Local services for local people

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How do you want the police to operate? Local police on the beat in thesame area week after week, or ever-shifting faces occasionally poppingup from a distant mega-police centre? And what about health services? Alocal site where you can see the same doctor time after time, or adistant one you have to travel to where you never see the same person?Or what about benefits? A local office where you can talk to someone whoremembers your case from visit to visit or an anonymous automatedtelephone system where it takes ages even to talk to a person – and it’snever the same person as last time?

The answer time and time again is that what people want – and whatdelivers the best services – is for public services to be deliveredlocally, by people who know the community and are rooted in thecommunity. People don’t want to get in their cars or on a bus to accesspostal services, their local GPs or have access to a police frontcounter – especially in an age where so many roads are clogged up andwhere curbing pollution is so necessary.

But our Labour government, so often want to centralise – stripping awaylocal services, closing local facilities and undermining localcommunities. The Labour steamroller seems to believe that ever moredistant services are desired – but they aren’t.

The latest travesty (and tragedy) will see (if they get their way) PostOffices after Post Office close in Haringey and all across London.Before that it was polyclinics – and the idea of moving GP practiseslike the Highgate Group Practice and Dukes Avenue Practice away fromtheir patients and on to the site of the old Hornsey Central Hospitalinstead. Thankfully, I think the Health Trust may by now have got theidea that local people don’t want to lose their local GP practice.

And I don’t think there is a person in Highgate who isn’t keen on theHighgate Safer Neighbourhood Team being stationed in Highgate ratherthan as currently at Muswell Hill. And having stomped the Archway Roadwith police officers looking at likely properties (shops mainly) it is aplain as the nose on your face that the best and most suitable place tostation our local team is on the ground floor of the old Highgate PoliceStation.

So – who is the Government doing this for? Not us – for sure. It’s time that the powers that be realised that they are not there to destroy our lives as we want to live them. Our communities are just that – our communities – andpolice, health and postal services are integral to our everyday livesand everyday needs. To take just one example: our local parades of shopsare supported by people using postal services. Older people, motherswith buggies and people with disabilities would have enormous extraburden to have to get to services further away – let alone all of uswaiting in ever-lengthening queues.

It doesn’t have to be like that though. It’s not a question of localservices not being financially viable – some of the Post Officesearmarked for closure are actually making a profit, and the long termfinancial (let alone any other) cost of seeing areas spiral down intodecay and neglect as services are stripped away is huge.

What we need is real energy and inventiveness being applied tosupporting local services – such as by making our local Post Offices thehub for the provision of a wider range of public services, bringing themto our doorsteps whilst also safeguarding the Post Offices. Essex CountyCouncil are leading the way on this – looking to take over some PostOffices that are threatened with closure, and to then combine them withlocal council services to end up with Post Offices that are local, openand pay their way: it’s a case of win, win, win. That’s just the sort ofimagination we need in Haringey too!

(c) Lynne Featherstone, 2008

What's happening at Crouch Hill Recreation Centre?

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I’m sure for many Haringey residents around Crouch End, the site of the former Crouch Hill Recreation Centre (just off Crouch Hill, by Parkland Walk) feels “local”. However, it being the other side of the council boundary – and covered by different local newspapers – means we often don’t get all the news on what’s happening there.

So here’s a quick remedy – Islington Council is drawing up plans to introduce a new school on the site, a refurbished play area and youth centre and various other changes. You can read about them on the Islington website – which also gives details of how to submit any feedback you’ve got on the plans.

The Budget

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Budget Day. I really don’t know why we, the media and all, get in the slightest bit excited. It was even more turgid than usual and relatively little is changing. There are no miracles – and indeed in this Darling budget there is absolutely no attempt to really tackle the big issues such as the widening equality gap.

We have one of the biggest equality gaps in the Western world – but the countries that do best have the least gap between their richest and their poorest (for more on why this is the case, read my previous speech on the subject).

So I had hoped that if the Labour under Brown’s administration had any real sense of purpose or vision for improving our country they might have looked at that problem and addressed it in the budget – but no. A few headlines to make up for failing on their child poverty promises – a few taxes dressed up in skimpy green clothing (whilst still saying yes to Heathrow expansion) – and Bob’s your uncle!

Local councillor takes action to promote borough's wildlife

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Residents in Haringey will be informed of local nature and wildlife events via the Haringey Council website after requests from a local Lib Dem councillor.

