Tag Archives: tfl

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!

More on Joyce Vincent

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Surgery all morning at Wood Green Library. Got more information now about the death of Joyce Vincent – the woman found in a Wood Green flat having been dead for two to three years. She had been housed by the Metropolitan Housing Association. In the end it was their bailiffs who went in because of the need to repossess the flat due to rent arrears. Her rent had been party paid by benefits and, I believe, started off in credit. Anyway – seemed to me that three years was a very long time to wait to chase up money owing and neighbours reported that usually – if they owed money – Metropolitan was on to them quite quickly. Well – I had an example walk through my surgery door where Metropolitan were going for eviction after three months of a new tenant. I am trying to stop it because – as is so often the case – the problem was with their benefits not being paid properly. But the point is – if they were so quick off the mark in this instance, what happened to make them wait three years in Joyce Vincent’s case? A question for the Chief Exec next week at our meeting I think.

Rush on to a meeting of Highgate Woods Committee (run by Corporation of London and local residents who are community minded). I just really wanted to show my support for the work of these dedicated souls who watch over our precious woods and care on our behalf. Highgate Woods are beautiful – they have that special atmosphere that you only get in woodlands (Queens Wood has it too). Sometimes I think we don’t really know how lucky we are – or all use it to best advantage. In fact the Corporation are to do a survey around people who live near the woods. I think it will be very interesting to learn what use people who live right there make of the woods – and if they don’t, why they don’t. Up to now surveys have been of users. Just as with buses – my old argument with Transport for London bus surveys was that they were always preaching to the converted in their surveys. What you really want is a survey that goes to everyone who lives within 5 minutes of a bus route to discover why they are not using their local services.

Anyway – I told the committee that I had actually mentioned Highgate Woods in my maiden speech – albeit only to mention that that is where I used to play kiss chase with other kids from Highgate Primary!

Just a footnote on the rolling news re Charles Clarke and the released murderers, rapists and so on. Several have now turned up and turned out to have been reconvicted for new offences. I’m sorry but this is hardly a surprise when there is a recidivist rate of 60% within two years. This was inevitable. And as to the view that Clarke is the best person to sort this out and therefore he should stay in post – this is a ridiculous hypothesis. Firstly – he didn’t tackle it effectively – even though he knew. Secondly it would seem that there is a view that there is no one better who could take his place anyway – a sad reflection if the case.

(You can sign the petition calling for him to go at www.libdems.org.uk/charles-clarke.html)

What I will say for Charles is that he has not tried to shift the blame to his Ministers. ‘Cos basically it’s the two Macs. McNulty and McTaggart in the Commons and Baroness Scotland in the Lords who between them have the responsibility for prisons and immigration. Clarke is right to take it on his shoulders – for that at least, I give him credit.

Mobile phones on the Tube

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Give live interview to LBC on London Underground’s move towards introducing the technology that will allow mobile phones on the tube.

I remember arguing with Tim O’Toole (MD London Underground for Transport for London) when I was still on the London Assembly – and we then came out against them as he could not reassure me about the risks involved following the Madrid bomb – which was set off by a mobile phone. And I had a sneaky suspicion that the risk might be being minimised befause of the very attractive revenue stream that accompanies mobile phones.

However, time has passed. I am more reassured than I was – and on balance the benefits of being contactable during an emergency or even if scared outweigh the fears. Also – as we now know – the Madrid bomb was set off by the timing device – and so didn’t need a signal anyway.

On a personal note however, those bloody ringtones. Now – there really will be no hiding place.

17 seconds wait for a cab?

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Digital Conference on Thursday. I am not sure how I got to be keynote speaker at this breakfast at the RSA – but here I am. The company that invited me – Panlogic – turns out to have come across me through one of their directors living in the constituency, reading my blog and visiting my website. As the research they are launching today is basically about e-marketing and demonstrates that the age group between 50 and 65 (us ex-hippies with conscience, peace and love man) are still desperately caring people who want to engage in issues and change things for the better. I think their research is spot on.

Day of two speeches really. In the evening I go to one of those wonderful old city halls as keynote speaker at the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers’ Dinner. To you and me – a black cab evening. I am hand-clapped in with the ‘Master’ and other honoured guests in time honoured tradition. I get a quick briefing on how I will address the company. Dinner is enjoyable and I am lucky in that the guest to my right, the Master and the Master Clock Maker (a woman on the other side of the Master) are all absolutely delightful company. In fact, Diana, turns out to have been a constituent but has moved away now. She is a wonderful example of the changing face of the city in that she is the first-ever female Master Clock Maker – and that spans about four centuries.

