Good news for Haringey's pedestrian crossings

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Lynne Featherstone and Cllr Martin Newton at a Haringey pedestrian crossingA campaign success this week. My colleague Cllr Martin Newton (Lib Dem, Fortis Green ward) has been spearheading a campaign to get Haringey Council to check the state of pedestrian crossings near schools – and to repaint etc as necessary.

He was spurred on by having discovered several dangerous crossings – so it wasn’t just a matter of fixing what was found to be wrong, but getting the systems right for the future.

Here’s hoping … but if you spot any other crossings that need work, do let me know.

Total Politics: Blogger profile

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Way back when – on October 3 2003 – I posted my first blog it wasn’t a devastatingly compelling start: ‘I’ve started this blog to complement my monthly newspaper column, which is also available on-line (see links on the right).’ Dull or what?

However, only two blogs later the title of my post was ‘How to sex up travel planning’. I was clearly learning the power of key words at a very early stage!

I started blogging because I wanted the people who elected me to see that I wasn’t lazy (frequent politician stereotype) and give them my take on things. I reckoned that it was a way of them getting to know me – and that kind of set the tone of my blog. I wanted to be a person first – politician second.

And I love writing. Blogging offered a neat combination of something I’m not bad at with the need to get my stuff out there, which is one reason why Mark Pack (now the Liberal Democrats’ Head of Innovations) suggested it – here was something that might be both enjoyable and vote-winning!

I had to expand my reach if I was to raise my profile high enough to tackle my parliamentary opponent – then the sitting Labour MP. Clearly it worked – as I am now the MP and overturned a deficit of over 26,000 in two elections. But the five and a half years and hundreds of thousands of words were not just about winning – albeit I suspect that my blog played its part.

The blogging, twittering, Facebooking and the rest are now part and parcel of the communications world – and having been fast out of the starting blocks did me no harm. Indeed – if it wasn’t for blogging – I might never have changed Iain Dale’s original view of myself!

Getting my ‘blogging voice’ right was important – human, conversational, engaging rather than lecturing, though yes – also angry at times. I wanted people to read it and not die of boredom. Politician on message – shock horror! That wouldn’t pull in the crowds – but it also means you have to keep blogging through bad times. Fair weather bloggers rarely succeed.

Over time, my blog has often helped me clarify my own thinking on issues. This is a side benefit that I hadn’t expected. The actual necessity of making yourself clear to the reader is a discipline that helps sort out what you really think yourself.

And now? I can’t imagine being an MP without blogging – without that always available audience to engage with and talk to.

A shorter version of this piece appeared in the March 2009 edition of Total Politics.

(c) Lynne Featherstone, 2009

Nick Clegg to do Q+A with the Jewish community

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As you will see below, Nick Clegg is doing a special evening for the Jewish community and has asked for it to be publicised so that anyone local who wants to go can reserve a place:

On Monday March 16th, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg will be holding a special Question and Answer session in Westminster for the Jewish community.

Hosted by the Jewish News – an article announcing the event is in this week’s edition – the event is an opportunity for the audience to ask questions to Nick on any topic they choose.

Anyone can attend the event, which starts at 6.30pm and is being held at LGA House, Smith Square, Westminster, SW1P 3HZ.

To reserve a place please send an email labelled ‘Nick Clegg’, to justinc@thejngroup.com including your name, age and contact number, or if you are unable to attend questions can be submitted in advance to the same email address.

The nearest tube stops are Westminster, St James Park and Pimlico.

Lordship Lane development news

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The local papers said that I would be meeting the campaigners against the London Newcastle development on the site of the old Freemasons pub on Lordship Lane. And indeed they came to see me that very day. Thus proving that what you read in the papers is true!

The application was for A1/A2/A3 designation on the site and Haringey had already refused planning permission. London Newcastle had appealed and that appeal was heard two weeks ago and the decision is expected next week.

