Housing in Haringey

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From 9am until 1pm I do my surgery at Wood Green Library. I could truly weep over the housing situation in Haringey. 17,000 people on the housing register and only 349 homes built last year by housing associations.

There is more building going on now and proposals in – particularly in the Wood Green area. But despite Livingstone’s promises, the majority are poorly designed and use the crappiest materials. Lowest common denominator stuff. I am sick of Ken’s words not being backed by real delivery on the ground. I support increased good housing proposals around transport hubs – but so often it’s a matter of where is the quality, where is the infrastructure? Nowhere in sight! Unbearable – lives are blighted for decades by this crap. And far too many applications which are totally unsuitable for the areas they are proposed in.

Spend rest of day once again desperately churning out speeches – finish about 9pm. The on Saturday it’s off to Blackpool. Not sure I’ll have access to blog through conference – but if not, will catch up at end of the week.

Speech writing

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Off to Parliament to catch up with my office working there. Also interviews with BBC Online and Evening Standard. Rush back around 3pm to continue writing blasted speeches. Sometimes it’s easy – sometimes it isn’t. My “Progressive Consensus” keeps changing, and changing!

Getting ready for party conference

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Off to constituency HQ for an interview with Radio 4 who are doing profiles on six new MPs – two from each party. Don’t know how much longer I will be a ‘new’ girl – but it obviously has its advantages!

It’s a very long interview but all very enjoyable. Then back up to office to do some work. Now set up, with computers networked and staff in place – at last feel that normal service has been resumed. It is quite a change from having done everything virtually myself for the last eight years to having a team of staff – but very necessary given all the extra work being an MP involves. They are doing a great job – but inevitably setting up two offices (constituency and in Parliament) takes some time.

My mother gave me three pieces of advice before she died: firstly from her experience running her own successful business – the customer is always right. It’s an old-fashioned concept but one I personally think still holds good. Secondly, the person in charge must know about any complaint against the company. If you don’t know what is going wrong you cannot correct it! The other piece of advice – well that was personal.

Lib Dem conference in Blackpool is zooming towards me – and finally getting hold of my diary I discover that I have around twelve speeches to write before I leave on Saturday – a smattering as examples are “Can the Liberal Democrats be part of a progressive consensus?”, “What is Britishness?” (the in debate of the moment), “Is the Lords the last bastion of freedom?”, and lots, lots more.

Topped by the party’s Head of Policy phoning me to ask if I would summate on an urgent debate in the main hall: “What future for multiculturalism post 7/7?” I am also chairing two sessions in the main hall – Graham Watson MEP and Mark Oaten MP. The fun never stops! So in between other engagements this week I am desperately trying to write these speeches.

In the evening I go to a big public meeting about the proposals for a concrete factory right in the middle of a residential area. About 2-300 people in attendance and an array of Labour (council leader, his deputy, Tottenham MP and a couple of local councillors).

Myself and Laura Edge (Lib Dem councillor for Stroud Green) and several other Lib Dems also there. Labour have called this meeting at short notice, and not told anyone much it was happening. So I had to try and let people know about it at short notice. Laura and her colleagues were great at helping me let as many people know as possible. Plus the glories of email for sending information round quickly! (If you live in my constituency and would like to get similar emails in future, just let email with your name and postcode – lynne@lynnefeatherstone.org).

Am much amused that Labour have suddenly taken enough fright – possible because they fear losing the local elections next May and have realised that we Lib Dems have been campaigning and working with local residents and their campaign group, Green N8, for the last year.

Consultants representing London Concrete (who want to build the plant) are there – but no show from any of the directors etc from the actual company. Bad form! They give pretty feeble answers to the many, many questions raised by the audience who are worried sick about the level of noise, pollution and congestion that will be caused by this application.

We (elected reps) from both east and west of the borough unite to fight off the application. Political pressure is a wonderful thing – but lets hope it is reflected in the rejection of the new proposals going to Planning Committee on October 10.

I exhort everyone to write individually to the planning department and to the Planning Inspector (there is a coterminous appeal on a first application that was rejected). I also suggest they write to Ken Livingston who is misguidedly supporting the application because of the factory being able to bring aggregates in by rail. Firstly – there are no guarantees of capacity on the line. Secondly – the couple of trains a day benefit does not stand against the disadvantage caused by the articulated lorry movements etc.

And, we're off again!