Anyway, I am there to give a speech after dinner. I have crafted it quite carefully as the LTDA (one of the representative groups for drivers) has previously attacked me for saying there are not enough cabs around due to a driver shortage. They counter-claimed saying that you never have to wait longer than 19 seconds to hail a taxi in central London. Tell that to poor Susan Kramer who waited 25 minutes outside Parliament only this last week! It was rubbish – but there is a kind of jobs for the boys section of the trade who do not actually want to reach the targets set by Transport for London. Last year when I annoyed them evidence had gone to the Transport for London Board showing that there was a shortage of 1,200 black cabs and 4,500 private hire cabs. The concern has to be that if there are not legitimate cabs to hand – people will use the touts with all the dangers that entails.

I wafted across the need to crack down on touts, the Olympics and told my David Blunkett joke. And then home. Or so I thought. Having come by Tube, I got on the Tube home. But – hey ho – it’s the Northern Line and the Barnet branch was suspended. So I got off at Camden and after half an hour waiting for my 19-second taxi I got back on the Tube and went to Golders Green. No 210 and no taxi. Dying of cold and now about quarter to one in the morning, I phoned a private hire company and eventually a mini-cab came for me.

Public transport in Hornsey

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Morning in surgery as usual. And then go to meet the temporary Chief Exec of Haringey Council about two families waiting to be re-housed. Both these families have a disabled child and both are desperate to be re-housed because – as the children have grown up (one is now 11) – carrying them up narrow stairs has become impossible. Have called this meeting because have simply been getting the run-around from Haringey Council. And I simply don’t believe that no three-bedroom house has come up in the five years that family one has been waiting!

The Chief Exec is there with the officer in charge of allocations. Clearly on the defensive – but also didn’t get all their facts rights. The contents per se of the meeting has to remain confidential at this moment in time – but both families are now well and truly at the top of the agenda. Whilst they have totally different situations – at least the publicity and effort will hopefully sort this out soon.

What I was under-whelmed with was the idea that Haringey can try to so easily wash its hands of a family. It is disgusting. Furthermore, I don’t believe no houses have come up in the last five years that could not, with a bit of work, have been made suitable. The policy of having to wait for an adapted house in every case is ridiculous if you are not creating adequate facilities for those with disabilities in the first place.

I have never managed to get ‘evidence’ as yet as to why some people get allocated what they want and others wait years in seemingly equivalent situations. If anyone can ever bring me evidence rather than rumour that some people are getting round the system, I would be very happy to take it further – but without actual evidence it is impossible to prove.

Then off I go to see the last part of a Mobility Exercise Programme in Hornsey where some of our older citizens are being taught exercises in a class which keeps them mobile and probably saves the NHS a fortune in medical bills. It is just wonderful.

I have been brought in by the teacher for two reasons. One: the funding has been cut and is running out – so a weekly class is now once every two weeks and floundering. And two: there is no transport in the whole area in and around the Campsbourne Estate – so people are having trouble getting to the class. The council officers are there – and having heard I was coming had already broached the subject with Transport for London. I feel a hopper bus coming on. Similar situations in the east of the borough I understand have hopper buses to help those on the estate get to the shops and around and about – so we want the same!

And then – it’s home – and a weekend off. I know – shock horror. I have struck through one weekend per month in my diary – otherwise there is no time off. One danger though – my younger daughter will make me go shopping with her. It’s cheaper to just keep working!

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…

Nearly blogging off

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Surgery all morning. Variety of cases – but the Dukes Avenue humps are still giving cause for concern. Until such time as Lib Dems take over the council, the sort of cock-ups created by Labour are impossible to properly correct.

There was an agreed plan for the area which took three years to get the agreement for. But then when some residents objected to part of the works, the council introduced significant changes to the plans – without proper consultation – and – just to add to the fun – designed badly the some of the changes. So one road after another spoke up and said it wanted the plans for its bit changed and many of those who liked the original plans are now unhappy too! And now it seems everyone is writing or coming to see me. So – the current situation is that there has been another consultation. The results are being analysed at the moment.

Meanwhile, I will continue to fight for holistic planning. I will suggest to my councillor colleagues if/when we take control after next May’s elections, that we plan better than Labour and that when there is an agreed solution we stick to it. We also need to get Transport for London to look again at the journey times for buses on Colney Hatch Lane as so many people email me with how delightful it is when the lights don’t work.

In the afternoon, just one meeting – with TNG, a skill and training group who operate nationwide but seem to do really good work in Haringey. I am particularly interested in the mentoring work they do with youngsters who have had ASBOs served on them. ASBOs are a last resolution – and don’t do anything to bring their subjects back into society – which would be my aim. They agree to send more material on this to me.

And that’s nearly it. My holiday plans have changed – I was going away in August but now I am going mid-August to mid-September – so instead of blogging off for August as usual, I’ll be taking a break in a couple of weeks time instead.

