Tag Archives: woodside

Liberal Democrat's criticise Labour's last minute attempt to gag community group

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Liberal Democrats have condemned Haringey Council’s last-ditch attempt to stop Asian Older women’s user-group ‘I Can Care’ addressing the Full Council on Monday night by saying its £12 million plan to develop Woodside House is now “on hold”.

Council officials, backed up by Labour members at the meeting, tried to dissuade members’ of ‘I Can Care’ from presenting their deputation saying that it was no longer needed. Around 50 elderly members and 60 residents attended the deputation. However questions remain over how long the £12 million decision to move the Civic Centre will stay “on hold”. This uncertainty puts into further doubt the future of community groups and the luncheon club users who have been delivering services for over 20 years at Woodside House.

Liberal Democrats criticised Haringey Council for failing to notify ‘I Can Care’ chairman Raj Doshi of the delay in the Woodside house project until yesterday – although a press statement was issued by the Council last Friday. Haringey Council also failed to clarify many of the points raised by the deputation.

I Can Care’s 400 members, who currently meet in Woodside House, are worried about their future accommodation, and say Haringey Council has failed to offer a viable and safe alternative.

To date Haringey Council has spent £250,000 using external contractors on the Woodside House development but failed to consult local stakeholders fully.

Cllr John Oakes, Liberal Democrat spokesman for Community Involvement, commented:

“I think Haringey’s last-minute trick shows that it will go to any lengths to silence the community groups it says it supports if they start sticking up for themselves, or happen to mention an awkward truth. This little episode underlines Haringey’s real dislike of consultation and discussion.”

Labour forced to support Liberal Democrat view on proposed £12m Civic Centre expenditure

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Haringey’s Labour Council has been forced to postpone its £12 million plan to move the borough’s Civic Centre.

On Friday last week Haringey Council announced that due to the economic crisis enveloping the Council it would be postponing the move to Woodside House. Liberal Democrats have welcomed the decision but continue to call for the plan to be scrapped rather than just delayed.

In July Liberal Democrats formally challenged the Labour Cabinet plan to move the Civic Centre for various reasons including the financial and property market downturns. Again in August the Liberal Democrats challenged the proposals at a special scrutiny meeting, but Labour confirmed their plans to spend the £12m. Now after spending more than £250,000 on external consultants Labour have decided to agree with the Liberal Democrat concerns and postpone the project.

Last week it emerged that Haringey Council had invested £37million in failed Icelandic banks.

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Liberal Democrat leader, commented:

“This was always a £12m project that would be under-used, expensive and a waste of taxpayers’ money. It is a shame that it has taken an economic crisis that was already clearly visible in July for Labour to realise its folly.

“What is needed now is for Haringey Council to recognise that this project needs to be scrapped rather than put on hold.

“It is welcome that Labour has come to its senses but this is a small number next to the £37 million at risk in the Icelandic banks. Hopefully it is not the start of a long list of spending cuts.”

Lynne Featherstone MP, added:

“This will come as a huge relief to the organisations that were being evicted from Woodside House. It is disappointing that it takes a global financial crisis for Labour to listen to what we have been telling them for some time – now is not the time to sell off property and embark on major building projects.”

A sign of things to come

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Days after Labour confirmed their decision to spend £12 million on a new Civic Centre, new signs have appeared outside the old Civic Centre. Liberal Democrats have criticised the waste of the replacement signs, showing designated parking bays for councillors, and have pointed out an additional embarrassment to Haringey Council – the signs include spelling mistakes.

Cllr Robert Gorrie, the Haringey Liberal Democrat Leader who spotted the error, commented:

“Firstly, replacing these signs at all was unnecessary and a waste of residents’ money and, secondly, the lack of attention to detail is so poor they will have to be done again – wasting yet more money.

“If Haringey Labour cannot even organise replacement signs correctly at the old Civic Centre just think of the size of the mistakes they can make spending £12 million on a new Civic Centre.”

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.

Labour steamroller through plans to spend £12m on a new Council chamber

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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.

The Labour dominated committee refused requests from the Liberal Democrats and local stakeholders to refer the decision for further discussion at a Full Council meeting and instead voted to rubber-stamp the Cabinet decision.

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.

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

“I am appalled by this flagrant extravagance, especially at a time when residents are struggling with rising rents, utility and food costs and just when the credit crunch is biting hardest.

“Labour have forced through a decision to spend £12m of residents money in order to produce what will likely be an empty white elephant that will serve to remind residents for years to come of the disaster that is Haringey Labour.

“This scheme has not had the examination that residents would expect for a scheme of this magnitude. Surely residents should be asked how they want £12 million of their money spent – yet Labour has once again ignored them and the hundreds of people who use the existing Woodside facilities will suffer as a result.”

Cllr David Winskill added:

“Overview and Scrutiny was an opportunity for Labour to have a look objectively at their decision to relocate the Civic Centre to Woodside House. There are clearly a host of uncertainties in the current plan and it would have made a great deal of sense for the Cabinet, particularly in the current uncertain housing market, to have taken a pause and ask officers to produce a more robust plan.

“I think that this will come back to haunt them in the coming years.”

Haringey Civic Centre Plan: Liberal Democrats force review

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Liberal Democrats have forced a temporary reprieve on the sell-off of the borough’s Civic Centre by referring the decision for review by the Council’s watchdog. The controversial scheme approved by the Labour-run Council’s Cabinet on 28th July 2008 proposes a £12m overhaul of Woodside House in Wood Green and a new Haringey Council chamber built at the back.

