at green, with the potential danger that someone crossing Muswell Hill Road on a green pedestrian light could be mowed down by an oncoming vehicle.

Bob Hare comments: “Transport for London have agreed to act on the pedestrian crossing, which is a great relief, as it was operating in a dangerous manner and should never have been set up that way. We are also addressing other problems at the junction.”

Bob Hare and Lynne Featherstone are continuing to work on other issues related to the junction and residents who would like a detailed report of all the outstanding issues with the new junction layout they are working on can send an email to highgate@haringeylibdems.org or write to 250 Muswell Hill Broadway, London, N10 3SH.

• Tory Chairman tips Lib Dems to win Hornsey and Wood Green Parliamentary constituency
• Tory Chairman tips Lib Dems to take control of Haringey Council

The Chairman of Hornsey and Wood Green’s embattled Conservatives has predicted a Lib Dem win in Hornsey and Wood Green at the next general election. Tory Chairman David Allen made the prediction in a local newspaper this weekend.

In a frank admission, the Tory Chairman, recently defeated by the Lib Dems in Fortis Green ward, said: “…the Lib Dems seriously threaten to take control of Haringey Council and the Hornsey and Wood Green constituency at the next local and general elections…”

The news follows the publication of a national opinion poll in this Sunday’s News of the World, which shows the Lib Dems and Tories running neck and neck on 24% each nationally. On these figures, the Lib Dems would have more MPs than the Conservatives.

Commenting on the developments, Neil Williams, Liberal Democrat agent in May’s elections, said: “It’s always a boost to hear predictions of future local successes for the Lib Dems, even if it does come from such an unlikely source. Given Lib Dem advances and the present state of the Tories, including their wipe-out in May’s council elections, I am sure he is correct, and we will move from success to success in future elections.”

Lib Dems in Highgate have welcomed the news that Haringey Council has now agreed a date for a special neighbourhood assembly meeting which will focus on the Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) issue now facing Highgate. Lib Dems say it will be a welcome opportunity for local people to put their point of view on present proposals from both Haringey and Camden councils for CPZs in the Highgate area.

The agreement to the 6th November meeting follows pressure from the Lib Dems, who had complained that in the grossly oversized Muswell Hill area assembly, Highgate residents would not have a big enough say on local council issues. As a result, the Lib Dems secured agreement that Highgate could have two special meetings of its own, and this is the first of those.

Highgate councillor Neil Williams said: “This meeting will be a crucial chance to look at the council’s proposals and to ensure that Highgate residents’ views are heard. We will be watching closely to ensure that the process is fully carried through.”

Neil Williams says that Highgate residents wishing to be kept up to date with the details of both this and future Highgate meetings of the neighbourhood assembly should send an email to Neil.Williams@haringeylibdems.org.

Neil Williams has also teamed up with Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem transport spokesperson at the London Assembly, to give residents a chance to give their views via an on-line survey.

Haringey’s Liberal Democrat leader, Lynne Featherstone, has announced that she is to step down from the role next month. Ms Featherstone gave the news to her fellow councillors at the regular meeting of Lib Dem councillors on Thursday night. Ms Featherstone is also a member of the Greater London Authority and was chosen as her party’s Parliamentary spokesman for Hornsey and Wood Green last month.She wants to concentrate more on her Greater London Authority role and as a local ward councillor for Muswell Hill.

Lynne Featherstone has led the Lib Dems in Haringey from success to success, and has been a tireless campaigner on local issues.Under her leadership, the party crushed Labour in the west of the borough in this year’s local elections, wiping out the Tories in the process.At last year’s general election, Ms Featherstone scored the party’s third highest vote increase in the country, pushing the Tories into a distant third.

Lynne Featherstone will step down in November, when the council group will choose a new leader. In a vote of thanks, Wayne Hoban, Chair of the Lib Dems’ 15-strong council group, said:

“We owe a great deal to Lynne, who has put Haringey Lib Dems in pole position to challenge Labour in the borough – and we have wiped out the Tories in the process. She is a great friend, has been a superb leader, and will continue to be a key part of our local team.”

Lynne Featherstone comments: “It has been hugely enjoyable and exciting to lead the Lib Dems in Haringey. I will continue to play a prominent a role in the coming period, and look forward to even more campaigning on local issues.

“My decision is really a recognition that the council group is in good shape and I can step aside with complete confidence that the work of the council group will be in good hands. And I will continue to play my part as a councillor for Muswell Hill and with all my local campaigns such as securing the reopening of Muswell Hill police station front counter.”

Haringey Council’s Key Stage 2 results remain among the worst in the country, according to results published today in the Times Educational Supplement.

