Liberal Democrat councillor demands action on illegal Noel Park car wash

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Councillor Fiyaz Mughal, Liberal Democrat councillor for Noel Park ward, is demanding urgent action to close down a car wash operating without the required planning permission.

Cllr Mughal first raised this issue in April after receiving numerous letters from local residents expressing their concerns. However, seven months after the issue was raised no action has been taken by Haringey Council.

In 2005 Station Cars applied for planning permission to turn their business from a car sales yard into a car washing business. This application was turned down by Haringey Council on the grounds that “the proposal would have a significant detrimental impact on adjoining residents, pedestrians, the amenity of the area and the character of the adjoining conservation area”. However, a car wash business continues to operate on the premises.

Fiyaz Mughal has written many times to the Enforcement Action Team at Haringey Council since he was first made aware of the problem in April 2008.

Fiyaz Mughal commented:

“I am extremely disappointed by the reaction of Haringey Council to this issue. The car wash is causing a great deal of concern to residents and I’ve written to the Enforcement Action Team on numerous occasions asking them to intervene. If the car wash is allowed to continue trading it will make a mockery of Haringey Council’s business planning regulations.

“Haringey Council clearly turned down the application and now it should enforce its decision. Entrepreneurs should be encouraged, but they must operate within the law.”

Vince Cable visits Haringey

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Vince Cable MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Treasury Spokesperson, will be visiting Haringey on 26 November to give a talk on the current economic crisis.

The event will be open to non-party members and will be held at Christ Church Hall, Waldeck Road, Tottenham, N15 3EP

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“Vince has been calm and prophetic voice through these rough times. As many local people start to feel the pinch, I am sure they will be as interested as I have been to hear his views on how we got into crisis – and more importantly how we get out.

“I have often sought Vince’s expect advice, particularly with the recent Icelandic banks collapse and Haringey Council’s lost millions. I have no doubt it will be in interesting evening.”

Westminster Hour: 10pm, Radio 4

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Appearing on Radio 4's The Westminster Hour with Carolyn QuinnI’m back on The Westminster Hour tonight (Sunday): Radio 4, 10pm.

If you miss the show you’ll be able to listen again on their website.

If you want to get advanced notice of my media appearances like this one, you can use the media events service at Flock Together. You’ve got three choices:

  1. Using this feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LiberalDemocratsMediaAppearances, or
  2. By email: register at FlockTogether and pick “Media appearances” as one of the categories of events you want to be emailed about. (If you are an existing Flock Together user you can also change your preferences – login and then click “Edit your preferences” in the left-hand menu; you need to tick “Media Appearances” under “Email options”), or
  3. On the web: take a look at the dedicated Flock Together page.

Could there be a British Obama?

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As the fairy dust settles on Obama’s amazing victory, there is a parallel question of whether we could have a black (albeit Obama is mixed race) Prime Minister in Britain.

I am sure we could – if someone of Obama’s brilliance were to become a politician. I have no doubt s/he would have a chance of being in the frame for the top job. Problem we have is there are no black and ethnic minority members of Parliament that are a touch on Obama – nor are there any white ones either! He is exceptional.

Hornsey Hospital: turning over a new leaf?

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Last event for me yesterday was the consultation on Hornsey Hospital where the Primary Care Trust (PCT) has levered in Elizabeth Manero to work with the community and the Trust to try and get us all contributing and working together – replacing the scaremongering (some valid, some not) with positive moves forward.

I first met Elizabeth when I was on the London Assembly and the Government were getting rid of Patient Link – which represented the people’s voice in the health service. She didn’t save it – but I have to say she was/is the most able and ferocious advocate of the peoples’ voice I have ever met – so was delighted when she turned up.

It was a pretty comprehensive consultation session – and all the factions were in the room. The important thing, I think, is to make sure we get all the new and best health facilities for the west of the borough and that those facilities are what local people want.

To make us happy we need to know exactly which GPs will move in and how the transport will work. Elizabeth has already worked the miracle of getting the PCT to agree that they will survey the patients of any GPs who declare an interest.

So – onward and upward!

Winning fairer funding for Haringey's schools

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Headed yesterday to the Youth Summit – except when I arrived they said it was the ‘Schools Forum’ not the ‘Youth Summit’. Assuming (wrongly) that my diary had simply got the wrong title – I found I had missed the pleniary session and so selected one of six workshops to sidle into and listen.

