Fiyaz Mughal, local Liberal Democrat councillor for Noel Park, was named this weekend an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s birthday honours list for his services to the voluntary sector.

Cllr Mughal, the director and founder of Faith Matters, has dedicated 14 years to working in the voluntary sector. Earlier this year he was named as special advisor to the Liberal Democrat leader on Interfaith and Preventing Radicalisation and Extremism.

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Leader of Haringey Liberal Democrats, comments:

“Fiyaz’s work in the critical sphere of encouraging respect and understanding across faith boundaries is of particular importance here in Haringey. This well deserved recognition will provide a boost to this important challenge for our community.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“This is fabulous news and fantastically well deserved. Fiyaz has been working tirelessly to increase community cohesion and prevent violent extremism in the UK and it’s great that his work is being so well recognised. Well done Fiyaz!”

Cllr Fiyaz Mughal comments:

“I am deeply honoured and humbled to receive this award, which in the end is a testament to the communities that have worked with me. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many good people.”

A local Liberal Democrat councillor has demanded action after it emerged that Haringey Council has failed to take action to resolve flooding problems on Wood Green High Road for two years.

Local residents are often unable to use pavements near Turnpike Lane after heavy rain due to inadequate drainage. Letters received by Cllr Fiyaz Mughal show that Haringey Council has said that it has applied for funding to resolve the problem. However, Transport for London (TfL) has said that that it is up to Haringey Council to spend money TfL provides on the council’s priorities.

Cllr Mughal has written to Haringey Council transport bosses to demand that they provide money to resolve the flooding problem.

Cllr Fiyaz Mughal, Noel Park, comments:

“What is clear from this is that Haringey Council is ignoring Noel Park and local residents who use Wood Green High Road. When we have even modest amounts of rain the drains are overwhelmed and pavements and the road are flooded.

“It is disingenuous for Haringey Council to say that they are applying for funding when they are already given money from TfL to improve roads – and they have decided that this is not their priority. Local residents and the many hundreds of people passing through Wood Green each day to do shopping will feel let down.”

A local resident who escaped torture in Turkey, has a history of mental health problems and is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has been “abandoned” by Haringey Council, a local Liberal Democrat councillor has said.

Cllr Fiyaz Mughal contacted Haringey Council three months ago after Mr. Aygun of Noel Park ward came to see him ask for help, yet Haringey Council and the local Safer Neighbourhood Team have yet to respond.

Mr. Aygun, who moved to Haringey in 2002, has been subjected to months of torment from a neighbour, which has included racial and verbal abuse. This has resulted in a deterioration of his health even further. Cllr Mughal has again contacted Haringey Council urging action.

Cllr Fiyaz Mughal, Noel Park, comments:

“This is one of the most traumatic cases I have ever seen yet I feel that Haringey Council has abandoned a man in desperate need of help.

“Mr. Aygun has endured the lasting effects of torture and was forced to flee his own country. Now he has been subjected to further abuse from a neighbour that Haringey Council seem to have turned a blind eye to.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“This is a very distressing case. More distressing is that Haringey Council seems to have done little to help Mr. Aygun in his hour of need. They should be ashamed.”

A road in Noel Park which has been the scene of 14 accidents in the past two years has been branded “a death trap” by a local Liberal Democrat councillor. Westbury Avenue, which runs from Turnpike Lane to Lordship Lane, has been plagued by serious incidents including an accident in October 2007 when a one-year-old boy was hit by a bus.

Liberal Democrat councillor Fiyaz Mughal has demanded that Haringey Council investigates the introduction of a 20mph limit to protect residents and pedestrians using the stretch of road.

Cllr Fiyaz Mughal, Noel Park, comments:

“The evidence speaks for itself – this is a dangerous stretch of road and a potential death trap. I know of at least one fatal accident and it is only a matter of time until another road user or pedestrian gets seriously injured.

“I have asked that Haringey Council investigates the introduction of a 20mph limit in this area in hope that this may prevent similar accidents in the future.”

Lynne Featherstone MP, adds:

“The number of accidents on this small stretch of road is alarming. Residents need to know that they will be safe walking down the road. Haringey Council needs to seriously consider further measures to make people safer.”

Councillor Fiyaz Mughal, Liberal Democrat councillor for Noel Park ward, is demanding urgent action to close down a car wash operating without the required planning permission.

Cllr Mughal first raised this issue in April after receiving numerous letters from local residents expressing their concerns. However, seven months after the issue was raised no action has been taken by Haringey Council.

