COUNCIL TO DEMOLISH LOG CABIN WITHOUT CONSULTATION

Posted on by

Local Lib Dem councillors have expressed dismay that Haringey Council is planning to demolish the “Log Cabin” in the park at the end of Falkland and Fairfax Roads. It was closed without warning within days of the Council election back in May on health and safety grounds. Harringay ward’s two Liberal Democrat councillors were dismayed to discover that the Labour-run Council’s consultation on the issue will not address the demolition, which will proceed no matter what the outcome.

Harringay Lib Dem Councillors Karen Alexander and Carolyn Baker are urging local residents to attend the Council’s consultation session at the St. John the Baptist Church Hall in Frobisher Road., to be held on 19th October 2006 between 2 pm and 8 pm, to ensure the Council know how local people feel about their plans.

Councillor Alexander comments:

“The Labour council are not planning to ask residents about the decision to knock down the cabin, but instead are asking what should be done with the space. They have not promised a replacement community centre.”

Councillor Baker comments:

“I think it is a shame that the decision to demolish the building was taken without consulting residents. Karen and I will be working hard to seek to ensure that the voices of residents are listened to during the consultation and also ensure that the council provides funding to make this space a real asset to the community.”

Post Offices, David Hockney and Cyprus

Posted on by

Lib Dem Opposition Day – which means we get to put a motion to the House in the main chamber – which means in normal speak that the Liberal Democrats get to choose the topic for debate in the House of Commons today. And as the Government won’t give the Post Office debating time – we pick the Post Office, whose network which has been decimated over recent years – denuding both rural and urban areas of a central function and social fulcrum. Thousands of sub-post offices have given up the ghost as Government has removed function after function from their stock of services.

What the Government seems completely deaf to are the consequences for villages and little local shopping parades and for the vulnerable who can just about get to a post office. Stony ground during the debate. The Government is not interested in good arguments, logic or reason – only in steam-rollering through ‘modernisation’. But genuine modernisation would be to use Post Offices to provide more services locally – not less. The Tories voted with us – but the Government can always out vote us and they did. Moral victory is not satisfying enough!

After that, I went to the opening of the new David Hockney exhibition at the National Portrait gallery – and met David Hockney. For me – a real highlight. Having been a designer and illustrator for 20 years before politics, and having grown up through the years of Hockney’s Bigger Splash and Warhol, looking at the pictures sparked many memories of my youth. Standing in front of one of the swimming pool / naked young man paintings of the Bigger Splash era, one such memory came bounding back across the intervening decades – auditioning for Andy Warhol’s play ‘Pork’ when I was about 18. They phoned to offer me the part of the understudy – but it was just before the summer hols and I was going to Greece with my friends – so I turned it down! The rest, as they say, is history. And then moving along – sure enough – there was a portrait of Warhol.

Earlier in the day I had met with two women representatives of Embargo – a lobby group who are trying to get Turkish Cypriot isolation ended – Suzanne Nuri and Fusun Nadiri. Recently the intransigent impasse between Turkish and Greek Cypriots seems to me to have become more, rather than less, entrenched. But as always on these issues of great divides of historic rights and wrongs what strikes me is the dreadful situations ordinary people have to live with for decades whilst their governments and leaders refuse to move ahead.

I don’t see the point of keeping people in dreadful situations. It’s as if somehow if the situation is eased the people will feel less like keeping to old demands and will move on with their lives thus leaders lose their rallying causes. But I don’t think ordinary people should have to suffer in this way.

Having come out of the statement in Parliament on Northern Ireland for this meeting – the (near) miracle of Northern Ireland has to be a message of hope and possibility for all of these dreadful world divides. For whether Catholic and Protestant, Palestinian and Israeli or Greek or Turkish Cypriot – it is clear where great men and women put aside the hatreds of centuries for the benefit of all futures – there is no enmity so great that peace cannot be found. That is the message of hope from Northern Ireland. And if Tony really wants an outstanding legacy – one that would erase the bitter taste of Iraq – then let him go use his skills and energies in the Middle East – that would be truly remarkable.

LIB DEMS WARN ALLY PALLY TV STUDIOS IN JEOPARDY

Posted on by

The world’s first television studios are in jeopardy warn Haringey Liberal Democrats, as Labour councillor Charles Adje, Chair of the Alexandra Park and Palace Board confirms that there is no long-term protection for the studios in the proposed lease. The proposed sale of the palace to the Firoka group was the subject of a presentation by Councillor Adje at the meeting of the Full Council on Monday.

