Haringey’s Labour-run council has been accused of behaving like Scrooge in deciding not to make the traditional seasonal grant of £30 to children leaving care this year. The plans were revealed after Liberal Democrat councillor Ron Aitken was asked to intervene.

The Lib Dem Social Services Spokesperson has demanded an explanation for the cutback that he says will hit a very vulnerable group hard at this time of year. The news came after Council Executive member for Social Services, Takki Sulaiman revealed that the Social Services budget is set to overspend by £5.1 million.

Approximately 250 children will leave care this year. The approximate saving to the Council’s Social Services budget is just £7,500.

Cllr Aitken comments:

“The Labour council’s overspend on social services appears to be at the expense of vulnerable children, who deserve a break at Christmas. I will be demanding an explanation from the Council as to why they have decided to play Scrooge on this issue.”

Liberal Democrat councillors have slammed Labour-run Haringey Council for a decade of incompetence after it was revealed that Haringey had failed to collect over £75 million of Council Tax between 1993 and 2003.

The Government published the figures after a parliamentary question was asked by Lib Dem mayoral candidate, Simon Hughes, on the amount of Council Tax uncollected by London boroughs over the last ten years.

Haringey was third worst out of the 33 London boroughs in the list. Lib Dem Finance Spokesperson Jonathan Bloch is concerned by these figures and has demanded that more emphasis is put on tax collection rather than on wasting money on excessive public relations, spin doctors and glossy brochures.

Cllr Jonathan Bloch comments: “Haringey has found itself yet again at the wrong end of the league table. Its failure to deal adequately with the problem of uncollected Council Tax has had a huge negative impact on the Council’s budget over the last ten years.

“I hope that these figures once again serve as a reminder to the Council that spending millions on glossy self promoting publications and large PR budgets and projects such as ‘Better Haringey’ are secondary to collecting taxes efficiently in the borough – that would really make for a better Haringey.”

Liberal Democrat Councillors have reacted with disappointment that the Audit Commission’s latest Comprehensive Performance Assessment has given the borough a ‘weak’ rating for the second year in succession. The report published this week by the Audit Commission gives the Council the second lowest overall rating of the five categories and the overall score shows no improvement on that received back in the Autumn of 2002.

Although some services have scored better, Lib Dem Leader Ross Laird has questioned the level from which they have improved and whether the structures are in place to sustain the improvements once extra government money dries up.

Cllr Ross Laird (Muswell Hill) comments: “While the report notes some improvements in certain areas such as libraries, they are from a very low base, and the Council is still categorised as weak – something which local residents will recognise all too well.

Cllr Jonathan Bloch, Finance Spokesperson, adds:

“Other changes, such as in social services have come at a cost of £5.1 million overspend. What is important is that improvements are both sustainable and financially viable – and with a likely 15% increase in Council Tax and Labour at the helm, neither of these fundamentals are likely.”

As the crisis facing local post offices goes from bad to worse, Liberal Democrats have condemned a second ‘stealth’ closure plan announced in the past week of a much valued Haringey branch.Along with the announcement last week of the planned closure of the Post Office branch in Crescent Road, the Triangle, N22, the Post Office have also announced plans to close the branch on Westbury Avenue, Wood Green. The plan involves the same timescale, with residents having until 13 January to oppose the move.

The announcement from the Post Office follows closures in Haringey in Archway Road N6, and Park Road N8, with the branch on Crouch Hill N8, just on the Islington border, also shutting its doors.

Lib Dems have condemned the latest announcements, and say the company has failed to keep local councillors informed of their closure plans for Haringey, despite repeated requests. Lib Dems also say that the latest two closures will hurt pensioners and post office users in the Wood Green area, and will be a severe blow to the small but vital local shopping parades where they are located.

Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson Cllr Lynne Featherstone comments: “This is yet another severe blow. Post Office closures are going from bad to worse in Haringey, with new closure plans revealed on a regular basis, with no overall pan, and seemingly no end in sight. The Post Office is closing branch after branch by stealth, giving local people little time to object to the plans. If these plans go ahead, by the end the service will be in tatters.”

The Liberal Democrats have criticised Haringey Council for refusing to reveal what drugs are being given to children in care. Councillor Ron Aitken, the party’s Social Services Spokesperson, wrote to the Department on 24 October 2003 asking how many children who are looked after by social services had been given Ritalin, SSRI antidepressants or tranquillisers, and for the names of the drugs which have been administered to local children.

The national press last week carried the news that up to 50,000 children and adolescents have been given SSRI antidepressants even though they are not licensed for use with children – GPs can prescribe them if they think it is appropriate. The mental health charity MIND has called for a review of medicine regulation following revelations that more children given these drugs were likely to attempt suicide.

Four antidepressants of the SSRI type have now been banned by the Medicines and Healthcare Control Agency for use on children and adolescents. They are Lustral, Cipramil, Cipralex and Faverin, two others were banned earlier this year- Seroxat and Efexor.

