Months after the controversial disbandment of the Haringey’s Parks Police, Liberal Democrats have attacked Haringey Council for failing to implement their promised replacement park safety scheme fully to keep residents safe.

The need for a replacement was brought into sharp contrast by worried local residents who have experienced an increase in incidents.

Barrington Road resident Debbie Tibber contacted Liberal Democrat Crime Spokesperson Cllr Ron Aitken after a flurry of incidents in Priory Park, Hornsey, involving groups of youths who have threatened local park users, including when her son was threatened at knife point.

Local Liberal Democrats say their worst fears have been realised after Labour-run Haringey Council scrapped the Parks Constabulary earlier this year leaving local parks without a dedicated police service.

Cllr Ron Aitken, Liberal Democrat Crime Spokesperson, says:

“There are legitimate concerns from local residents that show an increase in crime in Haringey’s parks since the Haringey disbanded the Parks Police. As Haringey Council has now failed to fully implement replacement schemes local people have no one to turn to.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“This is a completely unacceptable situation. We fought tooth and nail to stop the disbandment of the parks’ police. Labour’s argument against saving it was the new park protection services they would be introducing. Months later and local residents have neither, and nowhere to turn when they have concerns about safety.

“Haringey Council needs to pull its finger out so people who want to enjoy our local open spaces this summer can do so safely. Doing nothing is not an option.”

Following a recent report which reveals that up to 150 people in Haringey risk dying prematurely each year because of dangerous air pollutants, local MP Lynne Featherstone has joined forces with Lib Dems at the London Assembly in demanding that the Mayor rolls out the suspended third phase of the Low Emissions Zone.

The report, released by the London Assembly last week, warns that levels of airborne particles (PM10) risk resulting in up to 3,000 deaths in London, unless drastic measures are taken. This follows recent news unearthed by the Liberal Democrats that in parts of Haringey, pollution levels, especially of Nitrogen Dioxide from vehicle fumes, are twice as high as the European recommended levels.

Government figures estimate air quality-related health costs for the UK to be up to £20 billion a year. Emissions, mainly from diesel vehicles, contribute to a range of health problems, from coughing and sneezing to more serious illnesses requiring hospital admissions, and even death. Children and the elderly are worst affected.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“I’m appalled that 150 local residents are being killed by air they breathe day after day. Just because we can’t see it, doesn’t mean we don’t have to act quickly.

“It was wrong of the Mayor to cancel the last phase of the Low Emissions Zone as drastic measures are needed to improve London’s air quality. Boris needs to take bold action and roll out the third phase of the Low Emissions Zone and clean up buses and taxis. We just can’t let this one slip by.”

Mike Tuffrey, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group adds:

“Air pollution is an invisible killer we can no longer ignore. The urgency and priority that we rightly give to reducing road accidents must now be given to improving London’s air quality and saving the lives of Londoners.”

The owners of a disused building in Hornsey will be forced to clear rubbish from their land after a successful six-month campaign by local Liberal Democrats. Cleopatra House, in Boynton Road, Hornsey, was abandoned last year when a business collapsed. The owners left the building in a poor state and rubbish in the surrounding area.

Local councillor Errol Reid contacted Haringey Council to pursue the owners to clear up and Haringey Council has now confirmed that legal action will be taken.

Cllr Errol Reid, Hornsey ward, comments:

“Cleopatra House was abandoned by its owners last year. They left it in an awful state with piles of rubbish outside. It has taken a while to track down them down but now after our successful campaign the Council will take legal action so they will have to clear up their mess. It is important for the residents in the local area that their community is clean and I will continue to fight for them.”

Lynne Featherstone MP, adds:

“Local residents deserve to have a clean community and Haringey Council should take a more proactive role in ensuring that these problems do not get any worse.”

Liberal Democrats have warned Haringey Council to ensure the public has the fullest possible say over the how the council is run, as Haringey embarks on a major consultation on whether the failing Labour Council should move towards an elected mayor in time for 2010.

The move comes after a stormy meeting at Haringey Council last week, when it became clear that Labour has not planned for a local referendum on the issue, should local residents demand it in the run up to local elections in 2010.

Councils are now under pressure from the Labour government to consult on the issue. Liberal Democrats say they are concerned that Haringey Labour is also paving the way to ignore the views of local residents should they want the change for 2010.

Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Williams comments:

“We have yet to be persuaded of the case for an elected mayor, but we need the fullest possible consultation so that we can engage in debate with local people, as we need to hear what they think.

“That means abiding by the outcome of any consultation, and embracing the concept of a borough-wide referendum on an elected Mayor if that is what local people want. What mustn’t happen is Labour pulling a fast one on the consultation results, and ignoring the outcome. If that happens, there will be enormous trouble ahead.”

Disabled residents will have to wait until at least the end of the year to get new parking spaces, it has emerged.

Haringey Council admitted that they will not process applications for disabled bays until the summer due to a review in policy and the average length of time to process a claim is four to six months. The information was revealed in questions tabled by Cllr Martin Newton at the Council’s watchdog committee on 20th April 2009.

Local Liberal Democrats have criticised the delay, saying that local residents should not have to wait. Currently seventy disabled drivers are waiting for Haringey Council to process their applications and only urgent applications will be processed earlier.

Cllr Gail Engert has successfully helped a local resident in Muswell Hill to have a disabled bay installed after forcing Haringey Council to acknowledge her application was urgent.

Cllr Gail Engert, Muswell Hill, comments:

“I am glad that Haringey Council have finally agreed that Mrs Bone needs her disabled bay now rather than after they get their policies in order. I am concerned that seventy other disabled residents may have to wait until the end of the year for the installation of disabled parking bays.”

Lynne Featherstone MP, adds:

“This is completely unacceptable level of service for some of our borough’s most vulnerable residents. Whilst Labour councillors are busy pushing paper in the town hall, local residents with disabilities are going without parking facilities they desperately need to make their life easier. Haringey Council needs to pull its finger out and get this backlog processed as soon as possible.”

Lynne Featherstone, Hornsey & Wood Green MP, commenting on the revelations in last night’s BBC Panorama that Haringey Council knew of the existence of the boyfriend of Baby Peter’s mother, in spite of public statement to the contrary, said:

“This appears to be clear evidence of deceit by Haringey Council.What confidence can local residents have in the process to rebuild the Haringey Children’s Service if they have tried simply to cover up their mistakes? Now more than ever we need a public inquiry to get to the bottom of what went so tragically wrong.”

Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone, GLA member Caroline Pidgeon and local councillors last week launched a campaign to persuade the Mayor of London to introduce one hour bus tickets on local buses.

The scheme, which already exists in other European cities, would allow passengers to switch from bus to bus within an hour for a fixed cost of just one ticket.

A petition to support the campaign can be found on www.ourcampaign.org.uk/1hourbusticket or by phoning Lynne’s office on 020 8340 5459.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“It’s really ludicrous that you have to pay for a new ticket every time you change bus. Getting the bus from say Highgate to Wood Green can cost you as much as £3, but if a ticket was valid for an hour, it would really help local residents, not least in these days of recession.

“And let’s face it – the current system is certainly not the best way to get people to swap their car for the bus. This is a brilliant idea and I hope that lots of local residents will show their support for the campaign by signing the online petition.”

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member, adds:

“Bus travel should be treated the same as tube travel. You can already switch from tube to tube on the same ticket so it makes real sense to allow people to do the same with buses.

“One hour bus tickets already operate successfully in Paris, Rome and Brussels. It is time London caught up and gave buses users a fair deal.”

Local residents in Haringey will have to wait an extra four months after a train company broke promises last week on introducing Oyster Pay As You Go (PAYG) on local trains. First Capital Connect (FCC), which runs the Overground train line north of Finsbury Park, recently agreed that train users would be able to use PAYG from September this year; but this has now been delayed until at least January 2010.

The disappointing news comes following a long running campaign spearheaded by Hornsey and Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone , that culminated in assurances from Transport for London, Mayor Boris Johnson and First Capital Connect that local trains would ‘go Oyster’ by September 2009. Lynne has now written to the three organisations demanding an explanation for the delays and an apology to local residents for the extra wait.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I can’t believe that local residents will have to wait at least another 8 months to use their Oyster cards on local trains. It’s broken promise after broken promise. I think local residents deserve an apology for yet another wait.

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, adds:

“The Mayor made a big claim in the election campaign that he would call an ’emergency summit’ with the Train Operating Companies within weeks of being elected, to address issues just like this.

“Boris has failed to call this summit and, not surprisingly, the rail companies have felt no need to deliver on the commitments they themselves have made. It really is time that the Mayor of London and the rail companies worked together to ensure a better service for train users.”