Richard Wilson

Katherine and I have helped launch a survey of local businesses to find out what support they need in today’s tough economic times.  The survey is going out to businesses across Haringey as part of the Lib Dem “Be Local” campaign to encourage residents to support local businesses and voluntary organisations – particularly over Christmas.

Katherine and I launched the survey in Weston Park in Stroud Green ward, speaking to a number of shopkeepers about the issues they face.   In Stroud Green sustaining and improving our local shopping parades is a big priority.  Weston Park has already been hit by the Labour Government closing the Post Office a few years ago.

And now our bigger shopping areas such as Crouch End Broadway face a new threat with Council plans to double pay-and-display parking charges for shoppers.  This charge hike risks an exodus of shoppers from our town centres to places like Brent Cross.  The increases are being put forward by the Council without any assessment on the impact on local town centres or discussion with traders.  Lib Dem councillors have called for the proposal to be reviewed, and have succeeded in calling a special council meeting to scrutinise the charges.

As part of our campaign to slow down traffic on Upper Tollington Park, my colleague Cllr Katherine Reece has joined a local police patrol in the area.   After being alerted to the problem by councillors and local residents, the neighbourhood police team have been taking action to catch people speeding near the pedestrian crossing at the junction with Florence Road.

In this patrol a few weeks ago, four cars were stopped for speeding, a penalty notice was issued for failing to stop at a crossing, and a ticket was given out for using a mobile phone whilst driving. The action is necessary because so many residents have raised concerns about cars driving too fast and failing to stop at the busy crossing, which is a route to a local primary school.

Another partial success from the campaign has been getting electronic speed signs installed, which flash a warning when vehicles break the speed limit.  However, the locations they have been installed don’t seem ideal – as one of them is after the crossing and partially obscured by vegetation.  I’ve contacted the Council asking them to re-assess whether the signs are in the optimum positions!

However, our real aim is to get traffic lights at the crossing – and we are collecting signatures for a petition to make the Council take action.   Please sign up.

Yesterday, I met up with Katherine Reece at the Holy Trinity Church Fair outside the vicarage on the corner of Stapleton Hall Road and Granville Road. When I arrived Katherine was already get stuck in, helping out on the burger stand.  The Fair was very busy and seemed like a great success.

The local Safer Neighbourhood police team were there, and Katherine and I took the opportunity to lobby them over a couple of crime related problems.   For instance, I quizzed Sgt Bob Stevenson about the problem with squatters taking over empty homes in Stroud Green.  As a new councillor, Katherine (pictured chatting to Bob) is meeting up with the police team very soon to get a proper briefing from them on local issues.

I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for the Stroud Green Lib Dem team of Lynne, Ed, Katherine and me.  We’ve had a brilliant result both in Hornsey & Wood Green constituency and in Stroud Green ward.  Lynne Featherstone has been re-elected as our MP with a much bigger majority, and a 4% swing from Labour to Lib Dems.

I’m also delighted that Ed, Katherine and I were also elected in Stroud Green ward with increased majorities over Labour (the Greens remain in third place and the Tories in fourth).  Full details of the parliamentary and council election results are on Haringey’s website here.

Ed, Katherine and I would also like to thank our large network of volunteer leaflet deliverers, envelope stuffers and other activists in Stroud Green – as we couldn’t have inspired so many people to vote Lib Dem without their help.

Sadly, we failed to end Labour’s 40 years of control of Haringey Council.  This is hugely disappointing as we had so many fantastic plans to improve the Borough.  But obviously we’ll continue to use ours seats and influence on Haringey Council to fight for local residents.  We remain the only opposition to Labour on the Council, with yet again no Greens or Tories elected, so we are very aware of our responsibility to challenge and scrutinise the Council’s leadership.

I’m absolutely shattered after the hard work of election (and the epic 11 hour count which took from 10pm on Thursday till 9am on Friday) – but really excited about being able to serve the residents of Stroud Green for another 4 years.

It is now over four years since the Council last tried to condemn the play fort in Stationers Park as unsafe. During the election of 2006 the Labour Council promised to replace it – but instead once the election was over the money was diverted elsewhere and the fort was just patched up.  But, as I mentioned in a post back in January, thanks to the work of the local residents on the Friends of Stationers Park, most of the funding to replace the fort has now been granted from various sources (though more fundraising is still ongoing).

The fort has been treasured by local families for years – and we need to make sure it is replaced with something even better.  The design of the new play area should be down to local residents – especially the children who will use it.  To achieve this, Groundwork (the environmental charity managing the new design) wants to engage with the community through Friends of Stationers Park – and has planned a public consultation to present design options to park users.

This consultation event will be held in the park from 11am to 3pm on Saturday 15th May.  Please bring your family along and have your say!

It is brilliant to see progress being made at last.  However, there have been too many years of broken promises on replacing this fort from our Labour Council.  The Lib Dem team of Lynne Featherstone, Ed Butcher, Katherine Reece and I have made it a key election pledge to make sure that this time the promise is not broken – and that the Stationers Park fort is replaced with an even better play area.

I attended a first brainstorming session a few months ago which the Friends group ran with the play area designer from Groundworks. People came up with some really imaginative ideas,  so I think this event in the park could be a really exciting opportunity to get local families’ reactions to these, and to add even more ideas into the mix.

Last week Ed, Katherine and I were interviewed by local community website stroudgreen.org about our election campaign. Its not quite the Leaders debate – but I think its a great development that allows people to find out more about the people who are standing to be their local councillors.

It was great fun to do – and certainly was a nice change from knocking on doors and delivering leaflets. Enjoy:

Stalls, games, displays, an ecology tour and a chance to quiz  Katherine, Ed and me ahead of the Election – all form part of the third annual Neighbourhood Day which takes place in Stroud Green this Saturday (April 24) from 2-4.30pm.
 
The idea behind the day is for people to get out and about in their local streets, meet their neighbours, have some fun and find out what is happening locally.
 
Neighbourhood Day is organised by the Stroud Green Residents Association (SGRA) and covers Mountview Road, Stapleton Hall Road, Granville Road and all the roads inbetween (Quernmore Road, Albany Road, Elyne Road, Addington Road and part of Oakfield Road).
 
This year, the events and activities include:

• Residents’ stalls and games around the area offering  secondhand and new books, plants, cakes, pottery, household items, children’s clothes and toys, bric-a-brac and lots more!
• Meet your local politicians (Oakfield Road) and ask their views on local and national issues
• Visit the Safer Neighbourhoods Police Team (at the library) – with fingerprinting for children
• A fascinating history and ecology tour of Granville Road Spinney.
• Fairtrade stall at Holy Trinity Church and ‘The Story of Fairtrade Cotton’ display at St Aidan’s School
• A chance to see inside Holy Trinity Church
• Craft Fair in the library
• Talk and Q&A by local photographer and librarian Don Holtum
• ‘Map your Neighbourhood’ activity with the Greenwood Elfins – the local Woodcraft Group
• A ‘Dr Bike’ session to help repair bikes and offer cycling advice

Helen Riley from SGRA said: ‘This is the third year we have held the event and it promises to be the best yet. People enjoy the chance to chat to their friends and neighbours and let their children play in the local streets. Everyone is welcome to come along and see what it is on offer.’