Despite Government announcements last week that London faces an increased threat of widespread flooding, it has emerged that Haringey Council has abandoned funding for a local flooding relief scheme.

At Haringey Council’s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (16th June 2009), £72,000 allocated to flood relief was dumped by Labour councillors in order to pay for the over-budget mortuary project.

Local Liberal Democrats have repeatedly criticised Haringey Council’s mortuary project overspends, which have now reached more than £1.5m and have resulted in many projects being cancelled.

Locally, much of Tottenham and Wood Green could be threatened by increased rainfall and a recent environment study said that over 8,000 residential properties are currently prone to flooding.

Last week the Government launched a climate projection report that warns authorities to plan now for changes in weather brought on by climate change.

Bob Hare, Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson, comments:

“Eight thousand residents’ homes are already under threat from flooding yet Haringey Council has washed their hands of further protection because yet another badly controlled project has gone massively over budget.

“Incompetence and overspends have resulted in Haringey Council having to ditch a flood relief scheme just when we have been told that is exactly what we may need.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“This is another classic example of Labour failing to fix the roof before it rains. Unfortunately it is those residents living in areas that are prone to flooding that will suffer in the long term.”

To show support for a campaign to allow asylum seekers who have been in the UK more than six months to work and go to university, Lynne Featherstone MP today met with young local residents to hear their personal stories and how the restrictions have affected their lives.

Save the Children’s ‘Brighter Futures Campaign‘ aims to highlight the special difficulties young asylum seekers experience when they are not allowed to support themselves and carry on with a normal life whilst their application is considered. With the Home Office sometimes taking up to ten years to reach a final decision, the work and education restrictions can be very damaging to young people’s self-esteem and future.

Lynne is one of many Liberal Democrat MPs who have been fighting for asylum seekers’ right to work in Parliament, and has recently signed a motion calling for the issue to be debated in the Commons.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“It’s been inspirational to meet these amazing young people, who have gone through so much to end up here in Haringey today.

“But meeting them has also made me angry. When waiting for a decision that will determine their entire future, they have no chance to live a normal life and build up the self-esteem and sense of pride that you get from education and from working.

“That’s not right and that’s not fair. They deserve the chance to grow intellectually, financially and psychologically, and I will continue fighting to get them that right.”

In a bid to help raise awareness and highlight the hard work and commitment of Haringey’s 16,000 carers, Lynne Featherstone MP delivered this year’s keynote speech at the Haringey Carers Week Conference on Friday.

This year’s conference, titled ‘Hidden and invisible’ highlighted the hard work, love, and commitment of the almost one in 15 Haringey residents who provide unpaid care for a loved one who is ill, frail, or disabled.

The conference, which marked the end of this year’s carers week, coincided with a recent shocking survey of British carers that show almost three-quarters of carers have reached breaking point due to the pressure of their role, with many suffering severe depression and some even attempting suicide. The survey also showed that almost one in two carers are left worse off financially as a result of caring for a loved one.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“There are thousands of people in Haringey who sacrifice their time- and often their health, finances, work and social life- in order to care for a love one.

“I’m proud to have been given the chance to do my bit to help raise awareness of the wonderful work carers do here in Haringey. They deserve to be recognised for the priceless contribution they make, both to our local community and to society at large.”

It has been revealed that, despite problems with fly-tipping, littering and graffiti in the Finsbury Park area, Haringey Council has ceased funding to keep the park and surrounding streets clean.

In a recent message to councillors the Chief Executive of Finfuture, an independent community-led scheme for the Finsbury Park area, said that funding from Haringey Council for two environmental officers had stopped from 1st April 2009. However, Hackney and Islington Councils, who also support Finfuture financially, will continue to fund one officer.

Local Liberal Democrats in Harringay and Stroud Green wards have criticised the Council for pulling the plug on funding and failing to recognise the ongoing need for dedicated services to clean up the park and surrounding streets. They have urged Haringey Council to reconsider the decision to stop funding the environmental officers.

Cllr Richard Wilson (Stroud Green) comments:

“Both Islington and Hackney Council have decided to continue funding to keep Finsbury Park and local streets clean yet Haringey would rather choose to fund higher councillor allowances than spend the money on keeping the local area clean. Is this an example of a front line service being cut due to the Council’s inept financial management or its perverse priorities?

“Only last week we came across a big pile of rubbish in Woodstock Road near Finsbury Park – this will only become more commonplace if Haringey Council cut cleaning services for local streets.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“Haringey Council have shown that, despite the need to keep one of our most popular green spaces and the surrounding streets clean, they are cutting this much needed service.”

Non-English speaking residents in Haringey are yet to have adequate information about swine flu after a request for multilingual leaflets was ignored by Haringey Council. In May Liberal Democrat councillor Nigel Scott highlighted the need for Haringey Council to provide information to residents in the main languages spoken in Haringey, warning them of the symptoms and what they should so if they suspect one of their family has the virus.

Haringey Council has ignored Cllr Scott’s request despite an increase in the cases of swine flu in London and Haringey’s first confirmed case.

Cllr Nigel Scott, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, comments:

“Haringey is one of the most diverse communities in London with residents speaking over one hundred different languages. With a swine flu pandemic just announced, Haringey Council has done nothing to ensure that local residents, who may have little understanding of English, would have had the same access to information.

“The fact that many schools in Haringey have up to eighty per cent of pupils speaking English as a second language is a hint that communication also needs to be in languages other than English. With something as important as a threat to public health we cannot afford to get it wrong.”

Lynne Featherstone MP added:

“Just sending such essential information in English is not good enough if it means that many local residents won’t fully understand what steps they need to take to make sure their families are protected.

“Haringey Council, managing one of Britain’s most diverse communities, should make it a priority to ensure residents can access information on such an important issue.”