Lib Dem councillors in Fortis Green have welcomed the arrival of PC Russell Mellis as the new beat officer for the ward.

PC Mellis, who started earlier this month, has met Fortis Green councillor Martin Newton for an introductory chat and to discuss some of the key policing issues being raised by residents in Fortis Green ward, which includes parts of Muswell Hill and Highgate as well as Fortis Green itself.

Cllr Newton (Fortis Green) comments:

“I am delighted that we have a new beat officer dedicated to Fortis Green ward.

“It is great for residents to have a local officer they will see on a day-to-day basis. We are looking forward to working closely with him to address some of the issues in the ward. We also hope to receive our own Safer Neighbourhoods team as soon as possible in order to up the police presence in the area and guarantee the area has its full complement of officers.”

Lib Dem councillor Gail Engert welcomed the part played by Muswell Hill Safer Neighbourhoods police team in crime-crackdown ‘Operation Resolve’ on Tuesday 21st June. The one-day operation, aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour and violent crime, was held last week across Haringey and other north London Boroughs.

Cllr Engert joined Police Sgt Paul Saunders and other local officers for a briefing on Muswell Hill roundabout and then accompanied them on local bus routes in the area as they began their latest campaign to cut crime in the area.

She is delighted to have joined the officers and has welcomed the operation that covered crime and anti-social behaviour on public transport routes – something that many residents have raised with local Lib Dem councillors.

Cllr Engert is hopeful that this operation will give the many residents concerned about crime, particularly on public transport, more confidence with a visible police presence.

Cllr Gail Engert comments:

“I welcome any police initiative that focuses on bus routes and helps to deter the sort of anti-social behaviour and potential crime that can happen on the top decks of buses.

“I hope that this operation might be repeated at regular intervals.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Wayne Hoban has today called on Haringey Council to explain why the African Caribbean Leadership Council (ACLC) has been served with a Default Notice, threatening withdrawal of their council grant from the 31st July.

Cllr Hoban has obtained a copy of a letter from the Interim Head of Corporate Voluntary Sector Team to the ACLC, which states that this action was taken following receipt of a report from Internal Audit which highlighted serious concerns regarding the running of the ACLC Centre in Clarendon Road, Wood Green.

The letter states that the Organisation has breached one or more of the conditions of the grant and that action will be taken to withdraw their grant if action is not taken to address concerns which include the employment status of – and payments to – ACLC employees and breaches of the terms of the lease.

Cllr Hoban has asked Haringey Council to provide him with a full copy of the Internal Audit report at the earliest opportunity.

Cllr Hoban comments:

“This Labour council has an extremely poor record of financial management, particularly regarding financial support to external organisations. We have seen only recently the Council suddenly pull the plug on CREATE Tottenham and the Broadwater Farm Community Centre.

“If the Council had taken a more active interest in how the grant money was being spent and taken appropriate supportive action at an early stage, it would not be necessary to suddenly withdraw such grants.”

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, is calling on the Government to face up to the concerns over planning guidelines for mobile telephone masts and to support research into the real risks of mobile telephone masts in a Parliamentary motion.

The local MP is also urging the Government to implement in full the recommendations previously made by Sir William Stewart. His report recommended that improvements should be made in the availibility of information about mobile phones and masts to the public and that the planning process for the erection of base stations, which has caused widespread concern, should be subject to independent review.

Commenting, Lynne Featherstone MP said,

“It is time the Government stopped burying its head in the sand and faced up to the potential risks posed by these telephone masts. Local authorities should be given more power to deal with an issue which is of great safety, local and environmental concern.

“At the current time, many mobile telephone masts do not require planning permission at all and where they do companies often steamroll over consultation and objections.

“Proper, solid research needs to be done to establish exactly what threat mobile telephone masts pose to people.”

Crouch End Lib Dem councillor Ron Aitken has welcomed an assurance from Haringey Council that filming in Hurst Avenue, N6 will no longer be allowed.

Long-suffering residents have been complaining for over two years that their street is too popular with the increasing number of crews working on productions for film and television in Haringey.

