Tag Archives: peter hendy

Future of the 603 bus is at stake

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Once more the long fought for, hard won – but still inadequate – 603 Muswell Hill to Swiss Cottage bus route is in the frame! Having met with Peter Hendy, Commissioner of Transport a couple of weeks ago – and harangued him over having more operating hours for the 603 (as I always do) – post meeting it transpired that a review is in train (or in bus to be more accurate).

So I have written to Peter Hendy as below – and would encourage everyone who agrees that the 603 should firstly be retained, and secondly have its hours of operations expanded to either write to me at House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA or email me at featherstonel@parliament.uk and I will pass on all responses to Peter Hendy.

They consult with stakeholders (local authority etc) but if you ask me – it’s the people who use or need this route who are the real stakeholders – so make sure you have your say too!

Dear Peter

At our recent meeting when I raised the issue extending the hours of operation of the 603 (as I always do!) you said that the route would be coming up for review and that you would let me know more about it. So I thank you for following up on that discussion – but – the information subsequently passed to me by your office alarmed me.

Far from ‘coming up for review’ it would seem that the 603 is actually under review at the moment. The message I received says that views of stakeholders have been sought already.

Views of stakeholders like the Local Authority and other organizations (which I assume are the sort of stakeholders referred to) are undoubtedly important – but surely in this case – where the route is a response to local peoples’ need (only met to a small extent by a school hours bus) – Transport for London would want to know from those local people what demand is there for both the existing hours and extensions to those hours.

I would like your assurance that no decisions will be taken before I have had the chance to inform my constituents of the review – and given them the opportunity to feed in their views. And I would like an assurance from you that you will take their views on board.

As you know, I believe that this service is highly valuable and personally believe it should be extended through the day and evening.

I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Lynne Featherstone MP
Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Hornsey and Wood Green

Meeting Peter Hendy

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Wednesday evening met with Peter Hendy, Commissioner of Transport for London. My three asks were: extending the 603 bus route to run all day and evening (as always); the transport issues around the new London Health Trust plans including the polyclinics (we need to ensure there are good public transport links for any such); and whether he would think about encouraging car clubs (where people share cars) via a congestion charge incentive.

So – number 1 – the 603 bus from Muswell Hill to Swiss Cottage. Well – the possibly good news is that it comes up for review next year. So our job is to make sure we feed into that review with thousands of requests to extend the operating hours from its current school run times only. People keep asking me about this – so we will have to ramp up our campaign again.

On number 2 – well it was interesting – because there are huge transport implications in the proposals to restructure health services. Firstly – the need to access in emergency for stroke, heart attack and major trauma the proposed super-specialist hospitals. Surely travel time trials from every part of London need to be done to establish the worst scenario time taken when traffic is bad and no air ambulance available? If we can’t get the victims to the right place in time – then this plan won’t work.

Secondly, the establishment of polyclinics – which are to serve up to 50,000 residents – may raise big transport issues. Will people be able to get to the polyclinics in reasonable time and at reasonable cost?

Peter was saying that this could be an issue and was going to arrange to meet with the Government to talk over the transport implications. Hurrah!

On number 3 – yes – Peter is considering how best to encourage the expansion of car clubs – so he agreed to look at the congestion charge in that regard – but I think any discount will be along the lines of discounts to people within the zone but not outside. Anyway – it is in and on his mind.

Update: you can read my article subsequent article about polyclinics here.

Highbury and Islington station is set to be moved

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A quick update on the saga of the Finsbury Park sign that puts Highbury & Islington on the Northern Line – Tim O’Toole from Transport for London has got back in touch with me:

Dear Lynne

I refer to your email dated 5 June and addressed to Peter Hendy. I have been asked to respond.

The sign is certainly misleading and the local Group Station Manager has arranged to have it amended.

The comment [on your blog] posted by Mr Mark Valladares, is indeed correct. The line from Finsbury Park to Moorgate was, until the 1970s, a spur ofthe Northern line. This is the type of quirk one finds on such an oldsystem and that is treasured by the cognoscenti. You are right toexpect us to eliminate such items, however.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Yours sincerely

Tim O’Toole

Now that’s what I like – Tim O’Toole, hands on and dealing with it! Thanks Tim and all hail the power of the internet!

