Tag Archives: haringey council

Local coach crash victims get right to apply to local school

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Andrew Smith, Caroline Macaulay, Delilah Macaulay-Smith and Lynne FeatherstoneHurrah! Bureaucracy at Haringey Council triumphed over – for one local family.

The Macaulays had to move into temporary accommodation in Finchley after a coach crash demolished large parts of their home. They wanted to apply to send their child to a local school but no, said Haringey, you’re not living locally.

After months of correspondence, Haringey Council finally saw sense – and agreed that yes, if you have been forced out of your home to live somewhere else whilst it is rebuilt, then you can still apply for a local school. So – hurrah!

Full story in the news release on my website.

Haringey Council keeps waste plans secret

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Rubbish dumpNot impressed with Haringey Council’s decision to keep secret official papers to do with disposal of our waste.

Neighbouring councils involved in the same project have already disclosed information detailing the fixed 30-year term of the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) proposal and the substantial increases in waste volumes and costs to residents and businesses that the NLWA approach assumes.

I am very disturbed that Haringey Council officials’ instincts seem to be to withhold information from local residents rather than engage them in the debate.

The things we throw away in our dustbins are one of the most direct ways we effect our environment. We need to reduce the amount of waste we throw away and then we need to figure out how best to dispose of what is left. Treating residents as adults, and sharing with them the likely costs through their Council Tax if we do not change our approach to rubbish, is an essential first step.

It is completely bizarre that Barnet residents are allowed to know the potential impact on their borough and their Council Tax while Haringey residents are left completely in the dark.

Haringey Council and Icelandic bank account

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So – the world saviour is enjoying his moment in the sun. Lord knows it’s been a pretty frozen existence for the rest of Gordon Brown’s first year or so. However, the recriminations over the financial meltdowns have kicked off big time and it was him stirring the financial pot and writing the recipes over the last ten years.

Here in sunny Haringey we feel a cold wind blowing in from Iceland – and up until now have been relatively restrained in blaming Labour for what has happened with £37 million of local reserves caught in the Icelandic net of bankruptcy. However, at last night’s full council it was revealed that Haringey Council was moving money into Icleandic accounts as late as the 29th September – way way after the warnings were there. Why on earth were the Labour councillors in charge not screaming at the finance officers to move the money once the ratings had dropped?

Quite rightly, Robert Gorrie (leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition on Haringey Council) has called for an independent investigation.

This is what he said: “What is clear is that Haringey Council has been caught up in a financial storm that has uncovered real failings in the Council’s economic leadership. Haringey Council was typically slow to reassure residents and are still drip feeding the bare minimum of information out to the public. Repeated suggestions that losing £37 million will not impact future spending plans are simply ludicrous. This loss is almost 10 per cent of Haringey Council’s annual expenditure on services or more than 30 per cent of the Council’s own annual capital expenditure. Something will not get done as a result of this loss and the Council need to be honest with residents where and when that cut will fall.

“We must now have a full and independent investigation to get to the bottom of the decisions made to invest in these banks so the responsible parties can be properly held to account. Every pound needs to be accounted for and all residents’ worries need to be put to rest.”

Too bloody right!

Haringey's Icelandic money

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So it seems that Haringey Council has invested £37 million in Icelandic banks – and the Chancellor (in his statement earlier this week) made it pretty clear that councils – who he called ‘informed corporate investors’ – could go swing.

I immediately contacted Alistair Darling to ask that he not let Haringey residents suffer as a result.

I am concerned that no information as to details of what is included in the investments is being allowed to me or Robert Gorrie (Liberal Democrat Council Group leader). All the Chief Exec will say that the problem is ‘manageable’ and that the Local Government Association is acting for all involved councils.

Haringey Council is not alone. A hundred councils, police authorities and charities are in similar positions – although Haringey’s exposure is the largest in London.

The Prime Minister appears to have gone to war with Iceland – freezing its assets here by using a law from the 2001 terrorist act. Iceland is not best pleased.

Damning report into Alexandra Palace deal published

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Press release is pretty self-explanatory, so here it is:

Haringey’s Liberal Democrats are calling for the resignation of Labour’s finance boss and former Council leader Cllr Charles Adje following the publication of a damning report into how, as Alexandra Palace Chair, he pushed through the controversial licence for Firoka to operate in the building. The Liberal Democrats say the revelations in the report show he can’t be trusted to run the boroughs finances.

The report into affairs at Alexandra Palace was published late last week for consideration at an emergency Alexandra Palace board meeting this Friday. Among the most scandalous of many revelations in the report is an assertion that Cllr Adje pushed the controversial licence through for political reasons, so that he could tell the Haringey Labour group’s Annual General Meeting it had been achieved – at which time Cllr Adje was bidding for the job of Labour finance boss.

Whilst Cllr Adje claims to have had limited involvement in the process, the others interviewed for the report indicate that it was he who was driving the ill-fated process forward.

Haringey Liberal Democrat Leader, Cllr Robert Gorrie, comments:

“Firstly, it’s clear that Charles Adje must be removed as soon as possible as the Haringey’s finance chief. There are many damning revelations in the report, but suggestions that Cllr Adje was rushing this disastrous process forward, without proper procedures in place, in order to suit the needs of the Labour Group’s Annual General Meeting is an absolutely scandalous revelation. This point alone requires further serious investigation.

“This politically motivated incompetence has cost Haringey’s taxpayers millions of pounds. Why was Haringey Council so slow to take steps to bring the Palace into line? The Liberal Democrats, and local campaign groups repeatedly raised the issue from last July onwards. Cllr Neil Williams brought it to the Council, to the Cabinet, and to the media. It was raised repeatedly by Lib Dem Ally Pally board member Bob Hare, whose demands for answers were simply brushed aside.

