Lynne Featherstone

Local Liberal Democrats have demanded that Labour withdraw false claims that the party campaigned against the new health facility on the site of the Hornsey Hospital. Lynne Featherstone MP and local Liberal Democrats helped lead a high-profile, decade-long, campaign to get the hospital site back into use. In recognition of her work, Lynne Featherstone was invited to take part in the 'topping out' ceremony to mark the completion of the new health centre building in 2009.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

"Local Liberal Democrats have campaigned for a decade for the Hornsey Hospital site to be reopened. This ludicrous claim shows just how out of touch Labour are.

“Unlike Labour, the Liberal Democrats campaign on local issues all year round - not just in election year. This is a desperate attempt by Labour to mislead the public.

"Labour should retract this false statement, and show more respect for residents by committing to a clean election fight.”

Cllr Richard Wilson, added:

"Over the last few years I have accompanied Lynne on dozens of protests and public meetings, as well as low-key private meetings with the Haringey Primary Care Trust. She has lobbied tirelessly for a new health facility on the Hornsey Hospital site, and it is absolutely outrageous for Labour to claim otherwise.

"This desperate tactic is insulting to the huge numbers of residents who campaigned with Lynne to get the Hospital site reopened. It also shows how scared Labour are of losing control of Haringey Council to the Liberal Democrats at this year’s elections, and how they will say anything to cling to power."

A family-sized home, left empty by Haringey Council for nearly a year, has now been taken over by squatters, despite promises by Housing bosses that it would be brought back into use this month. The property, at 15 Nelson Road, Stroud Green (N8), was occupied last week, three months after local Liberal Democrats raised the issue with Haringey Council.

In December last year Haringey Council promised that the property, which is a much sought-after three-bed family home, would be brought back into use by 26 March 2010. Yet no action has been taken on site by Haringey Council.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Stroud Green, Richard Wilson, has written urgently to the Cabinet Member for Housing to demand answers why Haringey Council has failed to act and what will be done to remove squatters.

Cllr Richard Wilson (Stroud Green) comments:

“Local residents were promised by the council that action would be taken to bring this family-sized house back into use.  Haringey Council has failed to do this and now squatters have seized on the opportunity to move in.

“One of the neighbours is an elderly lady in her eighties who, I'm told, is quite distressed about the situation.

“We now need a clear plan of action by the council to see what can be done about the squatters and bring this home back into use.

"Given the huge shortage of family council houses in the borough, Haringey Council's failure to act is an absolute scandal."

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

“This home could be used by one of the many families in Haringey who are stuck on a waiting list, in overcrowded temporary accommodation.”

A large three-storey terrace house, which has been empty for nearly a year in Stroud Green ward, is a stark reminder of the failure by Haringey Council to tackle the housing crisis in the borough, local Liberal Democrats said this week.

Latest figures show that 370 council-owned homes are currently empty, whilst over 16,000 families are on the housing waiting lists and 566 families are waiting for properties with more than three bedrooms.

Last week, Liberal Democrats announced a national policy to bring 250,000 empty homes back into use, as part of their economic stimulus and job creation plans.

Cllr Richard Wilson (Stroud Green) comments:

“Large families wait for years on waiting lists and in overcrowded temporary accommodation, until homes of this size become available. It's scandalous that Haringey Council is happy to let this house, which could be a wonderful family home, lie empty for nearly a year.

“No wonder we have such long housing waiting lists in Haringey, when our Labour-run council is so wasteful with its own housing stock."

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

“Week after week I have local families come to me in desperate need of family-sized homes. It makes me so mad to see these properties lie empty, whilst thousands of local residents need homes.

“This is another example of Labour’s failure, locally and nationally, to tackle our housing problem.”

Local Liberal Democrats have raised concerns for the safety of local residents during the ongoing cold snap after it was found that local grit bins are empty – just as more snow and icy conditions are set to return. Local councillor, Richard Wilson, has demanded action from Haringey Council after a spot inspection in Stroud Green ward yesterday (Monday) found that all grit bins were empty.

MP Lynne Featherstone and Cllr Robert Gorrie have today also urgently demanded that Haringey Council takes extra measures to grit priority roads, and ensure there is salt or grit available for non-priority roads.

Cllr Richard Wilson, Stroud Green, comments:

"Given the chaos caused by the snow before Christmas, I'm surprised that the grit bins in Stroud Green are empty. This denies local residents the opportunity to grit treacherous sections of pavement.  I've demanded that Haringey Council fill these bins as soon as possible.”

Lynne Featherstone MP, adds:

“From the many emails and phone calls from local residents following the last snowfall, where many told me of priority roads not being gritted or salted, I’m really concerned that we might see a repeat this week.

“But with more advance warning this time, I certainly hope Haringey Council ensures that Haringey's roads and pavements are safer.”

Haringey Council has ignored the views of almost 90% residents who responded to a consultation about the removal of parking space on Woodstock Road, Stroud Green.

The controversial proposals means that a dozen parking spaces previously reserved for local residents will be turned over for the sole use of businesses.

In the initial consultation 8 of 9 local residents responding objected to the proposal. Nevertheless, Haringey Council has ignore their views and proceeded with the original proposal to statutory consultation, the final stage before implementation of any parking changes.

