Lynne Featherstone

Concern is growing for Haringey Council’s green credentials after it emerged that it has failed to meet its own recycling targets for ten out of the last eleven months.

Haringey Council only met its 28% recycling target once in the last eleven reported months, in January this year. The average amount of waste sent to recycle in the last year to date was languishing 3% under target at 24.93%.

Liberal Democrats believe that residents need more opportunity to recycle and would like to see action from Haringey Council to improve performance.

Cllr Bob Hare, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson, comments:

“Whilst it is not just the quantity of recycling that counts, it is a good indicator of how the borough is doing on recycling. What is clear is that Haringey has consistently failed to meet targets yet there seems to be little evidence of any political will by Labour to better their poor performance.”

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, adds:

“Clearly steps must be taken to increase recycling rates, and Haringey Council needs to take a good hard look at why they have failed to reach targets month after month.

“Recycling needs to be easier and more accessible – there are still plenty of people in Haringey who want to recycle but don’t get the opportunity.”

To encourage local residents to recycle their Christmas cards and enable thousands of new trees to be planted, Lynne Featherstone MP has done her bit by recycling her cards at Tesco on Hornsey High Street.

The Woodland Trust, which is running the Christmas Card Recycling scheme, sends all cards collected to paper mills where they are recycled into new paper products. The money that is raised then goes to plant thousands of trees in the conservation charity’s forests all over the UK. Last year, the 73.6 million cards recycled turned into 17,000 new trees.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“This scheme is great- all the lovely cards received for Christmas turn into new paper products, plus new trees are planted. It’s sustainable, green and helps our forests grow and flourish: win-win all round!

“So do your bit to make sure that 2009 gets off to a great start – pop into a local Tesco, M&S, WH Smith or TK Maxx and recycle those cards.”

Real pleasure last week to visit Camden with my colleague Cllr Ed Butcher to meet their green champion – Alexis Rowell – and see the eco-house they’ve put together.

It is a five bedroom council property refurbished to the highest energy saving specification, including wall insulation on exposed walls, double-glazed sash windows and solar heated water and electricity.

The Camden refurbishment was wholly funded by grants and sponsorship. It is envisaged that Haringey’s eco-house would follow the same model and act as a demonstration home on the possibility of the high standard energy saving in older properties.

The measures have achieved an 80% reduction of carbon emissions and energy bills and have raised the official energy saving rating of the property from G to B, a significant accomplishment for a Victorian property. The photovoltaic solar panels are expected to produce twice as much electricity as the house will need giving the owner the opportunity make money from selling the excess electricity.

What the Liberal Democrats have accomplished in Camden is pretty impressive. It is about practical solutions that people can implement.

When it comes to climate change a council has to do more than just council meetings and print glossy brochures. We need to help people make greener choices.

Haringey Liberal Democrats have made a pledge for the borough to have its own eco-house following the example set by Liberal Democrat led Camden Council and the success of eco-warrior Councillor Alexis Rowell.

The Camden eco-house is a five bedroom council property refurbished to the highest energy saving specification, including wall insulation on exposed walls, double-glazed sash windows and solar heated water and electricity.

The Camden refurbishment was wholly funded by grants and sponsorship.It is envisaged that Haringey’s eco-house would follow the same model and act as a demonstration home on the possibility of the high standard energy saving in older properties.

The measures have achieved an 80% reduction of carbon emissions and energy bills and have raised the official energy saving rating of the property from G to B, a significant accomplishment for a Victorian property. The photovoltaic solar panels are expected to produce twice as much electricity as the house will need giving the owner the opportunity make money from selling the excess electricity.

The Camden eco-house received over 1,800 visitors after its first three months of being open at weekends.

Councillor Ed Butcher, Haringey Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson, said:

“The biggest saving in CO2 emissions in Haringey will come from reducing our energy consumption through insulation.

“This project would be about showing people what is possible in their homes.I have met many lots residents who are very keen to green their house but don’t think it is possible in a Victorian property.

“We are 100% committed to a greener future and as a Liberal Democrat council we would lead the way.”

Local Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone added:

“What the Liberal Democrats have accomplished in Camden is pretty impressive. It is about practical solutions that people can implement.

“When it comes to climate change a council has to do more than just council meetings and print glossy brochures.We need to help people make greener choices.”

Commenting on Haringey Council’s announcement this week of a target to reduce the borough’s carbon dioxide emissions by 11% by 2011, Cllr Ed Butcher, Haringey Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson said:

“It is extremely worrying that Haringey Labour are nowhere near to committing to the sort of reduction that is actually required to avert catapstrophic climate change. This figure has an air of rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic about it.

“The fact they have announced this seemingly random number by press release rather than in consultation with local stakeholders says it all really. After all, it is the help of these people that is needed to deliver this huge change.

“The Labour Leader of the Council signed the Nottingham declaration in November 2006 promising this target. Almost two years later it is depressing this is the best they can do. It is going to take more than a few green fairs and special environmental editions of the Haringey People to achieve it.”