MUSWELL HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL – COUNCIL AGREES TO PLAYGROUND IMPROVEMENT

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Children at Muswell Hill Primary School will soon be able to play a variety of games at break-time after they, along with Muswell Hill Lib Dem Councillor Gail Engert, successfully lobbied Haringey Council for new markings on the playground.

The children alerted Cllr Engert to the problem this month, during one of her regular visits to their School Council. She was told that three months after their playground was resurfaced, they were still waiting for markings to be painted so they could play games like football, netball and hopscotch.

When Cllr Engert wrote to Haringey Council immediately asking for the issue to be addressed earlier this week she received a response explaining that there had been a delay to securing the funding for the markings from the National Lottery.

This was because the Council had to submit one large bid to Lottery funded Big Lottery Fund to cover all projects they wished to be funded. As some were under review it was holding up the delivery of this simple request.

However, the Council accepted that the funding for this project was not in doubt and following pressure from Cllr Engert agreed to paint the markings immediately.

Cllr Engert (Muswell Hill) comments:

“I am delighted for the children that after three months of waiting they are finally going to get the markings for the playground.

“It is essential that the Council does everything possible to assist children in staying active and the Lib Dems will continue to support and lobby for any projects that do this.”

Haringey Peace Alliance

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Busy bee today! First engagement of the day is 8am to a Haringey Peace Alliance breakfast. (If you’ve not heard of them, this is how they describe their aims: “The Peace Alliance was launched in July 2001 as a local initiative in Haringey. It was the result of a Church–led response to crime in the community. Key partners from the Church, the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police and the Borough Council, as well as local MPs, and community leaders pledged to work together to promote peace in Haringey.”)

Pastor Nims, who started this movement, is just an inspiration and I am really happy to be invited to attend and to speak. Having only been informed I was speaking a couple of days ago and with no time before today to prepare – I rise at 5am to compose my speech and my thoughts. I could have winged it – but I like always to give thought and time to those events that I attend.

I arrive and literally before I can get my coat off we are on. I make my speech. Seems to go down quite well. I think they are used to things in Haringey being a Labour show, with Labour MPs etc, so with me there, there is a kind of ‘let’s see what she says’ sort of atmosphere.

My main thrust is that we should put young people as a priority and that social cohesion (which is the theme of the breakfast) is best achieved by different groups doing activities that interest them – and then the activity is the common interest and the differences are irrelevant. In light of which I have my first stab at upping the ante on the regeneration of the Scout Park – eight acres of wild land in the middle of Hornsey & Wood Green. That was very well received as an idea.

Then it is onto the African Caribbean Leadership Council lunch for the elders. Here is a very large room and Christmas cheer. Very pleasant time talking to various people and a good lunch. Quick speech and then I have to rush off to Parliament. I missed Prime Minister’s questions because of all the engagements so far today – but caught it later. Between the rumour mill around Charles’s leadership and Cameron’s very weak performance – it was a shame not to have been there. I caught the program later and indeed, for all the talk of his first appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions, Cameron’s appearance this time was poor and he failed to make any good points. Worse than that – when it got rowdy – he was pictured basically looking to the Speaker for help to quiet the House. You have to have more balls than that David! And his punch line – something about less of a white paper and more of a white flag – was a) not very good b) clearly scripted. So soon after being crowned too … the House can be very harsh and cruel from what I have seen – and the boy didn’t do good.

As for Charles – well clearly I am not going to put any detail of the private discussion that went on in the Parliamentary Party. But I am under-whelmed by the anonymous briefings. These are difficult times, and I believe that a change of leader would simply be a gift to Cameron – who is already looking weak and in my view likely to be woefully exposed as inconsequential. The spotlight of leadership is extremely tough and I don’t believe he will prove to be the saviour the Tories are hoping for.

If any of the ‘would be’ leaders are responsible for the anonymous briefings then I would not support them as they have not had the courage to challenge in the appropriate way and showed appalling judgement over their timing.

Concrete Factory planning appeal

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The public inquiry into the plans for a concrete factory (batching plant) in Hornsey opens today. I arrive at 10am on the dot. Packed with residents, interested parties and so on – you have to be there for the opening as that is when Her Majesty’s Inspector judges the amount of public feeling and allocates the times for representations to be made by members of the public (and politicians). This is now (after a slow start by Labour) a cross-party affair. We united to fight the original planning application and are now united in fighting the appeal. So David Lammy – who is the MP for Tottenham (Labour) – and I sit together and agree that we will give evidence together. The Inspector allows us to return to make our statements next Friday at 10am. It is in the middle of my surgery – but as it is just down the road at Wood Green library I decide that I can manage both and anyone who comes in the time I am away – my assistant can either note down the case – or if they are disappointed I am not there, they can wait until I return.

