Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Carolyn Baker Responds to the Resident's Survey
Thank you Carolyn. It's great to feel that one of our councillors is interested in the residents' views (though I imagine you speak for Karen Alexander too).
Sadly Carolyn is the only one to have responded to the interim results after 10 days. I met another of the councillors at the check-out queue in Sainsbury's on Sunday (whose name I will withhold out of, perhaps misplaced, tact). This councillor, on being asked if they'd respond, said “well what does the survey tell us that we don't already know?” I'm sorry. I hadn't been aware that they'd previously conducted a survey on PRIORITIES before.
In a recent meeting I had with Councillor Haley he offered to meet myself and a group of residents about the traffic about four weeks ago. Then he changed his mind and said that he was only prepared to meet me on my own as a representative of the residents. (You figure out why – I have my suspicions). I declined, explaining that I held no mandate to act as the residents' representative. I explained that I believed that people who claim to represent residents should have a mandate to do so and hold accountability to them. I asked him to honour his promise to meet a group of residents. That was 2 weeks ago and no reply.
I'm getting very concerned that our councillors are not really very interested in hearing what the residents think. I'm sending them the final results of the survey tonight. I hope we may all get some response from them. But on past performance, I think it’s a case of don’t hold your breath.
It may be that they do listen, but don’t want to let on that they do. I timed the sending of the interim results so that the councillors had them three days before the recent meeting of the Green Lanes Strategy Group (the most influential council group in Harringay who refuse to publish minutes or any accounting of their activity)., I've been told by a member who attended the group that last week, after 5 years of dodging the issue, there may finally have been agreement to establish a working group to look at Harringay traffic. (why is that so secret they can't publish it on minutes?) Now the fact that this issue came clear number 1 in the survey, may just be a coincidence or maybe they do listen. Either way, I wish they'd tell us something.
Sorry, I digress. Below is Carolyn's response in full (and PS I'm not a member of the Lib Dems and hold no party affiliation):
Hi Hugh,
Please see below for my response:
Satellite dishes - this is a planning issue and we will respond to this on an individual basis where it comes to us through planning. Not all dishes will be subject to planning control.
Traffic - We will support the LCSP call for a holistic review of traffic in Harringay and Green Lanes. We have asked officers to include a review of the crossing at Frobisher road with Green Lanes and Alfoxton avenue in a Sustrans review of Green Lanes and to suggest possible alternatives to improving it. We will continue to ask officers to make this available to local residents to comment on when it is completed through the ward panel and other local residents groups.
Crime (Harringay passage) - will continue to work to raise issues with enforcement where they are brought to our attention and with the SNT.
Cleanliness - Am pursing the council to find a copy of the report on Harringay passage cleaning that the council have agreed to produce. I have also asked for a meeting with the contractors to walk the passage, look at the issues and find a way forward. Karen and I are now doing regular ward walks which include the passage to report dumping and check whether previously reported items have been removed.
Parking bays - I am currently in the process of seeing if a meeting can be set up with officers and representatives to discuss the situation. We need to make sure that this is done on a case by case basis to protect roads from excessive traffic, while preserving the ability of people to access places of worship, schools etc. without impediment.
New CPZ hours - We will continue to raise residents concerns on this
HMO's - we will be carrying out a survey to assist us in locating potential HMO's and to alert enforcement we will continue to press enforcement for greater action where conversion appears to have taken place illegally. We always respond to planning requests in Harringay of this type in the negative as the ladders are a protected area.
Mix of shops - We definitely see Green Lanes as a flourishing family shopping area and keep an eye on all planning developments related to shops in the area to aim to keep a healthy mix. We would like to see something like the initiative of shops in Crouch End to work together as 'green' businesses in Green Lanes and will work with traders on looking at how this might be achieved.
Cycle lane - Will look at the sustrans review when it comes out and seek residents views.
On shop fronts and signs - We will try to organise a walk with neighbourhood management to look at this.
Carolyn
Sadly Carolyn is the only one to have responded to the interim results after 10 days. I met another of the councillors at the check-out queue in Sainsbury's on Sunday (whose name I will withhold out of, perhaps misplaced, tact). This councillor, on being asked if they'd respond, said “well what does the survey tell us that we don't already know?” I'm sorry. I hadn't been aware that they'd previously conducted a survey on PRIORITIES before.
In a recent meeting I had with Councillor Haley he offered to meet myself and a group of residents about the traffic about four weeks ago. Then he changed his mind and said that he was only prepared to meet me on my own as a representative of the residents. (You figure out why – I have my suspicions). I declined, explaining that I held no mandate to act as the residents' representative. I explained that I believed that people who claim to represent residents should have a mandate to do so and hold accountability to them. I asked him to honour his promise to meet a group of residents. That was 2 weeks ago and no reply.
