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1.11.04
Liberal Democrat councillors in the London Borough of Haringey have expressed concern at the Council's plan to pilot a merger of the Wood Green Area Assembly and Housing Forum.
Under the plan, the Area Housing Forum will meet for half an hour prior to
the meeting of the Area Assembly. Currently, the meetings are held on
separate nights. The Lib Dems say that the plans are ill thought out and
would give tenants and leaseholders less opportunity to debate and to hold
their elected representatives to account over important housing issues and
the state of their homes.
The proposals for the pilot merger had been put forward by the Labour-run
administration due to poor attendance at Area Housing Forums. However the
Lib Dems say that this is an unimaginative way to deal with forum attendance
in the borough.
At the meeting Stroud Green Lib Dem Councillor Laura Edge sought assurances
from Haringey Council that no changes would be implemented against the wishes of
local people in each of the Area Housing forums. She also secured agreement
on the need to seek input from Housing Forum attendees on the design of the
proposed consultation.
Commenting, Cllr Edge said:
"My colleagues and I are immensely concerned to ensure that the current
unimaginative proposal for tackling the problem of low attendance at Area
Housing Forums is not presented to residents as a fait accompli. Tenants and
leaseholders should be invited to put forward their own ideas for beefing up
Area Housing Forums in their own localities."
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