Lib Dem Environment spokesperson and Highgate ward councillor Bob Hare has welcomed the decision by the planning inspector to rule that the conversion of garages into a house in Highgate was illegal and must be torn down.

The decision made last week following an appeal hearing on 11th and 12th October in which Cllr Hare gave evidence came about four years after the construction of the house began on garages to the rear of 221 Archway Road, N6. Since Cllr Hare became a councillor in 2002 he has been working with conservation groups, residents and Haringey Council to address this issue.

Cllr Hare welcomed the news and said that close working between local residents, ward councillors and council officers had produced a strong case.

Cllr Bob Hare (Highgate) said:

“I attended the appeal hearing and spoke against this illegal garage conversion and additional development, for its damaging effects on the Conservation Area, for the poor quality housing that it had produced, and for the damaging precedent that such a development would set if it was permitted. I am delighted that the inspector has ruled so comprehensively against this development.”

Labour-run Haringey Council has the second most fly-tipped highways in London according to official figures released last week in response to a question from Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow.

The figures show that Haringey has recorded 10,120 incidents of fly-tipping on highways between April 2005 and August 2005. Only Conservative-run Kensington and Chelsea had a higher figure, with over 16,000 reported. In total Haringey has recorded over 20,000 incidents of fly-tipping in just six months.

The Lib Dems are seeking an explanation from Haringey Council and want details of what is being done to address the problem in the borough.

Over the last few years local Lib Dem councillors have campaigned for a reduction in fly-tipping in the Haringey by successfully campaigning for the Council to reverse its bulky rubbish charges that was believed to be creating much of the fly-tipped waste around Haringey.

More recently they have confronted the Council over its failure to remove fly-tipped rubbish efficiently or to follow up eye-witness reports of fly-tipping quickly or effectively.

Lib Dem Environment spokesperson Cllr Bob Hare says the figures tell a sad story of Haringey Council’s environmental enforcement.

Cllr Hare (Highgate) comments:

“Haringey Council is currently failing to tackle the problem of fly-tipping effectively and this issue must be addressed as a matter of urgency.

“Dumped rubbish left uncleared simply attracts more fly-tippers, and unless leads and reports of fly-tipping are swiftly followed up then the problem will escalate.”

Lib Dem councillor for Highgate, Bob Hare has expressed his dismay at Haringey Council’s failure to properly fund and implement the Archway Road Neighbourhood Plan.

The comments come a week before the issue is due to be discussed at the Muswell Hill Area Assembly (which covers the area) on Thursday 13 November and follows news from the Labour-run council that funding to update the plans, which would act as a blueprint for the area’s regeneration, will not be considered until 2006.

The issue was brought back into the public again last month at the Muswell Hill Area Assembly. Angry residents asked why the Archway Road Neighbourhood Plan had received absolutely no support from the Council since its adoption nearly five years ago.

Since 2002, when Cllr Hare was elected, he has lobbied Haringey Council to invest in Archway Road and resource the Neighbourhood Plan.

However three years on and Cllr Hare says the Labour-run council remains uninterested in efforts of the residents to improve the area.

Cllr Bob Hare(Highgate) comments:

“Haringey’s Labour council has done nothing to implement the Archway Road Neighbourhood Plan in the five years since it was agreed. The Executive Member for Environment answered my question to him on this by saying they are thinking about doing more talking about it. What we need is a serious effort to put some of the plan’s actions into place. This is what I have been asking for and will continue to press for.”

Liberal Democrats in Islington and Haringey have welcomed news that there will be additional pay and display customer parking spaces for shops on the busy Stroud Green Road, N4. The news comes after Lib Dems secured funding earlier this year for the spaces.

Since winning the Stroud Green by-election last year, Lib Dem councillor Laura Edge has been working closely with local residents, along with Lynne Featherstone MP and Islington Lib Dem Cllr Laura Willoughby to ensure that improvements to the busy road include features that will benefit local traders.

After months of careful consultation, plans have been drawn up by council officers from both boroughs which address the issues raised by local traders including short-term parking for customers, better loading provisions for businesses, and parking for businesses.

Two options have been produced that provide short-term pay and display parking on the road and allow loading during off-peak times of the day.

The first option provides parking on both sides of the road while the second option provides more parking spaces but only on Islington’s side of the boundary.

It is hoped that whichever option is preferred will be implemented before the end of the year.

Cllr Edge and Lynne Featherstone MP are pleased with that progress is being made to improvements to the road that on completion should result in better traffic flow and more customers to the local shops.

Cllr Edge (Stroud Green) comments: “During my successful election campaigning a year ago, I met many of the traders in Stroud Green and assured them that I would work closely with Cllr Willoughby in Islington Council to improve this road and customer access and we are finally getting there.”

Lynne Featherstone MP added: “It is good news for all of the community that local residents will be able to access their local shops more easily on this road with these improvements.”

Lib Dem councillors have tabled a motion calling on Haringey Council to take action to reduce the growing number of mobile phone masts around schools, hospitals and residential properties in the borough.

The motion, tabled for discussion at next Monday’s (14th November) Full Council meeting follows years of campaigning by Lib Dems locally to protect areas frequented by children such as parks and schools as well as residential areas from being used as mobile phone mast sites.

In recent months, there has been renewed concern by local residents and Lib Dem councillors that the current regulations give little powers to Haringey Council to prevent applications for mobile phone masts in the same way that they can for any other construction in the borough.

The motion, tabled by Lib Dem Deputy Leader Cllr Wayne Hoban, requests that the Council calls on local MPs to lobby for more powers for local councils to control the sitting of phone masts and powers to reject mast applications on local public health grounds.

Additionally Cllr Hoban wants Haringey to lead the way, by writing to all other London boroughs and asking them to adopt the ‘precautionary principle’ towards phone mast applications.

Cllr Hoban and Lib Dem leader Cllr Neil Williams who is seconding the motion, say that it is essential that both sides of the Council get behind this motion so that an issue that is of huge concern to local residents can be addressed.

Cllr Hoban (Alexandra) comments:

“Currently the Council has little power to control mobile phone masts and the intention of this motion is to get the Council to do more to address this problem.

Cllr Williams (Highgate) adds:

“Lynne Featherstone MP has done much good work on this issue since becoming an MP including a tabling a Parliamentary Motion, and I hope that this Council motion gains the cross-party support that so many residents of Haringey desire.”