Investigations by local councillor and GLA member Lynne Featherstone have raised concerns that key personnel in charge of emergency planning in Haringey were not informed as quickly as they should have been about the ricin terrorist threat in Wood Green. Ms Featherstone believes that the failure was the result of intervention from Downing Street.

Ms Featherstone has uncovered the fact that there was a time-lag between the incident happening and the information of a potential terrorist threat being passed to the key people in charge of emergency planning in Haringey.

Ms Featherstone says that Richard Sumray, who is Chair of Haringey Primary Health Care trust and in charge of emergency planning for health, was not informed until over 24 hours later that there had been an ‘incident’ in Haringey. Ms Featherstone has also learned that the Chief Executive of Haringey Council – who is in charge of overall local emergency planning – was not called to a briefing on the issue until 3.00pm on Tuesday 7 January. The incident was uncovered two days earlier, on Sunday 5 January. Ms Featherstone has also raised the issue on the London Fire Authority, on which she sits. The reply from the Acting Fire Chief was that the service was not informed until the public statement.

Ms Featherstone’s understanding of the intervention by Downing Street was that information was held back on the grounds of not wanting to panic local people. Whilst Ms Featherstone understands that there is a need not to panic people, she has expressed grave concern that the key people charged with the safety of the residents of Haringey were not promptly informed.

Commenting Lynne Featherstone said:

“It is quite clear that had this been an emergency which required the evacuation of Haringey residents, which it might well have been, Downing Street’s intervention would have meant that the people in Haringey charged with our safety during a terrorist attack would not have been informed. I am now seeking assurances that never again will Haringey residents be put in danger in this way.”

Note:

The issue was raised by Ms Featherstone at the Metropolitan Police Authority meeting on 30th January and at the Fire Authority on 29th January. The Chief Executive of Haringey was asked by Ms Featherstone last Thursday as to when he received the information.

The allegation of Downing Street’s intervention was leaked to Ms Featherstone, who has raised at a full meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority (30th January), where the Acting Commissioner declined the opportunity to contradict the statement.

Liberal Democrat councillor Lynne Featherstone has challenged a memo sent out by Haringey Council that claims that gritters completed their job of gritting all first and second priority routes on the night of the 30th January during the recent cold snap.

The memo written by Cllr. Ray Dodds, Executive Member for the Environment, was challenged following complaints from residents of Hillfield Park, N10. Residents say that gritting did not occur in Hillfield Park according to the schedule claimed in the memo and as a result there were several accidents.

Cllr. Featherstone has expressed her astonishment at how poorly the operation was carried out:

“This weather had been predicted days in advance, this was not something that should have taken the council or Haringey Accord by surprise.

“I have written to the council challenging their claims and I will keep the pressure on them until I have a satisfactory response and an apology to residents.”

Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors were a united force last night along with over 100 local residents at Hornsey Town Hall to demonstrate their opposition to the British National Party’s (BNP) proposals to set up shop in Haringey.

The BNP did not turn up at Horsey Town Hall and police reported that they had been informed that the meeting had been cancelled. This marked a victory for the residents who came and supported the demonstration.

The move came following a motion at Haringey Council on 3rd February supported by both Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Both parties made impassioned speeches expressing their pride at being part of such a diverse community as Haringey and their willingness to fight any movement that threatened it. The vote was supported by every member of the council present.

Cllr. Hoban, at the anti BNP rally last night, commented:

“This is something that we must make a stand against and that is why I am here with my fellow councillors and so many members of the community who cherish Haringey’s diversity and don’t wish to see it destroyed by racists, homophobes and bigots.”

Cllr. Peter Floyd, Lib Dem councillor for Crouch End, added:

“We have shown our strength and the BNP have wisely stayed away. If they try to hold a meeting in Crouch End or any other part of the Borough, we will be there making our voices heard – racists are not welcome here.”

• Budget of tax rises, not better services, say Lib Dems
• Haringey part of council tax to rise by over 17%
• Lib Dems predict council tax rise of over 50% rise over four years

Labour-run Haringey Council’s high tax budget was condemned by the Lib Dem opposition who accused Haringey Labour of making the council tax payer pick up the tab for their financial mismanagement.

The council has proposed a massive 17.4% increase in the council tax to cover the perceived £13 million hole in this year’s budget.

The Lib Dems argued that council tax rises were the result of two cynical moves byHaringey Labour in the run-up to the last council elections – holding down council tax increases and at the same time heavily overspending in an attempt to retain their seats at the May 2002 local elections.

The Lib Dems have also pointed out that on Labour’s current plans, council tax bills will rise by over 50% over the four year lifespan of the current council.

Lib Dem Leader of the Official Opposition, Cllr Ross Laird, lead the attack on the budget at this week’s full council, saying that Haringey had failed to convince the Government that it needed better funding, while at the same time wasted money on bureaucracy and expensive consultants, resulting in a large overspend.

Ross Laird comments:

“This budget shows the depth of Haringey Labour’s cynicism. They have pegged back council tax rises, and indulged in huge overspending, which will now have to be paid for. The tax increases for local residents will be huge, and some vital services will suffer. It is a budget of tax rises, not a budget for investment in the borough.”

Highgate’s Lib Dem councillors have condemned the way wheelie bins are being rolled out in the area, as wheelie bins this week arrived earlier than planned, giving local residents virtually no time to object and to point out that their home may be largely unsuitable for the new containers.

Several residents in Cromwell Avenue and the surrounding roads have objected this week, but received little comfort from the Council or Haringey Accord. They are now collecting a petition objecting to the whole mess, and want many of the bins removed.

After the intervention of Lib Dem councillors, the council and bin providers Haringey Accord have agreed to come to Cromwell Avenue to try to sort out the mess.