Cllr Ron Aitken comments:

“Haringey’s silence on this issue is all too typical. I am concerned that local children in care have been prescribed these drugs, especially if they have not also been given access to ‘talking treatments’ which are far more effective in the long term than medication. I would also want to be satisfied that antidepressants and tranquillisers are not being used simply to control challenging behaviour rather than addressing long-term issues.”

Local Lib Dem councillors have raised concerns about the fate of a footpath used by children to get to school in Muswell Hill. The path is under threat again from a developer’s new proposals to build on open land at the rear of Lauradale Road in Muswell Hill – a move opposed by local residents and councillors.

Lib Dem councillor for Fortis Green, Matt Davies, says that one planning application for this site was rejected earlier in the year, but the developer has submitted new plans that are currently being consulted on.

Building on the site would result in a loss of local open land and wildlife, with increased congestion and traffic problems. The safety of children using the footpath from Woodside Avenue to St. James Church of England Primary School would be endangered.

“This planning application is almost identical to the previous plans, which were rightly rejected by the Council following a concerted campaign by Lib Dem councillors and local residents,” explains Cllr Matt Davies.

“Residents are objecting in huge numbers again, and I hope that the Council will insist that developers keep their hands off this piece of land.”

Cllr Davies recently attended a meeting of residents along with his Lib Dem colleague Cllr Lynne Featherstone, where they helped agree an action plan to defeat the application. Last time, the developers’ plans were rejected due to loss of “Significant Local Open Land”, overlooking and loss of privacy, with the plans deemed out of keeping with the surrounding area. Concerns were also raised about loss of employment and the planned use of the footpath as an access road. Residents’ objections are again focussing around these points.

Cllr Davies says that residents can view the proposals at Muswell Hill library, following previous requests by Cllr Davies for plans to be made more accessible locally, rather than only at the Planning Department in Tottenham.

“Our local open land is constantly under threat from developers,” says Cllr Davies. “We all appreciate the need for more housing – and especially affordable housing – but this must be provided in a sensible way at suitable locations. This particular patch of land is one part of Muswell Hill where a large residential development is completely unacceptable.”

Cllr Lynne Featherstone adds:

“The loss of the footpath, which many children use to walk to the nearby schools would be a major blow and create a serious safety hazard. The developers must understand that this site simply isn’t suitable for a development of this kind.”

Haringey Liberal Democrats have taken the fight against the 125 year privatisation of Alexandra Palace to Parliament, securing a debate in Committee. The move follows the initiation of a Statutory Instrument in Parliament which would amend the Alexandra Park and Palace Act. The date for the debate on the legislative changes is yet to be scheduled, but it is likely to be in January 2004. A debate on the measure, which would otherwise have gone through ‘on the nod’, was called by Lib Dem MPs, including party leader Charles Kennedy.

The Council and Alexandra Park and Palace Board, backed by the Charity Commission, initiated a Statutory Instrument in Parliament that if successful will allow them to lease the Palace and much of its land, unfettered, to commercial developers for up to 125 years. The Lib Dems are deeply concerned that the heritage of the Palace will be lost amongst a developer’s proposals – which in the past have included plans for a food hall, discotheque and multi screen cinema.

Although there would be restrictions imposed by English Heritage and the Charity Commission, priority would be given to the commercial aspects. Particular concerns have been expressed by local residents and charities which use the Palace. Many, including the Palace’s statutory advisory committee, have argued against the 125 lease arrangements or feel they have been inadequately consulted.

Lib Dem spokesperson, Cllr Bob Hare is also concerned about the implications of the Statutory Instrument (SI) on public use of the park and Palace.

“There are too many unanswered questions about what effect the changes on the Act would have to how the Palace is governed,” says Bob Hare.

“What safeguards will there be for local residents that developer’s proposals are appropriate for the Palace and its surrounds?”

Cllr Hare continues:

“Alexandra Palace is a historic building to local residents and Londoners. It is vital that any development meets the needs and aspirations of London and the area. By securing a debate in Parliament on the issue, we will have an opportunity to explore whether the legislative changes are necessary and in the interests of the public.”

Liberal Democrat councillors are calling for the Council’s waste management contractor Haringey Accord to explain why they have left so many green waste bags scattered around the Stroud Green area, uncollected for days on end.

Lib Dems say that the green bags, which contain swept leaves and biodegradable litter and carry the Accord emblem, have been left uncollected from sites around Stroud Green including Florence Road & Albert Road. Local residents have expressed their annoyance to Cllr Lynne Featherstone, as the bags are causing an eyesore in local streets. The Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson says that the standard of street sweeping is certain to be an issue in the forthcoming by-election.

Lynne Featherstone has contacted the Council to find out why the bags are not removed promptly, and asked for action.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“Accord’s lack of organisation in picking up these bags is causing a lot of unnecessary distress to local residents who feel their streets are becoming dumping grounds.

“I have written to the Council to ask for this issue to be resolved. I will be keeping a close eye on the situation and ensure that the Council and its contractor pull up their socks and end the nuisance they are causing to residents in Stroud Green.”