Peter Hendy

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Collect Peter Hendy – yes he who is Commissioner for Transport in London – from Highgate tube station and drag him to look at the infamous fence which blights that patch of road but which some residents believe cuts noise. Peter agrees to go away and have a think about what might be a solution to this twin problem.

Then I drag him up to Highgate Village to regard in person the proposed changes to the bus station which would see buses standing outside the two restaurants (which both have outdoor seating and are part of cafe society in the village). Not surprisingly, those proposals have caused huge upset. He seems unlikely to find the extra £200,000 per year to move the bus stand down North Hill, but he does see the problem.

He will get back to me on both issues as soon as poss!

I'm three today

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Birthday cakeHappy Birthday to me! Happy birthday – well more accurately – to my blog! Three years old today. I do sometimes wonder who reads it. I know several thousand different people do a month – but I don’t know if it serves the primary purpose that I started it for. I wanted to give an account of myself and my actions as an elected public servant – particularly to my local residents so that they could see what I did with my time and the role which they had elected me.

Obviously, over time, blogs have become source of fodder for media and opponents, the wider party et al. And now are the flavour of the month. I’ve started doing small films too – to see if that makes ‘politics’ more digestible and I note this morning that Dave ‘I’m a nice guy’ Cameron is doing ‘home’ movies on his new blog. His children are young now and he may think they look cute and seeing him at home makes him more digestible – but he risks abdicating his right to his childrens’ privacy if he uses them for political advantage. Dangerous territory.

Anyway – back to my Blog Birthday: I’ve had a look through some of my old entries (the very first should be in the running for an award for least interesting first blog posting I think!).

Most interestingly – lo and behold, the entry for 6th October 2003 is about travel planning – and now three years on, travel planning appears to be on our doorsteps in Hornsey & Wood Green. I had an irate email from a local resident who campaigns on various issues to ask if I thought that there was a plot to target rich car owners as everyone in western Haringey was being asked to consider their travel planning.

I got a letter myself – and actually I welcome this move, because travel planning is all about making it eaiser for people to use public transport by helping them figure out how the journeys they normally take by car would work out using public transport. It’s often much easier and quicker to use public transport than people think – so you need to work with people one by one to show them how their own journeys would work on public transport. Where this has been done – e.g. in Perth, Australia – it’s been very successful. Let people be free to make their own choices – but make sure they have the full information to make those choices. Very liberal!

If you read that old blog entry, you can see what my thinking was back three years ago when I was championing travel planning and nagging Transport for London to get pilots up and running.

I am writing to Peter Hendy to ascertain that this is what the letters and surveys in my constituency are about – but I’m pretty sure that’s what is going on and if so – hurrah. It’s a qualified ‘hurrah’ though – until I find out how they are doing it, what resource they are putting into it and what shift they are expecting. But basically – this is really good news – and it’s only taken three years to permeate – not bad!

Abolition of Parliament

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Day begins filming with Channel 4 a program about Sir Ian Blair’s first year in charge of London’s policing. Well – you’ll just have to watch when it comes out – but suffice to say in terms of honeymoon periods, I don’t think he had one.

Today is a mish-mash of meetings etc with the backdrop of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill – the Bill that has been nicknamed the Abolition of Parliament Bill as in its original form it gives sweeping ability to ministers to wipe out all previous legislation without proper Parliamentary debate. Today is the first day of two days of Report Stage. Judging from the avalanche of Government amendments – the penny has dropped and the Government have realised what a pig’s ear they have made out of this Bill. I don’t think anyone disagrees with the need to reform some of the processes to facilitate effective legislative reform. But this Bill was so flawed the Government should never have put it out in the original form.

In the evening meet Peter Hendy (Transport Commissioner for London) who I used to scrutinise when I was Chair of Transport at the London Assembly. I have a couple of issues to harangue him over – and business out the way – we discuss what we know about everyone we know. Peter is a good guy and I am glad he made it to Commissioner. London has some huge challenges ahead – not least Thames Gateway and the North London Line. I am optimistic that we will see a real change in the aspiration of overground rail with this addition to the TfL family. Peter is certainly very excited about its future.

