Labour steamroller through plans to spend £12m on a new Council chamber

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Labour members of Haringey Council’s ‘watchdog’ committee have voted to ignore residents’ views and rejected wider democratic discussion on controversial plans to spend £12 million on a new Haringey Civic Centre.

The Labour dominated committee refused requests from the Liberal Democrats and local stakeholders to refer the decision for further discussion at a Full Council meeting and instead voted to rubber-stamp the Cabinet decision.

Liberal Democrats, who forced the special Overview and Scrutiny meeting, pointed out that this was the largest discretionary capital expenditure since the Council’s ill fated Tech Refresh IT fiasco where a £10m budget became a £22m cost to residents. They criticised the decision for committing taxpayers’ money in the current uncertain economic climate and the lack of consultation of residents and current users of Woodside House.

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Leader of Haringey Liberal Democrats, commented:

“I am appalled by this flagrant extravagance, especially at a time when residents are struggling with rising rents, utility and food costs and just when the credit crunch is biting hardest.

“Labour have forced through a decision to spend £12m of residents money in order to produce what will likely be an empty white elephant that will serve to remind residents for years to come of the disaster that is Haringey Labour.

“This scheme has not had the examination that residents would expect for a scheme of this magnitude. Surely residents should be asked how they want £12 million of their money spent – yet Labour has once again ignored them and the hundreds of people who use the existing Woodside facilities will suffer as a result.”

Cllr David Winskill added:

“Overview and Scrutiny was an opportunity for Labour to have a look objectively at their decision to relocate the Civic Centre to Woodside House. There are clearly a host of uncertainties in the current plan and it would have made a great deal of sense for the Cabinet, particularly in the current uncertain housing market, to have taken a pause and ask officers to produce a more robust plan.

“I think that this will come back to haunt them in the coming years.”

Haringey Council encouraging shop front blight on Stroud Green Road say Liberal Democrats

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Stroud Green Liberal Democrats have called for action on long term vacant commercial property owned by Haringey Council after it was revealed that two shops in prime locations on Stroud Green Road (N4) owned by Haringey Council have remained vacant for several years.

The Stroud Green councillors have written to the Labour leader of Haringey Council demanding an action plan to bring these buildings back into community service.

The properties concerned are 80 Stroud Road which has been empty since it was vacated by the Mental Health Trust over 12 months ago, and Shop 20, Charter Court on Stroud Green Road, which has been empty for several years.

Commenting, Cllr Ed Butcher said:

“Vacant shops are a blight and give completely the wrong impression to shoppers and other potential business.We have long known that Labour-run Haringey Council has all but given up on Stroud Green Road, but I was shocked to learn that it has sat on its hands for so long.”

Cllr Laura Edge added:

“Our Safer Neighbourhood team is based in Crouch End and we know many local residents desperately struggle to find a GP.If Haringey Council cannot find a commercial tenant why is it not working with these important frontline service providers to provide better services for Stroud Green and Finsbury Park residents?It is surely better that these properties are brought into community use rather than just left empty year after year.”

Highgate Liberal Democrat success on death trap wall

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Haringey Liberal Democrats have given the London Mayor’s plans for small shops a big thumbs down, describing his new policy as potentially damaging to the future of the borough’s shopping parades.

On 31st July 2008, Mayor of London Boris Johnson outlined measures to ensure that more affordable small shops are provided for in new retail developments. But local councillors feel that the plan fails to promote the use of local high streets and could indeed make things worse.

Under the new measures developers will enter into legally binding agreements to provide an agreed number of affordable small shop units when major retail schemes are proposed. Liberal Democrats have criticised the Mayor’s plan for encouraging small shops to move to large ‘out-of-town’ developments rather than helping local shopping areas.

In Crouch End alone there are sixteen empty shop units with many other traders reporting hard times.

Cllr Rachel Allison, Liberal Democrat Regeneration Spokesperson, commented:

“There is nothing in these proposals to offer a crumb of hope for small shops struggling on our high streets with massive rent increases and poor council support. Boris seems intent on killing them off. Encouraging people to visit massive out of town shopping developments is against all green thinking.”

