Two Highgate Liberal Democrat councillors have expressed concern over Haringey Council’s plans to sell off a crucial site – and are calling for a full planning brief to be prepared to protect development in the Archway Road site in the Highgate Conservation Area.

Secret papers to go before Haringey’s Cabinet on Thursday will propose the sale of the site at 505-511 Archway Road, which lies next to the Wellington Gyratory at the top of the Archway Road.Lib Dem councillors say that Haringey Council must ensure that every opportunity is made to improve the site, and that the future of the whole area needs to be considered – including discussions with Transport For London over the future of the gyratory system.

Local councillor Rachel Allison comments:

“This is a crucial gateway site in an area that has been the victim of terrible planning decisions by Haringey Council in the recent past.We need to ensure that the Council looks at the whole picture, as I would like to see a review of the gyratory system. We also need a bus stand in the area, so the loss of this site could be crucial to any future improvements.”

Fellow Highgate councillor Neil Williams adds:

“We will be pressing to ensure that local people are consulted about the future of this site. It mustn’t be about whatever cash Labour-run Haringey Council can trouser on a sale. The wider benefits to this part of Highgate, and the Conservation Area,must be considered. We must have a full planning brief.”

The Liberal Democrats have revealed that Haringey council has splashed out in the region of £700 in order to install a new 40 inch plasma TV screen in council offices at River Park House, Wood Green.

Liberal Democrat councillors have questioned the use of public funds being spent on such an item, when hard-pressed residents are struggling with the rising cost of living, including some of the highest Council Tax rates in London.

Cllr David Winskill, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Culture, Leisure and Lifelong Learning said:

“A plasma screen may be an excellent way of watching sporting events, such as the upcoming European football championships and Wimbledon, but at a time of belt tightening for Haringey residents I wouldn’t have thought this is the best use of taxpayers’ money. About three years ago Haringey received a barrage of criticism when a massive TV was installed in the Leader’s office – do they never learn?”

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Liberal Democrat group leader and Resources spokesperson, adds:

“Installing a plasma TV in this area seems to me to be a staggering example of Labour extravagance and waste. “

Local councillor Monica Whyte has praised Hornsey Bowls Club for its links to the community in its centenary year, after the association held a successful open day designed to entice newcomers into the sport.

The club, which this year celebrates its 100th birthday since being established in 1908, has launched a drive for new members.

As part of these plans, the club will hold a celebratory match at the club on Sunday 29th June in tribute to famous bowls player Sir Francis Drake and club members have been invited to visit Parliament by Hornsey and Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone.

“Hornsey Bowls Club is a valuable community resource”, remarked Lib Dem councillor Monica Whyte, “and gives a great opportunity for local residents to keep active in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.”

“Lawn bowling has an outdated image for a few people, but with even some teenagers taking up the sport there’s no reason why people of all ages shouldn’t give it a go!”

Residents interested in finding out more or using the club for functions should phone 020 8340 7884.

A parking sign concreted in place to face the wrong direction on Southwood Lane, N6, has led to a local disabled resident being fined £600.Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone has taken up the case with the Transport for London commissioner, Peter Hendy, asking for the fine to be reviewed and the signage urgently to be made clearer.

The penalty was incurred after Mrs Elizabeth Bennett, a Highgate Resident, parked at 08:10am on the 18th May 2007 with a disabled badge, not realising restrictions only allow parking from 10:00 to 16:00.However, the sign indicating this, points down the hill, making it invisible from the space where Mrs. Bennett was actually parked.

Lynne Featherstone commented:

“Parking restrictions are a necessity in a busy city, but when they are heartlessly applied without a jot of compassion there is something seriously wrong.

“Having seen the site myself, I can quite understand how Mrs. Bennett believed that she was parking legally. To add insult to injury, £600 is way off the scale of what is fair.TfL must act to right this wrong.”

Councillor Rachel Allison, Highgate councillor, added:

“I have previously spoken with officers from Transport for London who agreed with me that the sign was unclear and that the bay should actually have been white and not red, which would have meant that Mrs Bennett would have been allowed to park there anyway!”

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, commenting on the Government’s announcement today that four schools in Haringey have been given a warning notices to improve exam performance or face closure said:

“We must challenge underperformance in our schools but threat of closure and job losses is hardly going to motivate the teachers whose help we need to drive up standards.

“I have long fought for fair funding for our local schools, so the extra money is welcome.However, this announcement seems far too much stick and not enough carrot.”

Councillor Gail Engert, Haringey Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Education added:

“I wait to see how exactly much extra money this will mean for our schools. But £400m over 638 schools nationally only works out at about £600,000 per school. This will hardly scratch the surface of the historic chronic underinvestment in Haringey’s schools.”

Shoppers in Highgate will now be able to park at any time of day at a hard-pressed stretch of the Archway Road, thanks to Highgate’s Liberal Democrat councillors. The move will be a welcome boost to local traders, who often struggle due to the busy A1 and its strict, ‘red-route’ parking controls.

The change follows a discovery by Liberal Democrat councillor Rachel Allison, who was elected in a Highgate by-election landslide in March. Ms Allison discovered that the 10 until 4 parking restrictions on the road were not necessary, and following a site meeting with an official from Transport for London, which runs the road, these are to be relaxed from 7am until 7pm. This will allow shoppers to park in parts of the road for up to one hour throughout the day.The existing parking signs have already been blanked out by TfL, with new ones on the way.

The move is a welcome boost for firms like Papa Architects, which is determined to make a success of its offices on the Archway Road. The firm was one of several to raise the issue with local Lib Dem councillors, as it will enable them to have commercial visitors at any time of day.