The television studios at Alexandra Palace were occupied in 1935 by the BBC, and in 1936 the first television broadcasts were made from the site. The lease that could be signed with the Firoka group only requires that the group provide a space for a museum somewhere within the building, not the maintenance of the original studios.

Councillor Bob Hare, Lib Dem Alexandra Palace Spokesperson, comments:

“This is the equivalent of losing Stonehenge and replacing it with a fibreglass replica. The television studios are of vast historical importance not just locally but nationally and internationally. It is a crying shame that in their rush to complete the deal with Firoka, there has been no thought given to their long-term survival.

“It is quite clear that Labour are prepared to sacrifice not just Haringey’s but world history in their rush to sign the palace over as quickly as possible. The lease will be for 125 years, and we believe that it is our job as trustees of the palace to ensure that the legacy that is Alexandra Palace survives beyond our generation. We must do everything we can to ensure that our children do not regret the hasty decisions that are being made about the future of Ally Pally.

“The Charity Commission will soon start a short, one-month public consultation on the proposals to sell the Palace. It will be crucial that everyone concerned about any aspect of the sale writes in with their view. “

LOCAL MP HELPS LAUNCH KIDZ ADVENTURE ZONE

Posted on by

Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, has helped launch Kidz Adventure Zone, an all weather play centre that gives local children the chance to play and exercise in a safe environment:

“Child obesity is increasingly becoming a concern and it’s great to see local entrepreneurs offering an affordable antidote in our area.

“If there weren’t age restrictions I quite fancied a go on the play frame myself, but judging from the kids’ shrieks of joy, they were loving it.

“Play is so important to the development of all children and I am pleased that we have an all weather alternative where local kids can simply have lots of fun.”

CROUCH END SAYS 'NO' TO STOP AND SHOP

Posted on by

Crouch End’s residents have responded to the Labour Council’s consultation on proposals for the ‘Stop and Shop’ parking scheme with a resounding ‘No’. Despite 90% opposition, it is feared that Labour plan to impose the scheme anyway. The Lib Dems have written to Councillor Brian Haley, the Labour lead member in charge of the schemes, to demand that he scrap the plans.

Crouch End Councillor Lyn Weber scrutinised the responses, finding that of 143 responses, 128 were against the plans. Responses from traders and residents included emails, letters, petitions and visitors to the area – many are furious that their views have been seemingly ignored entirely by Councillor Brian Haley.

Councillor Weber comments:

“This is an absolute outrage. How can Labour claim to be ‘consulting’ the residents of Crouch End, when clearly they don’t care one jot about what they say? To go ahead anyway makes a total mockery of the whole process.”

Lib Dem Councillor Martin Newton, Lib Dem Spokesperson for the Environment, has written to Labour Lead Member Brian Haley to demand that the Crouch End scheme be scrapped, along with the Muswell Hill Stop and Shop proposals, to which a staggering 98.75% of people (715 out of 724 responses) were against.

Councillor Newton comments:

“Councillor Haley has said time and time again that he will not go ahead with parking schemes if there was not public support for them. There is opposition not just from local residents, but from local traders who worry it will damage their businesses, as well as visitors to the area. Labour must now honour the wishes of the local community and scrap the plans.”

LYNNE FEATHERSTONE COMMENTS ON HARINGEY RESULT IN HEATHCARE COMMISSION HEALTH CHECK

Posted on by

Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, commenting on the Healthcare Commission annual ‘healthcheck’ for Haringey Teaching and Primary Care Trust (TPCT)says:

“The ‘fair’ grading for both quality of service and use of resources is still two step away from excellent.If you look deeper into these gradings you can see that Haringey TPCT was in the bottom 30% in only partly meeting existing national targets.

“More worryingly, this report has flagged up several areas where the Trust is clearly underperforming, such as supporting people in their own homes, helping people give up smoking, tackling childhood obesity and substantially reducing deaths from cancer.

“These are not just abstract, pie in the sky targets, but things that have a real impact on health and wellbeing of Haringey citizens.The Trust quite simply needs to up its game, but in the face of the huge financial onslaught from this Labour government, it is difficult to see how.”