“Following a request by council officers there will now be an action plan to ensure that this does not happen again – but this is as much about incompetence as it is about governance. No amount of procedural changes will protect the Trust from people in charge who have shown they should not be in such positions of authority. That’s why Charles Adje must step down.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“This is a flagrant abuse of power which appears largely to have been pursued because of political self-interest. This is not someone who should hold the purse strings to half billion pounds of public money through Haringey Council’s finances. Further questions must also be asked how this was able to carry on without the scrutiny of the rest of the Labour party and the Council.”

Another day, another Haringey parking fiasco

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Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse … Martin Newton (councillor for Fortis Green ward) has been doing a survey of parking bays in Muswell Hill and found that many of them don’t meet the rules for how parking bays should be laid out and explained to the public.

Earlier this year we forced Haringey Council to replace confusing and contradictory parking signage – and also to add further stickers to pay-and-display machines to try to explain bewildering restrictions. More recently investigations by Liberal Democrat councillors also uncovered that at five of the seven yellow box junctions enforced by CCTV in Haringey, penalty notices had to be cancelled due to incorrect lines, signs or Traffic Management Orders. And now this!

Given the number of parking scandals involving Haringey Council, you could start to think it’s a conspiracy rather than incompetence. The Labour council leaders need to act soon to resolve faith in our borough’s parking rules.

Parking in Highgate

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That’s the subject of my latest piece for one of the local magazines:

It can be truly terrible when a CPZ (controlled parking zone) is put in near you, but you are not actually included in it – and then everyone parks in your unrestricted bit and you then can never get anywhere near your own home to park. Never mind if you have young children, babies, buggies shopping or are older and mobility challenged – you will drive round and round and end up quite a distance from your own front door.

This was the case around Claremont Road and thanks to my Liberal Democrat colleague, Cllr Lyn Weber (Crouch End ward, which covers the eastern part of Highgate) and storming local residents, Haringey Council was eventually forced into putting a new CPZ proposal out to consultation – albeit at a snail’s pace.

I went to the publication of the results – and what was crystal clear was that some in some roads, including Claremont Road, life had become a living hell. Other parts of the consultation area had no problem at all. At the public meeting, Brian Haley (Labour Executive Member who makes the decisions) wouldn’t be drawn on saying yes to those in desperate streets – but in the end that is what he will have to do.

This brings me on to a real bit of Haringey Council insanity or incompetence – or both – in terms of CPZ introduction…

You can read the full piece here.

Woodside House update

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I’ve blogged before about Labour’s plans to sell off the Civic Centre and move to Woodside House, so just to highlight the new story over on my website about how Labour decided to go ahead with the plan:

Labour members of Haringey Council’s ‘watchdog’ committee have voted to ignore residents’ views and rejected wider democratic discussion on controversial plans to spend £12 million on a new Haringey Civic Centre…

Liberal Democrats, who forced the special Overview and Scrutiny meeting, pointed out that this was the largest discretionary capital expenditure since the Council’s ill fated Tech Refresh IT fiasco where a £10m budget became a £22m cost to residents. They criticised the decision for committing taxpayers’ money in the current uncertain economic climate and the lack of consultation of residents and current users of Woodside House.

You can read the full story on my website.

Protesting at the Council offices

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Robert Gorrie and Lynne Featherstone with protestors outside Haringey Civic CentreYesterday saw big, big demonstration outside the Haringey Civic Centre by the group of Asian women and the workers from the ‘I Can Care’ charity. Tonight there was to be a Haringey Labour Cabinet meeting to decide (or rather rubberstamp more likely) the proposal to sell the Civic Centre (supposedly for lots of dosh) and move to Woodside House.

Well – in terms of selling the Civic Centre – one might think that choosing the moment of financial downturn that this country is experiencing means the price ain’t exactly going to be the best.

But we do need loads more social housing and affordable rentals – and if they could get a good price; if they have looked at alternatives; if their business plan is spot on – then worth considering. However, the move to Woodside House, not only displaces this I Can Care charity – who work with mainly Asian women to teach them English, computer skills and movement classes – but will cost a fortune. Estimates are being thrown around at £12 million.

Question to local people: Do you think that Haringey Council should spend £12 million on a new council chamber for Members to meet in and a registry office?. Or is there something else you think on which that money could be usefully spent?

It’s a no-brainer. Councillors could meet in Bernie Grant Centre or there’s a dilapidated council chamber still at Hornsey Town Hall or any one of a number of meeting places in the borough. It would be great anyway – and symbolic – if the councillors came out of a building and held their Full Council meeting in various parts of the borough. And we would save a fortune.

In terms of meeting rooms and offices – well the Council took on River Park House a few years ago – a massive office block – so it really is just a replacement for the council chamber and a registry office.

Now – as to the way they have moved on this – disgraceful. Despite both myself and Robert Gorrie (Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Haringey Council) writing to Labour Leader George Meehan to ask about the process, the alternatives, the business plan and what they were doing about ‘I Can Care’ – no joy and no answer.

Although judging by the anger and rudeness George displayed as he sped past the demonstration on the steps of the Civic – he just wants to steamroller this through without ever consulting with anyone. You know – whatever you think about the proposals – to not engage, not to have the civility to talk to the current tenants of the building – is just typical of why people hate Haringey Council.

And – to add insult to injury – ‘I Can Care’ have another couple of years to go on their lease. They have poured over £100,000 into the little side building to make it nice for those who come there to learn, and George Meehan apparently offered £1,000 if they would leave – presumably quietly. You couldn’t make it up!