Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
are we in Harringay ward being disenfranchised by Haringey council?
It made for chilling reading, and my guess is that it was produced so that in a year's time, when we have no libraries, leisure centres etc left, the council can say that the cuts were with council taxpayers' consent, and that we chose them for the chop ahead of children's services (or whatever).
Anyway, I mentioned this to a work colleague who lives in Muswell Hill, and he told me that they had received the questionnaire through their letterbox. With the closing date for returned questionnaires imminent (I think it's today, but don't have it to hand to confirm), I have yet to receive one through my letterbox.
So I was wondering whether anybody else has had one delivered to them or whether it's just me who has missed out? If nobody in Harringay has received one, can anybody from the council explain why we are not being consulted on this matter, while other wards are?
Tags for Forum Posts: consultation
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by JulieB on
-
My son's school put one in his book bag so we didn't get one through the door. I couldn't see the return address on the form so I actually filled it in online.
-
Permalink Reply by Germana on
-
Mine was also available at my son's nursery. Which reminds me to fill it. I guess I'll do it online. The online form says the deadline is now 17 December...
and you can fill the survey here http://www.haringey.gov.uk/index/council/haveyoursay/shapethefuture... I wouldn't be so negative about the Council's motivations. After all it's not their fault that the government has decided to make such rapid, massive, unnecessary and damaging cuts. Councils are facing some pretty tough decisions and are looking to see what people are saying. In fact the reason I haven't filled in the survey so far is that it just makes me weep to have to think about where the cuts should come from.
-
Permalink Reply by Phil M on
-
I agree, it's an impossible form to fill in without despairing.
And whatever cuts are made - as you point out due to the idiocy of this government, not the council - are going to be deeply unpopular with one section of the local population or another. So that's why I think the council is undertaking this exercise: so it can say it has some sort of mandate to cut, say, library services and deflect some of the flak that will inevitably come its way.
(Incidentally, amusing to see the Express and Mail squealing about a perceived lack of gritting lorries nationwide this week - aren't these just the sort of public services the government they support want to abolish, for political rather than economic reasons?)
My point was that shouldn't this consultation process be open to everybody in the borough, not just those living in certain wards, those with children in nursery/school and those who occasionally pop into the library to apologise for the overdue books?
-
Permalink Reply by Hugh on
-
We tried our best Phil......as did "Harringay".
The poor folks in Muswell Hill won't have had the benefit of being alerted online!
But I do hear what you say and for those who aren't online or not on HoL, they may well miss out. Do we have any facts about how widespread the MH mail drop was? Who organised it? Might have been the powerful MH residents' association.
-
-
Sorry, Hugh - I completely failed to notice both of those!
My colleague assumes it was delivered by someone from the council (maybe the budget ran out before they got to us). But I guess there would be no way of knowing whether it was from the residents' association instead.
-
-
Sorry? Not at all. I miss stuff on here all the time.
For the sake on interest, I'll try and find out wassup.
-
Permalink Reply by 3dabemynv2wyk on
-
Thanks for this and for posting the link Germana.
I didn't get one through the letterbox (although I see the "Harringey Council faces tough decisions in the future" billboard every day along 7Sisters road, which may point to it). I will fill it out on line.
We've got til the 17th to fill out...
Cheers
-
-
I live in Muswell Hill and have not had any questioaire through the letterbox.
John Leach
-
Permalink Reply by Maddy on
-
I saw this in the library but did not fill it in - I simply did not feel able to allocate cuts to any of the services suggested and I hated the way you were supposed to divide up your individual pot of council tax according to your own priorities. I also felt that it was a PR exercise - after all, by voting in a Labour council the majority of people in the borough had I assume given their backing to the idea of supporting all public services as well as possible.
But given the recently announced plans to clsoe old peoples' residential and day care services, I wish I'd at least had my say. Is there any more news on this issue, Hugh - the discussion seemed to come and go very quickly on this site, which surprised me. Maybe people don't have time to think about political stuff over Christmas.
-
-
@Maddy - I also found it odd that it said certain monies were untouchable/fixed (children/schools) but then still asked you to reallocate the full amount.
Rather than thinking it's some sinister plot to eventually blame cuts on the residents (it's what you said you wanted!), I just figured it was the usual poorly-worded and ill-expressed officialese.
Oh well.
© 2024 Created by Hugh.
Powered by