Provisional aggregate scores show that Haringey has the sixth worst results in England for Key Stage 2.

Commenting on the results, Lib Dem Education Spokesman, Cllr Ross Laird said:

“Haringey’s education service is still struggling to meet the basic needs of local pupils. While the authority and schools are to be congratulated on their GCSE results, these figures demonstrate that the Labour-run council still has a mountain to climb to get grades up to an acceptable level.”

Councillor Ross Laird, Lib Dem councillor for Muswell Hill, has expressed his dismay that one month on from his call for Haringey Council to help clean up piles of rubbish in Farrer Mews, Muswell Hill, the situation has not improved.

Cllr Laird commented:

“Farrer Mews is verging on being an utter disgrace. There are piles of rubbish and abandoned household appliances. The fact that it is not in full glare of the public is no reason for ignoring the state of the area. I have written to the director of Haringey Accord, the council’s cleansing contractor to urge an immediate clean-up operation.”

Crouch End Lib Dem Councillor Ron Aitken has called for Haringey Council’s Environment Department to take action over a green space on Crouch End Hill that has become overgrown and dilapidated. The slope, next to the BT Site and the 91 bus stop, used to provide a welcome respite for travellers on their way up the hill from Crouch End. However in recent years the shrubs have reached out onto the pavement and benches have been vandalized beyond use.

Ron Aitken was contacted by a constituent who wrote:

“This slope is now completely covered in rampant brambles, which have not only covered the open space but are now intruding onto the pavement….another of the benches which used to provide a resting place for the elderly has completely disappeared and the back of the third is broken.”

Cllr Aitken has written to Haringey Environmental Services asking them to act. Ron Aitken comments:

“Haringey must try harder to look after the small green spaces that can make Crouch End such a pleasure to live in. Let’s hope they sort out this site.”

Highgate Lib Dem councillors have welcomed the news that Haringey Council has agreed to their demands for better consultation with residents over a possible controlled parking zone (CPZ) in Highgate.

The councillors had demanded a special area assembly meeting for Highgate residents to discuss the plans. Haringey Council is now going organising the meeting for late October or early November.

Lib Dem councillor Neil Williams comments:

“Parking is an important and emotive issue, and it is important that residents are given the chance to meet with council officials to discuss the plans being put together by the council.”

Lib Dem transport spokesperson at the London Assembly, Lynne Featherstone, adds:

“This is welcome news, particularly as the knock-on effects of Camden’s plans for its side of Highgate are likely to be significant if they are implemented. We need better co-operation across the borough boundary in order to ensure that Highgate as a whole doesn’t suffer from different councils taking contradictory steps.”

Lib Dem Leader Lynne Featherstone has written to the head of the Government’s Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) demanding an explanation over Haringey’s controversial attempts to interfere with an investigation carried out by the SSI into Haringey’s children’s services.

The move follows the uncovering of the issue by the local Lib Dems and The Guardian newspaper. In a letter to Denise Platt, Chief Inspector of the SSI, Lynne Featherstone has accused the Labour-run council of:

1.Making direct contact with the recipients of SSI questionnaires, despite the fact that the information accompanying the questionnaires assured users that they were ‘anonymous’.

2.Offering home visits in order to “help” recipients to fill in the forms. One person, for example, was rung by Council staff who endeavoured to make an appointment for someone to call round to help her fill in the form.

3.Asking at least one recipient of the survey form if they had brought it along to a case conference The council had apparently planned to collect the forms rather than have them sent directly to the SSI.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“In defending this behaviour, Haringey Council has argued that the SSI’s inspector is happy with this procedure and has no concerns over Haringey Council’s behaviour in this respect. I find it very surprising that an organisation investigating a council should find it acceptable for people working for that council to interfere with the collection of evidence by the inquiry. It is time we had some satisfactory answers.”

The North Middlesex Hospital is one of the busiest accident and emergency centres in London, and also has to cope with an enormous workload of elective surgery.

Following discussions at Haringey Community Health Council last week, the Lib Dem Health Spokesperson Cllr Wayne Hoban (Alexandra Ward) has questioned the North-Mid’s sums on the deal and raised the issue of affordable housing for nurses and doctors.

“I have written to the Trust asking that affordable homes for healthcare staff should form an essential part of any deal. With things as they stand, this cannot be guaranteed.” said Cllr Hoban.

Lib Dem health spokesperson at the London Assembly, Lynne Featherstone, comments:

“I am concerned about the impact of a £2.7 m per annum shortfall in revenue funding once the deal is up and running. This would have to be funded for a period of five years by the Health Trust, and could result in cuts to other vital services.

“These are important questions which must be answered if this scheme is to serve the interests of the local community.”