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And we’re off! Once more into the breach. Today’s first visit – to my newly up and running constituency office; for now above the Three Compasses Pub in Hornsey High Street. And at last phones and computer systems are up and networked and running. It has been rather a challenge to set up two offices and try and make sure nothing and no-one slips through the net whilst in transit from doing everything under my own roof at home as it has been for the last nine years.

Later, I’m at the opening of a little five-house development by an Irish Housing Association, Innisfree, and then am guest speaker at their AGM. Funnily enough really, as I campaign so often against infills and backland development (squeezing new housing on small patches of open land in already built-up areas)! But this is a rare example of a site for which – although there was a campaign against this development – it is hard to argue against, as it is small houses with gardens for social housing. Two of the houses had disabled access – and as about half the cases that walk through my surgery door are to do with housing shortages – this is a development I can live with.

Campaigning against backland development is one of my passions, as I believe the damage being done in the long term to quality of life is severe. However, those are always against greedy developers trying to maximise profit from inappropriate locations at local peoples’ expense. Regrettably, the planning system is blind to those sorts of sentiments. We are absolutely desperate for social housing in Haringey. There are about 17,000 residents in Haringey on the housing register yet only about 349 homes were built last year by Housing Associations.

Anyway – in the evening I was the guest speaker at their AGM and I was greatly impressed by the warmth and atmosphere, and indeed success, of this Housing Association. I deal with many Housing Associations and – believe me – they are variable in their standards. Sometimes I feel that the lousy ones put residents in a position where they feel powerless. The council can always turn round and say ‘not me gov’ in response to complaints, so there is then all too often no pressure that can be effectively applied to the Housing Association to improve its act except in the rare cases of an actual breach of legal terms.

LIB DEMS WELCOME TFL FUNDING FOR ACCIDENT BLACKSPOT

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Highgate’s Liberal Democrat councillors have welcomed the news that the Transport for London (TfL) has agreed to fund safety improvements to the zebra crossing at the junction of North Hill and Broadlands Road, N6.

The news comes almost nine months after they sought action from Haringey Council to improve pedestrian safety in this road following a serious accident at the zebra crossing at Christmas.

Action from Haringey had been delayed pending the funding bid. The plan is to raise the zebra crossing to improve the visibility for both pedestrians and drivers as well as physically forcing vehicles to slow and has been supported by Lib Dem councillors and local residents ‘ groups.

Although pleased with the new safety measures, Lib Dem councillors, who have been campaigning for speeding restriction on the road for many years, say that more needs to be done to reduce the speed of the busy traffic on the road.

Lib Dem councillor Bob Hare comments:

“I am pleased that the funding bid has been successful – but it has meant delays in taking action on what is a very dangerous crossing, so the works need to press ahead as soon as possible. I would also like comprehensive measures to reduce speeding on North Hill, something that local councillors and residents have been demanding for a long time.”

LIB DEMS CALL ON COUNCIL TO CLEAN UP ACT OVER QUEENS WOOD DUMPING PROBLEM

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Lib Dem Environment Spokesperson and Highgate ward councillor Bob Hare has called on Haringey Council to probe its CCTV records to find those responsible for dumping two large loads of rubbish in Queens Wood, N6.

He has also requested that the two lorry loads of building rubbish and rubble, which remains a week after they were originally reported, be removed immediately.

Cllr Hare, along with local MP Lynne Featherstone, has for many years lobbied Haringey Council to ensure that its contractor Accord removes fly-tipped waste quickly and that greater efforts be made to catch those responsible for causing this problem.

He is hopeful that CCTV installed last year and situated less than 50 metres from one of the two dumping sites will lead to a successful prosecution.

However Cllr Hare adds that Haringey Council and Accord must respond quicker to reports of fly-tipping in blackspots like Queens Wood to ensure other would-be fly-tippers are deterred.

Cllr Hare comments:

“Queens Wood is one of this borough’s true beauty spots and it needs to be retained and looked after. Over the last couple of years we have successfully pressed for the wood to be made a priority route for street cleaning and litter collection.

“However fly-tipping remains a problem in this area that the Council must address and we will make sure that they do.”

STROUD GREEN: LIB DEMS WELCOME BELATED ACTION ON COUNCIL-OWNED HOSTEL

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Following pressure from Lib Dem councillor for Stroud Green Laura Edge, Haringey Council has finally taken the first steps towards improving its management of a hostel for homeless people in Stapleton Hall Road N4. However, more needs to be done to compensate for years of neglect.

