Ross Laird, Liberal Democrat councillor for Muswell Hill, today welcomed the removal of long-standing scaffolding from The Priory residential home on Priory Road.

The scaffolding had been left over from long-completed building work, but its continued presence presented a security risk by making it easy for a would-be burglar to access windows. It also cut out considerable amounts of light from windows.

Muswell Hill Councillor Ross Laird (Lib Dem) comments:

“This is welcome news which will cut down the risk of crime and improve the area for residents.”

David Winksill, Lib Dem councillor for Crouch End, has criticised Haringey Council’s draft Cultural Strategy Paper for neglecting Hornsey Town Hall.

Cllr Winskill comments:

“It is a great pity that more emphasis has not been put on Hornsey Town Hall, a Grade II listed building. This is one of the architectural gems of North London and should be back in public use. Its potential contribution to the cultural life of Crouch End and the whole borough is immense.

“It is scandalous that the building has been left empty and deteriorating for 12 years. Haringey Council should be actively seeking a partner to restore and reopen the building, making it available for local community groups and other activities.”

Cllr Winksill has teamed up with Lib Dem leader Lynne Featherstone to ask residents for suggestions to put the Town Hall to use.

Cllr Featherstone comments:

“I would urge people to write to David Winskill and myself at townhall@lynnefeatherstone.org with their ideas.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

Concerns over the funding of the Bernie Grant centre were heightened in the council chamber yesterday evening, when Lib Dem councillor Wayne Hoban accused Haringey Labour of writing a blank cheque for the development, which could cost local taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Councillor Hoban also said that if council funding on this scale is being sought, the centre should be for the whole of Tottenham and not just for one section of the local community.

The Lib Dem councillor for Alexandra Ward urged the council to consider renaming an existing public building instead of opting for the new centre, which is riddled with financial uncertainties.He suggested that the Tottenham Green Leisure centre cold be renamed in Bernie Grant’s memory, as it was a very popular local facility.

Wayne Hoban comments:

“Haringey Council is in danger of getting itself in to a ‘heads you win, tails I lose’ situation over the centre. Even within the present proposals, the projected deficit of £200,000 per year from 2004 is way above what can be sustained, given the council’s other pressing problems. There has got to be a complete rethink on this scheme.”

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.”