Cllr Lyn Weber (Crouch End) is keen to get Haringey’s residents more involved in local nature events and have access to information about the diverse wildlife of Haringey such as last Sunday’s London Frog Day.

Cllr Lyn Weber comments:

“I’m delighted that Haringey’s web team have agreed to add an extra category of ‘Nature & Wildlife’ to the Haringey website site for organisations to advertise their nature events.

“Only a few yards away from our main roads, in the borough’s gardens, parks and allotments, the borough is teaming with wildlife.

“There are lots of voluntary organisations out there that provide talks and take people on walks, such as Lee Valley Bats.

“Education is a must – we all need to understand how animals and nature behave so that we better understand how to look after it for future generations – especially in an urban area like ours.Nature events such as walks and talks help to educate, and they should be well advertised. “

Newly elected councillorRachel Allison (Highgate), who has her own allotment, adds:

“An allotment or garden, or even just a window box or balcony, can all give wildlife a helping hand. Avoiding pesticides and toxic types of slug pellet is important for all sorts of wildlife. The frogs on my allotment are a real pleasure to see in spring – one of the first signs that life is waking up again – and really help keep the numbers of slugs down.”

Equality watchdog stuffs up its own equality rules

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You really couldn’t make it up…

Britain’s anti-discrimination quango had to be bailed out by ministers to avoid its breaching the law over its own internal equality scheme, The Times has learnt…

Along with all other public bodies it was meant to implement an overarching equality scheme, setting out its position for its staff on race, gender, disability and other potential areas of discrimination by January 1 this year. It failed to do so, prompting ministers to lay a statutory instrument before Parliament, extending the deadline to April 1 this year.

Last night opposition MPs expressed astonishment at the failure. Lynne Featherstone, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for youth and equality, said: “What authority will the commission have in cracking the whip to other public bodies when they fail to comply with their own legal responsibilities with such impunity from ministers?”

Secret ministerial documents reveal problems over Haringey housing

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From the news release over on my website:

An urgent review of how £200m will be spent by Homes for Haringey has been demanded by local Liberal Democrats following the revelation that serious government ‘concerns’ over the high costs of Haringey Council’s ALMO bid delayed the cash award. The serious indictment of Haringey’s ability to spend money efficiently was contained in a secret ministerial briefing marked ‘not for the public domain’ obtained by local Lib Dem MP, Lynne Featherstone through a Freedom of Information request.

You can read the rest of the story here and here’s the full information revealled by the Freedom of Information request – one thing you’ll notice is how the background note gives a much better and clearer answer to the question than the actual answer presented:

HOUSE OF COMMONS
WRITTEN PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION
For answer on: Monday 7 January 2008
Date answered: [parliamentary to enter]
DCLG Ref: 1093 07/08 Party: LD
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green)

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when Haringey Council and Homes for Haringey will be given their full funding under the Decent Homes Programme for improvement to housing stock; and what the reasons are for the time taken to provide the funding. [175562]

Mr Iain Wright

Draft answer:
The ALMO, Homes for Haringey has yet to be accepted onto the ALMO funding programme. The funding requirement outlined within their bid needs to be understood and ensure it is affordable, before it can be agreed or accepted onto the programme. Officials are in discussions with Homes for Haringy and Haringey Council and aim to reach an agreement early next year.

Officials are in discussions with Homes for Haringey and Haringey Council and aim to reach an agreement early next year [end of January]. Officials are working with the remaining round six bids, to better understand the bids received and ensure the programme remains affordable.

Drafting Official:
Sheldon Ferguson
Clearing Official:
Anne Kirkham

Background note Information for the Minister (Not for the public domain)

Haringey’s ALMO bid has not yet been accepted onto the programme. We are concerned that costs within the bid are high and as a consequence, unaffordable. Officials have opened discussions with Haringey and are conscious they have a two star rating from the Audit Commission, and are consequently seeking a quick resolution. It is anticipated that Ministers will be approached by Haringey’s Council Leader for a meeting to agree a final sum. In the meantime a review of the costs for Haringey’s ALMO programme is underway.

This applies to the other Round Six bids that are to be accepted onto the programme. We aim to reach an agreement for the remaining bids by the end of March 2008. We do not expect a request for a meeting, because the outstanding bids have yet to achieve a two star rating.