After the ‘arrangements’ are all made and the Inspector has delineated the procedure, the two Counsels for each side make their opening statement. It is clear from London Concrete’s side that we are David up against Goliath in terms of the resources they are throwing at trying to get their plans through. His main thrust is that this application is sustainable, the very best way to make concrete and that he has the Mayor of London’s backing – that is the inference. He also infers that it is just the usual nimby’s who are turning out to make a noise about nothing. Hmmmmmmmmmm – don’t like him! Cannot bear it when real concerns and genuine fears are termed as basically an annoyance because they stand in the way of big business!

At lunchtime I go to Cranwood – which is a home for the elderly in Muswell Hill. Children from Tetherdown School are coming in to sing carols to the fold. They have been renovating – and as I walk up the builders are desperately trying to sweep up the external environs. Inside it is newly painted, brand new carpet and just lovely. The residents are brought into the lounge and the children sit on the floor waiting to start. It was absolutely lovely – shining faces and all that. Sentimental fool that I am – always a tear! At the end a bit of socialising. One of the helpers bangs into me and spills the drink being carried. First accident to brand new carpet – like the first scratch on a new car – you know it’s going to happen, it’s only a matter of when.

One of the children, Stefan I think, comes up and asks if he can ask me some questions. Given the focus and intelligence of those questions – definitely a politician in the making.

LIB DEMS LODGE OBJECTIONS TO CONCRETE FACTORY PLANS

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Haringey Liberal Democrats, led by Lynne Featherstone MP, this morning registered their interest to speak in the Public Inquiry into the planning application by London Concrete.

Lynne Featherstone MP was joined this morning by Lib Dem Councillor for Stroud Green, Laura Edge, Lib Dem Focus Editor for Stroud Green Ed Butcher and Lib Dem Focus Editor for Harringay, David Schmitz.

Lynne Featherstone MP and Stroud Green Councillor Laura Edge have campaigned against the Concrete factory plans since the initial application back in 2004 when they both expressed their renewed concerns over plans to build a concrete factory in the residential area surrounding Cranford Way, N8.

Laura Edge said:

“Under the current proposals we would see an additional 56 lorry movements a day, including three to four cement tankers, which are essentially the same size as petrol tankers. Each one of these lorries will be forced to take a left turn onto Tottenham Lane owing to the one-way system and from there either continue down Tottenham Lane or turn sharp right into Church Lane.”

Lynne Featherstone MP added:

“We have fought this application since day one with local residents group GreenN8, and will continue to do so.

“I hope I get the opportunity to speak so I can speak on behalf of the voters of Hornsey and Wood Green.

“I also want to ensure the Planning Inspectorate allows some time in an evening or at the weekend for those people who work during the day to have their voice heard.”

Jerry Springer: The Opera DVD – news from Sainsbury's

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It’s a small, small world – it turns out Sainsbury’s Director of Communications lives in my constituency – and has some views about the Jerry Springer DVD controversy!

The background first. The various campaigns against Sainsbury’s and Woolworths over their decision to pull the Jerry Springer: The Opera DVD from sale are gathering quite a head of steam – and both supermarkets seem to be feeling the heat.

Sainsbury’s first apparently told The Independent it has only received ten complaints before deciding to withdraw the DVD.

In subsequent media coverage this was upped to 10-20 complaints though outside the BBC and The Independent all the coverage seems to have been on blogs – most of the mainstream media have missed the story so far. That may be about to change as the actors’ union Equity have taken up the case too.

My favourite complaint to Sainsbury’s is The Customer is Always Right’s: – Jim Davidson and Rabelais in the same email – not often you see that!

So – what do Sainsbury’s now say? Well, their Director of Communications (Pip Wood) says they received “hundreds” of complaints, the DVD was selling badly and would have been withdrawn from sale anyway. The complaints just speeded it up.