Residents contacted Cllr Aitken over the last two weekends concerned at the lack of parking and increase in noise and litter caused by the film crews. Cllr Aitken says that this problem has been going on for some time. Figures previously obtained by him showed that from April 2002-March 2003 nine film shoots took place in Hurst Avenue, and a further eight up to July 2003.

Since contacting Haringey Council, Cllr Aitken received an assurance last week that permits to park in Hurst Avenue would not be issued to film crews in the future.

Cllr Aitken comments:

“Whilst not wishing to discourage film and the arts from using Crouch End, the residents of Hurst Avenue really have had to put up with too much nuisance and a break is long overdue.

“The Council needs to direct film crews to other streets and not just those in Crouch End.”

Highgate’s Lib Dem councillors have expressed disappointment after Haringey Council refused to put pressure on Camden to reverse its unpopular decision to close the public toilets in Pond Square, N6. However, they have welcomed the positive approach taken by Transport for London (TfL), which has said it will look at part-funding the loos.

The response comes following correspondence from Cllr Bob Hare to the new Lead Kember for the Environment in Camden, urging him to make the reopening of the toilets a top priority.

The toilets were closed by Camden Council without public consultation and, Cllr Hare says, without properly considering the needs of the local community. Camden have cited the lavatory’s annual running cost of GBP37,000 as the reason for the closure.

However Cllr Hare believes that little money will be saved by the closure as Camden Council have an obligation to maintain the building as it has listed status.

He is disappointed that both councils have failed to recognise the importance of the toilets, particularly at this time of year when the village, Hampstead Heath and Highgate cemetery receives many shoppers and visitors. Local bus drivers also often use the loos.

Cllr Hare comments:

“I am very disappointed that Haringey Council has not offered any help to resolve this issue. However, TfL has taken a positive approach and we will continue to lobby Haringey to work with Camden and transport bosses to look at ways of sharing the running costs of this important facility.”

Lib Dem councillor for Crouch End David Winskill has met with Haringey Council officers to arrange better signs for the Hornsey Library car park, near Crouch End’s busy shopping centre.

Cllr Winskill says the facility, in Haringey Park, is already available free of charge to Saturday shoppers, but is currently greatly underused.

Cllr Winskill, who is keen to ensure the full use of existing facilities in the area, has asked officers to get the libraries facility staff to keep an hourly record of Saturday usage of the library car park over the next month. He says that from his own research on the fifty space car park it is never more than 70% full even at peak shopping times.

Cllr Winskill comments:

“Parking in Crouch End is very badly sign-posted. It makes a great deal of sense to ensure available parking spaces in the area are fully utilised. We will be asking the Council to look at ways in which the Town Hall car park could be better used at the weekends, but for now, we need to make sure there is good take up of existing places at the underused library car park just next door.”

Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone today revealed new figures that show that police collisions have increased by 60% in a year.

The figures revealed in a Parliamentary answer to Ms Featherstone show that in 2002/03 there were 1,259 collisions that involved injuring an individual. By 2003/04 there were 2,015 – an increase of 60%. Forces with the highest increase in collisions over the last year were:

·Metropolitan Police with a 662% increase

·Nottinghamshire with a 340% increase

·Bedfordshire with a 222% increase

·Devon and Cornwall with a 144% increase

Lynne Featherstone MP, said:

“It is vital that the police get to 999 calls as quickly as possible and there is always a risk of accidents when driving at high speeds in a crowded city.

“However, these figures are deeply worrying. The public will be concerned that their own safety, as well as the safety of police officers, is being put at risk each time the Met responds to an emergency call.

“It is crucial that there is a intensive effort to recruit, train and retain officers capable of driving safely at high speeds and on crowded roads, as well as respond to emergency calls in time.”

Notes:

The figures revealed in Parliamentary answer to the Lynne Featherstone are in Hansard.

According to the Home Office, the term ‘collision’ includes all accidents involving damage to police vehicles, for example when a police vehicle negotiating within a confined space of a police yard and had a collision with another vehicle or structure. It also includes those accidents which are ‘vicinity only’ for example where a police vehicle was pursing another vehicle and the pursued vehicle then had an accident when the police vehicle was not directly involved in a collision.