Stroud Green Ward

Work to improve council homes across the borough may be seriously delayed due to legal errors at Haringey Council, which means the entire process of selecting a contractor for the work must start all over again. Over a thousand households living in council properties in Haringey were due to have their homes fixed this year and could see the repair delayed as a result of the legal error.

The legal mistake has forced the council and Homes for Haringey to repeat the lengthy procurement process for the repairs. Opposition councillors believe this will inevitable cause delays to some if not all of the upgrade works due to happen to council homes this year. The error has already delayed the work that was due to done on the Hillcrest Estate in Highgate.

Opposition councillors are calling for a full explanation and apology for the many local residents who were promised that their homes would be brought up to a decent standard this year.  Lib Dems on the council’s Scrutiny Committee are also demanding a full investigation into the cause of the legal error.

Homes for Haringey confessed there had been a problem with the procurement of the contract for the decent home work across the borough. This means at least some if not all of the repair work will not happen until the 2014/15 financial year instead of this year.

The list of homes due to be repaired includes council properties in:

• Stroud Green
• Crouch End
• Highgate
• Bounds Green
• Wood Green
• Tottenham

The delays could affect nearly 700 tenants and over 300 leaseholders in Haringey.

Home for Haringey’s admission follows on from an issue recently highlighted by the Lib Dems. The council had been due to spend millions on capital projects including on works to homes, much of this money had not been spent this year as planned. This has led to fierce criticism from the opposition who have slammed the Labour council and Homes for Haringey for their poor performance.

The last council home constructed in Haringey was in 1989, nearly 25 years ago. A Lib Dem amendment to the council budget to build 100 council homes in the next year was voted down by the Labour councillors at the budget meeting.

 Cllr Richard Wilson Lib Dem Housing spokesperson adds:

“This error, which follows hard on the heels of the problems with the accounts and the mistakes at the council mortuary, calls into question the council’s ability to get even basic processes right.

“It is shocking that the Labour council can’t manage to procure a contract in time to do works to council homes that have been scheduled for a long time. Hundreds of residents have been let down and are owed a full explanation and apology by the council.

“The Labour council’s incompetence is appalling. It’s bad enough that the council has let its homes fall into such a state of disrepair that they need such extensive remedial work, but to promise improvements and then not deliver is unforgivable.”

The deadline for voting in Lynne Featherstone’s competition to find the best local independent shop in Hornsey & Wood Green is the end of May. There are three categories - best shop front, best customer service and best all round shop.

Cllr Richard Wilson comments:

In March, Katherine and I went around many of the independent shops on Weston Park, Ferme Park Road and Stroud Green Road encouraging them to take part in the competition, which is all about supporting and celebrating our unique local high streets and small shopping parades.

The winner will be announced at a ’summer fete’ event in Hornsey Town Hall square from 11am on Saturday 29th June. You can find out more and vote for your favourite shop here.

I really hope a local Stroud Green shop wins one of the prizes.

Haringey Council have u-turned and will be consulting on implementing a borough wide 20mph zone having twice previously rejected the idea. Neighbouring Camden and Islington have already agreed to implement borough wide 20mph zones in their areas.

The consultation on the proposals is due to be approved on 18th June when the idea will be discussed at the council’s Cabinet.

The Liberal Democrats have campaigned locally for the change arguing that the costs involved are justified by the reduction in accidents and injuries, which have been experienced in other parts of the country where the zones have been introduced.

Money is available for the scheme; Haringey Council’s own figures show a surplus of £5,544,000 made from parking, an increase over last year of £2,211,000. Camden Council claims that statistics from Transport for London show a more than 20% fall in accidents in Belsize Park, which has had a 20mph zone since 2006.

However, in October last year, the Labour Cabinet Member for the Environment, Nilgun Canver, said:

“Introducing a borough-wide 20mph limit would cost approximately £3.2m and studies have been inconclusive in proving how useful they are. As such, I consider it imprudent to introduce a borough-wide limit when the evidence does not yet prove its effectiveness.”

The council’s Cabinet also decided not to consult on the introduction of a 20mph limit on residential roads in the borough in July 2011.

The Liberal Democrats have campaigned for the introduction of a borough wide 20mph limit since 2010. Hundreds of local residents have signed a Lib Dem petition calling for the introduction of a 20mph zone.

Cllr Richard Wilson, Lib Dem Leader of the Opposition, comments:

“I am delighted that Labour have seen sense, u-turned and agreed to consult on a borough wide 20mph zone following  years of Lib Dem campaigning. It is shame they have decided to wait so long as they have rejected this idea twice in recent years.

