ID cards – good news

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No they haven’t gone away – although the Government was forced into delays etc. But the worm is turning. As predicted – and as happened in Australia and Canada – initial high levels of public support for ID cards are falling away as people became more aware and knowledgeable about the realities of identity cards (and their huge cost – let alone database dangers).

A new poll from ICM has a majority against ID cards for the first time (and I love the Home Office spokesperson’s excuse given in the story!).

You can still help the campaign – visit www.libdems.org.uk/noidcards

CPZ success

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Sometimes you win! And although it’s not over – for the time being local residents and Lib Dem councillors (and I) have won a real victory in our efforts to extend the consultation process on CPZs (controlled parking zones / residents’ parking schemes) proposed with breathtaking arrogance and flagrant disregard for all who live here by the Labour administration in Haringey.

At the big meeting on this put together by Martin Brophy (now seasoned campaigner) a few weeks ago, the responsible Labour executive member would not attend and officers of the council refused to come. But this week the Labour man – Cllr Brian Haley (who has caused a lot of controversy) – did turn up to the meeting in Crouch End.

Labour haven’t covered themselves in glory on this issue – refusing to come to previous big public meeting; keeping the CPZ proposals a secret and off the agenda of the last Muswell Hill Area Assembly; keeping them a secret from the relevant local councillors and, unbelievably, refusing to let local people bringing deputations to Full Council to even speak.

Labour never learn – the more they try and steamroller things through without proper democratic processes the more trouble they get themselves into. Anyway – Councillor Haley explained at the packed public meeting in Crouch End (at the Holy Innocents Church) that the Council’s timetable for taking a final decision on the CPZ schemes has been pushed back from September to November – to allow a new stage of ‘communication’ to take place.

Hurrah for both people power and Lib Dem campaigning! Labour’s demonstrable contempt for the people in the west of this borough has been thwarted by this twin pressure. CPZs are highly contentious at the best of times, and the only way forward is to work with the people – not against them.

Drink driving

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4.00 am start and am picked up by car to get me to GMTV for a 6.12 appearance. Drink driving is on the up. Over the summer the police did a one month campaign and found that 1 in 10 drivers are driving over the limit and that about half the people the police pick up for suspicion of driving whilst having taken drugs and are therefore impaired are also nicked.

Seems to me that there is a bit of an issue going on. Breathaliser tests have decreased in the last nine years. Over the same period fatalities have increased. And not co-incidentally (in my view) traffic police have given way to cameras. Now cameras can nab you in a bus lane, in a yellow junction box and for speeding – but they can’t breathalise you. And I think that the high chance of not getting caught is beginning to make peoples’ fear of losing their license less – so they are beginning to take risks again. Combine that with the hot weather and the extension of licensing hours – and we obviously need to do some new thinking and take some new actions to damp down these figures once again.

The Government have been spending about £3 million on advertising – the shock ones that show you dreadful endings to young lives – but clearly they are not working. Shock wears off – so perhaps the ad agencies need to think how next best to challenge us on drink-driving.

Also, it may be time to look at the ‘allowance’ for drinking and bring it in line with most countries in Europe. At the moment we allow 80 milligrams of alcohol as opposed to 50 on the continent. For me it’s not so much the actuality of the level – but that it is not so easy to measure. It’s over a pint and over one glass of wine. Perhaps bringing it (and associated pub measures) in line with a level that is easier to understand and remember would help.

I would also like rather than just being delivered the new figures of one in ten drink drivers to have some drilling down into those statistics so that we know whether people are just over the limit – or whether they are now really drinking without a care.

We need to know what we are dealing with. The drink driving laws are what I regard as one of the all time successful changes in culture – from a time when no one gave a thought to how much they drank before they drove to making it socially completely unacceptable. It was done through a combination of legislation, tough enforcement, excellent penalties (losing license) and a major education campaign through TV. So if the statistics are changing – then we really need to make a move. I would have though the obvious starting place was to make sure no one feels safe about not getting caught – and accept that cameras don’t do the job on their own.

