Richard Wilson

Local residents have set up a public meeting at 7pm tomorrow (Friday 20th) night in the Hornsey Vale Community Centre on Mayfield Road to demand action on local parking problems.  Ever since the Crouch End Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) was extended east to Ferme Park Road residents have been complaining that parking has become very difficult in streets just outside the extended Zone.

The proposed extension of the Finsbury Park CPZ up to Ridge Road in September could make the situation much worse, which is why since at least October 2010, I have been calling for the Council to hold a parking consultation in the ‘Hornsey Vale’ roads (Nelson, Inderwick, Mayfield, Denton and Uplands Roads and the eastern section of Weston Park).  The consultation should find out if residents now want a CPZ or not.  I get the sense that although many people are not natural supporters of CPZs they are now reluctantly coming to the view they are unavoidable.

The Council did initially give the impression that they would prioritise a consultation in these roads in this financial year.  But they are now saying that they will only take action if enough residents complain.  Therefore Ed, Katherine and I are writing to everyone in the area to encourage them to complain to the Council if they want action on parking.  We have also encouraged residents to get together petitions if they are in favour of a parking consultation.  This public meeting is another excellent way of mobilising action.

Ed, Katherine and I have also formally written to the Labour Cabinet Member in charge of parking saying we are in favour of an urgent consultation in these roads.  We have asked the Council to explain if the area can be ‘fast tracked’ into either of the nearby CPZs or not.  Along with councillors from the nearby Hornsey Ward, I’ll be attending this public meeting to find out what the Council’s response is.

The big freeze last winter left many of our roads and pavements treacherous. The Council say they don’t have the resources to grit residential roads, and there is only a handful of grit bins – so local residents can’t make them safe either.

Therefore, I started a campaign to get more grit bins installed (see previous post) – and residents on six roads got in contact to say they wanted a grit bin.  Indeed – some pointed out that they used to have a bin – but the Council took it away.  I submitted these requests back in February but was told it would take months to decide.

Due to pressure from across the Borough, the Council have now published a list of new locations for grit bins – and four roads of the roads I requested are on that list: Albany Road, Oakfield Road, Denton Road & Uplands Road.  This is great news as these roads are very steep and treacherous when its icy, and now residents will be able to help keep the area safe.

However, Mount Pleasant Crescent and Woodstock Road have been left off the list – presumably because these roads are flat.  I’ll ask again for these to be included, as residents felt that these roads were still treacherous under the ice.

The new bins on the list are supposed to be installed later this month.  The challenge then will be to make sure the Council keeps them full – unlike last winter.

Since I started highlighting the lack of grit bins in Stroud Green, I’ve had a dozen requests from local residents to get a bin installed in their road.  In fact, residents of Woodstock Road and Denton Road pointed out that their roads used to have a grit bin but the Council took it away a few years ago.

As a result I’ve sent in a request to the new Cabinet Member for the Environment Cllr John Bevan, asking for grit bins to be installed in the following six roads:

• Albany Road
• Oakfield Road (between Stapleton Hall Road and Ridge Road)
• Denton Road
• Uplands Road
• Woodstock Road (near Stroud Green Primary School)
• Mount Pleasant Crescent

At this week’s Full Council meeting I had planned to raise the lack of grit bins and a number of other ways I thought Haringey could improve its preparedness for snow and ice.  Cllr Lyn Weber and I had put down a motion calling for the Council to hold a formal review to find out resident’s experiences and learn lessons.

However, in one of the most childish displays I have ever seen from a grown adult, Council Leader Claire Kober deliberately talked nonsense for half an hour to stop our motion being reached.   Its shocking that the Leader of a Council that is rated the worst in London thinks this is an acceptable way to behave, and presumably doesn’t think the Council has anything to learn from residents’ experiences of the recent snow and ice.

Today I did a walkabout with Stroud Green’s new ’street enforcement officer’, which was originally planned for earlier in the month, but delayed due to the snow.  It was a great opportunity to find out what progress he has already made and to point out some of the many problem issues that residents have raised with me over the last few years.

The officer had already sorted out one issue I’d raised with him, which was the builders at a house on Mount View Road who had spread all over the pavement, forcing pedestrians out into the road.  Enforcement action was taken a few days ago, and when we visited today the site was immaculate.

One favourite issue of mine which I also raised was the very many phone cabinets with missing doors in the ward.  I showed him a cabinet in Denton Road that I’d alerted the Council to in August (see summery picture) - but which still isn’t fixed.  The enforcement officer agreed to take action with Virgin Media – who appear to be the villain in not maintaining their street furniture very well.

One area we spent alot of time talking about was the Ferme Park Road shops, where residents and shopkeepers are unhappy about rubbish bags sitting around in big piles waiting to be collected by the Council’s binmen Enterprise.  This will be a tricky issue to solve due to the contract with Enterprise which apparently allows them to collect the rubbish whenever they like rather than at set times.

Haringey Lib Dems have long campaigned for officers to be based out in the wards, so they really get to understand and take responsibility for their patch.  From what I saw and heard on this walkabout, this strategy should work with this new local officer.

I was out and about in the ward at the weekend and was really pleased to see that the grit bins that I had complained about (see previous post) had been filled, and that some residents had made use of the grit on their pavements and front paths.  I’ve also sent people who live near the grit bins on Mayfield and Inderwick Road a letter with the number to call to get the Council to refill the bin next time its empty.

However, it struck me how few of the hill roads in Stroud Green have a grit bin at all.  I couldn’t see one at all on Uplands, Denton, Albany or Oakfield Roads, and these are all quite steep and difficult when its icy.   So please contact me if you think your road needs a grit bin, and you and your neighbours would make use of it.  The Council’s website says that “suggestions for new sites are welcome”, so in theory this shouldn’t be difficult to sort out.

I also think the Council should do more to make residents aware of grit bins.  I suspect many people don’t know what the yellow boxes are for or are not sure if the public are supposed to make use of them (which they are).  Recently a Stroud Green resident emailed me a link to this website that promotes the use of ‘disused’ grit bins for community recycling.  Most of the ‘disused’ bins are in Haringey – so it seems some enterprising residents are using the bins for other purposes (probably because the Council doesn’t actually put grit in them very often).

Ever since I saw the notices on the condemned trees at the bottom of Denton Road (see previous post), I’ve been pressing the Council about what is happening and why.   These are beautiful mature Acacia trees and it would be a shame to lose so many of them at once.

The Council have assured me that the trees will be replaced with new trees in similar locations – 4 planted this winter and 4 next winter.  I’ve asked if any can be saved – but they seem pretty determined to remove them all because of the pavement damage.

However, I’m still very keen to get resident’s views on whether these trees should be removed, and where any replacements should be sited.  At my request, the council officers responsible have agreed to hold a site visit to show residents what is proposed and listen to any concerns.  Please do contact me if you want to take attend – or have a comment.

I was suprised to discover that many of the street trees in Denton Road have been condemned by Haringey Council - as they are apparently damaging the pavements.  The Council hadn’t informed me that this was happening – and I wonder if there was any consultation with residents?

Its obvious that this wasn’t a good tree species to plant on a road:  The pavement by some of the trees has been badly damaged by the roots.  However, the pavement by other trees seems unharmed and I can’t help thinking a less drastic solution is possible.  Perhaps the craggy damaged pavements could be re-tarmaced into a gentle humps over the roots?

I’ve fired off an urgent email to the Council – asking if some of the trees could be saved with some simple action to improve the pavements.  I’ve also asked what will be done to replace any trees that are cut down.  For a street to lose so many of its trees at once would be a great shame - it would make the whole road look much more urban and less green.