Highgate Liberal Democrat councillor Rachel Allison comments:

“I’m delighted that Transport for London will be making this change to help the Archway Road traders. In addition to Papa Architects, other shops have been asking for action for two years, so it’s great that a face-to-face meeting with TfL on the Archway Road has finally made this happen.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Bob Hare adds:

“This is great news, but Haringey council should be more on-the-ball when it comes to the Archway Road, ensuring the parking restrictions are the minimum necessary, so that the shops can receive as much help as possible. There are some brilliant shops on the Archway Road, and sensible parking restrictions mean a real boost for traders.”

Highgate’s Liberal Democrat councillors have expressed dismay at the planned closure of Northwood Road in Highgate, due to the need for works on an important bridge. The Parkland Walk bridge is to be closed for a week on 30 June, causing huge inconvenience to Highgate residents while further temporary supports are installed to prevent further movement of the structure.

Local Liberal Democrat councillors are demanding an investigation into the recent maintenance of the structure – and why the use of heavy equipment on top of the bridge was recently allowed by Haringey Council. They also want to know how long the bridge will have to close to carry out proper repairs.

In March, councillor Rachel Allison reported cracking in the structure and expressed concern that heavy equipment being used to renovate the Parkland Walk, which runs over the bridge, might be doing damage. The Lib Dems want an investigation into whether any damage may have occurred and also, assurances that the bridge has had a proper maintenance schedule from Haringey council over the years.

Highgate councillor Bob Hare, who has also been monitoring the bridge, comments.

“Northwood Road is a vital local link, and this will be a real nuisance with closures. It is important that the bridge is made safe, but Haringey Council must also account for how this damage has been done. It really is a sticking-plaster approach.”

Haringey Council spent £42,000 on bottled water over the last three years, research by Haringey Liberal Democrats has revealed.

The Labour administration was forced into the admission in a response to a question from Liberal Democrat Councillor Jonathan Bloch (Muswell Hill). Liberal Democrats have criticised Haringey Council for wasting taxpayers’ money on unsustainable products and failing to follow its own green agenda.

Cllr Ed Butcher, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson, comments;

“Apart from the money Haringey Council is wasting, I am appalled by the unnecessary impact to the environment. As Haringey Labour sit in meetings struggling to come up with ideas to make Haringey Council more sustainable, they are completely oblivious to the water bottles sat on the table in front of them. The obviously do not have a clue when it comes to even the most simple solutions to make Haringey Council greener.”

Cllr Jonathan Bloch (Muswell Hill) adds:

“Yet again we see the wastefulness of Haringey Labour. They appear happy to pour council taxpayers money down the drain on unnecessary luxuries such as bottled water, while at the same time presiding over one of the highest Council Tax rates in London and implementing inflation busting charges on numerous services. Why cannot Haringey Council make do with tap water, as the vast majority of Haringey’s residents do and if they are unhappy with the water quality the Council should complain to Ofwat.”

Haringey Labour’s Deputy Leader last night blamed “unpleasant” local residents for disruption to a meeting of St. Ann’s and Harringay Area Assembly. Frustrated local residents, upset by ineffective chairing and bad organisation, were instructed by Cllr Lorna Reith to conduct themselves better in the future.

Local Liberal Democrats, who also attended, were annoyed by Cllr Reith’s patronising remarks and have attributed the confrontation to Labour’s failure to listen to residents and to keep the meeting in order.

Liberal Democrats have demanded that Cllr Reith apologises to residents and will be raising the issue with the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive. They have also offered to chair future meetings in the absence of competent management of the Area Assembly.

Cllr Karen Alexander (Harringay) comments:

“Harringay and St.Ann’s Area Assembly meetings are often very lively as residents are desperate to have their say on the Council’s poor performance. Members of the public need to behave reasonably. However, it is typical of Labour to blame this on residents and not look at their own management of both the agenda and meetings. I was staggered that Cllr Reith chose to speak to residents in such a patronising way. I would have thought the most obvious way of approaching this was to talk to those responsible for managing the meeting and get them to conduct these meetings properly.”

Cllr Carolyn Baker (Harringay) adds:

“Residents in St. Ann’s and Harringay do not feel they are being listened to by an aloof and arrogant Labour Council. I challenge them to let the Liberal Democrats run the area assembly for six months and see the difference.”

Haringey Labour councillor Alan Stanton has broken ranks and branded his administration as getting away with “highway robbery” on the BBC, joining Liberal Democrats in criticising Haringey Council’s traffic enforcement.

Haringey Council collected hundreds of thousands of pounds from enforcing traffic and parking restrictions in Tottenham, Muswell Hill and Crouch End even though doubts emerged over their legality.

Local Liberal Democrats have now demanded that residents and visitors caught out and ticketed by illegal signage and unclear box junctions must be refunded.

Councillor Martin Newton (Lib Dem, Fortis Green ward), who over the last ten months has raised the issue with Haringey Council and the Department for Transport, has demanded immediate action from Haringey Council’s parking boss and has agreed with Cllr Stanton’s remarks.

Cllr Martin Newton, Liberal Democrat Traffic and Transport Spokesperson, comments:

“This is just the latest incident in a series of blunders by Haringey Council on parking enforcement. Liberal Democrats have gone directly to the Department for Transport over this issue and now even Labour councillors agree that their own administration has got it wrong.

“If the lines and signs are wrong no offence has been committed so there should be no penalty to pay.

“This situation has got so bad that Labour are criticising themselves. It’s time for the council to apologise to residents and visitors caught out and ticketed and for Haringey Council to accept responsibility. Haringey Council has a bag full of swag they have collected that they should use to refund motorists.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“In any other industry this would be called theft. Haringey Council has to act now to restore confidence in its traffic control and refund the hundreds of local residents who have been unlawfully fined.”