Sometimes you do have to think that fate steps in and plays her hand. I chose a session on school funding where a civil servant from the ministry was facilitating. Stephen Kingdom is, in fact, the Deputy Director in charge of School Funding and chairs the DSG (Direct School Grant) Review Group. This workshop was looking at possible changes to the DSG from 2011.

Of all the workshops in all the world – I had to walk into his. Play it again Stephen! What am I talking about? I am talking about my ‘fair funding’ for Haringey School campaign: our local schools are taken as inner London in respect of costs such as teachers’ wages – but then taken as ‘outer London’ in respect of Government funding. As outer schools get less funding than inner, it means we in Haringey get the worst of both worlds – higher costs, lower income. The funding gap works out at £1,000 per child per year – and it’s getting worse, as that’s up from £736 in the previous funding round.

It is completely and utterly unfair. So when I discovered this a while back I got a question at Prime Minister’s Questions where I was able to ask Gordon Brown directly about what he was going to do about this dreadful situation and he agreed it was an ‘anomaly’ and would be looked at.

Subsequently I had a meeting with Jim Knight – the school’s minister – who said that there was going to be a review. And – guess what – this workshop that I had ended up in was part of the consultation around the review!

I put my hand up nearly at the end to ask about this funding issue. Stephen said that it was my meeting/letter to Jim Knight that had raised the issue at a timely moment and therefore this particular issue was now included in the review. I pressed him again – but he said that he couldn’t say whether the differential issue would be resolved in the review or not.

Luckily I have another idea that will help him, Jim and the Government. This is so important to Haringey children – that I am now going to write to Jim to ask that a Haringey representative be appointed to the Review Board. That way at least we will know that the issue will be properly kept at the forefront of any changes to the DSG!

Then as I was leaving – I asked again about the Youth Summit and the reception lady said “oh yes, it’s in room G8”. So I found that after all!

Helping people back into work

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Lynne Featherstone with Lynne Tricia Ward and Gillian Gurner at the Employment Resource CentreOn Friday went to the Employment Resource Centre – which is a small charitable group in East Finchley that helps unemployed Jewish people to get themselves together to find a job.

A wonderful, but small, band of dedicated and committed people use their professional skills voluntarily to do this work. They support and help those who find themselves for one reason or another out of the work – giving them training and mentoring.

Funnily enough, when I rang on the door and it opened, the woman who opened it said, ‘Don’t you remember me from school?’ – and turned out to be the then Caroline Gainsley who I hadn’t seen for several decades – and that was a really delightful surprise.

Anyway – it was a wonderful charity and doing incredibly good work. It is not an employment agency – but somewhere that Jewish people who for cultural or religious reasons feel more comfortable with a group that understands their needs and will support those particular requirements can go.

I am always moved really – by the dedication of those who give their time, skill energy and warmth to those who need help.

Local coach crash victims get right to apply to local school

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Andrew Smith, Caroline Macaulay, Delilah Macaulay-Smith and Lynne FeatherstoneHurrah! Bureaucracy at Haringey Council triumphed over – for one local family.

The Macaulays had to move into temporary accommodation in Finchley after a coach crash demolished large parts of their home. They wanted to apply to send their child to a local school but no, said Haringey, you’re not living locally.

After months of correspondence, Haringey Council finally saw sense – and agreed that yes, if you have been forced out of your home to live somewhere else whilst it is rebuilt, then you can still apply for a local school. So – hurrah!

Full story in the news release on my website.

Christmas card competition at Highgate Primary School

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Lynne Featherstone at Highgate Primary SchoolHad fun yesterday visiting a painting class at my old school – Highgate Primary – to see how the children were getting on with their entries for my Christmas card competition.

This year the theme is ‘I’m dreaming of a green Christmas’, with pupils giving their interpretation of recycling at Christmas.

All primary schools in Hornsey and Wood Green have been invited to send in their entries and the winning design will feature on my Christmas card for this year.

If this visit was anything to do by – there will be tough competition! It was great to see some fantastic ideas. I’m really looking forward to sitting down and going through the entries. Then all I’ll have to do is pick a winner, get the cards printed and sign and sign and sign away!