The decision will be reviewed at a special meeting of the Council’s watchdog Overview and Scrutiny committee. The body has powers to force the Cabinet to reconsider its decision or to force the matter to be decided by an emergency meeting of the full council.

Liberal Democrats have demanded that Haringey Council reconsiders its plan and have proposed alternative actions: that residents should be asked whether they want to use £12 million for the scheme; current users of Woodside House should be fully consulted; no firm decision should be taken in the current uncertain economic climate to invest until funding is secured from the sale of the current civic centre site and that the Council investigates the opportunity to move Council meetings to different locations in the borough.

The special Overview and Scrutiny meeting will be held at the Civic Centre on Tuesday 19th August at 19:30.

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Haringey Liberal Democrat Leader comments:

“This lavish plan for a new Civic Centre at Woodside House demonstrates just how out of touch Labour are.The economic climate is simply not right, and with residents squeezed by the credit crunch and inflation, they don’t want to see the Council spending £12 million of their money on a new meeting room for councillors.

“We have countless buildings in Haringey that could hold Council meetings and ceremonies – Tottenham Town Hall, Hornsey Town Hall, Alexandra Palace, the Irish Centre and numerous school halls. Unfortunately, Haringey Labour lacks the vision to propose such a radical solution.”

Lynne Featherstone, local Liberal Democrat MP added:

“Time after time Labour’s reaction to challenge is to waste more of residents’ money by throwing cash at new projects. I’m sure residents would much rather have this money spent on schemes that would benefit everyone – not just councillors.”

Civic Centre plans misdirected say Liberal Democrats

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Liberal Democrats joined a protest against the lack of consultation over plans to relocate Haringey’s Civic Centre. Over 100 people from ‘I Can Care’ massed outside Haringey’s Civic Centre in Wood Green before the Haringey Council cabinet meeting.

‘I Can Care’, a charity that gives welfare advice and provides computer, yoga and English classes for elderly Asian residents, will be forced to leave their premises in Woodside House under Haringey Council plans to relocate the Civic Centre.

The decision to transfer civic functions to a new £12 million facility in Woodside House was agreed by the Labour cabinet. Local Liberal Democrats have branded the multi-million pound plans to relocate Haringey’s main civic building as unnecessary, providing little benefit to local residents, overlooking prime alternative sites and have called on Labour-run Haringey Council to reconsider their plans.

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Liberal Democrat leader, commented:

“Haringey Council has failed to involve residents in these plans or even consult groups currently using the site. I Can Care have invested significant amounts of their own money in the facilities. If the whole project is as sloppy as the initial consultation, it will be yet another Haringey Labour fiasco.

“I’m sure any resident in Haringey could come up with a better use of £12 million of their money than building a room for councillors to talk in, yet Haringey Council have not even considered asking.

“Haringey is blessed with an abundance of wonderful buildings that could be and have been used for civic functions – Tottenham Town Hall, Hornsey Town Hall, the Bernie Grant Centre, Alexandra Palace or the Irish Centre would all be fantastic venues.”

Lynne Featherstone MP added:

“Sadly the ‘I Can Care’ charity has come up against Haringey Labour’s ‘we don’t care’ attitude.In the current climate, Labour should be thinking about ways to reduce next year’s Council Tax bill not lavish unnecessary projects that will leave this special charity homeless.”

New civic centre might mean end for Asian charity

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Fearing that a proposed relocation of the Civic Centre to their site will mean the end to their charity, Woodside House based ‘I Can Care’ last Friday invited Lynne Featherstone MP and Cllr Robert Gorrie, leader of Haringey Liberal Democrats, along to see some of their amazing local work.

The charity, which gives welfare advice and does computer, yoga and English classes for elderly Asian residents, only found out about the Labour-led council’s plans to move to Woodside House from a press release. Ms Featherstone is now writing to Haringey Council to ask what measures they are taking to ensure the future of I Can Care .

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“It’s shocking that Haringey Council has publicly announced this planned move to Woodside House without even mentioning it to ‘I Can Care’. There’s been no assurance from Haringey Council, no consultation, not even a phone call. That’s not what I call democratic!”

Robert Gorrie adds:

“Haringey Council’s lack of respect for this vibrant and well supported community group is as unacceptable as is the lack of clarity on how the Council have come to the view that Woodside House is a suitable location for a new Council Chamber. Have they asked residents whether this is a good use of tax payer’s money?”

Popular classes under threat

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Lynne Featherstone and Robert Gorrie at Woodside HouseOff to Woodside House yesterday where I meet a huge class of Asian ladies doing exercise. As you can see from the photo – very colourful and very determined that Haringey’s Labour Council are not simply going to remove their vital facility without a fight!

Woodside House is the proposed target for Haringey to redevelop into a new Civic Centre for the Council (with the idea of selling off the current one). That is why Cllr Robert Gorrie, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Council group, and myself have come to see what’s what.

Thus far – the Council (Labour) have not been able to answer any questions as to why this site, what criteria, what consequences, were alternatives looked at – nothing. Nada! Hopeless as usual. And with the vital Woodside Luncheon Club under threat as well as the exercise classes – not to mention the building that has been done up to provide English lessons, computer skills etc – Haringey Labour are really asking for trouble! And I will almost certainly be happy to give it to them. No consultation. No discussion. No investigation. No nothing. Bastards!