I'm getting very concerned that our councillors are not really very interested in hearing what the residents think. I'm sending them the final results of the survey tonight. I hope we may all get some response from them. But on past performance, I think it’s a case of don’t hold your breath.
It may be that they do listen, but don’t want to let on that they do. I timed the sending of the interim results so that the councillors had them three days before the recent meeting of the Green Lanes Strategy Group (the most influential council group in Harringay who refuse to publish minutes or any accounting of their activity)., I've been told by a member who attended the group that last week, after 5 years of dodging the issue, there may finally have been agreement to establish a working group to look at Harringay traffic. (why is that so secret they can't publish it on minutes?) Now the fact that this issue came clear number 1 in the survey, may just be a coincidence or maybe they do listen. Either way, I wish they'd tell us something.
Sorry, I digress. Below is Carolyn's response in full (and PS I'm not a member of the Lib Dems and hold no party affiliation):
Hi Hugh,
Please see below for my response:
Satellite dishes - this is a planning issue and we will respond to this on an individual basis where it comes to us through planning. Not all dishes will be subject to planning control.
Traffic - We will support the LCSP call for a holistic review of traffic in Harringay and Green Lanes. We have asked officers to include a review of the crossing at Frobisher road with Green Lanes and Alfoxton avenue in a Sustrans review of Green Lanes and to suggest possible alternatives to improving it. We will continue to ask officers to make this available to local residents to comment on when it is completed through the ward panel and other local residents groups.
Crime (Harringay passage) - will continue to work to raise issues with enforcement where they are brought to our attention and with the SNT.
Cleanliness - Am pursing the council to find a copy of the report on Harringay passage cleaning that the council have agreed to produce. I have also asked for a meeting with the contractors to walk the passage, look at the issues and find a way forward. Karen and I are now doing regular ward walks which include the passage to report dumping and check whether previously reported items have been removed.
Parking bays - I am currently in the process of seeing if a meeting can be set up with officers and representatives to discuss the situation. We need to make sure that this is done on a case by case basis to protect roads from excessive traffic, while preserving the ability of people to access places of worship, schools etc. without impediment.
New CPZ hours - We will continue to raise residents concerns on this
HMO's - we will be carrying out a survey to assist us in locating potential HMO's and to alert enforcement we will continue to press enforcement for greater action where conversion appears to have taken place illegally. We always respond to planning requests in Harringay of this type in the negative as the ladders are a protected area.
Mix of shops - We definitely see Green Lanes as a flourishing family shopping area and keep an eye on all planning developments related to shops in the area to aim to keep a healthy mix. We would like to see something like the initiative of shops in Crouch End to work together as 'green' businesses in Green Lanes and will work with traders on looking at how this might be achieved.
Cycle lane - Will look at the sustrans review when it comes out and seek residents views.
On shop fronts and signs - We will try to organise a walk with neighbourhood management to look at this.
Carolyn
Tags for Forum Posts: hol surveys, residents' priorities survey, survey
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by matt on
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> 'Mix of shops' - 'We would like to see something like the initiative of shops in Crouch End to work together as 'green' businesses in Green Lanes and will work with traders on looking at how this might be achieved.'
I'm interested to know what this is about.
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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I find your account of the councillor in the checkout queue extraordinary. What shocking arrogance!
I appreciate that you may not wish to reveal the name in a public forum but I would be grateful if you message me the name of the elected representative in question as it may very well influence where this household puts its X in the next local election and possibly those of others who I speak to.
I would like to say (and I am not a member of any political party or claim a political affiliation, although I always vote since I know my history and do not forget the hard won battles for universal suffrage) that I have been impressed with Carolyn Baker's commitment and energy in local issues and her readiness to engage on the site with residents and make meaningful suggestions for action. This well thought out response is welcome and a shining example to other councillors. They have a lot to learn from her.
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Permalink Reply by Karen Alexander on
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Following on from Carolyn Baker's response to the Residents' Survey I would just like to say that the libdems are united and therefore our response counts for all current and proposed libdem activities. We keep all local residents groups and individual residents informed of our work via email and regular newsletters. If anybody would like to receive text or email updates from us they should email
carolyn.baker@haringeylibdems.org or karen.alexander@haringeylibdems.org with mobile number (for text updates) or email address they want updates sent to.
Residents' views are hugely important to us, surveys like these are useful in finding out what is important to local people. We take all points on board and we will continue to work tirelessly to improve the area for local residents. That's what we we were elected to do and thats why we got involved in local politics in the first place.
Karen Alexander
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Thank you Karen. I kind of thought that you worked asa team but I have mainly dealt with Carolyn over issues. I think by other councillors I was referring to the ones who have been invited to comment on issues relating to accountabilty and openess and whose silence is deafening. Only you and Carolyn have ever answered or posted regularly. Thank you both.
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Permalink Reply by PeterPiper on
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Seconded
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