VICTORY FOR RESIDENTS AND LIB DEMS WITH HEALTH TRUST U-TURN ON ST ANN'S X-RAY UNIT

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Lib Dem councillors today celebrated a major campaigning victory as news came in that the X-ray unit at St Ann’s Hospital is to remain open. Representatives from the North Middlesex Hospital Trust met with councillors this week to explain that the campaign to keep the service open had been successful.

The Lib Dem campaign to stop the closure of the unit has gathered considerable pace in the last few weeks, as councillors and activists supported local people in their bid to preserve the borough’s only X-ray service, through coordinating a petition of hundreds of signatures from local residents.

Harringay ward councillor Karen Alexander comments:

“I am absolutely delighted to hear that we’ve managed to convince the Trust to keep this vital local health service. NHS cuts are being made left, right and centre, and it is local people who are bearing the brunt. So many people have worked hard to collect signatures for the petition, to drum up support at meetings and demonstrations, and I’m over the moon that the PCT has listened to us.”

Lib Dem Councillor Wayne Hoban, who has also taken part in the campaign, comments:

“The closure of this unit would have been a real blow to the people of Tottenham and Haringey. Labour need to understand that their mismanagement of the NHS, and the resulting knee-jerk budget cuts are hitting local people hard. This has been a hard-fought campaign, and we’re delighted that it has ended in a victory. We will be monitoring the situation closely however, to ensure that the service is not subject to further cuts over time.”

LIB DEMS CELEBRATE LABOUR CPZ U-TURN

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Haringey Liberal Democrats were today celebrating a major victory in their campaign to extend the consultation process on the CPZs and other parking schemes planned across the borough. Following a public meeting in Crouch End, Labour councillor Brian Haley bowed to pressure from Lib Dems and residents and agreed to extend the consultation process on the controversial parking schemes.

Councillor Haley explained at a packed public meeting at the Holy Innocents Church that the Council’s timetable for taking a final decision on the CPZ schemes has been pushed back from September to November, to allow a new stage of ‘communication’ to take place.

Councillor John Oakes, Lib Dem Spokesperson for Community Involvement, comments:

“This U-turn is a fantastic victory, but we cannot allow ourselves to reduce the pressure on Labour. It has been quite clear from the beginning that Labour are determined to ignore residents and impose these parking schemes.

“It is only with huge reluctance that they have given in on the timing of this issue, and they have shown that they cannot be trusted to conduct an adequate consultation without our scrutiny. Now we must ensure that we continue to press Labour on this issue so that the residents and businesspeople of Haringey get the right result, street by street, whether they are for or against a CPZ scheme. “

Councillor Wayne Hoban, Deputy Leader of the Lib Dem Group, comments:

“This Labour-led council has consistently failed to properly consult with local residents on major local issues such as CPZs, traffic management and education. Although we are pleased that Labour has finally seen sense and have indicated that they are now willing to widen the CPZ consultation process, we will remain vigilant to ensure that the outcome accurately reflects the views of the local community.”

Noel Park's history

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In the evening I go to the launch of a book on the history of Noel Park. You know, just sometimes you get a really unexpected evening of delight – this was one such. The author, Caroline Welch, had written this history commissioned by the Neighbourhood Management. Caroline read aloud a couple of passages from the book. The book rightly places Noel Park at the centre of Haringey’s historical landscape, highlighting the pioneering design of the social housing on the Noel Park Estate built in the late Victorian period – an artisans’ colony. A huge number of local residents from Noel Park have turned out for the evening – very impressive. The social history of our lives is wrapped up in these bricks and mortar. Architecture is social history (and one of my pet subjects actually) and it affects us and we affect it. This particular estate, named after a (very) previous MP, surname of Noel, was the outcome of philanthropic effort.

After the readings (and me), a local historian told us some Noel Park stories – and they too were fascinating. He told of a Chinese Magician who appeared at the Wood Green Empire. His speciality was to get his wife to ‘shoot’ him and then show the audience the bullet caught in his hand or sometimes spit out from where he caught it in his mouth. One day did not go so well – and he was shot dead. There were many rumours about his wife having had an affair … Lots of local stories – fascinating. And then a woman from Bruce Castle museum read out the history given to her from a local resident of ‘my first married home’. And as she talked of the furnishings, the outside loo and the net curtains – she sparked a memory for me too.