Cllr David Winskill, who is campaigning for the small retail sector in Crouch End, added:

“All this does is to make big malls and out of town centres more attractive and will divert trade from places like Crouch End and Muswell Hill. At least the initiative is consistent with his anti-environment policies. What our high streets need are support, better public transport infrastructure and a local council that works with traders. This is very disappointing.”

Hornsey and Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone added:

“Many of the shopping parades in our borough are unique and are under threat from big out of town developments. This plan would spell disaster for traders who are already struggling. The proposals are simply ludicrous and London’s new mayor must think again.”

Liberal Democrats condemn Boris Johnson over small shops

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Haringey Liberal Democrats have given the London Mayor’s plans for small shops a big thumbs down, describing his new policy as potentially damaging to the future of the borough’s shopping parades.

On 31st July 2008, Mayor of London Boris Johnson outlined measures to ensure that more affordable small shops are provided for in new retail developments. But local councillors feel that the plan fails to promote the use of local high streets and could indeed make things worse.

Under the new measures developers will enter into legally binding agreements to provide an agreed number of affordable small shop units when major retail schemes are proposed. Liberal Democrats have criticised the Mayor’s plan for encouraging small shops to move to large ‘out-of-town’ developments rather than helping local shopping areas.

In Crouch End alone there are sixteen empty shop units with many other traders reporting hard times.

Cllr Rachel Allison, Liberal Democrat Regeneration Spokesperson, commented:

“There is nothing in these proposals to offer a crumb of hope for small shops struggling on our high streets with massive rent increases and poor council support. Boris seems intent on killing them off. Encouraging people to visit massive out of town shopping developments is against all green thinking.”

Cllr David Winskill, who is campaigning for the small retail sector in Crouch End, added:

“All this does is to make big malls and out of town centres more attractive and will divert trade from places like Crouch End and Muswell Hill. At least the initiative is consistent with his anti-environment policies. What our high streets need are support, better public transport infrastructure and a local council that works with traders. This is very disappointing.”

Hornsey and Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone added:

“Many of the shopping parades in our borough are unique and are under threat from big out of town developments. This plan would spell disaster for traders who are already struggling. The proposals are simply ludicrous and London’s new mayor must think again.”

How not to fight terrorism

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Oh my goodness! So the Government now plan to give themselves even more powers to stop us knowing what they’ve got up to. The provisions, under a clause in the Counter-Terrorism Bill, allow the Home Secretary to stop a jury being summoned, replace the coroner with a government appointee and baring the public from inquests.

I do sometimes have to pinch myself . Sadly – it’s the real deal. I think it all stems from the deepest of insecurities and the psychotic state Labour has got itself into in terms of believing that it must always have the most macho policies of anyone – and then some – and that introducing new legislation is the correct response to just about any problem. Well – I think they’re wrong on both scores.

Fighting terrorism requires public support and confidence in the official authorities – and the way to achieve that is by being open, transparent and frank. Labour’s measures, if introduced, won’t protect our security – they’ll just feed beliefs in cover-ups and conspiracies. The more people believe the state is the bad guy, doing things wrong and then covering them up, the less help people will give the state to fight terrorism. And that help is certainly needed.

Exam results

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Lynne Featherstone with Inas Himedan, Taimmy Hango and Janet Kanyange outside Greig AcademyPopped into Greig Academy – the school next door my constituency office – just to see how results were going. There were three girls there (Inas Himedan, Taimmy Hango and Janet Kanyange) who had just received their results.

The Deputy Head came out to say hello and overall – congrats definitely to Greig who have hugely improved results.

I always feel hugely sorry for the students now – as each year so much of the media coverage isn’t about celebrating their (and their teachers and families) success – but about knocking the results. Yes – there’s a time and a place for debate over exam standards, but there’s also a time and a place for celebrating success – and someone sitting an exam can only do the exam paper put in front of them.

MP congratulates students on A level results

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Commenting on Haringey ‘A-level’ result day, Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, said:

“Well done to all our local students. I always feel hugely sorry for the young people sitting exams as each year so much of the coverage isn’t about celebrating their success, but about knocking the results.

