Richard Wilson

As I previewed in my last post, at Thursday night’s Council budget meeting, I seconded the Lib Dem amendments to try to stop the closure of older people’s luncheon clubs, cuts to the voluntary sector and a 75% reduction in youth services (details here). Sadly our opportunity to debate these important issues was shortened by a small minority of protesters breaking into the Council chamber and delaying the meeting for several hours.

However, even more depressing was the actions of the ruling Labour Group who voted down our proposals to reduce back office IT, communications and management costs, instead of making front line cuts. They even ignored last-minute pleas from a delegation of young people who spoke to the meeting about how much they benefit from youth clubs.  Astonishingly, Labour councillors cheered and clapped as they voted down our amendments and pushed through the cuts, and seemed more interested in making party political points than making the best choices for Haringey residents.  But you can judge for yourself by watching the webcast of the meeting here.

We plan to continue the fight to save services like the Abyssinia Court older people’s luncheon club, and to persuade the Labour Council to think again.  Officially the Council is still consulting on the closures and so there is still time to make the case for services that really help vulnerable people in our communities.  Many local people have signed our paper and online petition to save the older people’s lunch clubs.  If you haven’t done so yet please sign up to the campaign.

Obviously this is a really tough year for local authorities, with central grants falling as Government focuses on reducing the deficit. In these tough times it is even more vital that Haringey spends its remaining £280 million budget on the most important priorities, and cuts spending on back office costs.

This evening’s Council meeting will take the decision on whether to cut youth services by 75% and close clubs and centres aimed at vulnerable older people, such as the luncheon club at Abyssinia Court on Weston Park in Stroud Green ward. At tonight’s meeting to set the Council’s budget for 2011/12, I will be helping to set out the case for alternative cuts to save front line services.

Obviously, this is a really tough and horrible year for local government spending, as central government cuts grants to deal with its massive budget deficit. But Haringey will still have £280 million to spend next year (excluding ring-fenced housing and schools budgets) and it is vital that money is spent in the best possible way.

As deputy leader of the opposition Lib Dem group I have seconded our amendments to the ruling Labour Party’s cuts. You can read our full amendments here, but in summary we propose:

• To reduce Haringey’s £16.5 million a year IT budget by 3%, rather than cutting vital youth services by 75%.
• Reducing the number of trade union official posts funded by Haringey, rather than cutting drop in centres, luncheon clubs and day centres for older people.
• Limiting spending on Council communications to £1 million a year, to help create a £700,ooo a year fund to protect Haringey’s voluntary sector from cuts.
• To cut the costs of senior managers (currently £20 million a year)  by a further 6%, to save volunteering and anti-crime projects in the Borough.

These are probably the most important decisions that Haringey Councillors have taken for many years, and I really hope the Council leadership can set politics aside and be persuaded to accept our amendments, in order to save some of these vital services. Last month, Lynne Featherstone MP and my colleague Katherine Reece visited the Abyssinia Court lunch club (see picture), and started a petition to save it and the other clubs and centres.  We’ve now launched an online version of the petition, which anyone can sign to support the campaign to save these services.

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.

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.

Good news!  In a previous post I mentioned that for a number of years now I have been nagging the Council to remove the derelict old phone box by the shops on Weston Park.  It was installed by a private (non-BT) phone company and hasn’t been in operation for many years (see picture).

The Council have previously refused to remove it unless the company that installed it paid to do so – but of course the company has long since vanished.  However, for the first time, I have now gained a commitment from Council that the phone box will be removed, regardless of whether the costs can be recouped.  I’m really pleased – but its a shame that it has taken so long to make the Council see sense!

We have also been trying to make the shops feel safer in the evenings.  A couple of residents contacted Cllr Ed Butcher and me last year about groups of young people gathering near the shops in the evening, and creating an intimidating atmosphere.  We contacted the local ‘safer neighbourhood’ police team and they agreed to increase patrols.

I chatted to the local police sergeant about the issue again this week – and they have talked to the shopkeepers and think they have identified where the kids are coming from.   It sounds like the issue is in hand, but I’ve also written to local residents urging them to contact me if the problem persists – or returns when the evenings are warmer.

If you have a particular grot-spot you want sorted in 2010, or some ugly old street furniture you want removed then now could  be your chance.  On 14th January I’ve arranged to do a walkabout with Stroud Green’s new “Street Enforcement Officer” so I can point out problem areas.

One of my New Year’s wishes would be for the Council to eventually remove this ugly defunct old non-BT phone box on Weston Park (see picture).  Its something I’ve raised repeatedly over the years but the Council refuse to remove it themselves saying its the phone company’s job.  However, they never seem to have any success in getting the phone company to do anything – I suspect they went bust years ago.

If you have any similar obsessions with street furniture or a dumping hot spot you want me to point out to the “enforcer” then please get in contact.  Happy New Year!

I feel very sorry for anyone trying to drive or get a bus home in Haringey this evening as there appears to be complete gridlock.  All the main roads near me appear not to have been gritted and are now at a standstill.  This picture shows Ferme Park Road which is stationary and  full of broken down W3 buses.  At the junction of Weston Park a people carrier has bashed into the back of of a W3 adding to the gridlock.

Having spoken to colleagues in other areas this picture appears to be repeated across the borough.  I’ve emailed the Council’s Chief Executive to demand to know why the main roads weren’t gritted and what the Council is planning to do to clear the roads now.  Obviously the snow was bound to cause problems – but its been forecast for days and is less than 1 inch outside my flat.   So I think this travel chaos could have been reduced with better preparation!