Contender for deepest pothole found in Haringey

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The true depths of Haringey Council’s pothole crisis emerged this weekend after a local Liberal Democrat councillor found a contender for the deepest pothole in Haringey. Cllr Neil Williams was able to put his whole arm in the pothole on Kenwood Road. Whilst Liberal Democrats were able to see the lighter side of the story, they say that it shows the true extent of the deterioration of the borough’s streets under Labour.

Cllr Neil Williams (Highgate) commented:

“We have heard of black holes before – in Haringey’s finances and school places. Now we have Highgate’s answer to the Grand Canyon emerging on Kenwood Road.

“This shows the extent of the years of neglect that our streets have faced and should serve as a wake-up call to Labour transport bosses to the awful state of our roads.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“I was amazed when I saw the photo – as a good Liberal Democrat I have seen many potholes in my time but this takes the biscuit. However, this does have a serious message that shows that Haringey’s pothole crisis continues unabated with little effort by Haringey Council to tackle the problem.”

Bureaucratic blunder blights local beauty spot

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A bureaucratic blunder by Haringey Council has turned one part of the borough’s most-loved nature reserves into a rubbish dump. Local residents were pleased when a new litter and dog waste bin was installed on the Parkland Walk but their joy was short-lived after Haringey Council failed to empty the bins for eight weeks due to an error.

After investigation by local Liberal Democrat councillor Richard Wilson it emerged that the error occurred after one part of Harnigey Council responsible for installing the bins failed to notify another that they needed to empty them.

Cllr Richard Wilson (Stroud Green) comments:

“This is a typical Haringey Council foul up and a classic case of one hand not having a clue what the other is doing. It is an embarrassment.

“It is not much for local residents to assume that when the Council installs new bins it should empty them too. Yet Haringey Council’s blundering bureaucracy is unable to even do this. The result – one of our nature reserves turned into a rubbish dump.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“This is another example of Haringey Council failing to get even the simplest services right. How can we have faith in their competence to deliver more important services to our residents if they can’t even arrange to have bins emptied that they installed.”

Housing in Haringey

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Earlier this week, went walkabout with Metropolitcan Housing – who handle a lot of property in Haringey. They were basically showing me the community events they put in their estates and their upgrades to their housing stock. I have to say the standard of the refurb /decoration was very high – and no wonder the tenant I met was very, very, happy. I just wish they had more housing – as the need in this borough is mega and the supply minimal. Of course – in current climate – development is slowing to a trickle.

Then on to HARTS for Families, who I have visited twice before (see here and here). HARTS was having an afternoon of fun and entertainment for the children of their service users and the service users themselves – with some speeches first, of which I was giving one. It was an event to celebrate diversity – and as the compare introduced the different countries represented by children from those countries – it was an absolutely wonderful parade of our many, many communities. Love Haringey!

And of course – al this plays to the backdrop of the Euro-elections – so off canvassing in between times. Seems very friendly out there to the Lib Dems. Although, as ever with the Euros, so many people not at all sure what the EU is all about. So I spent some time telling them! If you missed me, you can find out more about the European elections and our policies here.

What's going on at Alexandra Palace?

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Alexandra PalaceHere’s my latest column for the Highgate Handbook and Muswell Hill Flyer:

Beautiful building, fantastic location – but a financial nightmare. That’s been the history of Alexandra Palace over the last few decades as one bungle after another has seen tens of millions of pounds wasted – with the bill for clearing these losses landed on the Haringey Council Tax payer.

Over the last couple of years we’ve seen Haringey Labour desperately trying to wash their hands of the problem – but wanting to do so by selling off much of the site on a mammoth 125 year lease to a private developer. A deal was sort-of struck with Firoka, which has since fallen through – leaving Haringey facing a £6.2 million claim from Firoka.

Liberal Democrat councillors have repeatedly criticised this deal – the way in which it was rushed through, the lack of decent public consultation, the lack of proper safeguards in the deal (especially for the historic TV studios) – and the failure to sort out crucial details.

Following the collapse of the deal, there have been two independent investigations – both with damning conclusions about how Labour councillors have behaved. The second one – known as Walklate 2 – concludes that “entering into and maintaining the licence [with Firoka for them to take over Alexandra Palace] has led to losses to the Trust in the region of £1,500,000. The Trustees were not given financial information of the effect of the licence … nor were they given the opportunity to consider whether they wished to revoke the licence.” That is £1.5 million in losses in addition to the £6.2 million claim.

As the reports have shown, the Trustees of Alexandra Palace were kept in the dark about major parts of the deal, they were not told of the concerns raised by some staff and they were not told key financial information either. In other words – there was such a drive to try to get Ally Pally off Haringey’s hands that things were rushed, kept secret and done badly.