A local resident contacted Cllr Edge in June to complain about various aspects of the management of the property including:

Health and Safety – Bulky rubbish dumped outside property
Security Risk – No lock on side gate of property allowing access to back garden to non-residents
Water Damage – Pipe on the side of property broken for many years causing water to stream down the side of the building
Structural Concerns – Visible subsidence

The resident said that he had reported these issues to Haringey Council on countless occasions over many years without any result.

Now, following the intervention of Councillor Edge, Haringey Council has cleared the rubbish outside the property and reminded tenants of their obligation to keep it tidy. It has also agreed to fit the side gate with a lock so that only tenants can access the back garden.

Details of the damaged pipe and subsidence have been passed to the repairs team and Cllr Edge is keeping up the pressure on the Council to ensure that action is taken as soon as possible.

Cllr Edge comments:

“Local residents have suffered long enough. I am pleased that the Council finally seems to be taking its responsibilities seriously.However, I am determined to ensure that these long-overdue repairs do not slip through the net and will continue to keep a close eye on the situation.”

LEADING HARINGEY LIB DEM APPOINTMENT TO TOP MENTAL HEALTH TASK GROUP

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Haringey Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Cllr Ron Aitken has been appointed by the Local Government Association (LGA) to its mental health task force. The body is working to produce a vision for mental health for the next 10 to 15 years.

The task group is made up of representatives of all political parties, as well as the Sainsbury Foundation for Mental Health, the Association of Directors of Social Services and the NHS Confederation.

The remit of the Task Force has been to produce a report for the autumn that will seek to influence policy makers at national, regional and local level to develop new policies for the treatment and prevention of mental illness. It also aims to improve implementation of existing policy and ensure that the profile of mental health issues is raised at all levels, particularly to combat stigma and prejudice against those who may have suffered from mental ill-health.

Cllr Ron Aitken (Crouch End) comments:

“One in six of the population will at one time or another suffer from mental health difficulties and almost every person will know of a family member or partner who suffers from mental illness.

“We must therefore treat this issue seriously and avoid the difficulties experienced by many people who have no access to help and support until their condition becomes critical.”

LIB DEMS WELCOME PROPOSAL TO REJECT PHONE MAST APPLICATION

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Lib Dem councillors for Alexandra ward have welcomed Haringey Council’s proposal to refuse planning permission for a ten-metre high telephone mast on Durnsford Road, N22.

Cllr Hoban, Lib Dem Deputy Leader and Alexandra councillor, wrote to Haringey Council back in July expressing his shock and anger that a mobile phone mast should be sited in such close proximity to Rhodes Avenue Junior and Alexandra Park Schools. The site is also near the Albert Road Recreation Ground, which is extensively used by children.

The proposed refusal of application was published last Friday (9th September), and is one of two applications which have been strongly opposed by residents and ward councillors The other proposed is adjacent to Rhodes Avenue School in nearby Albert Road.

Cllr Hoban, who has been battling the proliferation of phone masts in Alexandra for many months, says Haringey Council must lobby the Government for proper legislation to ensure phone masts face the same planning regulations as other structures.

Cllr Hoban (Alexandra ward) comments:

“I am pleased that Haringey Council has accepted the concerns of local residents and proposed to reject this application. This is very good news for all of us concerned about the proliferation of phone masts without proper planning powers for local councils.”

LIB DEM COUNCILLOR CALLS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF NIGHT TIME HGV BAN

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Lib Dem councillor for Alexandra ward Susan Oatway has called on Haringey Council to demand that Transport for London (TfL) investigate complaints by residents that Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) are using residential roads late at night.

The call comes following correspondence over the last few months from residents around Alexandra and Muswell Hill, in particular the Dukes Avenue and Palace Gates area, who have endured HGV traffic at night.

In previous meetings with Cllr Oatway the Council had confirmed that the Greater London Authority had a London-wide night-time ban on HGVs. However they added that TfL were the only body with resources available to monitor and enforce this policy.

Cllr Oatway, who is pressing Haringey Council to investigate the feasibility of enforcing complete HGV bans from some residential areas of the borough, says that the Council must act quickly to end the night-time misery for many residents in the borough.

Cllr Oatway comments:

“It is clear from the residents’ letters I have received that these noisy vehicles are speeding around our roads at unsociable hours. It is essential that the Council take this problem seriously and demand action from TfL.”