A Lib Dem councillor has asked Haringey council for an urgent report of the damage to the road surface of Bidwell Gardens N22, following the decision to route works traffic for the Alexandra Park School extension through the road against the advice of council officers and contractors. The concerns follow a meeting held last week with the local residents’ action group and the school’s head teacher to discuss the concerns of local people about the impact of the school expansion project.

As the works will not be completed until late 2004, Alexandra Lib Dem councillor Wayne Hoban has written to the Council asking for an urgent assessment of the damage to the road, and what action will be taken to carry out repairs and avoid future damage.

Cllr Wayne Hoban, Lib Dem Deputy Leader and Alexandra councillor, comments:

“There are worrying signs of damage to the road in Bidwell Gardens, and steps must be taken to ensure the road is kept in good repair. I have asked for an urgent assessment of the present damage and I will be pressing the Council to ensure that action it taken.”

Councillor Ross Laird, Leader of the Opposition and local councillor for Muswell Hill, has called for the safety for residents to be of paramount importance as news emerged that the Met Police will auction Connaught House, Connaught Gardens, Muswell Hill on 3rd November. It is possible that the derelict house will be turned into flats.

Cllr Laird has been working with local residents on a whole range of issues over the past year including crime and safety in the area, rubbish and housing improvements. He is pleased that the Met Police are finally selling the disused property that has been a safety concern in the area for sometime. However, he wants assurances that residents’ safety and peace of mind will be of absolute priority in any development of the site.

Cllr Ross Laird comments:

“I am delighted that something is finally being done about Connaught House – a local eyesore which is frequently broken into. Whether this site is now developed into flats or not, what is important is that local residents are protected from excessive noise and disruption and that the access to flats at the back is not restricted. There are also some fine old trees in the ground and these should be retained. Finally, if the current building can be restored, so much the better.”

Commenting on reports of a serious ‘near miss’ railway incident in the Alexandra Palace area, Lynne Featherstone, local councillor and Chair of the GLA’s Transport Policy Committee, said:

“This report is extremely worrying, and the consequences clearly could have been disastrous. The whole incident needs a full investigation and I will be asking both Jarvis and Network rail for a full explanation.

“This will only add to widespread concerns about safety on the railway network and the relationship between maintenance and the operation of the track, in the London region and elsewhere.”

Note:

You and Yours on BBC Radio 4 reported that the incident occurred “somewhere near Alexandra Palace.” The report alleged that fish plates were left off the tracks after maintenance work was done.

Fish plates are vital in holding track together. The problem was not identified until the first train of the day was approaching the piece of track in question, even though Jarvis had earlier given assurances to Network Rail that the section of track was safe. Jarvis has suspended one member of staff.

Haringey Council’s financial problems are set to worsen if the Labour Government continues to rebuff efforts from the cash strapped Labour council for more cash, according to the Lib Dems.

Pleas for more cash have fallen on deaf ears among Labour Ministers in Whitehall. The Council already has a massive £1.4 million over-spend this year, and is planning another huge Council Tax hike for April. The Council may now also face tax capping by the Government, partly as a result of its attempts to push through such steep tax rises now, in order to avoid tax hikes nearer the 2006 local elections, when Labour will face a determined bid for control from the Lib Dems.

Cllr Ross Laird, Leader of the Opposition comments:

“The Labour Government’s new funding formula, and Haringey Labour’s own waste and inefficiency means that the Council now faces both a financial shortfall and Council Tax capping. The present shortfall is partly a consequence of increased investment in social services, but also due to the Labour Group’s decision to hold down taxes at election times and then unleash such massive increases once the local election was out of the way. As a result, Council services will become increasingly squeezed.”

Liberal Democrats have welcomed plans to improve the borough’s libraries but have expressed concern at the failure of the Council to meet national targets and have warned that the situation will not improve without greater investment. The comments come following the presentation of the Libraries Service Position Statement 2003 to the 21 October Executive Meeting.

The presentation outlined Haringey’s progress in its desire to have the ‘best library service in London’, outlining key objectives and a ‘framework for the future’ which highlighted plans for improvements such as ensuring greater electronic access and that staff are well trained and feel valued.

However the statement also highlighted the failure of Haringey’s libraries to meet 14 of the 28 nationally set Public Library Standards (PLS). These included targets for children/adults reporting success in obtaining a specific book as well as a number of failures on staff numbers, qualifications and knowledge.

Lib Dem Education Spokesperson, Barbara Fabian is pleased that the Council is now accepting the importance of improving the libraries, but warns that the Council needs to invest more money to bring up the libraries to an acceptable standard.

Cllr Barbara Fabian (Fortis Green) comments:

“These plans are very welcome and long overdue. I am pleased that libraries, which have been neglected for so long in Haringey, are being targeted for improvements. However, the Council needs to invest considerably more in local libraries to fill the gaps left by years of under-funding and bring them up to national standards quickly. It is important that the Council realises that libraries are an essential part of the education system and the borough will reap the benefits of what is invested in our libraries.”

