We put Haringey Council leader, George Meehan
on the spot
Councillor George Meehan took time out to answer questions from Journal readers...
now it’s our turn to quiz the leader of Haringey Council on some key issues affecting residents of the borough
JOURNAL asks: How worried would you be if someone put a mobile phone mast next to your house?
Councillor Meehan says: "Mobile phones are a fact of life – there are more than 40 million mobile phone users in the country, there has to be a network of masts, and some of those have to be in Haringey.
“There are Government guidelines on this. Currently the position is that when there is a new application for a phone mast we can only consider planning issues. Health worries are a matter for central government, which sets safety standards based on research, and I know that our local MPs have been taking this up. In the meantime, we have said that the phone operators must consult with local people and provide full information. That includes a certificate confirming that emission levels are within the safety levels set by Government.
“In 2005 we had 19 applications for new masts and approved only four, so this is something we take seriously."
JOURNAL asks:Does it bother you that part of the cash needed to build the new school in Wood Green will come from a private purse?
Councillor Meehan says: "The new secondary school will be constructed under the Government’s ‘Building Schools for the Future’ programme – so costs will be met from the public purse.
“However, under new Government rules, there has to be an open competition between organisations who are interested in promoting it. The final decision will be taken by an independent body, the school organisation committee.
“We’ll be putting forward our own plans for a community school.
“What is most important is that the school has high academic standards and it offers its pupils the best opportunities possible.
“We will keep local people informed about how the scheme is progressing. The organisations involved in the competition will be known in early January."
JOURNAL asks:Will you allow Wood Green to become a high-rise, highly-developed area as many residents and campaign groups fear?
 Councillor Meehan says: "It is important that Wood Green continues to develop as an important shopping centre for the borough, creating jobs and prosperity for local people. We also need new homes, including homes for the sons and daughters of local people, as our population continues to grow. Otherwise we will be storing up problems for the future.
“But that doesn’t mean that Haringey is a free-for-all for developers. We have firm policies to make sure that development is appropriate and that any new housing is well-designed and supported by the necessary infrastructure, whether it’s open space, schools and health facilities or transport.
“Planning applications have to be decided on their merits, but that policy gives us the basis we need to reject unsuitable schemes. To give just one example, we recently threw out plans for 97 new homes at Watsons Road, just north of Wood Green bus garage. We will also soon be consulting on detailed planning policies for the Wood Green shopping centre, to make sure that it develops in the way all of us want."
JOURNAL asks:How healthy a chance of survival do you think an arts centre at Hornsey Town Hall will have when faced with the “pleasure palace” proposed for Alexandra Palace and the Bernie Grant Performing Arts Centre in Tottenham? Lauderdale House and Jacksons Lane are also just over a mile away. Can we have too many arts centres?
Councillor Meehan says: "It’s a fair point, which is why I’m pleased that the work put in by the council and the local community partnership board has been thorough, guided by experts, and based on economic reality.
“All of us can think of examples of arts projects that don’t pay their way, and don’t get the audiences in. For Hornsey Town Hall we have clear objectives – to restore and refurbish a building which is important architecturally and for local people as a focal point of the community; to make the most of the site without calling on hard-pressed taxpayers to foot the bill; and to provide new retail and business space as well as arts and community facilities on realistic commercial terms.
“It’s a sensible, phased approach, we don’t have all our eggs in one basket, and I’m confident we can move forward."
JOURNAL asks:Should motorists accept the need for CPZs and Stop and Shop schemes as another tax on the driver, one which makes them in part take responsibility for their choice of transport?
Councillor Meehan says: "Neither the CPZ nor the Stop and Shop schemes should be regarded as a tax on the driver.
“The CPZ schemes are being proposed to allow residents to park close to their own homes without having to compete for spaces with non-residents. They are only being introduced where there is majority support for such a scheme.
“The Stop and Shop schemes are intended to make it far easier for shoppers to park in the main shopping parades of Crouch End and Muswell Hill, where it is currently often difficult to find a parking space. The schemes should also improve the flow of vehicles in both areas.
“The schemes are not a stealth tax, and any surplus revenue raised from them will be ploughed back into highways and transport improvements, which should in fact benefit the motorist.
“We do want to encourage residents to reduce their car use as part of our wide-ranging and long-term commitment to cutting carbon emissions in the borough."
JOURNAL asks:Do Anti-Social Behaviour Orders work?
Councillor Meehan says: "Used wisely and judiciously, ASBOs support communities in dealing with anti-social behaviour. We aim to strike a balance between prevention, mediation and enforcement. This careful balance brings results for us in Haringey. We rarely seek ASBOs and where we do this is only after all other attempts to intervene have failed. “Other intervention measures we use successfully include voluntary Acceptable Behaviour Contracts, mediation, and support to families or individuals where their behaviour may be related to drink, drugs, mental health problems or family crisis. For this reason the number of ASBOs applied for in Haringey remains low, with only 17 issued in three and a half years. “Remember too, most of our ASBOs are obtained against adults and not young people. “Clearly, ASBOs can only be effective if targeted at the right cases to protect the community. They must be monitored to ensure compliance and any breaches must be addressed and prosecutions take place. In Haringey only four ASBOs have been breached. Three offenders received custodial sentences as a result. The offenders in the fourth case are missing. Following prosecution, none of these offenders has subsequently breached their ASBO. “In view of the above, ASBOs have been an effective tool for Haringey but are used only as a last resort."
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