The report also concludes that, “There is a moral imperative on any senior management team, particularly in the public sector, to take collective responsibility for such matter and this simply did not happen.” Mistakes, losses – but no-one carries the can other than the rest of us – who have to pick up the pieces through our Council Tax bills.

You just wonder when this pantomime of hideous errors and misdeeds will end; when we the taxpayers will stop having to foot the bill for incompetence and possibly worse and when our beloved Ally Pally will be free of the smell of things not quite right. Next local elections perhaps?

If you missed it before, you can still watch my short YouTube film about Ally Pally.

How can we fix our political system?

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That’s the topic Nick Clegg is (rightly!) talking about in this evening’s Liberal Democrat broadcast on TV. But you can watch it now:

(The film is also on YouTube here.)

Nick Clegg has laid out not only what needs reform – but also a timetable to achieve it. Sorting out the future of democracy in this country demands radical reforms to both sweep away the stench of fiddling and chiseling – and to seize the opportunity that the expenses scandal offers to break the stranglehold of the establishment, both Tory and Labour (who have voted time and time again to retain the status quo and hide the facts). That establishment grip has been unshakeable – until now.

Bring it on!

Where is Gordon Brown?

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They seek him here. They seek him there. If ever there was an example of failure to lead from Gordon (bunker mentality) Brown – his deafening silence at this time of crisis is it.

I find it unimaginable that the Prime Minister of this country has no seeming instinct for what is needed; no sense of purpose in leadership and no ideas for resolution. But that is what we see unfolding before our very eyes.

The old ways are dead Gordon. You should have seen what would happen. You should not have dithered and dallied. You should be out there leading the way.

Baby P sentencing up for review

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So – good! The Attorney General, Baroness Scotland, is going to take a look at the sentencing for the Baby P case – and may then lodge an appeal over them being too lenient.

With an ‘indeterminate’ sentence – it does mean that it could be forever. But with the minimum sentence length given out, it could mean – say – that the mother would be out in five years – which would be a travesty of justice. Once she or the others have served their minimum sentence, it’s up to the Parole Board to decide whether to release any of them at any point in time – but just because we have that safeguard doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be minimum lengths of sentence which they will definitely serve and which reflect the horror of what happened.

Liberal Democrats ask Haringey Council to 'spend a penny'

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Local Liberal Democrats are lobbying Haringey Council to make full use of the Community Toilet Scheme in order to tackle the inadequate facilities within the borough and help out local businesses.

The Community Toilet scheme uses access to toilet facilities in local businesses, shops and restaurants. Local traders in return receive a fee from Haringey Council.

Last week Highgate councillor, Rachel Allison, and Lynne Featherstone MP met with a local pub owner who is keen to join the scheme but has yet to get a decision from Haringey Council.

Tom Helliwell from the Woodman Public House, Highgate, comments:

“The Community Toilet Scheme would be beneficial for local traders like me as we don’t want to turn people away, but we can’t continue to provide this service for free. We’re right by the tube station and get hundreds of people using our facilities every day. We need support from Haringey Council, but we’ve heard nothing.”

Cllr Rachel Allison (Highgate) adds:

“Local residents, especially parents with small children and the elderly, are fed up navigating the unpleasant gauntlet of the limited, shabby and unclean public toilets that are presently available.

“Hollow pledges by Haringey Council to ‘look’ at taking this forward in the next year, as well exploring the possibility of reopening closed sites at Tottenham High Road, have just not materialised.

“Businesses are keen to participate and it could increase trade. Residents want it. Richmond, Camden and Waltham Forest can do it. Why can’t Haringey?”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“Under current plans residents would be made to wait with crossed legs for a further nine months for the simple convenience of being able to use a clean toilet – it is not acceptable.”

Liberal Democrats back new bus route for Hornsey Hospital

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After successfully campaigning with local residents for the Hornsey Hospital to re-open, the Liberal Democrats have today launched a major campaign to persuade Transport for Londonto introduce a dedicated bus service to the new Park Road health centre.

Lynne Featherstone MP and local councillors are asking local people to back the campaign by returning special ‘Back the Bus’ postcards that are being delivered to 20,000 households with the help of local residents.

Official figures from the health trust acknowledge that the area is very poorly served by buses, with less than half of local residents able to get to the Park Road Health centre in less than 20 minutes.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“It is absolutely fantastic that we finally have a new health facility in our local area after campaigning for so long with local residents to make it happen.But what’s the point if it is so difficult for people to get there?

“I hope residents will come out in full force and back our campaign so we can get a bus service that connects people to the new hospital from all corners of western Haringey.”

Cllr Martin Newton, Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson, adds:

“So far the trust has made feeble attempts to see if more buses are needed or if routes need changing, but it’s all come to nothing. With the grand opening just around the corner, a proper consultation is needed so we can get the right bus services for local people.”

Residents who want to support the campaign should call Lynne Featherstone’s office to request a post card on 020 8340 5459 or email lynne@lynnefeatherstone.org.