Lynne's Parliament and Haringey diary

Off to big local public meeting organised by a group of residents fed up with Haringey Council (so quite a big group) who are campaigning to stop Haringey flogging off Hornsey Town Hall.

I don't think either Haringey Council or Crouch End for People will get far if they remain at loggerheads. Crouch End for People have come up with some fab proposals for an arts and performing arts centre and some commercial development - and funnily enough the council's proposals are not that dissimilar, but residents in the area don't believe or trust them not whack in a huge residential development on the back area.

I am there to raise the issue of transport planning in terms of access to the site and to have some consideration as to what it would do to Crouch End town centre if a 1,000 cars per night were attracted. Planning and increase in capacity for public transport are the name of the game there.

It was a huge turn out - thus illustrating when there is a key issue the people will come.

I will remain involved on transport issues as well as campaigning to help something good for local people to be delivered - as opposed to Haringey's normal stuff-ups.

Lunch to celebrate the end of the first term of office for the MPA hosted by the Met.

We all had first to have our photo taken (at New Scotland Yard) as a group and then up to 'Peelers' for our lunch. There were a series of presentations to members of the MPA who were stepping down - but there were also presentations to all of us for the first term.

It was so very Met police-ish - kind of service awards - but very sweet. So I am now the proud owner of a Met Police paperweight with my years of service scripted within and a police shield. Establishment or what!

I even gave Sir John a peck on the cheek (reciprocated) when I left. Don't know if it's PC or not to kiss the commissioner.

Labels: mpa

Metropolitan Police Authority full board meeting. I table a report as a Member's Update on 'unreported crime'. I have completed a survey in Hornsey & Wood Green on crime in general - and because of my special interest and responsibility for holding the Met to account on police response, I had inserted a section on unreported crime.

My thesis has been that people in quite large numbers don't bother to report low-level crime because they can't easily access the police locally, they don't believe the police will do anything if they do get
hold of them and/or they don't think the crime important enough to bother the police with.

Given that police resources are targeted on where crime is reported, if my thesis were correct, lots of places that needed police resources would not be getting them for this reason.

Anyway - I needed some evidence to support my theory - hence the survey. The furore at the MPA was fun - though also just the sort of silliness which puts people off politics. The Tories were furious with me for doing it - but did concede that unreported crime was a big issue.

Sir John Stevens (Met Police Commissioner) said I was right in what I was saying and that it was an
important area for the police to focus on.

If people don't have confidence and trust that the police will act, all the extra police on the streets will not make people feel safer. The Evening Standard ran with it - and the work will now be taken on through a sub-committee to address the issue.

Labels: crime, mpa

Speaking at Highgate Library AGM on libraries. And what bliss it was to speak on something other than transport. As much as I love transport (and I do to nerd-like levels) a change is as good as a rest.

The previous day, Libri, a charity that supports library development, had published a report warning that if the current decline continued there would basically not be any libraries after 2020. With this depressing news to bring up, it was interesting in that during the AGM business before I spoke, they were discussing how the book club was dwindling away and whether a change of timing would help.

Now in thinking about what I was going to say - apart from the statistics and the general stuff on the importance of libraries - I had already fastened on libraries seeming inability to market themselves.

Now, since we all (especially Highgate Library Action Group) saved Highgate Library from closure and have seen it, with investment, be renovated and modernised, we all want it to survive.

Around 60% of the population have a library card - and libraries need to reach out to more of those people to encourage them to use libraries more frequently. And also attract the other 40% in for whatever reason to a community facility. There are lots of tricks to doing this - and I hope that my talk will have given them ideas about a marketing group, about the use of email to members, about members' skills databases, about using the local cinema to promote them to young people and other ideas.

There was a great deal of enthusiasm and love of libraries - but the age of the audience probably averaged over 60. So my challenge was that by next year's AGM there should be 10 people under 40 in the audience. It's not only the Government that can set targets!

Their challenge to me in turn was to get benches agreed on the London Underground land outside the library. So I will try and deliver too.

The last Mayor's Question Time of this term of office.

Half of Kensington and Chelsea had turned up to witness the presentation of a 30,000 petition to Ken not to proceed with his proposed extension to the congestion charge westwards. The Lib Dems have also come out against the proposed extension. In brief the Mayor has just got it wrong and not thought it through.

