Haringey Liberal Democrats have called for action from the Government following the publication of figures showing severe staff shortages at hospitals used by Haringey residents.

The figures, published by Evening Standard, show high levels of staff vacancies amongst nursing posts at the North Middlesex, Royal Free Hampstead and Whittington hospitals.

At the North Middlesex, 25.3% of nursing posts are currently vacant, including 23.7% in the intensive care unit and 21.4% of nursing posts in the midwives department. At the Royal Free Hampstead, 41.1% of nursing posts are vacant in the intensive care unit and 26.7% in the midwives department. At the Whittington, 23.1% of nursing posts in the intensive care unit are vacant.

Cllr Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem leader of the opposition on Haringey Council, comments:

“These shocking figures show the huge gap between the government’s promises and the reality on the front line of public service provision. There is a very real crisis in some specialities, such as intensive care and midwives.”

Cllr Wayne Hoban, Lib Dem health spokesperson, comments:

“There is no sign of these shortages easing and hospitals are being forced to spend hundreds of thousands on temporary staff to try to fill the gaps. The Department of Health needs to snap out of its complacent claims that things are getting better.”

Residents and bus users on Colney Hatch Lane are set for an easier time after Transport for London agreed to move a bus stop which was clashing with the entrance to local properties.

Residents were granted planning permission for a crossover (including a dropped curb) to allow them to drive their cars over the pavement into their off-street parking. The permission was granted on the understanding that the bus stop nearby would be moved.

However, once the crossover was put in place the bus stop was not moved. This led to problems as people queuing for the bus found cars trying to cut across the queue. Residents found their cars blocked by buses and queues at the bus stop. Bus users also found their journeys disrupted by cars causing an obstruction in the bus lane as they tried to navigate these blockages.

Transport for London first removed the newly installed bus shelter – which did not solve the problems – and then claimed there was no other suitable location for the bus stop. However, after pressure from the Liberal Democrats they have now agreed to move the stop and to reinstate the shelter.

Cllr Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem leader of the opposition on Haringey Council, comments: “It’s been a bit of a comedy of errors, particularly with a new shelter being put up and then taken down again. But it looks as if the right measures are finally being taken.”

Cllr Matt Davies, Lib Dem councillor for Fortis Green, comments: “This is excellent news for local residents – who will be getting a better sited bus stop and their bus shelter back too.”

Residents in Ramsey Court, Crouch End today received welcome news when Haringey Council agreed to back down on controversial new parking restrictions. The back down follows pressure from local councillor Lynne Featherstone.

Hornsey Housing Manager, Peter Purdie, has written to Cllr Featherstone agreeing to suspend the new parking restrictions. Residents in the block have enjoyed off-street parking spaces for many years and were horrified when large notice boards suddenly appeared announcing a ban on parking.

The Council had introduced the restrictions in an attempt to solve access problems for the dustbin men. The Council has now agreed to consider other solutions and to consult residents fully before making a final decision.

Councillor Lynne Featherstone (Lib Dem) comments:

“I am glad that the Council is now listening to residents and agreed to consider other options. Haringey Council really must learn to consult residents properly in future.”

Haringey Liberal Democrats have called for proper consultation on planning decisions after the Council admitted that it does not advertise planning applications to all residents.

The admission came in an answer to a written question from Liberal Democrat Cllr Ross Laird. The Council admitted to only advertising in the Haringey Advertiser newspaper, which is not distributed to all residents in the borough.

Cllr Laird commented:

“This is postcode planning. If you happen to live in a street where the Haringey Advertiser is not delivered, you may never know that there is a major planning application in the neighbouring street.

“Time and again we receive complaints from local residents that they have not been consulted by the planning department, or the consultation letters have not been widely distributed. The fact that Haringey skimps on the cost of advertising in more than one paper demonstrates that they are not prepared to invest in effective consultation.”

Liberal Democrats today welcomed new moves from the Government to help tackle graffiti, which has announced plans to pilot a ban on the sale of aerosol paints to under-18s.

