Richard Wilson

I’ve been contacted by a number of residents concerned about new proposals to change the parliamentary constituency boundaries in our area. The Boundary Commission has suggested moving Stroud Green ward from the Hornsey and Wood Green constituency to the the Tottenham constituency.

This would mean that in the next General Election residents in Stroud Green ward would not have a say in who is MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, but would instead vote for who represents Tottenham. Local elections would remain the same, with Stroud Green remaining in the London Borough of Haringey.

The proposals in the Commission’s report would divide our area from Crouch End and Hornsey.  Streets such as Weston Park, Nelson Road, Inderwick Road, Ferme Park Road and Mount View Road would be spilt, with one half in Hornsey Constituency and the other in Tottenham. However, this proposal is not set in stone, and could change if residents in Stroud Green argue against moving to Tottenham constituency.  The Commission’s proposals are supposed to protect local community ties, and not divide areas where communities are strongly connected.

We want know what residents think of this proposal and have therefore set up a survey to find out your views.  Please fill out this survey to help us put residents’ views to the Boundary Commission.

Last week I held a meeting with parking officials to discuss the implementation of the new Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) extension in Stroud Green.  As I mentioned in my previous post, residents were concerned about how long they would have to wait for the controls to be introduced in roads like Mount View, Quernmore and Granville. The nearby Crouch End CPZ extension is taking effect in early April, but at a recent meeting with residents officers said it would take until November to implement the CPZ extension in Stroud Green ward – leaving over 6 months of extra parking pressure.

I raised these concerns at the meeting, and Council officers have now agreed to revise the timetable, and think they could have the new CPZ extension up and running in the new roads by September.  This would mean having the final statutory consultation in April/May, and if no big issues are raised during the consultation, the signs and road markings could be put in place during August.  Obviously this still leaves a long gap – but its great news that we’ve been able to reduce it by 2 months.

However, on the hours of the CPZ officers continue to believe that 12pm – 2pm is the best slot, as this fits in-between other CPZs (the Crouch End ones are 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm) and will make it easy to patrol.  They aren’t convinced that people moving their cars between CPZs will be a big problem as this hasn’t happened in noticeable numbers in other areas.

I also raised a whole range of other issues, such as the need for visitor parking and loading bays for our local shopping parades, the Stroud Green Library and the two churches on Stapleton Hall Road.  I’ll keep scrutinising their proposals as they are developed – so please contact me if you have any concerns.

The Finsbury Park Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) is very likely to be extended up to Ridge Road after 66% of those consulted by the Council asked for resident parking controls.  Earlier this week I attended a meeting with parking officers and residents to hear the results of the consultation, which finished at the start of 2011.  According to the briefing, 16% of residents in the consultation area outside the current CPZ responded, with 218 in favour of the expansion and 114 against.

If the expansion goes ahead as expected the following roads will now be added in to the Finsbury Park CPZ:

• The whole of Addington, Albany, Elyne, Quernmore and Ridge Roads
• The rest of Stapleton Hall Road, Mount View Road and Oakfield Roads (which are currently only half in the CPZ)
• The remaining part of Ferme Park Road (south of Ridge Road) – with the road north of Ridge Road going into the Crouch End CPZ.

Apparently 69% of respondents wanted parking controls for the minimum 2 hours a day.  The Council are suggesting 12 noon to 2pm – but at the meeting this week some residents wanted different hours, so the officers are going to look at this.  The Council will now draw up detailed proposals showing where all the parking bays will be – and there will have to be a short ’statutory consultation’ on the final plans.  With this further work, the Council have said it will take until November for the new extension to be implemented, which means residents will have to suffer several more months of parking difficulties.

The consultation inside the existing CPZ seems to have got more mixed results, with an almost 50/50 split on whether the hours should be reduced or not.  But the Council are proposing to create  a small inner zone near the tube station to try to deal with particular problems in Woodstock, Perth, Ennis and Oxford Roads.  I’ve asked officers for an urgent meeting to look at the detailed results – to make sure they are fairly representing the views expressed.

During 2009 Ed Butcher and I surveyed several hundred people about whether they wanted the CPZ (see picture) and got a very similar result.  Its a shame its taken the Council well over a year to catch up – but this is a big victory for those residents who have been pushing for a CPZ for all these years.