This leaves some interesting question – where did the 10 and then 10-20 figures come from, and why were they left out there for so long? And why was the initial coverage all about how Sainsbury’s had been responding to customer complaints? Of course the media don’t always get stories completely right – but then why was none of this either given in the various replies from their customer services that people received either? Could it be that they realised they’ve blundered and are looking for a way out … ?

As for Woolworths, they’re now saying – “The product is not currently available in stores, however should a customer wish to purchase it, it is available from our website.” Looks like they’re trying to back out of their earlier decision a bit … especially as they’re now telling the press that they didn’t pull it after all because of complaints – see the PA story

So – in summary, keep the letters and emails going I think! More on this in my earlier Jerry Springer: The Opera DVD blog post.

Meeting Santa and drawing prizes

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I get to welcome Santa at the YMCA 2005 Dance Show held at St Mary’s School. The YMCA does a lot for kids in our area. It’s a shame that Haringey Council doesn’t count them as a partner and help their work – as it is one of the organisations that actually does something about giving youngsters alternatives to misbehaviour. Sadly, Haringey Council does not seem particularly interested in these sort of alternatives. The YMCA also recently set up a nursery for single mums – really fantastic – and organises the annual Fun Run!

Anyway – back to the dance show. An extraordinary number of children took part – aged about 4 -18 I would guess. Lots and lots and lots of short dances ranging from modern to ballet to tap and street dance. Kids on. Kids off. Gorgeous and talented. My kids are too old now to do shows at their school – but I remember crying every year when they used to. There is something so pure and so wonderful about kids performing. And the talent on show – absolutely unbelievable.

The pianist for the first section was introduced – Krystyna Budzynska. I thought that name sounds familiar – well you would wouldn’t you?

So at the end I go on stage to welcome Santa. I hear music, Santa must be coming … and we wait – and wait. The chap who told me what to do suggested that as the music played I should leave the stage – but Santa was still sorting himself out. Eventually he arrived and distributed presents to all the children who took part.

And as I left the stage and passed the piano, I said to the pianist, “Did you go to South Hampstead?” She looked at me and said, “Lynne? Lynne Ryness?” We had been in the same class and hadn’t seen each other for about 35 years! Now that was really lovely.

In the late afternoon I set out for Kingston where I am doing the Liberal Democrats Christmas Prize Draw at a dinner. The Christmas Prize Draw is one of the big fund-raisers for the Lib Dems and is a national one with really fantastic prizes. There are 50 prizes to be drawn for. It takes me two hours to get there. I drive because I know I will be coming home late – and then remember why I hate driving in London! The dinner is very pleasant and Ed Davey – the local Lib Dem MP – comes over at the end of the meal to say he will introduce me and then I will speak.

So I did. And then the hard work began. The tubs holding upwards of 45,000 tickets were deep – and I needed to be sure that I took from every corner of all three containers and at every depth! After the first 30 or so (which happily did seem to cover the length and breadth of Britain) – I decided that Ed should do some work and handed over to him for the last 20. It only took and hour and a quarter coming back. Partly less traffic – but coming back is always quicker than going doncha find?

Quernmore Road

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Really pleased to see that my Lib Dem colleague, Cllr Laura Edge (Stroud Green ward), is doing some stirling local work on a mural for Quernmore Road. It follows on from the work I did with her to improve the local railway station when I was on the London Assembly. I eventually managed to get the station surrounds improved with new bins, fencing and cleared dumped rubbish. The mural and other she is doing are great project – well done Laura!

Christmas lunch

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Outside of surgery this morning not a lot to report as I took my staff (from both constituency and Parliament offices) out for Christmas lunch (yes – a long lunch).

They have really coped superbly in an office that is mega-busy. And we have all been on a steep learning curve – but what is really great is everyone gets on and it is a good-natured office – which under the stresses and strains of the nature of such an office is just fab!

Hornsey Central Hospital

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Early morning meeting with Richard Sumray, Chair of Haringey Primary Care Trust (PCT). I have asked him to come and update me on the proposed development of Hornsey Central Hospital. It is now years since I joined local campaigners to campaign against the closure of the old hospital and then with local campaigners to ensure that a community health facility replaced what was lost.

Richard had been hoping to have a public meeting in December but this is now delayed until January because the relevant policy paper has not yet gone to the trust’s Board and won’t do now until January. The proposed scheme – the Primary Care Resource Centre, the Healthy Living centre and other health functions yet to be decided by the practitioners – is still on but there are still some big stumbling blocks remaining before the project can proceed. The second floor of the 2nd Stage, which was to provide offices, hit a dead end when it became clear that the costs were too high. The Strategic Health Trust rejected the project as it was thought to be unaffordable. Since then Richard Sumray and the Board have been re-examining the whole project for ways of making it more affordable and therefore viable.