Motor Neuron disease

Posted on by

Hike Supporting the Motor Neuron Disease Association's charity walkover to Trent Park to start the Charity Walk in aid of Motor Neuron Disease. Lots and lots of people turned up for this good cause. Although the disease is incurable, there is much that can be done to make the life lived with the disease better and more enjoyable. The reason they wanted me is that Clare Chadwick, who is the North London organiser of the organization doing the walk, is a local constituent and she was telling me that they need publicity so that the 30% of people who have this disease but who do not beling to the Motor Neuron Disease Association here about it. Support is critical with such an illness – and the 70% of people with the disease who are part of the MND Association can find support, advice and company with others who understand the whole world that surrounds MND. The hope was that the papers might put it in if I showed up and that this might have the affect of reaching those who are not aware of this helpful body.

The afternoon event was a Green Flag ceremony in Albert Recreation Ground. Haringey, astonishingly, has won 7 Green Flags (certification of good open space / park with lots of criteria) which is more than any other borough in the country. And green spaces are truly important – it’s where human beings can get together and intermingle whoever they are and wherever they come from. Only human relationships will overcome the challenges now facing our country – and something as simple as the local park, free from crime and grime, can help provide the basis for that human network. And the sun shone too! The Friends of Albert Recreation Ground have worked very hard to achieve this (the status that is, not the sun shining!) – and indeed there is a network of ‘Friends of…’ for the spaces in Haringey. With 26 open spaces and 7 Green Flags – the ambition is to make all 26 winners. There was a lovely atmosphere, lots of kids, food, wine and a band – and of course – the raising of the flag!

Wood Green High Road

Posted on by

The last (but one) call of the day is to a big public meeting in Wood Green about the Wood Green Audit. Local residents’ associations have put together after about nine months work an audit of the local conditions and needs for local residents living around the High Road. Haringey Council hired consultants to do a plan to maximise the land use and attractiveness to retail of the area – but hey – they forgot the people! Luckily the people have put together such a comprehensive audit of what they need in terms of care and attention behind the High Road, the back alleys, the need for public toilets, the open spaces and so on.

If they hadn’t done this then I am pretty sure that the issues – the very important and priority issues for local residents – would never have even been considered. Thanks to them – the Council will hopefully now incorporate the residents’ needs into any further planning.

I have suggested that they set up a steering group with the local Residents so that none of this work is lost – and so that they do not go further into any more planning without real input from local people. Hopefully Haringey Council will now recognise that there needs to be real partnership – not dictatorship.

Myddleton Road

Posted on by

Third call of the day is to Bowes Park Community Gardens where the local association is having a table top sale to raise a bit of cash for their activities. They are a very active and committed residents’ association – including fighting hard for Myddleton Road to be properly looked after. I remember so many promises from my time as a councilor made by Haringey Council about ensuring proper rubbish collection and action on the strange (and possibly unlawful) building that seems to go on behind closed shop fronts on this road. I will write to the Council to ask the status and legality of all the development that appears to have gone on here – as there were worrying tales of overcrowding and inappropriate and inadequate accommodation. I believe it is all privately developed – but the Council must have had to give planning permission – and if not, then their enforcement team must take a look.

The other big issue for the residents’ assoiation is the illegal left turns that traffic makes into Brownlow Road by Bounds Green Tube. It is extremely dangerous and needs to be redesigned with safety first. The residents are gathering a petition at the moment – and when done then we need to push this up the agenda. Promises about next year, sometime never aren’t really good enough.

Garden Africa

Posted on by

Second With Georgina McAllister from Garden Africa, which helps HIV sufferers in Southern Africacall of the day is to Garden Africa which is a UK based charity working in Southern Africa setting up training gardens in schools and hospitals to teach people affected by poverty and HIV/AIDS how to grow nutritious food and medicinal plants to improve their health and generate income. They teamed up with Ally Pally Garden Centre this weekend and the garden centre is magnificently donating 20% of every purchase made.

I am photographed with Georgina McAllister who set up the charity. I have offered to try and find someone in the EU who can help them apply for funding. There is an enormous amount of funding available for work with HIV/AIDS and Africa etc – but how to get at it is the devil of the problem. I will contact MEP Sarah Ludford – but if there are any fund-getting specialists out there – feel free to contact me or them.