Cllr Lynne Featherstone, leader of the opposition on Haringey Council and a member of the London Assembly’s Graffiti Committee, comments:

“I am delighted that the Government has agreed to pilot this scheme which we have been calling for. Haringey residents pay a hefty price for illegal graffiti, and it can have an adverse effect on people who have to travel in vandalised, unpleasant buses and trains, and live in areas blighted by graffiti.”

Highgate ward councillor Neil Williams comments:

“Graffiti is a particular problem in many parts of the borough, especially around Archway and Highgate. It is great news that the Government has responded to our calls for this policy to be tested out.”

Muswell Hill Councillor Ross Laird has branded as ‘farcical’ last night’s decision of Haringey’s Licensing committee to grant all the late night licence operations for Muswell Hill nightclubs and fast food take-aways.Lib Dem councillors in Muswell Hill and Fortis Green have been campaigning along with local residents over the noise disturbance and litter caused by the late night opening.

While all the applications went through last night, Lib Dems have acknowledged that the local businesses concerned have at least made some moves to address residents’ woes.

Commenting after the meeting, Councillor Laird said:

“The Licensing Committee was pretty farcical. The Chair hardly seemed to know what she was doing. Nevertheless, despite the fact that all the applications were accepted, the owners of the outlets have gone some way to meet local resident’s complaints and have changed their habits accordingly.

“Along with my Lib Dem colleagues in Fortis Green, I will of course be monitoring this situation to make sure they adhere to the terms of their licences.”

The Liberal Democrat Leader has described as ‘shameful’ Labour’s ploy at last night’s full council meeting to block all questions in the chamber tabled by the Liberal Democrat opposition.

This meant that those present were treated to a series of ‘toadying’ questions from Labour members, who shouted down attempts by the Liberal Democrats to have the questions put in a fairer order – something the council’s new constitution does allow for.

Lib Dem Leader Lynne Featherstone comments:

“This is one of the sorriest episodes I have seen from Haringey Labour in the council chamber. It seems that their fear of facing questions from the Liberal Democrats has made them throw all sense of fair play out of the window. Shouting down any attempts to hold them to account is disgraceful.

“We will be demanding a new procedure to stop Labour abusing the council and local residents in this way.”

Labour faced embarrassment at last night’s council meeting, when council leader George Meehan admitted that the council does not properly respond to queries from councillors, let alone members of the public. He asked the council to ensure that queries from councillors are in future answered.

The council has long been criticised by the Liberal Democrats for its abysmal performance at dealing with queries from members. The Lib Dems argue that if they can ignore councillors’ requests for information on an issue, what chance does an ordinary member of the public have?

During the local elections however, special measures were put in place to ensure that councillors, at that time the vast majority of them Labour, received replies to their queries. The Lib Dems say these mechanism appear to have been dismantled following the elections, and piles of queries are routinely ignored for weeks by the Labour-run council.

Lib Dem councillor for Highgate, Neil Williams, comments:

“In Highgate, I have piles of queries to the council that remain unanswered. When I was elected, I thought I would get replies, but it is quite staggering that emails and letters sent as a result of concerns raised with us by residents are either completely ignored, or left for weeks. At least the Labour council leader has now acknowledged the scale of this problem in Haringey. Let’s make sure he actually does something about it.”

Highgate councillors have forced the Labour council to consult more widely on plans for a controversial mast on top of a block of flats in the famous Hillcrest estate. In response to a written question from Lib Dem councillor Melanie Simpson, the Labour council has backed down and agreed to consult all the blocks, instead of just the one block facing the possibility of a mast.

The Lib Dems describe as ‘absurd’ the decision by the council to consult only the residents of Mountbatten House in the Hillcrest estate. Despite there being seven closely adjacent blocks of flats, residents of all the other building were initially ignored by the council.

Cllr Melanie Simpson comments: “At least the council has now agreed that residents will have a chance to have their say. The council’s previous decision to ignore many residents was absurd and I am glad the council has changed tack.

“Hillcrest is a famous development, and is in a conservation area. I am concerned that the tops of several of the blocks are already very cluttered, and the possibility of a building at ground level really concerns me. There is a long way to go on this one.”