The redevelopment is being funded through the Government’s LIFT scheme, which means involving a private partner. The PCT consulted their private partner over the idea that the private partner take on the risk of the top floor – developing it for themselves. This would theoretically make it financially feasible, and mean that there were no major changes to the amount of health services to be provided. However, there are risks. The PCT is pretty desperate to get the plans for Hornsey Hospital finished and through by March, because otherwise they will be left with a large financial deficit at the start of the next financial year. But because of the huge level of bureaucracy involved in LIFT schemes it is even money as to whether they will make it.

In the afternoon I am see an ‘informant’. Since my days on the Met Police Authority (MPA) I have been pursuing the use of DNA in the search for an abhorrent rapist. The crimes – against old women – are an abomination and have been going on for around ten years with no success by the police in capturing the criminal.

However, in recent years the police have been trawling the black community for ‘voluntary’ DNA samples. These samples have not, in my view, been voluntary at all. 125 refusniks received an intimidatory letter from a senior detective saying that he was going to look into their reasons for refusal and then let them know of his decision. Well – if it was voluntary – no need to look into anything or decide anything. Furthermore, five of those written to continued to refuse and in the end were arrested. Two gave in at that point, and the remaining three arrested had their DNA taken – as once arrested it is compulsory.

It is so easy to say end justifies means. It is easy to see the argument that this crime is so horrific that it is right to take DNA voluntarily or otherwise. Don’t get me wrong. The police are doing a great job. But it is a complete misnomer to call this type of testing ‘voluntary’. It is clearly mandatory in practice. And if mandatory DNA testing is happening, that should only be after a proper debate results in a decision to change the rules – we shouldn’t get mandatory testing introduced by the back door. Balancing civil rights, personal freedoms and the fight against crime are tricky – which is all the more reasons why such decisions should not happen on the quiet and without proper public debate.

Since then the trail had gone somewhat cold – for me. The police still hadn’t caught the culprit. Then I got an email from someone who only recently was pulled in to give a sample on a spurious excuse and refused. He said he couldn’t put it all in an email – so today he came into see me. And he had quite a tale to tell. Needless to say – I will be pursuing this as soon as I have put together an appropriate strategy to so do. It was extremely disheartening to hear some of the treatment he encountered.

Ironically, I then dash over to Earls Court for the Met Police Authority’s Christmas do! Very nice to see everyone again. I do miss the MPA – however being LibDem spokesperson on Police, Crime and Disorder and Prisons at least keeps me in the right portfolio.

BOOST FOR LOCAL FIRST-TIME BUYERS AS LIB DEMS FORCE GOVERNMENT U-TURN IN TAX BREAKS FOR BUY-TO-LET INVESTORS

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Hornsey and Wood Green Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone has claimed victory for local residents after Gordon Brown performed an astonishing u-turn in the House of Commons on Monday.

Following pressure from Liberal Democrat MPs, Mr Brown admitted defeat and changed the rules relating to Self Invested Pension Plans (SIPPS) which, if left untouched, could have led to rocketing house prices in Hornsey and Wood Green as wealthy investors purchased buy-to-let homes with pension tax breaks.

In 2004 the Government relaxed the rules on SIPPS which meant that people could purchase a property, put it into a pension product known as a SIPP, and then receive a generous 40 per cent tax break. The rules were meant to start in April 2006, but have now been scrapped in line with Liberal Democrat proposals tabled in June.

Commenting Lynne Featherstone said:

“This is great news for those wishing to climb on to the housing ladder in London boroughs such as Haringey. We all know that flats and houses in Haringey are an extremely attractive prospect for wealthy investors so I am delighted our campaign has forced the Government’s hand.

“Offering investors a 40 per cent tax break to buy a rental home here could have priced ordinary people in Hornsey and Wood Green out of the market completely. What we need in Hornsey and Wood Green is good quality, affordable housing that is available to those who live and work in the community.

“I am delighted that concerted Liberal Democrat pressure has shown the Government the error of their ways. Of course this just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to securing affordable housing, but at least the Chancellor’s u-turn offers people in urban areas like Hornsey and Wood Green some protection.”