Three representatives of the local traders came to see me to say how worried they were that the proposed development had at ground level a unit of 4,000 sq ft – which if let to a Tesco local or similar might put them out of business. They had collected a large petition signed by local people all wanting to support their local traders. It will be hard enough for them all to survive the recession – but to find a huge competitor landing in their midst they felt would be the end of them.

Given the situation – I suggested to them that I would get in touch with the developer and ask that they come and meet the local traders and people to discuss the potential usage of the development – regardless of whichever way the decision went. If they get their planning permission – given that they are on record quoted in the local media as wishing to work with and deliver something for the community– then best for the two sides to meet. If they were turned down and lost their appeal – no doubt they would want to put in a new application in due course – so better again to talk with local traders and people.

So when I got back to the office I phoned the guy in charge of this development for London Newcastle – who sounded a tad wary at first when I said I was the local MP etc. But, full credit to London Newcastle – he said they did mean it when they said they wanted to work with the community. He said they had agreed to add A4 usage (“drinking establishments”) into the potential letting use for the site in addition. And he also said that I had to look at London Newcastle website because they were good guys with a good track record. And yes – I checked their website and they look very good – as much as one can tell from a website.

And last and best – he said that London Newcastle would be happy to meet with local traders and people to discuss their concerns. I will arrange the meeting which will take place in a few weeks time. By then we will know what the appeal decision is – yes or no – but either way much better to work together. So I am hopeful that by bringing the two sides together in this local planning issue – they can together find a way forward that is good for both of them.

Improving Haringey's care of children

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I went to the Haringey Strategic Partnership meeting last night particularly to have the opportunity to raise some of my ongoing concerns over the plans for child protection post Baby P. Peter Lewis, who took on the role after Sharon Shoesmith’s sacking, will present Haringey Council’s response / action plan to the hideously damning Joint Area Review report by OFSTED commissioned by Ed Balls.

The action plan is pages and pages of issues, identified leads and objectives and so on and so forth. As I said to the meeting – and the meeting is all the key players in Haringey, not just the council – I can’t judge the actions as the majority as they are about details which go beyond what I know of. However the three key issues I raised which as I said might be in the many pages but I couldn’t identify them were:

– firstly that much of what went wrong in Haringey was culture and attitude – and unless that changed all the proposed actions would not deliver a safer child protection regime

– secondly – that so very many people – including myself – warned Haringey that children were at risk and they took no notice. Were there measures that would ensure that warnings were heeded rather than rebutted and ignored?

– lastly, what measures were there that would ensure that professional advice and experience was not simply steamrollered into submission by management? Decisions made by the Safeguarding Children Board that led to Baby P’s death were by agreement – but my understanding is that concerns were raised, professional judgements and warning were given – but that the managerial lead simply intimidated or ignored those who raised concerns into submission.

The answers were not wholly satisfactory. On the first – yes promises that culture and attitude would be entirely different. Good – but haven’t seen the text that will go with the action plan to the Secretary of State today. On second one – the answer was about escalating the issues brought by staff to senior managerment. Given I went to the lead politician and the chief executive with my warnings and they ignored me – not convinced escalation is the safeguard we need. And on the third – well we will see!

Local MP arranges meeting between Lordship Lane developers and local traders

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After meeting with local traders who are worried that a proposed development may turn a pub into a superstore on Lordship Lane yesterday, Lynne Featherstone MP has now successfully got the developers to agree a meeting with the traders.

The Liberal Democrat MP is now in the process of setting up the meeting between local traders and developers London Newcastle, to which all neighbours will be invited.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“London Newcastle readily agreed to start a dialogue with local traders and residents. They say they genuinely want to work with the community.

“I’m glad that they are being accommodating and really making an effort to listen to local concerns. Hopefully this meeting will be the beginning of a good relationship between local residents, traders and the developers.”

Muswell Hill Post Office – update

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I have a local constituent on a mission to improve services at Muswell Hill Post Office. The queues since the closure of our local sub post offices have lengthened and he wants them to do something about it. This is additional to all the campaigns and work we have all been doing on Post Office queues anyway.

