Lib Dem Councillors have welcomed a decision from Haringey’s ruling Labour party to back Lib Dem calls for a new an open procedure for granting the Freedom of the Borough. The move follows Lib Dem concerns, after last month’s granting of the award, that only retired Labour councillors were being considered.

Lib Dem councillor Neil Williams (Highgate) argued at a meeting of the full council that the award needed to be opened up to all those in who have made a significant contribution to the life of the borough – and not just former councillors.

“Freedom of the borough is something that should be bestowed fairly, transparently, wisely, and of course, sparingly,” said Councillor Williams.

“That is why I think it is very important that the Leader of the Council and the Leader of the Opposition join forces to ensure that the award is seen to move beyond the sphere of local politics.”

Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson, Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I am pleased that Labour have agreed that there will now be a procedure to look at how the freedom is granted. Other boroughs, such as Islington, have opened up the process. It is the highest honour Haringey can bestow, and I hope local people will be allowed to participate fully in future in putting forward their own nominees.”

Liberal Democrat councillors in Muswell Hill are urging Haringey Council to carry out improvements for residents of the sheltered housing scheme in The Grove, Park Road, following news that a major housing development is set to begin this summer.

Lib Dem councillors Ross Laird and Lynne Featherstone are keen for double glazing to be installed in all shelter housing on The Grove before the new housing development, which starts this summer and is scheduled to last 18 months. As well as the glazing upgrade, they are hoping that a replacement for the old car parking barrier can be funded with the use of capital funding. The Lib Dem councillors are also keen for the Council to start spending some of their graffiti-fighting budget on removing the large amount of graffiti in the area.

Cllr Laird, Leader of the Opposition, comments:

“We want to see the Council moving its plans forward and carrying out improvements now, not in two years. Residents in the Grove have had to put up with graffiti and vandalism for too long, to make them endure 18 months of noisy construction is not acceptable.”

Cllr Featherstone (Muswell Hill) adds:

“A clean and quiet environment is all the local residents are asking for. I think the Council has an obligation to honour that request and we will be making them aware of that.”

Lib Dem Councillor Lynne Featherstone has praised Haringey’s new police chief for saying that he was ‘positively for’ the re-opening of Muswell Hill Police station. The news follows a meeting between Ms Featherstone and Chief Supt Bloomfield on Friday, and a long running campaign by Ms Featherstone and local residents to reopen the front counter at the station.

Mr Bloomfield also told Ms Featherstone that he ‘was not against’ reopening the front counter on a part-time basis. Last year, when around 30 volunteers applied to staff the counter, the decision was taken by the police that this was not enough people to reopen fully, as a pool of around 70 volunteer applications would be necessary to secure the 40 individuals actually needed. With this change of criteria to a ‘start small’ philosophy, Chief Supt Bloomfield has called for the applications to come back from ‘Central Registry’ where they have been stored, to enable Haringey police to have another look.

However, Chief Supt Bloomfield said that there were still barriers to be overcome. The main barrier in giving the go ahead is accommodation problems at Muswell Hill police station where the new Police Community Support Officers for the West of the borough are based. Chief Bloomfield does not want to move officers or support officers out of the Muswell Hill station. In addition, it will cost money to set up the front counter.

Commenting after the meeting, Lynne Featherstone said:

“This is very encouraging news, and I am delighted that the new Commander is so positive about trying to see if the front counter can be re-opened, at least on a part-time basis. He is quite right not to move officers away from the Muswell Hill station as we really need them based in the area.

“I am optimistic that this time all the good will and community spirit of local residents will result in the front counter re-opening. Let’s hope, if Chief Supt Bloomfield feels we can proceed, that all those who volunteered are still interested and willing to do so.”

Transport police have agreed to step up patrols at two local train stations after concerns expressed by Haringey councillor Lynne Featherstone.

Ms Featherstone raised concerns about the stations at Harringay and Hornsey after local residents reported that the station felt deserted and exposed, in particular the walkway connecting Harringay station to Quernmore road.

While the local train operator, West Anglia Great Northern, says there is no history of crime at two locations it has also reassured the Transport Police that it will keep up its own security patrols of the two sites.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I am pleased at the prospect of more policing at the stations. Even though the crime figures may not suggest a particular problem, the dinginess and sense of isolation at some parts of these stations in the evening is definitely a concern to train users. We need to tackle the fear of crime, as well as crime itself, and these measures are a welcome step.”