In a further twist, Haringey Accord has told the Lib Dems that their database shows which houses should have wheelies – but when those distributing the bins go round doing so, they do not have this information to hand, causing completely unnecessary distress to residents who have found the bins foisted upon them this week, and must now battle at their own time and expense to have them removed.

Lib Dem councillor Neil Williams comments:

“The whole roll out has begun very badly in Highgate. The council and Accord are entirely responsible and must sort out this mess. It is a ridiculous approach, just dumping the bins on residents without observing the timetable and without checking their own lists to see if the property is suitable. Residents do not have to accept this fait accompli, and should call Accord on (020) 8885 7700 to object.”

Pupils and teachers at Rhodes Avenue School in Alexandra ward are celebrating following council agreement to proposals to turn a small copse into a nature reserve for the use of Rhodes Avenue school and local residents.

A meeting on the issue took place last week to decide the future of the ‘Spinney’ – a small copse adjacent to Rhodes Avenue School and Albert Road Recreation Ground. The meeting was organised by Cllr Wayne Hoban (local councillor and Deputy Leader of the Lib Dems) and Haringey’s Conservation Officer.

The proposals made will mean that the nature reserve will be used by Rhodes Avenue school with controlled access for local residents and other schools.

Cllr. Hoban who chaired the meeting commented,

“I was delighted that we have such a lively and enthusiastic debate with valuable contributions from all parties involved. It was a great opportunity for local residents to put forward their suggestions and also to raise issues with council officers over rubbish collection and fly-tipping on the site.”

“There is a little way to go before this nature reserve becomes a reality but this meeting has shown how positive residents and council officers are about the proposals. I am sure it is only a matter of time before this becomes a reality.”

Liberal Democrat opposition councillors have expressed dismay that leading Labour councillors in Haringey are seeking to cling on to their posts, following the publication of the Laming report. At the full meeting of the council last night, there were no personal apologies from Labour council leader George Meehan, nor was there an offer to resign, despite him being personally criticised by Lord Laming.

Lib Dem councillors also expressed disgust at reports that Labour councillors were whipped and threatened with disciplinary action if they voted against the motion put forward by George Meehan.

Speaking from the Civic Centre, Ron Aitken, Lib Dem social services spokesperson, commented:

“The council has shown tonight that they have not learned their lessons. Individuals, clearly held responsible by Lord Laming in his report, are going to try to cling on to office. It is a dismal spectacle. The matter must not be allowed to rest, and we must have a full debate on all these issues at a special Full Council now being called by the opposition.”

Lib Dem councillors in Crouch End and Muswell Hill have expressed satisfaction following Haringey Council’s decision to introduce a door-to-door recycling scheme in the two areas as a first step in the roll out of the full collection scheme across the borough – a Lib Dem manifesto commitment and an initiative that the Lib Dems have been campaigning on for the past two years.

The door-to-door scheme will begin in March and will be an upgrade from the current paper collection services. It will require residents to place recyclable materials in a green box provided by the council which will be collected once a week.

Cllr. Lynne Featherstone, Muswell Hill, comments:

“I am pleased that Haringey council have finally taken steps to improve their dreadful record on recycling in the borough. Residents in Muswell Hill and Crouch End are keen recyclers. This initiative is long overdue, but we are pleased that after two years of campaigning the council has started to adopt Lib Dem polices on recycling.”

However Cllr Featherstone was keen to point out that Lib Dems would not stop campaigning on the issue:

“This is a welcome step, but there is plenty more that we would like to see the council doing to make recycling a part of everyday life for the residents of this borough and we will continue to campaign for improvements to recycling facilities across the borough.”

Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson for Hornsey and Wood Green, Lynne Featherstone, has secured a commitment from the police to look again at reopening Muswell Hill police station, following a meeting with Helen Smith, the Met’s consultant for volunteer initiatives, who is coordinating efforts to secure police station volunteers across London.

Helen Smith has told Ms Featherstone that she agreed it believed it would be possible for the police to try again, when the introduction of new police community support officers brings new impetus in policing to the area.

This latest development follows the disappointment in Muswell Hill earlier this month, when Haringey Police announced they were putting on hold plans to re-open the front counter at Muswell Hill police station.

Liberal Democrats have mounted a long campaign for the front counter to reopen, with a system of trained volunteers already successfully used elsewhere. Last year they organised a public meeting to give the police the chance to explain how such a scheme would work, attended by over 200 residents.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I feel that the discussions with Helen were constructive and there is every chance that the bid to reopen the station can be put back on track.I welcomed her commitment to look again at the issue, and to continue discussions with the police in order to make this happen.Then, we can get back to work to find a way foreward. The battle to reopen the station is far from over.”

Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson Lynne Featherstone has attacked Haringey’s Labour MPs for failing to back Liberal Democrat plans to scrap the charges for personal care for the elderly.

The Government’s Community Care (Delayed Discharge) Bill had initially contained a power that would allow any future Government to introduce free personal care quickly by regulations without a new Act of Parliament.The Government, in which both local MPs serve, however, tabled an amendment to restrict free care to no more than six weeks after discharge.A future Government committed to introducing free personal care would now have to amend the law.

Commenting on the move, Lynne Featherstone said:

“It is very disappointing to see Haringey’s MPs lined up against free personal care for the elderly. It should be available on the basis of need. It is not a luxury, and would simply free help with feeding, dressing, washing and intimate care.

“In supporting the Government’s callous move, Haringey’s Labour MP seem to favour the prospect of our elderly citizens losing their homes to pay for personal care. This is in marked contrast to Scotland, where the Lib Dems have ensured that the elderly will be treated with dignity should they fall ill.”