My mother had to work on Saturdays as well as during the week and she was always ‘placing’ me with one or other relative to look after me. On many Saturdays she would leave me to be looked after at a net curtaining shop on Wood Green High Road – Taylors of Wood Green – at the Turnpike Lane end. I hadn’t thought of that in years. Other members of the audience gave their memories too. The woman from Bruce Castle said that she was in charge of oral reminisces – I liked that!

LABOUR FAILS PLANNING OBJECTORS IN PETTY POWER GRAB

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Labour shenanigans over chairing the Planning Sub-Committee could cost Haringey taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds through breaking the Council’s constitution and potentially exposing the decision to costly legal challenge, it was discovered yesterday.

The committee gave the go ahead for the controversial Cecile Park ‘backlands’ in Crouch End in the face of strong opposition from residents, councillors and local MP Lynne Featherstone. The development will see a number of houses crammed into the space behind a large number of existing homes.

Nevertheless, the whole decision is now open to legal challenge at taxpayers’ expense. In what is supposed to be a politically neutral body, Labour chair of the committee Cllr. Sheila Peacock on leaving the meeting simply ‘ordained’ another Labour councillor as chair rather than letting the committee decide for itself as set out in the Council’s constitution (Part E.8 Section 33, subsection 3). Cllr. Peacock was forced to step out of the meeting because of a connection with the developers. The Deputy Chair was absent for the same reason.

Lynne Featherstone MP has written and spoken to the Chief Executive urging her to suspend the issuing of permission certificates and let the committee reconsider the matter.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“I am simply aghast at the blatant disregard Labour has for the rules and the people of Haringey.They think no-one will notice if they run the Council like their own private club, even when the taxpayer has to cough up when they make a mistake.

“This matter should be referred back to planning committee for proper procedure to be carried out. They cannot simply tread on the wishes of residents.”

Worse than having a baby

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Continue to wrestle with final rewrite of edits on my chapter for forthcoming Centre Forum book Britain after Blair. It’s worse than having a baby!

Today’s emergency is the granting of planning permission to a backland site in Crouch End. Local residents, local Cllr Dave Winskill, myself and others have long campaigned against this sort of cramming development that does nothing to add to our social housing stock and everything to add to developers’ profits. However, I get a desperate email from the residents’ group to telephone them to try and get the permission certificate stopped on the basis of the proper procedures not being followed when the Planning Committee considered the application.

The residents , angry at the conduct of the meeting, want me to get the Chief Executive to delay the Permission Certificate pending an inquiry into whether these transgressions have gone as far as to open Haringey Council up to judicial review. I suspect they have and that there are grounds for judicial review. I agree with the residents. To my mind it would simply be much better to refer the decision back to Planning Committee to consider properly under proper procedures before having to go through such a lengthy and probably costly process. I make my request to Dr Donovan (Haringey CE) who promises me she is looking into it and will get back to me.

Scouts, hospital and interns

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Off to the Scout Park again for photo op with local commander Simon O’Brian and Ken Ranson (of Scouting Association), two of the Safer Neighbourhood officers from Bounds Green ward and Cllr John Oakes – local councillor. We are there to meet local photographers from local papers to push hard for funding to build replacement buildings for the ones currently not ‘fit for purpose’. They are not only not fit but actually in such a state of disrepair that they can’t be used.

I am a big fan of this project. I’ve written the strongest supporting letters I know how to do to support the lottery and heritage bids. I want it for the Scouts – but I also want this amazing eight square hectares of open space in the middle of Bounds Green (that almost nobody even knows exists) to be opened up for all the local young people.

The Scouts will obviously use what they need first – but that leaves oodles of opportunities for our local youngsters. The two Safer Neighbourhood officers are running a scheme this summer for youngsters from Bounds Green between the ages of 13 and 18 to come and do outside activities. And I would like to see a mix it up program which takes kids from all the different schools – so they are not necessarily with their peer groups – and throw them together for a week of outdoors activities. The buildings and open spaces can be hired for meetings and events. There is so much that could be made of this space.