Needless to say I bring up the North Circular – where an inadequate scheme to solve the problem is incessantly delayed. My plea is to get the funding in for the rat-running prevention now. I really don’t see why local residents should suffer endlessly because major schemes fall foul of one thing or another. In the latest case – if there is a public enquiry it could be years before anything goes ahead or not. We want our £4 million now. And just in case Peter was missing my campaigning – I asked him just exactly what I and local people need to do to make TfL extend the 603 bus route throughout the day and evening. What are the criteria? How can we prove we need it? What will persuade him to spend money on this route? I look forward to the answers in due course!

Meeting Ken Livingstone again

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Ring Peter Hendy to congratulate him. He has been chosen as the one (out of the two applying) for the job as Transport Commissioner for London, taking over from wiley Kiley. Peter was bus supremo – and we have argued across the transport spectrum for years now. And I still want a full time service on the hard fought for 603! What I always really like about Peter is his hands-on approach.

Whenever I put out a press release that he didn’t like – be it about the ‘free’ bendy buses or the ‘bursting into flames’ bendy buses – or whatever – he would phone me on my mobile and give me hell. Despite our opposite positions – we always got on well and I think he will be a great Commissioner. Look forward to seeing his negotiating style with the government. And – on the occasions when he was wrong – eventually he would admit I was right.

My favourite was over AVL – the system of countdown which tells passenger when the bus will be along and is plotted on a computer. Terrible system – never worked properly. I always told Peter that it was pointless finishing implementing an outmoded useless system across the rest of London (it was half in). Have to say – gave me great pleasure the day he told me I had been right all along. Anyway – he is a good thing and I hope to see London improve under his stewardship.

Sonia from the LSE is shadowing me today as part of ‘LSE Women in Westminster’. She and Mette, my researcher, come to Home Affairs Team meeting. We always run through all the Home Affairs Bills with each of the team responsible for that Bill – both Lords and Commons. Mark Oaten (Shadow Home Secretary) heads the team. Updates on Religious Hatred Bill – coming back for another row I think to the Commons soon; ID cards in trouble for the Government – as may be the Terror Laws soon. The Government seem to be having a go at getting back to 60 days on detention without charge. I trust the Lords will stick to the 28 we conceded in the Commons.

Rush off to Prime Ministers’ Questions (PMQs) next. Will Ming pass the test? Well – his question was on the Soham murders – so the House fell silent. And he was absolutely fine – not that in my view PMQs should have any sway. It’s just a blood sport. I do wonder why jeering, leering and making rude gestures is rated so highly by the boys and the media!

I race to City Hall for a London Day event with my old sparring partner – Ken Livingstone. He gives me a double peck on the cheek and I observe that he is clearly missing me since I left. He denies this assertion and tells me what a terrible thing we have done to that nice Charles. And what’s wrong with a drink anyway? Well – this from the man who claims to get bored at parties and only drank three glasses of chardonnay! Hey, Ho.

The lunch was fine – and then Ken orated. He is a good speaker – something to do with nasal tones and trying to shock. I learned a lot from Ken during my five years as an Assembly Member (only the good bits) so have a lot to thank him for in as much as I learned to keep in mind when I speak the audience outside the room as well as those present. And to be direct!

Ken wittered on for some time about water and desalination – but his surprise announcement was his endorsement of Simon Hughes as LibDem leader. Not sure if that’s the kiss of death for Simon!

Hornsey Town Hall and public transport links

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I make an informal, private visit to Red Gables. Red Gables is the wonderful, wonderful, family centre in Crouch End – organically evolved over years to provide what users want. And between the Labour Government and the Labour Council they want to close it and devolve its services to elsewhere. This comes on the back of Government funding for 18 new childrens’ centres across the borough. Sounds great – except the new centres can only be in ‘deprived’ areas – but there are lots of pockets of deprivation in the Crouch End area and it serves the whole area. ‘Deprived’ children come to this centre of absolute excellence. The services it provides are too many to list – but all manner of challenges are met and met well.

Given there are to be 18 ‘new’ centres – which in reality are not new but bits of other services cobbled together – you would think the logical answer would be to make Red Gables one of them, solving at a stroke the whole business.

Anyway – I meet the staff (who are obviously desperate for the place to stay open). They clearly love their work, the place and its achievements. There is a ‘consultation’ going on by Haringey Council with the users as a result of the huge protest and campaign to save Red Gables. The consultation is with users, and when completed next week we are told that the officers will analyse the data and then advise the Council Executive (all Labour) what to do.

