Tag Archives: carolyn baker

Housing improvement strategy for Haringey delayed

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Haringey Council has admitted that a key part of its strategy to improve housing in the borough will be delayed. Documents released by Haringey Council last week show that the plan to reconsider planning procedures for houses with multiple occupants (Houses in Multiple Occupation or HMOs) and the actions Haringey Council would take against problem landlords will not complete until September 2011. This means that areas like Harringay ward, which suffer from an over concentration of HMOs and the associated problems, will have to wait nearly two years for any action.

Local Liberal Democrats have expressed their concerned and have said that local residents will be let down by Haringey Council’s lack of action.

Cllr Carolyn Baker (Harringay Ward) comments:

“The announcement that Haringey Council are delaying taking action on HMO’s is disappointing given the amount of work the pilot wards have done on this issue.”

Cllr Matt Davies, Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson, adds:

“HMOs can cause an array of problems such as anti-social behaviour, noise, increased parking, litter and refuse problems, and more crime. The fact that Haringey Council is failing to meet a clear target of action on this real problem shows that they have once again turned a blind eye to the issue.”

Labour Leader's brush-off for Tottenham road safety campaign

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Local Liberal Democrats have expressed concern at the refusal by the Labour leadership of the Haringey Council to support a petition to improve a dangerous crossing in Green Lanes, Tottenham, near Ducketts Common.

A question put by Cllr Karen Alexander (Harringay Ward) to the leader of the Council last week asked whether the Council would support the petition. In answer, Cllr Claire Kober replied at the Full Council meeting, “I find the request the most perplexing question I’ve been asked all night, you know, no, this is not about petitions, this is grown-up.”

Cllr Alexander (Harringay ward) comments:

“There is nothing childish about local residents working to get Haringey Council to remove a death-trap to which hundreds of children are exposed every day when they go to school. It would have been helpful if Haringey Council had supported our campaign. We would stand a better chance of receiving funding, that Haringey Council says it has applied for, if we can show the level of local support for the necessary works.”

Tottenham Liberal Democrat chairman, David Schmitz, who lives near to the junction and who has spearheaded the campaign, adds:

“This petition has gained enormous support from people of all political parties. We now have about 250 signatures, and the number is constantly rising. It is disappointing that Cllr Kober is mocking a campaign that people in her own party have supported in the past.”

Cllr Carolyn Baker (Harringay Ward) adds:

“Petitions are the traditional way of showing just how strongly local people feel about an issue. For the Labour leadership to be so dismissive of the campaign shows just how hopelessly out of touch they are.”