Commenting Councillor Ed Butcher says:

"It is outrageous that Haringey Council is completely ignoring the wishes of the local residents. This Labour-led council should stop using the word consultation because they clearly don't know what it means. They simply don't know how to listen"

Councillor Richard Wilson, Stroud Green councillor and Deputy Leader of Haringey Liberal Democrats, adds:

"What makes me angry about this latest parking scandal is that it has nothing to do with the real parking problems of our area.

“Hundreds of residents are crying out for action because there are severe parking problems in streets outside the CPZ parking, yet Haringey Council is steamrollering through changes elsewhere when a clear majority does not want them. There is simply no rhyme or reason.”

Stroud Green Liberal Democrats carried out a recent parking survey in the area outside that Control Parking Area that confirmed two thirds of people thought action was needed from the Haringey Council.

Over two thousand families on low incomes in Haringey will be £780 poorer per year from next April when the Labour government's benefit changes take effect, it has been revealed. In a response to an enquiry by Cllr Richard Wilson, Haringey Council confirmed that 2,016 residents will be affected when changes are made to the Local Housing Allowance rule which takes away £15 per week extra for families to spend on better housing.

Changes to the Local Housing Allowance were announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, in the April 2009 Budget report. In total, £1.5million will be taken away from the poorest families in the borough.

Liberal Democrats have criticised the Government and have likened the changes to the abolition of the 10p tax rate last year that similarly hit the poorest and resulted in an embarrassing u-turn by the Labour government.

Cllr Richard Wilson, Deputy Leader of Haringey Liberal Democrats, comments:

“I am appalled that, at a time of recession, the Labour Government are raiding the pockets of some of the poorest families in Haringey. There are over 2,000 families across Haringey relying on this money. £15 might not seem much to Labour Ministers but is a huge amount to someone on the poverty line.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“This is as bad as the abolition of the 10p tax rate and yet another example of how out of touch Labour are with the least well off.

“I will be contacting the Minister at the Department for Work and Pensions to ask why local residents are being hit by the government at this hard time.”

Haringey Council will now investigate the feasibility of an ‘opt out’ from the installation of new digital aerials scheme for local leaseholders. The success for the campaign led by leaseholder groups and Liberal Democrats came after a special meeting of Haringey Council’s ‘watchdog’ committee last week (1st October 2009) to hear concerns raised by Liberal Democrats.

The committee agreed that Homes for Haringey should report back on the possibility of an opt-out for leaseholders who do not want the new aerial system installed. Since Haringey Council started the scheme, many leaseholders have paid more than £1,000 for installation.

Liberal Democrats have welcomed the feasibility report but have said that they will not stop the campaign to get a better deal for local leaseholders and will continue to closely scrutinise the financial management of the Decent Homes project, which has come under increasing criticism.

Cllr Richard Wilson, who presented the Liberal Democrat ‘call-in’ last week, comments:

“Whilst we welcome this small step in the right direction it was disappointing that the Labour councillors, once again, rubberstamped this dubious cabinet decision.

“The Decent Homes programme and budget continues to be out of control. Agreed standards of work have been exceeded without finance in place, leaseholders have been ignored, and consultation has been non-existent.”

David Winskill, Liberal Democrat lead on the Overview and Scrutiny committee, adds:

“I was shocked at the lack of understanding of how this £198 million scheme has changed so much. Nobody seemed to know how Homes for Haringey had veered away from the specifications agreed by Haringey Council in 2005 and, more worryingly, nobody seemed to grasp that this may have an effect on the standard or amount of homes that will be renovated under Decent Homes.”

Lynne Featherstone MP, adds:

“The way in which leaseholders have been treated is a symptom of the failure by Haringey Council to get value for money from this project. I’m glad efforts from local leaseholders and my Liberal Democrat colleagues are making progress, but we will not stop there.”

Note: Local Liberal Democrats have set up a petition at http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/aerialscampaign

My Lib Dem council colleagues from Stroud Green ward (Ed Butcher, Laura Edge and Richard Wilson) have launched their parking survey on the internet to gain further views from local residents.

They'd already begun a door-to-door survey in response to news that Haringey Council were delaying plans to review the Finsbury Park Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) until at least 2010. Curses on the dreaded Haringey Council - can they do nothing right? When you go door-to-door, not everyone is in etc, so hopefully this online survey will reach out further

If you'd like to take part in the survey, go to http://survey.libdems.org.uk/take/611.

A quick reminder / round-up of my Lib Dem colleagues on Haringey Council who are online themselves:

Matt Davies (Fortis Green ward councillor) blogs at mattdaviesharingey.blogspot.com
Karen Alexander (Harringay ward councillor) is on Twitter as @karenjalexander
Neil Williams (Highgate ward councillor) blogs at neilwilliamslibdems.blogspot.com
Fiyaz Mughal (Noel Park councillor) has a website at fiyazmughal.org.uk
Richard Wilson (Stroud Green councillor) blogs at www.richardwilson.me.uk

Over the last year, the online presence of Haringey Liberal Democrats has steadily been growing and expanding. Five of my local colleagues now have their own sites / blogs:

Matt Davies - Fortis Green councillor
Fiyaz Mughal - Noel Park councillor
David Schimtz - Tottenham Parliamentary spokesman and Seven Sisters candidate
Neil Williams - Highgate councillor
Richard Wilson - Stroud Green councillor

Haringey Liberal Democrats are also on Facebook, including information about our forthcoming events, or - if you're not a Facebooker - you can also instead out about our events via the main party website.

Oh, and don't forget - I'm on Facebook, Twitter (mini-blog style updates) and Flickr (photos).