I’ve been told by the Council that letters will go out this week notifying residents that the extension of the Crouch End Controlled Park Zone (CPZ) is going ahead.  The zone will be extended further east from the centre of Crouch End up to and including Ferme Park Road.  The extended zone will bisect Weston Park and Mount View Roads with the western halves of these roads inside the CPZ, but the eastern ends outside.  This extension will all be in the ‘Crouch End A’ zone, with parking controls from 10am till 12 noon on weekdays.

According to the notification the work to implement the extension (new signs and road markings) will begin on 14 February, and the zone will go live from 4 April.  My understanding is that in the first week the zone will be enforced with warnings but no fines.

Obviously, this news will alarm many Stroud Green residents who now risk being effected by cars and vans displaced from inside this zone.  The Council’s consultation on extending the Finsbury Park CPZ as far north as Ridge Road has finished, and I hope to see the results in a couple of weeks time.  If the consultation shows support from residents then the process of extending the Finsbury Park CPZ will begin later this year.

I’ve helped organise a second focus group of residents to look at the consultation results and help the officers decide on what action to take as a result.  If you’d like to be involved please get in touch.  I’m very keen that everyone has their say – whether pro or anti the CPZ.

Great news for the many local residents who want action on parking: the consultation on whether the Finsbury Park Controlled Parking Zone should be extended north is due to to start on 19 November.  The consultation will extend as far north as Ridge Road, and including all the roads inbetween that are not already in the CPZ such as Mount View, Granville, Quernmore, Ferme Park, Stapleton Hall and Oakfield Roads.

This consultation is something Katherine, Ed and I have been pushing hard for – after we did a survey of residents which indicated many people in this area were now in favour of a CPZ.  I’ve helped the Council to recruit volunteers for focus group of local residents to help design the consultation questions, which was a very successful event.  There will be two separate consultation documents – one for people outside the CPZ asking if they would like it extended, and what hours they would like.  The other will go to everyone inside the existing CPZ asking if they would like the rules and hours of the zone changed.  Many residents are pushing for the CPZ to be divided into a smaller inner zone with long hours, and outer zones, with minimal hours.

This consultation will follow hot on the heels of the Crouch End CPZ consultation, which has been very high profile.  This consultation extended east from the centre of Crouch End as far as Ferme Park Road.  The results of this consultation will be available soon.

Roads that are north of Ridge Road and east of Ferme Park Road (Nelson, Inderwick, Mayfield, Denton, Uplands) are left out of both these consultations.  Understandably some residents here are concerned about the risk that parking pressures will soar if the CPZ boundary moves closer.  I’ve asked the Council how quickly a new consultation could be organised in these roads if residents demand it – and have been told that it could be possible in the 2011/12 financial year.

A further complication is that the Council are about to start a review of the costs of resident and visitor parking permits.  I’ve been told that proposals will go to the November cabinet.  I’ve written to the Labour cabinet member in charge of parking saying that a hike in charges will only heighten cynicism about the councils motives in extending CPZs, and should be avoided.  Parking controls should be there to help residents, not as backhand source of revenue for the Council – and we will scrutinise any proposals on charges to make sure they are fair.

I’ve been demanding action after a second derelict council house in Stroud Green has been taken over by squatters.   Residents of Stapleton Hall Road have contacted me to complain about anti-social behaviour from some of the squatters, with concerns about aggressive dogs and damage to cars and gardens.

The house, which is at the top of Stapleton Hall Road by the junction with Mount View Road, is owned by the Council and was left derelict awaiting conversion to a hostel.  This is the second derelict Council home to be taken over by squatters – a similarly large council home in Nelson Road has also been occupied, after being left derelict for a year (see previous post).

I’ve been pressing the Council and the Police to take urgent action to deal with residents concerns about anti-social behaviour, and to get this large house back in use by those who need it most.   I’m told that the police are now being very active and the Council are trying to get a Court date to evict the squatters.

However, the key issue is why are Haringey leaving valuable homes empty (and vulnerable to squatters), when there is such a shortage of family housing.  I have set up meetings in July with both the CEO of Homes for Haringey and the Director in charge of Housing at the Council, and I will be pressing them to make sure empty homes are swiftly refurbished, not left as derelict eyesores.

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.’