I spend a little time with the children and mums just arriving for the drop in playgroup and then off I go.

At 4pm CNN come to my house to do an interview on terrorism and the Government’s continual curbing of our civil liberties are being raided. Now you can’t even say that Jack Straw is talking nonsense without being forcibly removed and then the police using Section 44 of the terrorism Act to stop you re-entering a building. Free speech – certainly not under Blair!

In the evening, there’s a Buffet, tour and presentation by the Community Partnership Board for the proposals (thus far) for the Hornsey Town Hall. It’s certainly moving in the right direction and the people involved in the panel are completely committed to the project’s success – but as ever – the proof of the pudding will come when we learn where the funding will come from (i.e. how much from development and how much from public funds) and whether the Council is willing at the end of this process for the whole caboodle to be handed over to an independent community trust – which is the Lib Dem position (along with that of many other people).

Sadly and ironically, I get to talk to people for an hour and then have to leave after only seeing a short bit of the actual presentation (I have the written version to take home) as I have a meeting with Peter Hendy (Director of Surface Transport at Transport for London) at which the top item on my agenda is transport for the Hornsey Town Hall site.

I am asking him to agree in principle to three main things. As nothing is agreed for the site as yet specifics are out of the question. However, the nagging is for: agreement in principle to supply extra public transport to serve the site; agreement in principle to a process of engagement by Transport for London with the Community Partnership Board on the transport issues for the site; and agreement in principle to look at free transport for those going to an event on the site on production of ticket to that event.

As we are also having dinner I get the business out the way at the front end. I have written out my longer list which includes bus links for Crouch End to both Highgate Tube (especially now that it has a CPZ and so more people need public transport to get there) and to the top of Highgate Village. I nag about the crossing for Archway Road opposite the tube entrance where the steps are where a woman got killed recently, the extension of the 603 Muswell Hill to Hampstead and Swiss Cottage bus route and various other issues. Peter thinks the Town Hall stuff will be fine and will respond to me in writing point by point down my list. So business over – time to eat and gossip…

A varied Monday

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Open London Region Conference on the Ethiopian Community Centre in the UK’s Regional Development Project – a mouthful I know, but really some much needed support for this community struggling through the maze of health, benefit, housing and other hurdles to life in this country.

I stay for the morning to listen to the distinguished panel of speakers – all deeply involved in immigration and asylum and all of whom know much more than a nine-week old MP! Given that something like 75% of people coming to see me in person have issues to do with asylum and immigration, I am keen to understand as much as I can as soon as I can.

What I do know from nine weeks of holding surgeries is that the Home Office is a mess. Initial decision making is extremely poor quality and vast numbers of appeals succeed because of this. There is a random nature as to who stays and who goes – which leads to upset when what seems like a precedent – isn’t. Far too often it takes years before decisions are made, leaving people living in limbo. The misery caused by the protracted system is appalling to see.

My afternoon is filled with a series of meetings in the pub – as our new office upstairs is not ready and flat pack furniture is being assembled. First in line is Groundwork – a federation of trusts who go into an area and support a range of sustainable projects. I try to persuade them to focus on Hornsey – both the council estates and the High Street which are in need of loving care.

Followed by a woman who is writing a report for Haringey Police on issues such as where road works are, where trouble spots are, where youths have nowhere to go but on the streets – presumably so that the police can then plan their work better.

Then an interview with N8 magazine, after which off to a meeting in N8 (coincidentally) with residents against the concrete factory proposed to be dumped in the middle of a residential area. There is a train track – so theoretically aggregates can come in by rail but they would still go out by HGV lorry – not at all suitable for the area, and would get stuck as they try and do the turn from Church Lane back on themselves into Tottenham Lane. Outside of the increased vehicle movements, the pollution, the noise and the general unsuitability of the location – jamming up the roads is probably the best hope for refusal of the planning application (there are quite strict rules on what issues can or can’t be considered when deciding on a planning application) – as this area comes to a standstill with traffic snarl-ups on a daily basis already. I undertake to write a variety of letters to Mayor Livingstone, Peter Hendy and Haringey Council’s Planning Department.