I pointed out to the Mayor during the session that:

a] one year's figures are not enough to soundly make decisions because the economic, business and social impacts are still not clear

b] as the proposed extension is not a second zone but an enlargement of the first zone it runs the risk of destabilising the first zone by giving the residents of K & C free entry to the first zone

c] the boundary is wrongly sited

d] the demography is wrong: two thirds of the area is residential

e] the cost is £100million to set up (money the Mayor doesn't have) and there would be no revenue from the scheme

The heavens opened and it poured - and thundered - and lightning lit the skies. And where was I?

Forging my way to a long-awaited meeting that I had arranged between warring factions over the new buildings at Fortismere School and the devastation and disturbance which the building work had left in its wake.

Jarvis (the contractors) turned up mob-handed, with the heads of Fortismere and Blanche Neville schools and officers of Haringey council in attendance.

The meeting went like a dream. All of the residents' grievances and wishes were met (new road surface and paving at completion of works, Blanche Neville to change its stationery so that Burlington Road not billed as an entrance and planting, fencing and landscaping to be agreed with residents). Had to pinch myself to believe it.

Given the rows there have been over the permissions, breaking of planning conditions and general unhappiness - I am convinced that dragging Haringey's Chief Exec there to see the mess paid off. Plus, of course, my threat to nag for eternity if it wasn't resolved satisfactorily!

Labels: fortismere school

Haringey Full Council meeting. Trouble at mill (for Labour). To summarise my earlier blog entries: a building in Queen's, Avenue Muswell Hill fell down - the developer excavated far deeper than allowed by planning permission, undermined the facade - and it all fell down. Why didn't the council see this coming - they are meant to ensure that planning permissions are kept to.

A deputation of local residents were coming to put their case for an independent inquiry - something I called for as soon as I saw the devastation that was once a fine example of Edwardian building. Then we LibDems put down a motion calling for an inquiry which was debated. Needless to say, Labour amended our motion and refused an inquiry.

The real problem is, apart from laying blame and costs on this debacle, what will stop it happening again?

Meet Simon Hughes and Sarah Ludford MEP at LibDem HQ in Cowley Street from where we are taking a tour of central London on an open top bus to launch Simon's Mayoral Manifesto (see his website for more details).

And the sun shone down on us which made the whole event fab. If it had poured with rain, the massed ranks of the media that accompanied us might well have given less rave reviews. As it was, the media analysis of Simon's manifesto was pretty good.

The bus tour was linked with the manifesto pledges and commitments - and Simon on microphone talked the journos through the problems and challenges of London as we passed them. It worked really well and Simon was on top form.

He did say to me that the sun shines on the righteous...!

Labels: sarah ludford, simon hughes

Haringey Police and Community Boxing Club Charity Evening - a black tie dinner and boxing match. This is a club started by ex-Haringey Police Commander Stephen James which helps kids box - with the intention in part that it thereby also helps keep them out of trouble.

I arrive at the venue and am put in a little ante-room for the top table with others. Stephen James is there, as are the current top-cop in Haringey Stephen Bloomfield, Council Chief Executive David Warwick, Cllr Peacock (Labour), soon to be ex-leader George Meehan, David Lammy MP and Pastor Nims from Haringey Peace Alliance.

So a good crew. Stephen James introduced me as the next MP for Hornsey & Wood Green - which went down well as you can imagine with the Labour members there! I though Sheila Peacock might thump him.

Then we were announced one by one to go into the hall and to the table. The boxing ring itself is directly in front of the top table with other tables filling the hall to the right and the left. The dinner is served, there is an auction of various items to raise money and then the boxing itself.

I know it is probably not politically correct to enjoy boxing - but I thought it was fantastic. There is a basic instinct - a primeval pull - when two men (boys) fight each other - and boy did they fight. The last bout included Michael Grant who is one of the real successes of the boxing club. A black youngster from Tottenham who is now No 2 in England. It was a great fight and I take my hat off to Stephen James for what he has done.

Labels: george meehan, stephen bloomfield

Take scrutiny officers that have served the Transport Committee to pub for a thank you drink after the last meeting of the Transport Committee in the first term of London government. I felt rather sentimental after four years of absolute pleasure in my brief - and felt even more sentimental after a couple of gin and tonics.

