Tag Archives: finsbury park

Lynne Featherstone MP takes part in Finsbury Park Community Games

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Lynne Featherstone MP with volunteer organisers and children who participated in the Finsbury Park community gamesLynne Featherstone on Sunday attended the Finsbury Park Community Games – a sports day organised by Westminster Justice and Peace church group, in partnership with local churches, mosques and councils.

‘Community Games’ take place across the country, with the aim of bringing a community together to take part in sporting and cultural activities, inspired by London 2012.

The Liberal Democrat MP made a speech to the attendees, highlighting the importance of faith groups and community groups working together, and of keeping sport alive in the community after the successful London Olympics.

After giving a speech, the Hornsey and Wood Green MP met with the organisers of the games, and the people who attended and took part.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“It was great to see the local community pulling together and organising the Finsbury Park Community Games.

“In 2012, we saw the most fantastic spirit from our athletes and our country. In Haringey we’re leading the way in keeping this up – thanks to the hard word of the community volunteers who organised these games and other events.

“Next year, I have promised to help the organisers of the Community Games promote the event more widely – so as many residents as possible get to take part.”

Help the Parkland Walk!

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The Friends of the Parkland Walk (FPW) are launching the biggest ever clearance operation, and they need you!

FPW is looking for between 200-300 volunteers to help remove the rubble, waste, and litter that has accumulated in the Parkland Walk over a number of years.

Equipment will be provided and any level of help would be appreciated. I am very pleased to support FPW’s work, and I am sure that this will be a productive and enjoyable event. If you have some free time, please do go along and help tidy up this fantastic community asset.

There will be four sessions over the weekend:

Saturday 16th November 10:00 – 12:30 and 13:30 – 16:00 meeting at the meadows on Florence Road.

Sunday 17th November 10:00 – 13:30 starting at the Cranley Gardens entrance.

Sunday 13:30 – 16:00 meeting on the walk behind Milton Park.

Further information can be found at http://www.parkland-walk.org.uk/events/the-big-clean.html or by contacting FPW via email (info@parkland-walk.org.uk).

 

Protecting our parks!

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Haringey has a total of 19 Green Flag awards for its parks – Priory Park and Russell Park included.

Under the criteria, Green Flag parks are judged to be welcoming, safe and well managed, with active community involvement. It also means that they should be some of the best parks in the country.

But – I continue to hear reports of excess rubbish, broken glass, dog mess and damaged or missing equipment in the children’s play areas in these parks. This is not my idea of a welcoming or well managed environment!

I have been pressing Labour-run Haringey Council for repairs and maintenance to Russell Park for quite some time, and will continue to do so. Here’s a video taken from my recent visit there:

Over the summer, the children’s playground at Priory Park has also fallen into disrepair and many parents now consider it to be dangerous. The climbing frame, zip wire, sandpit and sandpit equipment are all broken, and it hasn’t been repaired or cordoned off to prevent children trying to play. Residents don’t think its good enough – and neither do I.

Haringey Council are clearly not doing a very good job of maintaining standards. Once again I have written to them, highlighting this and calling on them to take immediate action to repair the equipment and cordon it off in the meantime to protect children using the park.

They have replied tell me that work does need to be done, especially on the sandpit which ‘is past its expected life span’ – but they still suggest that all park equipment is ‘safe to use’. Local people disagree – and I will carry on campaigning for change!

MP gets assurances that worst bus in London will get better

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Lynne Featherstone MP has recently been provided with assurances from TfL that the W3 bus, which this winter has been the most complained about bus in London, will see significant improvements.

In a recent response from TfL, the Liberal Democrat MP has been given assurances that the issues that led to the vast number of complaints, to do to with an unreliable, overcrowded service, are now being resolved. The Hornsey and Wood Green MP is now planning to hold TfL to their word, by surveying bus users in a few weeks time, to see if commuters are seeing the improvements.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“With many people locally being completely reliant on the W3 bus to get to work, school or out and about, an unreliable service and overcrowded buses can mean a very bad start or end to a day, and worst case scenario leave people stranded.

“It’s essential that TfL works with the bus operators to address any reliability and overcrowding problems, and I am glad to hear that recent steps have been taken by replace old buses and resolve engineering problems.

“In a few weeks time I will launch a W3 survey to see if the service has indeed improved, so watch this space. And in the meantime, if any residents have any issues with buses, tubes or trains, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me, I am here to help.”

Christmas cheer for Stroud Green after snub from Haringey Council scrooges

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Despite the annual refusal by Haringey Council to fund Christmas lights, Stroud Green Road and Finsbury Park will, once again, be dazzling with Christmas cheer this year thanks to neighbouring Islington Council.

The Liberal Democrat Leader of Islington Council announced that Stroud Green Road and Finsbury Park would receive funding for Christmas lights – marking the second consecutive year when Haringey Council have failed to contribute to the area’s festivities.

Local Liberal Democrats have warmly welcomed the move by Islington Council and have pointed out that this is further evidence of Labour’s neglect for the Finsbury Park area.

Earlier this year it was revealed that Labour Cllr Gina Adamou had failed to attend any meetings of a board set up to regenerate the Finsbury Park area and Haringey Council slashed budgets for street sweeping.

Cllr Ed Butcher (Stroud Green) comments:

“This Christmas is going to be difficult enough for shops and restaurants on Stroud Green Road without more wilful neglect from Haringey Council. We are pleased to have secured a bit of festive cheer to encourage customers and raise our area’s status. We are determined to do all that we can to help local businesses through this recession.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“Stroud Green is one of the most vibrant areas in Haringey yet it is neglected year after year by this Labour administration. I’m glad that once again Islington have made Stroud Green‘s Christmas wishes come true.”