Latest council figures unearthed by the Lib Dems show a huge financial problem building up for the future over the council’s controversial schools PFI contract.

The Lib Dems say that although in the first three years of the contract (2000-2 inclusive) the council receives more money from the government for the contract than it has to pay out, this changes from 2003 onwards. For example, by 2006 the council will have had to pay out over £3 million more than it has received.

And the total gap gets worse for each year of the contract afterwards – ending up with a massive £139 million gap by the end of the deal.

The Lib Dems are pointing out that it is rather convenient that the Labour-run council received more money from the Labour governments scheme than it had to pay out in the run-up to the 2002 elections, with the bills only mounting up afterwards.

Lib Dem education spokesman Ross Laird comments:

“These figure are worrying, and show that the Labour council may have walked into a financial black hole over this PFI deal. It has the prospect of becoming an immense financial drain.”

Note:

The figures are all in cash terms rather than net present value, but even under the controversial NPV calculations, it is still the case that the council receives less than two-thirds of the money it has to pay out during the contract’s lifespan.

Muswell Hill Liberal Democrats have unveiled the results of a poll of residents in Hillfield Park and St James’s Lane, Muswell Hill. The area has some of the most pressing traffic, parking and speeding problems.

The survey asked local residents in and immediately around Hillfield Park a range of questions about parking in the area, traffic accidents and speeding. The results of the survey found that:

• A majority of residents thought that there was a problem with speeding cars in upper St James’s Lane and Hillfield Park
• A majority of residents are in favour of a one way system in Hillfield Park and St James’s Lane (above the viaduct)
• Most residents did not favour speed humps to slow down traffic
• A small majority favoured the use of double yellow lines in selective places to try and calm traffic and reduce accidents
• A majority of residents want Haringey Council to rethink their decision not to alter the location of the Marks and Spencer car park exit, which adds to traffic problems on the roads.

Commenting on the results of the survey, Muswell Hill councillor Ross Laird said:

“These results clearly demonstrate that there are serious traffic management issues to be sorted out in Hillfield Park and St James’s Lane. There have been far too many car accidents in the area and action is needed.”

Cllr Lynne Featherstone added:

“We will be seeking a meeting with the Council’s highways officers to provide them with the details of our survey. What it demonstrates is that there are a wide range of views about the issue and the need for a range of solutions. I wish to personally thank everyone who returned the survey forms.”

There was new embarrassment for Haringey’s embattled Labour-run council this week, as ‘notes’ from a summer summit on council services leaked to the Liberal Democrats show that even Labour’s top councillors overwhelmingly rate council services as “bad” or “ugly”.

The summit, held over the summer, with the council’s Management Board and the ruling Labour party executive of leading councillors, included an exercise where participants were asked to highlight council services as “good”, “bad” or “ugly”.

Although they rated 34 areas as good, a further 37 were rated as bad, with comments including “lack of consultation”, “lighting needs to be improved more” and warnings about the “increase in council tax”.

Even more remarkably, a further 33 areas were described as “ugly” by those in charge, including dumped rubbish, abandoned cars, post-16 education, social services and the lack of confidence from local schools in Labour councillors.

Lib Dem leader Lynne Featherstone comments:”Residents have known for years how badly Labour is running Haringey. Now even Labour’s own councillors have admitted in private that they know their record is dreadful.”

Crouch End Lib Dem councillor David Winskill has welcomed moves to sort out the problems at the busy recycling point near Hornsey Library in Crouch End.

The Haringey Park site has been beset with problems in recent months, with the failure to clear the bottle and paper banks regularly causing a sea of dumped bottles, cans and newspapers near the recycling bins. David Winskill has just conducted a survey of users on the problems. A majority of residents wanted to keep the site, but felt that the situation had to be improved.

Haringey Council has agreed that the containers were often not emptied twice a week, as they should have been, on Friday afternoons and Monday mornings. The council have also agreed that the contractor that had been carrying out the work had a record that was “at best poor.”Cllr Winskill’s understanding is that contractors have now been replaced, and some of the containers have been replaced with larger ones.

David Winskill comments: “This is a good start, and gives hope that there will now be an improvement. What is clear to me is that local residents want to recycle as much as they can, and we need to support them in doing so – and not by creating an unsightly mess, as we have had. I will be watching to see that things do now improve.”

Councillor Winskill is urging local residents to report any deterioration in the service by sending him an email at recycling@haringeylibdems.org.

Lib Dem Leader Lynne Featherstone is calling on proper enforcement of double yellow lines at one of Muswell Hill’s most troublesome parking and traffic black spots. The move follows a successful campaign earlier in the year by the Lib Dems and local residents to have double yellow lines installed atthe controversial Pages Lane junction

Although the double yellow lines have brought about a welcome improvement, residents say that the lines are not being enforced properly. Residents claims that Haringey Council says it is up to the police and the police say it is up to the council. Furthermore, lorries serving the businesses near the site are still parking illegally, with the authorities appearing to turn a blind eye.

Lynne Featherstone comments: “Haringey Council and the police have got to sort this problem out. The introduction of the yellow lines was welcome – but there must be proper enforcement.”

Notes:

A combination of factors is making Pages Lane dangerous if the double yellow lines are ignored.At the western end, the road is too narrow for easy parking, yet the area is twice daily inundated with vehicles, with parents dropping off children at the school. In addition, heavy plant is moving into the area as part of a school building programme and there is a busy tile centre nearby.