Sadly, I had to go back to work to finish of the speech I had been writing for Thursday evening's London Region Lib Dem Rally.

At the rally, Charles Kennedy, Simon Hughes, Sarah Ludford (MEP) and I are primed to rally our troops and kick off our London campaign.

So we did. Charles was in excellent form. Spoke for 20 minutes without notes, stirring stuff! And he seemed fit and well - which I was as relieved about as everyone else.

Simon gave us his vision for London (more of which will follow over the coming weeks of the election - and will be launched to the media on Monday), then Sarah and then me.

If I say so myself, it was one of my better speeches. I had an unashamed attack on my ex-best friend Mayor Livingstone. I will publish the speech on the web next week. But made the serious points through humour - and there are lots of not very funny things about Ken which after four years working with him I can see explain very well why he was treated like the devil incarnate by the Labour Party last time out.

Labels: charles kennedy, ken livingstone, sarah ludford, simon hughes

We start Assembly Transport Committee at 9.30am to take an update from Peter Hendy on bendy buses and their recent tendency to burst into flame. The early start was at his request and, as chair, I try and accommodate peoples' timetables. He is a busy man.

However, on arriving in Committee Room 5, I am given the news that he is going to be late. Something to do with a train problem (him on it and stuck). So I decide to start with the road hump report as soon as we are quorate. I ask officers to round up members and am told that Jenny Jones is eating her breakfast and a couple of others are on their way. Members are really poor at time keeping!

The hump report has received lots of publicity - very controversial. The car-lobby appear to think it is pro-hump and the pro-hump lobby appear to think it's pro-car. So I think it is the perfectly balanced rational report with sensible recommendations - which it is.

The Tories decide not to sign up because it is pro-hump. Everyone else says they will support it.

Anyway, Jenny Jones had flounced in late into this debate and immediately had a go at me for starting the hump bit early. How dare I start without her when she wanted to be there for that debate in particular? Given I was told she was eating her breakfast outside when the meeting started, I thought her behaviour was appalling. Prima donna of the first order. If Peter Hendy was delayed, it's perfectly reasonable for me to get the committee's agreement to move on to the next item of business.

The rest of the committee got on with our work - people had their say and the committee then voted through the report. I hope this will be the first of an ongoing series of work on road safety.

There's was more for the committee to discuss after the hump report, but Jenny Jones then left early!

Labels: peter hendy

I attend a report back on the Haringey Heartlands regeneration project consultation at Haringey Civic Centre. This was chaired by Cllr Makanji. And boy was cross. Whenever the residents said anything he didn't like (which was often) he would shout and browbeat them into submission - threatening to close the meeting rather than let them speak.

There is a real battle to be fought to stop residents suffering at the hands of the Mayor, Council and LDA who seem intent on going ahead with a poorly designed scheme which will not deliver the jobs, infrastructure or homes needed.

Perhaps Richard Rogers, who is involved, can steer this right - trouble is, he appears to be advising the developers. Is that a conflict of interest? Must find out!

Labels: london development agency, planning issues

Secret meeting of the London Assembly to hear from London Resilience and other key partners how London would be handled in the event of catastrophic terrorist attack.

As it was under the confidential restrictions of the Government Information whatsit - I cannot divulge what was said. Only to say, I don't think there was anything in the briefing that couldn't have been stated at a public meeting. I don't like confidential meetings - in fact that is the first one I think I have been to. If there is important information present you can't out it in the public interest - and if there isn't, what was the point of it being held in private?

My own thrust, for what it is worth, is an interest in public information - of which there seems little available. I am reassured that everything is in hand!

There was an 'End of Term' dinner for London Assembly members and some key officers. It was held in London's Living Room - a space at the top of City Hall which commands fabulous views around the whole of London virtually.

Only problem is it's always absolutely baking hot being made of glass and not cooled by sustainable or non-sustainable means.

It was fun. Jenny Jones (Green), Samantha (talk for Britain) Heath (Labour) and I were having a 'girly' conversation at the reception drinks so when we were called to table we decided to make it a womens' table. So all the other women except Angie Bray (Tory) sat at the one table. I don't know why Angie spurned our company...

Today's the day. Speed bumps, traffic humps, sleeping policeman - call them what you will, they're certainly controversial! Today the London Assembly's transport committee (which I chair) unveiled its draft report on the subject.

