A project to redevelop a major site in Hornsey is facing further delays. At a meeting of Haringey Council’s Cabinet last Thursday (17th June 2008) it was revealed that almost a year after a preferred developer was announced Haringey Council and developers have still not signed development agreements for the work to begin on the Hornsey Depot Site.

Local Liberal Democrats are concerned at the lack of progress made by Haringey Council. Cllr Robert Gorrie, speaking at the meeting, expressed his frustrations saying that the lack of response from the Labour Council to questions he had raised on behalf of residents regarding the future of the project showed the lack of action.

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Liberal Democrat Leader and Hornsey ward councillor, comments:

“Residents’ hopes that this important development will progress remain frustrated. Delay after delay has taken its toll on any effective consultation and will be bad news for residents in need of new housing.

“The fact that the Council has failed to answer the simple questions I have tabled shows that this project is in complete disarray. The lack of respect the developers, Sainsbury’s and Haringey Council are showing for the public by failing to keep them informed and failing to answer their questions is not acceptable.”

Cllr Rachel Allison, Liberal Democrat Regeneration Spokesperson, adds:

“Unfortunately the experience of the Hornsey Depot development is not a one-off. Residents’ views are so often ignored by dubious consultations and so many of Haringey’s projects suffer delays. It is not surprising that residents have so little faith in Labour’s ability to deliver much needed regeneration developments.”

Hornsey residents will be ignored as a result of delays by Haringey Council over the Hornsey Depot Site say the area’s Liberal Democrats.

On Monday Haringey Council was forced to reveal that delays mean the length of time allowed for pre-planning consultation on the Depot Development has been reduced from six months to just two.

Despite the need for public consultation the Council’s target date for the submission of a planning application has remained March 2008.

Cllr Robert Gorrie (Hornsey) comments:

“In their most recent reply to our questions, Haringey Council says that Inner Circle is actively developing scheme options taking into account the landowner’s brief, planning guidance and other requirements. So that would be responding to the demands of Sainsbury and Haringey Council. What about the local residents, local businesses and other local service providers? They have been completely left out.

“We have had no contact from the developer and our concerns on the lack of transparency and consultation continue to be treated with contempt by Haringey Council. This development is very important to the residents of Hornsey and could be very positive, but not if the Council continues to display its customary arrogance and lack of concern for residents’ views.

“I am writing to Haringey Council asking for the targeted submission date for a planning application to be put back in order to allow a process of local engagement that will consult residents properly.”

Cllr John Oakes, Lib Dem Community Involvement spokesperson, adds:

“Councillor Gorrie is spot on. ‘Consultation’ is a marvellous banner that Haringey Labour parade at election time. But as soon as they’ve got your vote it goes back in the cupboard.”

Haringey Liberal Democrats have welcomed Haringey Council’s announcement at the Cabinet meeting of 26th July 2007 to appoint Inner Circle as the preferred developer for the Hornsey Depot site but have criticised a ‘decade of dithering’ by the Labour-run council over the development.

The decision represents the latest step in almost a decade of Labour mismanagement of the site since it was first appropriated for planning purposes in 1998. The Liberal Democrats have criticised Haringey Council for the emphasis placed on the amount the developer would pay for the site rather than the quality of the scheme for residents.

Liberal Democrat councillors attending the meeting challenged Labour on the lack of consultation to date, the lack of thought into planning for the social infrastructure such as school places that the development will require, and the lack of vision around how the traffic impact will be managed. In response the Cabinet committed to work on infrastructure and traffic studies and to support resident and stakeholder consultation albeit only as part of planning.

Lib Dem Hornsey Councillor Robert Gorrie comments:

“Progress towards having a development of a site that Labour have spent almost a decade failing to progress is obviously welcome. The critical challenge will be to ensure that consultation with residents and stakeholders is real and meaningful and that very obvious infrastructure and traffic issues which any sensible study will highlight are addressed effectively. As ward councillors we look forward to the preferred developer introducing themselves to the community and hope that they will work proactively and openly with the community and act on the concerns which will be raised.”

Haringey Council’s failure to provide early and effective consultation for local residents on the future of Hornsey Depot has come under severe criticism from local Lib Dems following the Labour Council’s move to rush through a decision in a special meeting of the Council’s Cabinet on 26th July 2007.

The meeting will decide which developer is successful in their bid to redevelop the site. Lib Dems are concerned that the public will be left out of key early decisions and have criticised an invitation to a day of presentations from the short listed developers on the 17th July as a limited and belated attempt to involve councillors. Lib Dems have now asked local residents concerned about the issue to contact them to plug the gap in Haringey Council’s lack of engagement.

Since the end of 2006 Hornsey Liberal Democrat councillors have been demanding that Haringey Council engage in meaningful public consultation. These requests have consistently been rejected by the Labour Council on the basis that once a preferred developer for the site is appointed the developer will be obliged to carry out a pre-planning consultation with local stakeholders. Lib Dems believe this to be too late and feel that Labour’s approach tries to outsource responsibility for the consultation they have failed to undertake.

Cllr Robert Gorrie (Hornsey) comments:

“Labour’s failure to engage with residents early in this process can only make achieving the right outcome for the people of Hornsey more difficult. The benefits of the limited and belated involvement ward Councillors have been offered are not yet clear but it does at least provide us with the opportunity to ask questions on behalf of residents. I would encourage people to contact either myself, Monica or Errol directly as soon as possible with any issues or questions they have about the depot site. We will try to raise their issues and feed back answers.”