“I wonder how many accidents would have been prevented if Labour had listened to local residents when our Lib Dem campaign was launched back in 2010 and adopted the lower speed limit back then?  It is frustrating that Haringey is always playing catch-up rather than leading the way like other London boroughs.”

Local MP Lynne Featherstone, along with Liberal Democrat Councillor David Winskill, has met with Whittington Board members to discuss their public engagement programme, and to ask for updates on their Foundation Trust application.

The MP for Hornsey and Wood Green has been pushing the Board to engage fully with the public ever since they announced controversial plans to make changes to the Hospital. Over 2,700 residents have signed a petition, supporting the MP’s call for engagement.

At the meeting, the Board informed the MP about their engagement process, which has involved open weekends, seminars, public meetings and liaison with local community and interest groups.

The Board confirmed that the engagement period would end on the 31st of May, and that their Foundation Trust application would then be reviewed in the following months. They will then release the revised plans.

The Liberal Democrat MP’s petition also calls for assurance that there will be no loss of service and proper consultation throughout this period of change. She has met frequently with the Board since the announcement in order to find out the facts and work constructively to secure the future of the hospital.

Following the meeting, Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“There is a growing consensus that some changes must be made to secure Foundation Trust status, and therefore the future of the Whittington Hospital.

“Initially, for instance, Labour called for no changes– yet now one of their own councillors has spoken out and admitted that campaigning against any changes at all will do more harm than good to the hospital.

“All along, the local Lib Dems and I have recognised the need for some changes. However we have campaigned hard to ensure no services are lost and that the Whittington engage with the public and review their plans accordingly.

“I’m very glad that the Whittington Board has undertaken a programme of engagement – though I still feel more could be done to bring the details of the situation to the wider community. I will continue to ask them to do more.

“In the meantime, anyone who has strong views on the plans, and on the future of the Whittington should contact the hospital as soon as possible – as this engagement period will end on May 31st. I will also be emailing my constituents to let them know.”

Lib Dem transport spokesperson Cllr Jim Jenks comments on the Crossrail 2 proposals:

“We fully support the Crossrail 2 regional option which would see Alexandra Palace and Tottenham getting far better transport links. This is the best option for the borough as it would relieve pressure on the Victoria and Piccadilly lines, making the daily commute for local residents much easier.

“The new train links would also make Alexandra Palace more accessible to people across London and improve transport links between Tottenham and the centre of London.

“This is a great opportunity to improve transport in the borough and assist in the regeneration of Tottenham. It is vital that we get have better routes between Tottenham and the rest of London to boost the local economy, help residents access jobs across London and get more people visiting Haringey.”

Local people have long complained to local councillors about the state of the road surface, pavements and lighting in Inderwick Road.  Lib Dems councillors in the area jointly organised a petition with local resident Ben Myring to force the Labour council to take long-overdue action to fix up the road following years of neglect.

Inderwick Road is just one of many streets in need of repair; the council recently admitted that more than half of the footways in the borough need maintenance work.

Nearly 100 residents of Inderwick Road signed the Lib Dem petition to get the road fixed. Cllr Richard Wilson also recently brought the new Chief Executive of Haringey Council to Inderwick Road so he could see for himself how bad the road is, with potholes, uneven pavements and dilapidated lampposts.

As a result of the petition and pressure on the Labour council, the council has agreed to fix the pavements, resurface the road and improve the lighting on Inderwick Road.  The improvements will be made as part of the scheduled maintenance work due to take place over the next year.

Cllr Katherine Reece, Lib Dem councillor for Stroud Green, comments:

“Thank you to everyone who signed the petition and helped to make this happen. We will continue to work with residents and the local Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone to make sure that the Labour run council makes the improvements needed in Stroud Green and across the borough.

“It is a shame it was necessary to do this petition in the first place. The Labour council should be making sure that local roads and pavements are well maintained and not allow them to get into the state that Inderwick Road has gotten into.

“When residents are paying one of the highest council taxes in London they expect that basic things like fixing the streets and roads will happen.”

Commenting on the unacceptable state of some local council housing, Cllr Richard Wilson said:

“I was visiting the Haringey Council block at 4 Mount View Road yesterday and was astonished at the state of the bins. Rubbish was scattered everywhere and was being blown around the whole street. I’ve reported the mess and asked Homes for Haringey (the Council’s housing management arm) to investigate what the problem is. I hope this area is cleaned up soon.

