Liberal Democrats have welcomed long awaited plans unveiled by the Government this week to invest money in improving schools in Haringey, but have questioned details of the schemes.

New money, part of the London Challenge strategy, is planned to fund a new secondary school and sixth form as well as refurbishing and rebuilding all the borough’s schools by 2010. However the Lib Dems have warned that lessons must be learned from the failures of PFI for schools before proceeding and that money for building and improving must be matched with funding to recruit and retain good quality teaching staff.

Lib Dem Leader Ross Laird says that Haringey has, over the past few years, been the subject of a number of ‘false dawns’ for education, with the Government using the Labour run council as a testing ground for many new initiatives. The Lib Dems hope that this is not another initiative that will slowly die away after the media has lost interest.

Cllr Laird is particularly concerned at the potential waste of funds. Over the past few years many of Haringey’s poorer schools have undergone expensive refurbishment. Now, in light of these new plans, the same refurbished buildings could be pulled down and replaced by new ones less than five years after the improvements. Although he accepts that improvements are necessary, he is concerned at the lack of long term planning by the Council, education authority and Government and that this will lead to waste.

There are also serious concerns regarding the targets set out in the proposals. Since PFI was introduced for building schools in the borough many projects have failed to meet deadlines with schools closing early and opening late. The result is many schools losing valuable weeks off the school year or having to endure disruptions while building work continues during term time.

Cllr Laird is most concerned about the lack of emphasis from the Government and the Council with regard to improving teaching conditions. He says that although an improved working environment will make teaching and learning more enjoyable, unless greater support is given to staff recruitment and retention many of the problems in Haringey schools will continue.

Cllr Ross Laird comments:

“Finally schools in Haringey look like they will get some meaningful funding which could bring our schools into the 21st Century. Lib Dems have campaigned hard for greater investment in local schools. The Council must ensure that spending on schools is well planned and waste does not happen.

“Ultimately the Council, and the Government must tackle the problem of recruiting and retaining staff in Haringey. Until that issue is resolved education in the borough will continue to suffer.”

Highgate Liberal Democrat councillor Melanie Simpson has written to the Council asking for urgent action to ensure that a steep pathway between Wood Lane and Priory Gardens (to Highgate tube station) is regularly cleared of leaves and debris. The move follows a number of complaints from local residents many of whom use the route regularly to get to the tube station. Cllr Simpson has repeatedly called for action over the dangerous path.

The pathway is on very steep slope and is lined on both sides by trees, with the result that on wet days fallen leaves make the path extremely slippery and potentially very hazardous. Cllr Simpson is concerned that the Council and the station authorities will not take this issue seriously until someone has a serious accident on the path.

Cllr Melanie Simpson comments:

“Leaves are always a problem at this time of the year but this pathway is particularly hazardous. The Council must work with the station to take this more seriously. It is particularly steep and is used by the hundreds of people every day as a route to Highgate tube station.

“I am deeply concerned that someone will have a nasty accident unless there is action to address the problem, ensuring it is cleared frequently. I will be maintaining pressure on them until I see an improvement.”

The Liberal Democrats have welcomed the news that social services has seen an improvement in its star rating from zero to one star following an inspectors’ assessment. However, Social Services Spokesman Cllr Ron Aitken has warned Haringey Council not to become complacent, as there is a long way to go before services reach a level that reflects the investment that the Council has poured in since the publication of the Laming enquiry earlier this year.

Cllr Aitken is concerned by how ‘delighted’ Executive members have been with the news and that improvements must be kept in perspective, given the official “uncertain” rating. Cllr Aitken acknowledges that there has been an improvement and that this reflects the hard work and dedication of the grass roots staff. However, he is worried about the sustainability of these improvements due to a huge budget overspend and a large amount of new inexperienced staff being taken on.

Ron Aitken comments:

“I am pleased with the improvements that have occurred over the past twelve months. However for Executive members to be ‘delighted’ with this rating demonstrates from what a low base they have started to build. The fact that the Council is celebrating the improvement in prospects for children’s services from ‘poor’ in 2002 to ‘uncertain’ in 2003 is premature.

Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson, Cllr Lynne Featherstone adds:

“It is right that the Council has acknowledged the hard work of the staff but Haringey must now be looking to ensure that these improvements continue. I am very concerned that because of a heavily overspent budget this year and an influx of inexperienced staff, continuing improvement will rest largely on the political leadership of a very weak administration.”