The 234 bus now uses the route, with residents pointing out that a stand-off often occurs as two large vehicles try to pass. Worse, drivers are parking right on the pavement, making it impossible for pedestrians to pass and forcing children out into the busy road.

The controversial Colney Hatch traffic lights to the east have made the problems at the other end of Pages Lane even more intense, as traffic often has to queue the entire length of the street to negotiate the junction layout.

The Liberal Democrats have called for urgent action after the release of new figures showing that North Middlesex Hospital is the worst for superbug infections in the whole country. The MRSA superbug is so named because of its ability to withstand many antibiotics and to kill in hours.

MRSA infections are caused by poor hygiene in hospitals and the bug can be spread by doctors and nurses failing to wash their hands between treating patients or by the failure to clean curtains, carpets or bedding properly.More than 100 people a month are infected with MRSA whilst being treated in London hospitals, with the North Middlesex having the highest infection rate not just in London but in the whole country.

Cllr Wayne Hoban, Lib Dem health spokesperson on Haringey Council, comments:

“I am very concerned that North Middlesex is performing so badly compared to other hospitals. The fact that the rate of MRSA infections isn’t falling shows how previous promises from Labour to clean up our hospitals haven’t been kept.”

Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem health spokesperson on the London Assembly, comments:

“London now has more hospital infections than any other party of the country. We need swift and effective action to clean up our hospitals. Hospitals should be where people go to solve their health problems, not somewhere they can go and pick up a deadly infection.”

Muswell Hill Lib Dem councillor Lynne Featherstone has called for a rethink on the speed humps along Muswell Hill Road after revealing that the latest traffic figures show an increase in accidents since the humps were introduced.

The official figures, produced by Haringey Council, show that there were 25 accidents on the busy road in the three years before the introduction of the speed humps, but that this rose to 27 in the three years after their introduction.There has, though, been a welcome reduction in serious accidents.

“The reduction in severe accidents is good news,” comments Lynne Featherstone, “but the overall increase in accidents suggests speed humps are not the right solution to traffic issues along Muswell Hill Road.

“Not only have the humps failed to reduce the overall number of incidents, the vibrations caused by traffic passing over them is causing severe problems for some residents living along the street. I will be seeking to explore alternative solutions to this problem with Haringey Council.”

Lib Dems in Highgate have welcomed the news that Haringey Council has now agreed a date for a special neighbourhood assembly meeting which will focus on the Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) issue now facing Highgate. Lib Dems say it will be a welcome opportunity for local people to put their point of view on present proposals from both Haringey and Camden councils for CPZs in the Highgate area.

The agreement to the 6th November meeting follows pressure from the Lib Dems, who had complained that in the grossly oversized Muswell Hill area assembly, Highgate residents would not have a big enough say on local council issues. As a result, the Lib Dems secured agreement that Highgate could have two special meetings of its own, and this is the first of those.

Highgate councillor Neil Williams said: “This meeting will be a crucial chance to look at the council’s proposals and to ensure that Highgate residents’ views are heard. We will be watching closely to ensure that the process is fully carried through.”

Neil Williams says that Highgate residents wishing to be kept up to date with the details of both this and future Highgate meetings of the neighbourhood assembly should send an email to Neil.Williams@haringeylibdems.org.

Neil Williams has also teamed up with Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem transport spokesperson at the London Assembly, to give residents a chance to give their views via an on-line survey.

• Tory Chairman tips Lib Dems to win Hornsey and Wood Green Parliamentary constituency
• Tory Chairman tips Lib Dems to take control of Haringey Council

The Chairman of Hornsey and Wood Green’s embattled Conservatives has predicted a Lib Dem win in Hornsey and Wood Green at the next general election. Tory Chairman David Allen made the prediction in a local newspaper this weekend.

In a frank admission, the Tory Chairman, recently defeated by the Lib Dems in Fortis Green ward, said: “…the Lib Dems seriously threaten to take control of Haringey Council and the Hornsey and Wood Green constituency at the next local and general elections…”

The news follows the publication of a national opinion poll in this Sunday’s News of the World, which shows the Lib Dems and Tories running neck and neck on 24% each nationally. On these figures, the Lib Dems would have more MPs than the Conservatives.

Commenting on the developments, Neil Williams, Liberal Democrat agent in May’s elections, said: “It’s always a boost to hear predictions of future local successes for the Lib Dems, even if it does come from such an unlikely source. Given Lib Dem advances and the present state of the Tories, including their wipe-out in May’s council elections, I am sure he is correct, and we will move from success to success in future elections.”

Transport for London (TfL) has agreed to act to take swift action to sort out a highly dangerous pedestrian crossing on the busy Archway Road in Highgate. The move follows a meeting on Friday with Highgate Lib Dem councillor Bob Hare, who took a TfL official through this and several other outstanding problems at the vital junction, where TFL works on the junction layout are just being completed.

TfL agreed to act promptly after Councillor Hare pointed out the danger to the official present. When A1 traffic coming south turns left into Muswell Hill Road, the new pedestrian crossing remains at green, with the potential danger that someone crossing Muswell Hill Road on a green pedestrian light could be mowed down by an oncoming vehicle.

Bob Hare comments: “Transport for London have agreed to act on the pedestrian crossing, which is a great relief, as it was operating in a dangerous manner and should never have been set up that way. We are also addressing other problems at the junction.”

Bob Hare and Lynne Featherstone are continuing to work on other issues related to the junction and residents who would like a detailed report of all the outstanding issues with the new junction layout they are working on can send an email to highgate@haringeylibdems.org or write to 250 Muswell Hill Broadway, London, N10 3SH.