After a six-year campaign local Liberal Democrats in Alexandra ward have welcomed the announcement last week of the start of consultations on the introduction of a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) ban and traffic calming measures.

From 14th April until 12th May local residents in the Palace Gates triangle area will be asked their opinion on traffic calming, including a 20mph limit and an HGV ban in the local area. Also in April local residents in the rest of the affected area will be consulted on the plan to ban HGVs.

For many years residents have been plagued by noise and vibration caused by HGV drivers taking shortcuts down small residential streets. The HGV exclusion area proposed stretches from Muswell Hill Broadway in the west, to Dukes Avenue in the south, to Alexandra Park Road/Albert Road in the north and Crescent Road in the east. The ban does not include Muswell Hill Broadway, Alexandra Park Road or Durnsford Road.

Cllr Susan Oatway, Alexandra ward, who brought together local residents, Haringey Council and private haulage companies, comments:

“The fact that this has taken six years to get to the consultation stage is testament to the shear perseverance of local residents, including the hard work of the Palace Gates and Dukes Avenue Residents’ Association, to rid our local streets of the menace of HGVs. We have all worked together to make Haringey Council and private companies sit up and listen.

“For too long local people have had to endure large lorries clogging the streets and thundering down roads.

“When you get the document through your door, please respond, and come to the exhibition if you have any questions.”

Lynne Featherstone MP, adds:

“This is a victory for the local community. Thanks should also go to Susan Oatway who has tirelessly supported local residents in their cause. Well done and everybody – now take part in the consultation.”

Notes:

The start of the HGV ban (vehicles over 7.5 tonnes) consultation in the Dukes Avenue area is yet to be confirmed.

A proposed exhibition will take place at the Alexandra Park Library on 24th/25th April to take local residents through the plans for the traffic calming and 20mph limit plans (to be confirmed)

London Buses, all emergency services, Freight Transport Association, Road Haulage Association, London Cycling Campaign and Transport for London’s Network Assurance Team are all consulted along with the relevant councillors and residents.

Commenting on the independent review into the failed Firoka takeover of Alexandra Palace, Councillor Robert Gorrie, Leader of Haringey Liberal Democrats, says:

“This report, commissioned by Haringey Council, admits a direct loss to the taxpayer of £1.5m from its own political meddling and basic management incompetence at Alexandra Palace. Yet no-one has resigned and the political leadership continue to try and pin the blame on a manager in much the same way as losing £37m in Icelandic Banks is blamed on external advisors.

“The individual responsible for both the loss in Alexandra Palace and the Icelandic Bank investments is Councillor Adje. He is still in charge of the Borough’s finances. That is simply not acceptable and in the face of this latest damning report he needs to resign. If he does not, I will be asking the Leader of the Council asking to remove him from his post.”

Commenting on the disclosure by Labour-run Haringey Council at last night’s Full Council meeting that a £6.2 million claim has been made by Firoka against Haringey Council following the collapse of the attempts to sell-off the palace in 2007, Cllr Robert Gorrie, Leader of Haringey Liberal Democrats, said:

“This is an enormous claim. Simply trying to respond and defend Haringey Council’s position will cost residents thousands of pounds in legal bills and council officer time. £6.2 million is more than Haringey Council spent this year on safeguarding vulnerable children. Here we are again with residents being put at risk as a direct result of this latest in the long list of Haringey Labour’s failures with Alexandra Palace and their mismanagement of the Borough.”

Following the announcement by the Alexandra Palace and Park Charitable Trust confirming that a formal letter of claim had been received from solicitors acting for Firoka:

Cllr Robert Gorrie comments:

“This is yet another chapter in the sorry tale of Labour’s handling of Alexandra Palace.Yet again Haringey’s taxpayers will have to pick up the bill for Labour incompetence.Faced with the pressures of the recession and on top the of the millions lost in Icelandic banks and the desperate need for investment in our children’s services, this couldn’t have come at a worse time.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“This is an unwelcome distraction for the leadership of Haringey Council. They should be focusing all their energies on rebuilding key front-line services and helping people through the financial crisis, not having to deal with the financial incompetence of Labour’s past.”