Africans in Chestnuts Park

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter 10 hours ago

PARK noise and Haringey Council's conflict-of-interest in dealing with it:

Yesterday, I set out why the council is unable to deal objectively with their Finsbury Park-customers' noise (pecuniary interest) and the likely effect on council employees.

But there is one group of council employees I did not mention, who have had the sharpest conflict of interest.

Duty of the council's legal service

My understanding is the legal service role was recast following the Blair local government "reforms". i.e. the Strong Leader model, Cabinet System, that creates the conditions for authoritarian leadership. When applied in Haringey, this model often leads to trouble.

My further understanding is that council lawyers owe no responsibility to ordinary or "backbench" elected representatives, and their sole duty is to the "cabinet". And in effect, to the leader who can at will, hire and fire members of the "cabinet". It follows that council lawyers will defend cabinet policies.

Such as Haringey Council's Major Events Policy.

I was going to say their conflict of interest was on full display over the big Licence Review (2019?), but in fact, their conflict was hidden.

Noise from the council's park customers

The Licensing Committee has a majority of Labour members who understand their Group's policy for Major Events.

Following a two-evening Hearing for a Licence Review of Festival Republic in Finsbury Park, the Committee made some modest Licence variations, mainly relating to NOISE.

On the last day for Appeal, Festival Republic lodged an Appeal at the Highbury & Islington Magistrate's Court. I was there, and there was a chaotic Hearing that was quickly adjourned and nothing more was heard. Publicly.

Lawyers and sound levels

One might expect that Council lawyers would defend decisions of the Licensing Committee. But where this conflicts with the wishes of their employer, not so much.

It later transpired that lawyers for the council got together with lawyers for Live Nation /Festival Republic and agreed a common position on sound levels. In effect, they were all on the same side!

In other words, the Committee's Decision was later watered down behind closed doors. This is democracy in action at Haringey Council.

Naturally, this was not covered in the council's corporate-propaganda magazine that we pay for.

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