So – we all met – my constituent, the branch manager, area manager and regional manager upstairs at Muswell Hill Post Office.

Have to say – dreadful building, complete rabbit warren, very poor behind the scenes spaces. In fact, we asked to look at the plans for this summer’s refurb (where I have been promised maximised seating – presently there is none for older or frail people in long queues). The new plans are better and show two seats (hardly a seat-fest – but given the limits of the space probably as much as can be squeezed in).

However, my view is that this is a cosmetic improvement – and it will be slightly better in that the queue will be inside and the space is marginally better organised – but they need more space! Now that they have shoved us into their Crown Offices – cosmetic uplifts aren’t enough. They should take over Woollies or find a decent space.

Anyway – on queuing the managers did seem to agree with us that they need to reorganise their staff to be there at the times when there is peak demand – and despite some challenges – they will strive towards this.

My constituent (who prefers to remain nameless) has agreed a reporting format to keep a watch on how the improvements to – so watch this space.

Haringey Labour still haven't learnt to listen to warnings

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I met with a whistle blowers’ support and advice service yesterday. Following Baby P and the appalling problem anyone who tried to tell Haringey what was going on met with – i.e. Labour wouldn’t listen and ignored me, other elected Lib Dem members, Nevres Kamal (the whistle blower) and so on. Clearly the next issue has to be getting a failed council like Haringey to understand that they have to change. They cannot go on ignoring those who bring warnings to them just ‘cos they don’t want to deal with stuff and are afraid of it getting out into the ether and damaging them politically.

That is why they refused to scrutinise child protection when the Lib Dems put it forward as an area that needed looking at. Even more shockingly – at Full Council last Monday – Labour once again refused point blank a proposal by the Lib Dems to set up a special permanent group of members to watch over child protection. So – Labour have learned nothing and changed nothing about their resistance to proper engagement and scrutiny. Protect and hide (themselves and their actions of lack of) seems to sill be their creed.

Hence – my meeting with this legal based charity that stand to help those whistle blowers (in complete confidence) who find themselves turned on, spat out, bullied etc as did Nevres when she tried to warn of dangerous and negligent goings on in Haringey Childrens’ Services.

In the newspapers today: Post Office songs and superstore development

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Two stories from this week’s Journal to draw your attention to:

A JAZZ musician has sent a “poison pen letter” to the Post Office – in the form of a satirical song – after being forced to stand in ever-increasing queues. [More]

A STRING of family-run shops launched a petition against plans to build a superstore on the site of a former pub claiming it will drive them into poverty. [More]

Will the Olympic Games be coming to Haringey?

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From TheyWorkForYou, here’s the question I asked, and the answer too!

Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green, Liberal Democrat) | Hansard source

To ask the Minister for the Olympics what existing sporting facilities in Haringey will be used for the London 2012 Olympic Games; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell (Minister of State (the Olympics and Paymaster General), Cabinet Office; Dulwich & West Norwood, Labour) | Hansard source

There are two routes by which the existing sporting facilities in Haringey could be used for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Firstly as a Pre-Games Training Camp venue; Haringey has one designated training facility in the LOCOG Pre-Games Training Camp Guide offering athletics training facilities at the White Hart Lane Community Sports Centre in Wood Green. A National Olympic Committee or National Paralympic Committee is yet to make arrangements to use this facility for this purpose.

Secondly, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has begun the process of identifying Games-time Training Venues and there is the possibility that this same facility could provide valuable training opportunities for athletes while competing at the London 2012 Games. The venue owner and operators have been asked to express their interest to LOCOG if they wish to be considered for this programme.

In addition, 371 businesses in Haringey have signed up for CompeteFor (London 2012’s website for publishing Games related contract opportunities) and 14 Haringey schools are registered as part of Get Set (LOCOG’s domestic education programme).