Salisbury Road Post Office: what closure would really mean

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Lynne Featherstone MP at Salisbury Road Post OfficeWhat a phenomenal turn out by local Noel Park residents come to meet me at the Salisbury Road sub-post office – which is one of the ones Labour want to close.

Everyone is outraged, furious, upset. No one can understand this short-sighted proposal driven by Labour to axe it – and many other local Post Offices. They are part of the fabric of our lives – and we don’t want to have to go to one further away. In this case the suggested alternative is on an impossible to cross, never free of traffic junction. It is a quarter of the size of the Salisbury Road one and you can’t get wheelchairs properly through the door and to the counter. This one – by contrast – is easy access for wheelchairs (two at a time if need be), has plenty of meter parking for those who cannot walk and has lots of room in the shop.

I met many, many people here today. The older ladies were all up in arms. Olive wanted a soap box to tell the Government where they could stick it! But Mrs Howe, 75 in a wheelchair is incandescent at what this will do to her life and her ability to get out and about. Another lady who cannot walk very far – but who can get to this Post Office – told me that it would cost her £4.00 each way to the Post Office she would have to go to. Was Labour going to reimburse her? Not bloody likely. Another woman told me that she cares for her severely disabled husband who would have no chance of ever being able to get to a Post Office again.

These are people’s that the Labour government is playing god with. These are the human faces behind the story of “post office closures across Haringey“. And these are the very people the state should be helping, not hindering.

George Meehan – the Labour leader of Haringey Council – turned up to tell people that they objected to the closures too. Well it’s Labour who are closing our Post Offices. I asked George in front of the crowd whether he would look at what Essex County Council are doing and stepping in to save their threatened Post Offices. No he said: Haringey wouldn’t do that.

So everyone is going to write to the consultation and put their real life story on paper. Because that is the reality of what will happen if we don’t stop the closures. You can also sign the petition here.

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Local MP listens to residents' concerns about Post Office closure

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Noel Park residents were today airing their concerns about proposed Post Office closures when they met Lynne Featherstone MP, and Councillor Fiyaz Mughal, Liberal Democrat councillor for Noel Park, in the Salisbury Road Post Office. The Post Office was crowded with residents who all expressed great apprehension about how this closure might impact on what they can do locally.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“Thank you to everyone who turned up. I was concerned to hear to hear the many stories of the hardship this closure will cause local people, especially the elderly and the frail. It confirmed my gut instinct that people don’t want these Post Offices to close.

“The Labour government needs to sit up and listen to residents- they simply don’t want this closure.”

Councillor Fiyaz Mughal adds:

“Today Lynne Featherstone and I listened to the very real concerns and anger that resident’s feel about the closure of these community hubs. It shows that Labour disregards the views of local residents, and frankly do what they please in the end.”

School places crisis: Haringey Council fails to halt uncertainty

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One out of three children in Haringey have not received a place at their preferred secondary school it has been revealed. Children and parents face continued uncertainty after figures released by Haringey Council show that only 67% of children starting secondary school in 2008 would be able to attend their first preference school.

Local Liberal Democrats have criticised Haringey Council for failing to make progress on the annual school places crisis, which has seen year on year decreases in the number of children receiving their first preference school.

The number of children not receiving their first place increased by 3% from last year and no progress was made in children receiving their first two preferences. Over the past four years children not receiving their first or second preference have increased from 11% in 2005 to 18% in 2006, 20% in 2007 and 20% in 2008.

The Liberal Democrats have also expressed concern over the increase in the number of children failing to receive any of their first six preferences – up from 191 to 196 in 2008 and an apparent east-west divide showing more children in the east of Haringey failing to receive any of their preferences.

Cllr Gail Engert, Lib Dem Children and Young People spokesperson, comments:

“Again parents and children have to face the annual school places crisis and once again this crisis deepens. Haringey Council is continuing to fail to provide places at schools that children want to attend and alarming new trends have emerged. It is worrying that a large amount of children in the East of Haringey are not receiving any of their preferences.”

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, adds:

“This has been a problem since before I became a councillor ten years ago, and the Liberal Democrats have constantly reminded Haringey Council that better forward planning is needed before this reaches crisis level. Again, we see a failure in planning, and again we see an increase in this figure. Labour have poured money into education without results – how long will it be until children in Haringey have the service they deserve?”