Lib Dem councillor Lynne Featherstone has revisited four of Haringey’s busiest stations to assess the progress of Network Rail in cleaning up the stations following agreed improvements made at a joint inspection back in June. The campaign, started earlier this year, has been gained momentum after hundreds of comments were made on litter and fly-tipping at the borough’s stations in the Lib Dems residents’ survey.

Following a number a years of campaigning for rail issues including safety, overcrowding, punctuality and station security, Cllr Featherstone’s latest campaign to clean up four of the boroughs busiest stations Alexandra Palace, Harringay, Hornsey and Bowes Park is beginning to see results.

Less than 3 months after visiting the stations with Network Rail’s area manager – Mick Murphy – the users are seeing a marked improvement in the cleanliness of the station.

Cllr Featherstone, who revisited the sites with Mick Murphy, saw huge improvements to Alexandra Palace Station including a clean up of the embankments and new fencing along Bedford Road to discourage fly-tipping. The other stations have varying levels of litter clean-up and new fencing proposals pending.

Although pleased with the improvements in cleanliness, the stations and the environs are not yet at an acceptable standard according to Ms Featherstone. She received a further commitment that all of the outstanding promises will be followed through. She is confident that with the good working relationship she has built with Network Rail things will continue to improve.

Cllr Featherstone comments:

“I am delighted with much of the work that has gone on at the stations in particular Alexandra Park. However I am under no misconception that we have a long way to go before the four stations are at a standard that is acceptable.

“I am confident that working with Network Rail we can push the contractors, namely WAGN and Jarvis, to speed up the improvements to the station. I will be paying close attention.”

Notes:

Progress on proposed improvements to stations:

HORNSEY

* Proposal forwarded to Jarvis to install new fencing along Tottenham Lane
* Rubbish cleared from embankment by Tottenham Lane
* Network Rail recognised WAGN as responsibility for station area by Hampden Road and has requested they remove debris and litter from the site
* Network Rail to highlight litter on bridge and request WAGN clean up
* Lib Dems to propose that litter bins be installed outside station by Council

HARRINGAY

* Network Rail to request Jarvis removes litter and fly-tipped rubbish from Quernmore Road and Burgoyne Road ends of station
* Jarvis to install new fencing at Quernmore Road end of station
* Dog mess on bridge to be brought to WAGN’s attention
* Lib Dems to propose that litter bins be installed at either end of bridge by Council

ALEXANDRA PALACE

* Litter and fly-tipped material cleared from embankments
* Erection of new secure fencing along Bedford Road side of station
* Request for WAGN/ JARVIS to remove rubbish from Buckingham Road end of station
* Lib Dems to propose that litter bins be installed at either end of bridge by Council

BOWES PARK

* Some fly-tipped rubbish removed
* Jarvis requested to remove remaining litter from Herbert Road side of station
* Proposal forwarded to Jarvis for new fencing along Herbert Road side of station
* Lib Dems to propose that litter bins be installed at either end of bridge by Council

Liberal Democrats in Haringey have expressed concern for the safety of children in the borough, even though it is ten months since the publication of Lord Laming’s recommendations aimed at avoiding a further tragedy like that of Victoria Climbie.Lib Dems Social Services Spokespersonn Cllr Ron Aitken says thatkey measures which were supposed to be put in place are still missing.

The results of a Joint Inspection of the Council’s Child protection service by the Social Services Inspectorate, the Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Commission for Health Improvement have only just been made public today.Lib Dem Spokesperson Cllr Ron Aitken has revealed that the Council has sat on the report for a month since it was received towards the end of September.

Ron Aitken comments:

“Even though frontline staff have worked hard, key recommendations by Lord Laming have still not been put in place. The SSI says there is evidence that children are not being properly safeguarded, and Councillors have been kept in the dark about a serious case involving the safety of a child on the Child Protection Register.”

“When will Haringey learn to put children first as opposed to being wedded to spin and secrecy? Only a change of political control will ensure the will to protect children properly.”

Note

Among the key findings of the SSI Report are:

·Evidence that some children are not being properly protected.

·Cases closed without proper checks.

·The existence of a serious case involving injury to a child on the at-risk register had led to poor decision-making.

·40% of parents said they did not feel Social Services listened to them.

·70% of parents said they were not asked how they felt about services offered to them.

·Police expressed concerns that they were not informed of suspected abuse of a child.

·Concern about the investigation of possible abuse by professionals.

·Concern expressed about checks on newly recruited staff.

·Social Workers had heavy workloads and suffered from the existence of a “blame culture”.

·25% of social workers said training was ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’.

·Concern expressed about violence towards social workers.

·Poor recording and filing of documents by Social Services and by the Health Service.

·Independent audit found poor standards of work, lack of checks and risk assessments.

·Serious concerns about inter-agency working (Police, Schools, Health, GPs, Social Services)

·Lack of translation and emergency out of hours service in social services.

·Children not consulted about their views and needs. 70% of parents said they were not given information about how to complain or access their files.

Lib Dem GLA member and Muswell Hill councillor Lynne Featherstone has written to the Post Office to demand details of their closure plans for branches in the Haringey area and elsewhere in London. The move follows a continued lack of information over Labour Government and Post Office closure plans for the area, which Lib Dems says is likely to see several more post office branches facing the axe.

The Post Office had announced in July that it intends to reveal plans for closures on a constituency by constituency basis, but no such information has yet been made available to the public.Ms Featherstone says it is high time that the plans were revealed, as many residents will want to fight the plans.