In 2005 Station Cars applied for planning permission to turn their business from a car sales yard into a car washing business. This application was turned down by Haringey Council on the grounds that “the proposal would have a significant detrimental impact on adjoining residents, pedestrians, the amenity of the area and the character of the adjoining conservation area”. However, a car wash business continues to operate on the premises.

Fiyaz Mughal has written many times to the Enforcement Action Team at Haringey Council since he was first made aware of the problem in April 2008.

Fiyaz Mughal commented:

“I am extremely disappointed by the reaction of Haringey Council to this issue. The car wash is causing a great deal of concern to residents and I’ve written to the Enforcement Action Team on numerous occasions asking them to intervene. If the car wash is allowed to continue trading it will make a mockery of Haringey Council’s business planning regulations.

“Haringey Council clearly turned down the application and now it should enforce its decision. Entrepreneurs should be encouraged, but they must operate within the law.”

Haringey Council has hit under-threat Salisbury Road Post Office with a rent hike of 100%, the Liberal Democrats have today found out.

Despite expressing support for the Post Offices facing closure, Labour-run Haringey Council has announced that the rent rise will be backdated three years, leaving the Post Office’s future in question. Liberal Democrats are appalled at Haringey Council’s action at a time when the future of many Post Offices throughout the London Borough of Haringey is uncertain.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments, “This decision flies in the face of Haringey Council’s alleged support for the campaign to Save Our Post Offices.

“It has taken over three years to come to this decision, and backdating the rise will mean a pillar of the community is punished by Haringey’s inefficiency. This is ridiculous”.

Councillor Fiyaz Mughal, ward representative of Noel Park, says, “Noel Park residents regularly use the Salisbury Road Post Office and it has become a community hub. For the Labour run authority to hike the rent by 100% shows a complete disregard for residents and their needs. Such hikes go against small business survival and sustainability”.

Note: The rent for Salisbury Road Post Office was £5,500 p.a., with a rent review due on 1 December 2004. Following a meeting between the husband of the sub-post mistress and a representative of Haringey Council on 23 February 2008, it was confirmed that this rate would rise to £11,000 p.a., backdated to December 2004.

Haringey Liberal Democrats have criticised the £1,600 spent advertising Haringey Council’s ‘successes’ whilst some of Haringey’s parks are left languishing “without a flower in sight”.

Councillor Catherine Harris has expressed her anger at the lack of investment in some parks including Russell Park in Noel Park. Lib Dems have called for Haringey Council to, in future, prioritise funding to make all vital green spaces more attractive for residents rather than draining valuable resources with advertising.

Cllr Catherine Harris (Noel Park) comments

“The park in Noel Park is a pretty miserable affair. Local residents have come to me many times with problems with the park – bottles and cans strewn in the undergrowth, no bins for rubbish, anti-social behaviour late at night, and most insulting, without a flower in sight. The grass area is covered with tyre marks from late night activities that blight local residents’ peace and which do not seem to be monitored or controlled by Haringey Council.

“Come on Haringey, spend money on what local residents tell me they want – a pleasant, safer, and award winning park in Noel Park. I am sure £1,600 would buy more than enough flowering plants to brighten and improve the park in Noel Park for everyone’s benefit.”

Cllr Bob Hare, Lib Dem Sustainability Spokesperson, adds

“The priority needs to be making all our vital green spaces as attractive, visitor friendly and accessible as possible, and not, as the Labour council seems to think, focusing on the ones that are already better. It is a good thing that Haringey’s parks continue to receive more awards, but a wider strategy needs to also address quality issues for many other parks and scores of small areas. These may not have the accolades, but they are nevertheless people’s special and much-appreciated local green spaces, and all too often they have suffered years of poor maintenance.”

The people of Noel Park have been able to dump their alarm clocks after the dawn of a wholly unexpected and unwanted morning chorus. Residents of the Whymark Road area have been subjected to the morning calls of a local rooster crowing as early as 4am from a nearby garden. Neighbours are now spitting feathers and have threatened to take matters into their own hands. Local Liberal Democrat councillors have asked that Haringey Council investigate the situation and take the appropriate action to alleviate the disturbance.

Cllr Catherine Harris (Noel Park) comments:

“If Foghorn Leghorn lived nearby then most people would be upset. It is unacceptable for people to cope with noise and disturbances. Haringey Council should ensure that complaints about unruly animals and, where applicable, breaches of its one pet policy are dealt with thoroughly.

“Perhaps it is Haringey Council that need the wake up call. It’s not time for them to be cocky and ignore what could be a disturbing problem for some.”