Landrock Road development

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First meeting today is with Cllr Judy Bax who is chairing the Community Partnership Board, the group developing the plan for the Hornsey Town Hall’s future. I am still convinced that the only way this site is ever going to be a community facility is for this group to succeed and Crouch End for People, Hornsey Trust and all of us to work together to deliver that.

Having now met with both Hornsey Trust and the Community Partnership Board, there still is resistance to working together – so the Community Board must push on and succeed. If they can build a cinema to start with and retain at least a good chunk of the car park, they will at least be demonstrating to all the people who signed Town Hall petition that their intentions are honourable. My concern is that the first part of the site to be developed will be housing or whatever – and then a three year gap before we see what is really wanted – the arts, leisure and community facility part of the site.

Of course, the argument will be that you can’t do the good community bits without the funding by the development bits.

Anyway – my part in this is to support the journey from council control to trust and harangue and lobby for the community bits – and to lobby at high level for transport links at an early stage.

This is followed by a long, long interview by MORI. Too long and boring to go into – but basically a number of big companies – including Transport for London (TfL) and British Nuclear Fuels to name but two – want to know what I know and think of them. TfL’s ears would be burning!

In the afternoon I go to Landrock Road to join local campaigners campaigning against another backland development site application by developers. It is unbearable what they are trying to do – cram four very expensive houses on a long, narrow, strip of land: totally inappropriate.

One hundred odd houses whose gardens back onto this strip of land will be blighted by this development. Currently there is a row of garages which the developer is letting dilapidate and won’t rent out. Sometimes I just wish I had real dictatorial power to tell the developers to get lost! However, what I do is write to the Planning Department to let them know what I think.

Highgate, Ken and more Highgate

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8am: meet key local campaigners over the Highgate Tube Control Centre. Tubelines want to improve the service on the Northern Line (good thing) but are doing this by putting a big ugly building in at the edge of Highgate Woods (bad thing).

We are meeting with Catherine McGuinness of the Corporation of London for a photo op and discussion. Tubelines has listened a bit to the campaign from residents living next to the site about their side of the site, but they have not taken, seemingly, a blind bit of notice of the damaging aspect towards the Highgate Woods side.

I assume this is because trees and squirrels can’t complain? However, Cllr Bob Hare (Lib Dem, Highgate ward), the Highgate Society, the Corporation of London and me are speaking out on behalf of all those who use the woods, the trees, the squirrels and indeed the bats.

We release a joint statement for the press.

Then at 10am my last Mayor’s Question Time at City Hall. I am sad to go – but as ever have a bit of a spat with Ken. Basically a skirmish over his failure since re-entering the Labour womb to deal effectively with the Tube PPP. The performance is abysmal and the private companies, in my view, unlikely to deliver even what was in their original bid. We are a Capital City – get us out of it! Ken has got to threaten more – and/or get us out of the contract at the Government’s cost. Spending too much time fixing for us to use mobile phones on the tube – and none on getting the infracos to deliver the basic services!

Anyway – still sad to be leaving. I have just so enjoyed it all.

A couple of hours later I pop up to see Ken because I have promised residents campaigning on another issue to raise the issue with him. Ken and I chat for a while – and then he says – have you come to say goodbye? And I say no. I have come to request a deputation on the Highgate Tube station fence issue.

Ken has actually seen the fence and seems to totally agree and says he doesn’t need a deputation – let’s just deal with it. He drags me through to Redmond (right hand man’s) office and we run through it. Redmond says he will contact Tim O’Toole (Transport for London) and ask him to take down the fence and see what he says.

Glad I won’t be there to hear the expletives! – but this is Ken at his finest, actually standing up for what matters. I wait with baited breath.

In the evening, after my first three line whip vote in which melee I find myself next to Boris (my new best friend from Question Time) Johnson and ask him which is the ‘ayes’ and which is the ‘noes’ lobby? I clearly don’t want to go the wrong way. Boris claims not to know … Very charming – but I don’t believe a word.

Highgate Tube fence

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Met with key group against the Highgate Tube fence which was erected by Tubelines / Transport for London after a meeting where the predominant voices won – but were not fully representative of people in the area. And even though Tubelines / TfL were warned immediately after the meeting that this was the case and a public meeting was then held – they still proceeded.

Now we have a fence blocking the green view from Archway Road and reflecting much noise (and possibly pollution) back on to the Archway Road as if residents and shops there don’t already have enough to contend with. There’s a balance to be struck and it hasn’t been struck right.

Upshot of meeting is that I am to arrange a deputation to the Mayor of London by these key stakehoders – and try and knobble Bob Kiley too.