Pleased Muswell Hill residents have been celebrating with the Lib Dems’ local transport spokesperson Lynne Featherstone after the successful moving of a bus stop and the introduction of a new bus shelter on Colney Hatch Lane.

Residents and bus users on Colney Hatch Lane had been asking Transport for London to move the bus stop which was clashing with the entrance to local properties. Residents were granted planning permission for a crossover (including a dropped curb) to allow them to drive their cars over the pavement into their off-street parking. The permission was granted on the understanding that the bus stop nearby would be moved.

However, once the crossover was put in place the bus stop was not moved. This led to problems as people queuing for the bus found cars trying to cut across the queue. Residents found their cars blocked by buses and queues at the bus stop. Bus users also found their journeys disrupted by cars causing an obstruction in the bus lane as they tried to navigate the blockages.

Transport for London first removed the newly installed bus shelter – which did not solve the problems – and then claimed there was no other suitable location for the bus stop. However, after pressure from the Liberal Democrats the bus stop has now been moved and a shelter put in place.

Cllr Lynne Featherstone comments:

“It’s a case of ‘so far so good’ with the new bus shelter. However I will be pressing for improvements to make this a more comfortable and safer place for people to wait for the bus, as there are no side panels, seating and lighting in the moved shelter.”

Haringey Liberal Democrats have welcomed support from the borough’s new Director of Education, Sharon Shoesmith, for a much-needed new primary school.

With pressure on primary school places, the need for a new school has been a long-standing Lib Dem commitment, recently taken up by Haringey Labour party after a u-turn in last year’s council elections.

Commenting on the news, Cllr Ross Laird, Leader of the Opposition, said:

“This early support for the need for a new primary school to serve fast growing areas such as Hornsey and Crouch End is very welcome. We would like to welcome Sharon Shoesmith to her new job as Director of Education and we look forward to working with her in fulfilling such an important commitment.”

Cllr Barbara Fabian (Fortis Green), Education spokesperson, added:

“Every year we are inundated with concerned parents trying to get their children a place at overcrowded local schools. The sooner we see movement on this front, the better as it could reduce class sizes, which have been creeping up over the years, and ease the annual misery of parents trying to secure places for their children.”

Haringey’ Lib Dem Leader Ross Laird and his wife Julie are celebrating the birth of a baby girl (as yet unnamed).

The couple became parents at the Whittington Hospital, Highgate, at 6.19pm on Easter Monday.

Julie will hopefully be leaving the Whittington later today to start their new family life.

Lynne Featherstone, London Assembly Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson and Haringey councillor, today called on London Buses to make “an early decision” on the proposed Muswell Hill – Swiss Cottage bus route.

“Last week London Buses received the Faber Maunsell report on whether our proposed route is a runner,” said Ms Featherstone. “People in the area do not now need a delay of several months before London Buses make a decision, followed by another few months before a bus starts running.”

“The decision is not rocket science. If the report is favourable, and the costs acceptable, then we have to ask London Buses, if not now, when? This new route would make a step change in the quality of life for many people in the area.”

Haringey’s ruling Labour party last night forced a constitutional crisis upon the Borough when they forced through proposals to dramatically change the Borough’s constitution without any consultation with the Liberal Democrat Opposition. The move came at last night’s Constitutional Advisory Committee, an all-party body looking at changes to the way the Council should be run.

The unexpected move, breaking a previous agreement between the two parties, forced Lib Dem leader Cllr Ross Laird and Whip Cllr Stephen Gilbert to withdraw from the meeting, leaving the future of Haringey’s constitution in disarray. The Lib Dems are now demanding urgent discussions between officers and party leaders to resolve the crisis.

The Lib Dems have voiced concerns about many of the changes, which include restricting the number of questions opposition councillors can table at the monthly council meetings – often the only way of forcing Haringey Council to answer key questions, say the Lib Dems.

Cllr Ross Laird, Leader of the Opposition comments:

“Labour is behaving outrageously, completely abusing their power. Constitutions are meant to be non-partisan, yet Haringey Labour has decided that they will call all the shots, not consulting with Opposition Councillors, despite what they had agreed.

“Liberal Democrats will not stand idly by and watch the Borough’s constitution being trashed by the Labour Group and we will do our utmost to ensure that our right to ask questions, and local people’s rights to petition the Council are upheld. The opposition has its rightful role to hold the Labour Executive to account.”