Lynne Featherstone

Meeting with Haringey Chief Executive, David Warwick on three issues. Firstly – the development of Fortismere School left in its wake a real mess in Burlington Road. Additional to that, a number of issues around the planning conditions which were imposed to protect the local amenity were ignored – and the residents are rightly cross and can’t get satisfactory answers.

He is not too sympathetic to this one – but agrees that if I write to him formally he will look into the issues and says he will personally visit Burlington Road.

On Muswell Hill Centre, which is this great youth centre which runs loads of really good sports, classes and houses Exposure (the magazine for young people in Haringey), I wanted to facilitate a meeting with Joy Wheeler who is the Chair of the Management Committee and a volunteer whose work and commitment have made it the success it is.

It really works for the local kids from the area who are pretty deprived and might well be on the streets otherwise.

People always assume that everyone in Muswell Hill is middle class and well off – which just isn’t the case. And actually, if you are poor in a reasonably well-to-do area – you can find it even harder as there are scant council facilities in such locations.

Anyway – sorted out the new roof and hopefully the full time employment of a brilliant youth worker. The youth service in Haringey has been a complete mess for some time – but from what the Chief Exec said – is now on the road to recovery. Lord knows it needs to be.