Meanwhile my colleague Katherine Reece has been trying to get a new security door fitted at Hutton Court on Victoria Road, after the last one was damaged in a fire. Residents are obviously really keen to get it fixed but it has taken several weeks of nagging by Katherine to get Homes for Haringey to agree to install a new door that will actually lock.

Please get in contact if you want help sorting out any problems with Homes for Haringey housing estates and we will see what we can do.”

A council home in Haringey has been sitting empty for eight months whilst ten thousand families in the borough are waiting for a council home.

The property on Beatrice Road, Stroud Green, was vacated by the previous tenant in August of last year and a new tenant won’t be in the property until later this month.

Local Lib Dem councillors are questioning why it has taken the Labour run council and Homes for Haringey so long to bring the home back into use and find a new tenant.

Homes for Haringey have claimed the delay is due to the property needing extensive repair. However a neighbour has said that works to repair the property only started a month or two ago.

The council home is one of more than a thousand homes left empty and unused in Haringey.

The Lib Dem opposition have previously raised concerns about the large number of empty properties in the borough and called on the council to do more.

The Lib Dems also submitted a budget amendment last month to build a hundred council homes which Labour councillors rejected, despite the large number of people on the housing waiting list and the fact no council homes have been built in Haringey since 1989.

Katherine Reece, local Lib Dem councillor, comments:

“The Labour council and Homes for Haringey must do more to make sure that council homes are re-let quickly. It is completely unacceptable that a council property has lain empty for eight months when so many families are stuck in temporary and overcrowded accommodation waiting for a council home to become available. It is particularly worrying that according to neighbours the council didn’t even start to repair the property until recently.

“It is very sad that families with small children have to wait when these properties could be made available.”

Cllr Richard Wilson Lib Dem Housing spokesperson and local councillor adds:

“This kind of failure is typical of the Labour council’s inability to get the basics right and deliver the services residents so desperately need.

“Why should families have to wait on the housing list just because the council and Homes for Haringey can’t get their act together and repair this council home? It makes you wonder how many other families could be housed if they acted more quickly and made vacant council homes available as soon as they could.

“Labour has failed to deal with the housing crisis in Haringey and their inability to effectively manage the homes they have and their failure to build any new council homes for twenty-four years shows they can’t be trusted with the leadership of this borough.”

Its been a long hard winter – and that has taken its toll on our local roads. Roads that haven’t been resurfaced for many years are now crumbling with potholes appearing everywhere.  These potholes cause damage to cars and can be very dangerous.  Tragically, one local man recently won £1m of compensation from Haringey Council after sustaining brain damage when he tripped in a pothole.

Commenting on the need to repair Haringey’s pothole-ridden roads, Councillor Richard Wilson said:

I’ve reported dozens of these dangerous holes to Haringey Council, including this one pictured in Inderwick Road, along with many others in Granville Road and Stapleton Hall Road.

But what these roads really need it is to be properly resurfaced so these potholes stop appearing and people stop tripping and claiming compensation from the Council.  Surely it must be cheaper in the long run to spend money maintaining the roads properly?

I’ve put in requests for Haringey to make resurfacing these roads a priority for the next year.

Local resident Asha Kaur, Cllr Katherine Reece, Cllr David Schmitz, Cllr Richard Wilson and Cllr Karen Alexander campaigning for 30 minutes of free parking on local High Streets

We are very lucky in our area that we have a number of excellent high streets with their own character, like Crouch End, Muswell Hill and Green Lanes.  These shopping areas are what make our neighbourhoods such special places to live – bringing together the local community, and creating vital jobs.  However, the current tough economic times and the unstoppable growth of internet shopping are making life very tough for local shopkeepers.

So with local shopkeepers complaining of falling trade protecting and enhancing our high streets should be one of Haringey Council’s top priorities. Instead, local traders say the council’s parking policies are choking off business, and are furious about the Labour’s decision to double parking charges in Crouch End, Muswell Hill and Green Lanes from £1.40 to £3 an hour.

Last year, 5,000 local residents signed a petition organised by Muswell Hill shopkeepers to cut the parking charges. The campaigners secured a debate at Haringey’s Civic Centre, but were ignored by the Council’s Labour leadership.

Cllr. Richard Wilson comments:

I believe that with shops under pressure, now is clearly the wrong time to squeeze cash out of local high street shoppers. This short-sighted policy will push people towards big supermarkets and out-of-town shopping malls where parking is free or very cheap.

To support our local shops, local Lib Dem councillors have now launched a campaign to get 30 minutes free parking on our high streets. We want local people to be able to stop and shop, without paying a £3 parking charge to get a £2 cup of coffee. The campaign has received huge support, with nearly 1,000 residents signing up already.