Following last week’s two-day hearing at the High Court, local residents and Highgate councillors are now awaiting the outcome of what could be a landmark court ruling on the controversial retail park development on the Archway Road. The judge in the case, Mr Justice Richards, is expected to deliver his verdict on the judicial review process in the next week.

The judicial review of the proceedings will address a number of serious discrepancies in the Council’s handling of the planning application. These include the lack of an Environmental Impact Assessment on the highly sensitive woodland site, the lack of adequate notification to the local residents, and the fact that landscaping requirements were expressly placed in the initial planning application.

Lib Dem councillor Bob Hare says the ruling is potentially of national significance. It may establish that a developer has certain responsibilities regarding the impact of their development, even if it is the local council, and not the developer itself, who has committed blunders in the planning process.

Cllr Bob Hare comments:

“This is the worst blow to the environment in Highgate for decades, and it is a very important case – a rare example of a judicial review of the planning process. Haringey has undoubtedly spent thousands of pounds in an effort to avoid blame for this tragic mess.

“Controversially, the Council’s own barrister has admitted in court that their own earlier attempt to delay this case collapsed. The Council has been obstructing the supply of information, and has sought to delay proceedings while it sought fresh planning permission on the site. We await the judgement, and we will not be letting the matter rest.”

Overdue lids for Haringey’s green recycling boxes are now urgently needed, say local Lib Dem councillors.

The roll-out of green recycling boxes has been welcomed by Lib Dem Environment Spokesperson Cllr Bob Hare. But he stresses now that the Council must act to distribute lids for the boxes and has today written to the Council’s Executive Member for the Environment, urging him to look into the situation immediately.

“Getting lids for these boxes sounds like a simple and unimportant thing, but they are necessary and without them people are less likely to want to accept and use the boxes to recycle,” explained Cllr Hare. “This would have a negative impact on the Council’s recycling targets, as well as reducing enthusiasm for the scheme.”

The Lib Dems says that value of the box lids is wider than one might think…

* they keep the newspapers dry – for the paper processor, damp paper put into a big heap can heat up and become a fire risk, so the paper may have to go to the incinerator or landfill;

* the boxes look better and neater;

* lids prevent paper blowing out of boxes and littering garden and street ;

* slight privacy issue – people may not want the whole street to know what they are throwing out!

The issue of lids for the green boxes has been raised by Lib Dem councillors before, and was raised again by local residents at the recent Muswell Hill Area Assembly. The boxes are designed for lids, but were delivered to all local households without them.

Litter bins are to be installed at all bus stops in Muswell Hill, following requests from local Lib Dem councillors in Fortis Green and Muswell Hill wards. A number of new litter bins are being installed around the Muswell Hill Broadway shopping area, following consultation with local residents’ groups and local councillors, as part of a drive to cut down on litter in the centre of Muswell Hill.

Local councillors have pressed for bus stops to be included in this roll-out, as litter in these areas is often a serious issue.

Cllr Matt Davies (Fortis Green) and Lynne Featherstone (Muswell Hill) were amongst those requesting new bins to deal with the litter problem around bus stops, specifically the W7/144 bus stop towards the top of Muswell Hill, near the Green Man pub. Matt Davies has now received confirmation from the Council that all bus stops will be included in this year’s litter bin installation programme.

“With large numbers of people congregating around bus stops, it is only common sense to provide bins to encourage people not to drop litter,” said Cllr Davies. “I first asked for a bin to be sited at the W7 bus stop back in April, when the plans for extra bins were announced. I have now received confirmation that the W7 stop will get a bin, along with all the other bus stops.”

Lynne Featherstone adds:

“The area at the top of Muswell Hill is often plagued with litter, and the bus stop bins should help. I am delighted that the Council has agreed to take action.”

Bus stops are set to be re-sited around Alexandra Palace following complaints from local residents and Lib Dem councillors that the stops were too close together. London Bus bosses have confirmed the plans to move the stops on Alexandra Park Road, which are barely 150 yards apart, in a letter to Cllr Lynne Featherstone after the Lib Dems brought the issue to Transport for London’s attention.

Cllr Featherstone, who sits on the Transport for London committee at the GLA is pleased that London Buses are listening to those who use the service:

“I am glad to see that London Buses are willing to adapt their service to suit the users. We Lib Dems have passed on comments from the service users that the stops are too close together and London Buses appear to be acting on this.”

Lib Dem and Alexandra ward councillor, Susan Oatway adds:

“This is a busy road at peak times and buses stopping less than 150 yards apart merely adds to the congestion problem. It seems to make sense to listen to the users and review the current locations.”