Back to the constituency office for a management meeting. I am trying to arrange a meeting with Richard Sumray – Chair of Haringey Primary Care Trust (PCT) – to push forward the Hornsey Hospital redevelopment. With the dosh now available from the government there is a possible opportunity of forcing the pace.

The hospital closed despite a massive local campaign – and the deal with the campaigners was that it would be redeveloped as a local community health facility with respite care beds etc. etc. It must be something like four or so years since we have been meeting about its future with the PCT – but nothing concrete (literally) yet.

I have decided to try and force the pace on this. The Health Trust insists it must sell off a large chunk of the land – but a) this isn’t fair and b) there is not guarantee the funds will go back into this particular site. Anyway – I spoke to Richard Sumray a couple of weeks ago and he promised me a public meeting in September. I believe Richard’s assurances that he is committed to pushing the new facility through – but I want to help him by applying as much pressure as I can. My diary organiser had phoned Richard to make the appointment but he is currently in some far flung part of the world. To be continued.

I want to know what the Council are doing about the Noel Park children’s play equipment. It made it into the press when I went over there to meet parents who are outraged that their children are facing a second summer without the promised replacement equipment. I wrote to Cllr George Meehan (Labour Leader of the Council) about it – no reply yet of course. The newspaper had a quote from the council saying they were sorry there had been a delay. But I am now going to write to Ita O’Donovan – who is the Chief Executive – as I expect she will be far more able to efficiently expedite matters than George.

Then it’s in to Parliament for the last official day of sitting – so I finish up odds and sods. I pop over with Nick Clegg (Shadow Home Secretary) for a photo op on DNA and then have dinner with my researcher and interns to thank them for their really hard work. The intern system is fantastic – hopefully for both sides. Young graduates mainly, although I have taken some school leavers and gap year students, work for expenses but get useful experience and a better of idea of what such a career might really involve – and also then get to put that they have worked for an MP on their CV. They come and go relatively quickly – but I have to say I have had some wonderful young people over the last year.

RECYCLING CONTRACT TERMINATED

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Haringey Labour has terminated the Council’s contract with the company Recycling Works without debate, following a meeting of the Council’s Executive. Lib Dem councillors have criticised the decision, and fear that it may be a sign that Labour are moving away from hand-sorted recycling in preference of ‘co-mingled’ collections, which are far less environmentally friendly.

Recycling Works provide a hand-sorted recycling service, which allows glass to be reused to create new glass items. Haringey Council may now rely more heavily on a so-called ‘co-mingled’ glass recycling service, where recyclable waste is mixed at the point of collection. Glass collected in this way is suitable only for re-use as road aggregate.

Lib Dems fear that Labour are focussing too heavily on overall targets for bulk waste collection, at the expense of the environment. Incredibly, in the report presented to the Executive, there was no mention in the written reports of the environmental impacts of the various options for running the services.

Councillor Martin Newton, Lib Dem joint spokesperson Environment, comments:

“Recycling Works is an innovative Company that is committed to best practice over recycling and has been publicly congratulated for helping to boost Haringey’s participation rates in recycling. They employ local people with an emphasis for getting people off the unemployment register. They have been awarded grants to pilot door-to-door collections for estates in Tottenham. They have also been in talks about collecting recycling from Businesses, including collecting cooking oil to produce ‘Green’ Diesel. This company appears to be a credit to the borough and further ways should be sought to achieve a satisfactory negotiation with them.”

Councillor Bob Hare, Lib Dem joint spokesperson for the Environment adds:

“If the commitment of this Council is to now move further away from hand-sorted recycling and to increase the co-mingled collections, this will have a detrimental impact – it is far more environmentally friendly and energy efficient to re-use glass to create new glass items, rather than using it for road aggregate, which is the end result of co-mingled collections. Labour need to look very carefully at the detail rather than blindly chasing targets without considering the environmental impact. We want recycling to be expanded, but not at the expense of environmental efficiency.”