Haringey Liberal Democrats have expressed concern that Haringey’s blundering Labour Council has lost control of its ability to monitor the performance of the services it provides.

The move follows revelations last week that no less than 33 separate performance indicators were adjudged to be inaccurate in Haringey’s recent Best Value Performance Plan 2003/04 (BVPP). The inaccurate figures presented by the Labour council spread right across the borough’s services from corporate health to planning, and have been exposed by an independent audit.

The Lib Dems are particularly concerned that some of the figures are dramatically different to the original figures produced by the Council in the BVPP. The independent audit corrections include:

* Readjustment of ‘change in proportion of non-decent homes which were not decent at 1st April’ from -9.38% to +83.50% (difference of +92.88%)
* Readjustment of number of non-principle roads not needing major repair from 215,952 to 1,125 (difference -214,827)
* Readjustment of expenditure per pupil over 5 from £5,179 to £5,486 (difference of -£307)
* Readjustment of cost of waste collection per household from 40.92 to 43.53 (difference +£2.61)

Leader of the Opposition, Ross Laird acknowledges that many of the statistics placed in the BVPP were estimates due to the publication deadline having to be met.

However he says that these figures demonstrate the Council’s failure to adequately assess performance accurately across the services. He adds that many of the adjustments compound previous criticism made by the Lib Dem group over the Council’s failure to meet its own targets.

Ross Laird comments:

“We are deeply worried that the Council has managed to get so many of its figures so badly wrong. Some of the adjusted figures such as waste collection and pupil expenditure compound original statistics showing badly missed targets.

“This shoddy approach to the BVPP exposes the Council’s lack of organisation and management of its services. For the sake of local services, the Council must pull its socks up.”

Cllr Ross Laird, Leader of the Opposition and Lib Dem Education Spokesperson, is calling for urgent action following analysis of this year’s A Level results in Haringey.

The Borough’s A Level results highlight two areas in particular as needing special attention – vocational qualifications and Information Technology results. Cllr Laird raised these points at the Education Scrutiny Committee meeting on Thursday 13th November.

“I am concerned that not enough emphasis is being given to vocational A Levels in Haringey,” says Cllr Laird. “Only 40% of our students gained an A-C grade in Business Studies and Economics – this compare badly with a national average of 69%.”

“Even more worrying is the incredibly low pass rate of around 15% for Information Technology and Computing A Levels. All these courses provide students with vital skills that can be utilised in their future careers. But we must give these areas our immediate attention to ensure that these opportunities are fully realised in the future.”

Notes:

Haringey A Level results (2003) at A-C grades:

Business Studies and Economics – 40% (national average 69%)
Computing – 16% (national average 53%)
Information Technology – 15% (national average 57%)

Cllr Lynne Featherstone is calling for Haringey Council to urgently address serious litter problems in Duckett Road and the surrounding Ladder roads. The situation has continued to deteriorate and residents have become increasingly frustrated at Haringey’s failure to keep the street litter-free.

Cllr Featherstone (Lib Dem) has written to the Council asking them to ensure an immediate improvement to street cleaning in the area.

“Local residents have been complaining about the very poor standard of street cleaning for months, but have seen no improvement to the service – a service which we all pay a lot of money for through our Council Tax,” explains Cllr Featherstone. “Being so close to the shopping centre, these roads clearly need more frequent sweeping. Litter is being allowed to build up and have a detrimental effect on people’s quality of life, not to mention the potential safety and health hazards, and this is simply unacceptable.”

Residents have been complaining to the Council for months, reporting that there is constantly rubbish building up in these streets, including foul smelling rubbish and food leftovers as well as bulky rubbish like discarded tyres and furniture. Some items are left for weeks or even months.

“Some of the problems can be solved easily,” says Cllr Featherstone. “For example, street sweepers often go along the road just before the refuse collectors, whereas with a bit of common sense planning they could sweep the road after, to much better effect.”

“Haringey Accord receive a huge chunk of local residents’ council taxes. The Council must ensure that at last we get value for money – without these basic failures. I will be working with my colleague Cllr Wayne Hoban to press the Council to ensure these changes are made.”