Local post office branches in Park Road and Archway Road, as well as others on the edge of the borough in Crouch Hill, Archway and Highgate, have already been victims of the closure programme. Several more branches may now follow, as the Post Office attempts to shut down 3,000 urban branches across the country.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“Instead of keeping their plans under wraps, it is high time the Post Office now revealed its closure plans, and I have therefore asked for details for Haringey and all the London boroughs.We do not even know when these plans will be put on the table. Branches earmarked so far have suffered from an ‘ambush’ from the Post Office, with little time for local residents to make their protests heard – especially local pensioners who use their branch every week, for whom the closures will be a huge blow.”

As the annual problem of leaf fall heads towards its peak, Haringey Council has agreed to give greater priority to leaf clearance in some key Highgate roads, and to consider them for more street sweeping in future.

Local Highgate councillors and Lynne Featherstone have been raising the issue with the Council on behalf of residents. The Council has agreed that North Hill and North Road, key routes through the village with many mature trees, should be placed on a ‘priority route’ for leaf clearance this year.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I am pleased that North Hill and North Road are now on a ‘priority route’ for leaf clearance, but I will be watching developments closely, as Haringey’s record over the leaf problem has been woefully inadequate in previous years. Haringey also needs to look at its systems. Often, leaves are swept into piles, and just left for collection later – which of course means the leaves just start to blow around the street, making the sweep up a huge waste of effort.”

Local councillor Neil Williams adds:

“Both these roads are important link roads in Highgate, and last year the leaf problem was appalling. The present street sweeping regime, let alone the leaf problem, is not sufficient. The Council has told me that they are now considering increasing the sweeping frequencies in both roads, which is long overdue. We will continue to press for this route through the village to be treated as a main artery, and to receive much more frequent street sweeping as a result.”

A Wood Green Lib Dem councillor has called on Haringey Council to beef up its abandoned vehicles ‘hotline’ after being held in a queue for 12 minutes while trying to report an abandoned car and van. Susan Oatway, councillor for Alexandra Ward and her party’s environment spokesperson, says that delays in the line will put residents off from reporting the scourge of abandoned vehicles in the borough. Ms Oatway was held in a telephone queue for 12 minutes on Friday, and eight minutes on Saturday.

Susan Oatway comments:

“Haringey’s recorded message asked me to call back at a less busy period, but with no definition of what the best times are. A wait of 12 minutes is unacceptable and if the Council is offering the service, they should make sure that it performs better.”

In response to many requests from residents, the Lib Dems have also produced an abandoned vehicles factsheet, which sets out the law around abandoned vehicles and how residents can help to reduce the problem. Residents who would like a copy can obtain one by sending an email toabandonedvehicles@haringeylibdems.org or calling (020) 8340 5459.

Lib Dem councillors are demanding that they receive copies of a report by the Social Services Inspectorate into Haringey’s Social Services, conducted in view of the Climbie report.

Party spokesman Ron Aitken has accused the Council of withholding the report, in an attempt to ‘spin’ what may be further evidence of a lack of improvement in certain aspects of Haringey’s social Services following the tragic death of Victoria Climbie.

The SSI has inspected all the social services Departments involved in the case, and the report on Brent Council was available last week. Despite being the local authority most involved with the tragedy however, Haringey’s review remains under wraps. Councillor Aitken is demanding to know which Labour councillors have received copies of the report, and why it has not yet been made available to all councillors. He has threatened to take the matter up with the borough solicitor if Haringey do not release copies immediately.

Cllr Ron Aitken comments:

“Labour lead members are sitting on this report, and must not be allowed to conduct an exercise in spin over its findings, just as they did when the Climbie report was published. This is unacceptable. If the Brent report is available, then the report on Haringey should also have been released. Haringey must not be allowed to get away with manipulating vital information about the performance of social services.”

Liberal Democrat councillors in Highgate have welcomed moves to enforce planning regulations in Highgate following the controversial removal of a shop front at Café Nero earlier in the year. The removal of the historic timber frontage within the Highgate conservation area has been unpopular with local residents and the Highgate society, and the Lib Dems say the new alterations should never have taken place.

The Council has now moved to issue a ‘Breach of Condition’ notice due to the failure to comply with the replacement conditions on the listed building.

Highgate councillor Neil Williams comments:

“The planning process only works if it is properly enforced. I am pleased therefore that the council is taking action in this case, although it should have happened sooner. Local residents have rightly been dismayed at the alterations, which should clearly not have been allowed at what is a Grade II listed property.

“It is important that action is taken, and I am very pleased that local residents and the Highgate Society have been so steadfast in their work against such planning breaches which spoil the conservation area.”

Liberal Democrat councillors have warmly welcomed the Council’s news that it will implement parking restrictions at the junctions of a number of roads that meet with the busy Park Road, N8, by the end of the year.

The assurance follows pressure from Lib Dem leader and local councillor, Ross Laird, who has been contacted by many residents living in the area concerned at the lack of visibility due to parking by the junctions of the road, which connects Crouch End with Muswell Hill.

The news comes just over a month after fellow Muswell Hill councillor Lynne Featherstone successfully secured an extension to yellow lines at the Onslow Gardens junction on the busy Muswell Hill Road, N10 following requests from concerned residents.

Cllr Laird is pleased with the news, which should improve road safety at the junctions of Farrer Road, Park Avenue South and Barrington Road and urged the Council to continue to work closely with residents to improve road safety across the borough.

Cllr Laird (Muswell Hill) comments:

“I am pleased that we have successfully converted residents’ concerns into action. These measures once implemented will improve road safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians in the area.

“Road safety is a high priority for the Lib Dems and we will continue to press for improvements across the borough.”