It's caught the media's interest and I've been busy doing interviews all day. You can see what the fuss is about yourself - there's both a summary and the full draft available on the GLA's website.

My PA has set up two interviews with students. I get many requests from students to come and question me on a variety of issues for their theses.

Student No 1 is just a lovely guy. He, yes he, is doing his dissertation on gender in politics and barriers to women etc. As Easter week is a relatively quiet week, I give him an hour or so and totally enjoy a ramble through the issues.

He tells me he is the only male student on his course and when he chose women and politics as his subject all his classmates (the girls) were totally supportive - but all his boy mates looked at him as if he were mad! But I reckon from listening to him that he will produce a really good piece of work. He showed a lot of understanding - not only about the subject - but on wider issues onto which we strayed.

Student No 2 was doing a PHD on branding in the Liberal Democrats. I answered his questions as best I could - but it was a far more 'academic' study and much more controlled. As a corporate design strategist in my earlier life for 20 years - I probably know as much as anyone about branding - which may or may not have been a good thing!

Good luck to both of them.

I went to the third meeting I had arranged with Cllr Ray Dodds (Lab) - the Haringey Council executive member for environmental services. He had cancelled the first two at a moment's notice and was only half an hour late for this one.

I had a few local traffic issues to discuss: to beg for two pelican crossings on Priory Road which has turned into a freeway since pavement parking and bus lanes were introduced and for a speed camera on Muswell Hill itself - a nightmare gradient which some motorists see as a green light to break the speed limit by miles.

But the main reason I am there is to get 'permission' to capitalise on the offer made to me by the inventors of the 'magic' road hump to pilot them in a road in Haringey. Obviously, I want the pilot on a road of my choosing where Labour have previously refused traffic calming - but am nervous that Labour will hijack the offer for their own publicity purposes.

The 'magic' hump deflates and lies flat if you are driving at or below the speed limit it is set at, but remains as a hump if you exceed it. A brilliant invention - rewarding good drivers and punishing bad.

Ray goes for one in the east and one in the west of borough - but concedes graciously that if there is only to be one, I can have it. Hoorah! Now I have to see what I can do and if the offer stands.

Private meeting with the London Transport Users Committee (LTUC). They have come to chew the cud on their response to the GLA Transport Committee's demands that they improve their accountability and performance.

They have moved from their earlier position of anger with us to producing a near reasonable response to our paper. One thing they didn't want, but which we will stick to, is to keep responsibility for them within the Transport Committee. There's still a way to go - but at least we are moving towards a solution.

Meeting with local residents in Muswell Hill to support their fight against a planning application. The application is for a large house which will replace 6 old garages and is sited on a hill. It is huge and dominating and will completely bugger the local people around it.

A previous planning application on the site from 1988 for a bungalow was rejected because it would seriously affect the local amenity. Given that the new application is vast by comparison, along with it being in a conservation area, I hope the application will be refused.

The Planning Committee is supposed to be quasi-judicial and decisions made solely on non-political, substantive planning grounds only. However, as it is made up of something like 8 Labour and 2 LibDem members - and the sight of me appears as a red rag to the Labour bull - I tend not to go as ward councillor to speak in favour of the residents as Labour - regardless of rights or wrongs - see me and vote the other way. Very childish.

I suggest various bits and pieces and will lodge a written objection, make sure more residents are consulted and try and find out what the planning officers are minded to recommend.

Dinner with Peter Hendy, who is the Director of Surface Transport for Transport for London. His portfolio is gargantuan and covers buses, taxis, river transport, trams, roads, traffic, congestion charging - in fact everything except rail and tube.

We have met many times over the four years of the first term of London Government to discuss the many issues which hold us both in sway.

We have a delightful evening hashing over the huge range of transport issues in London. Last time we did this, he actually walked the proposed route of the trial 603 Muswell Hill to Swiss Cottage bus route on his way to the restaurant to meet me - just to see what the residents of Southwood Lane were kicking up about.

What I like about Peter is this hands on approach to his empire. If I have gone into the media saying something he doesn't like or agree with - he will ring me to have a go at me. Nothing wrong with robust disagreement or challenge. I reckon he could go on to become Transport Commissioner for TfL at some future date - only time will tell. We could do worse.

Labels: 603 bus, peter hendy