“There’s a time and a place for debate over exam standards, but there’s also a time and a place for celebrating success.So a big ‘well done’ to our local students from me.”

Haringey's green letdown

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Commenting on Haringey Council’s announcement this week of a target to reduce the borough’s carbon dioxide emissions by 11% by 2011, Cllr Ed Butcher, Haringey Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson said:

“It is extremely worrying that Haringey Labour are nowhere near to committing to the sort of reduction that is actually required to avert catapstrophic climate change. This figure has an air of rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic about it.

“The fact they have announced this seemingly random number by press release rather than in consultation with local stakeholders says it all really. After all, it is the help of these people that is needed to deliver this huge change.

“The Labour Leader of the Council signed the Nottingham declaration in November 2006 promising this target. Almost two years later it is depressing this is the best they can do. It is going to take more than a few green fairs and special environmental editions of the Haringey People to achieve it.”

'Threat to parks police gets big response'

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That’s the headline in the Hornsey Journal this week:

MORE than 500 residents concerned about council plans to cut Haringey’s parks police force have contacted the Liberal Democrats, a councillor claims.

The news comes as Labour-run Haringey Council announced consultation will begin on proposals to axe the parks constabulary and replace it with community policing which, it is claimed, will increase supervision in parks.

But Councillor Ron Aitken, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for policing and community safety, said there was widespread apprehension.

He said: “The Liberal Democrats have had over 500 responses so far from people who say they are very concerned about the parks police being disbanded.”

You can read the full story, including details of how to respond to the council consultation, here.

Road safety on Muswell Hill

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Press called for comment on Haringey Council sending out a press release on a reduction in the number of parking tickets they have issued. Given the number of people who get ticketed wrongly by Haringey and come to me to sort it out (they still haven’t refunded the fines they levied on two of their illegal yellow junction boxes) the question really should be – how many do they write off out of the number issued due to wrongly issued tickets? And should Haringey not be fined every time they get it wrong?

No doubt Haringey are feeling a bit sore at the moment because of their poor record on confusing signage and illegal yellow junction boxes – let alone their own wardens not understanding their own signs. I suspect the timing of this ‘good news’ story is not coincidental!

Lynne Featherstone with the Smith family on Muswell HillYou may have recently read about the horrific crash of a coach into two flats at the bottom of Muswell Hill. Here I am pictured with Andrew Smith and his wife – from one of the two flats which suffered catastrophic damage. There was also a young mother and baby in the other flat when the accident happened. A miracle that no one was killed.

Anyway, this morning I had requested a meeting between a top council officer and the residents of the flats to try and get proper action taken to protect them from further carnage. The accident itself was caused by a coach or lorry going uphill, running out of petrol and being advised by the police to reverse free wheeling back down. The vehicle went out of control and hit the flats as you can see – crossing the pavement and sweeping a bollard out of the way.

The bollards were installed a few years ago following an earlier campaign with residents and myself as this is an accident hotspot. Likewise – finally after about eight years of campaigning – a speed camera was installed on Muswell Hill about fourteen months ago. Seemingly – neither of these measures have quite been enough – although very welcome and undoubtedly better than before.

So – about six residents of the flats and two council officers (a head of traffic policy and an engineer) met this morning. First question was – what more could be done to prevent vehicles going out of control?

The anti-skid surface that was applied last year apparently hasn’t taken and is deemed to have ‘failed’ so the contractor will be obliged to come back and redo that job. But the officers will look at all sorts of records to establish causality – so that they can come back with proposals to improve the engineering to prevent it happening. No doubt the speed camera will have helped a bit – but clearly not enough.

The second thing they will consider is what measures can be taken to improve the safety should something go wrong and a vehicle go out of control? The hill and the camber make it virtually certain that under those conditions it is the bottom of the hill residences that are in line of fire.

So – we now wait for Haringey Council to assess the record and come back with proposals. It was a good meeting – and whilst passions are high – I felt that it was a positive meeting. We shall see.

It may be that the funding for any improvements will come from Transport for London – in which case I have offered to nag at the highest level. But it may be that it will come out of Haringey budget. We will have to wait and see.