Dear All,
You might be aware that the Local Government Boundaries Commission is reviewing the Haringey Ward boundaries, and as part of the process Haringey Council have submitted their recommendations, which has been reported in today's Ham & High. The article incorrectly states that the proposals from the Local Boundary Commission will be published next week (this is incorrect, as the LGBCE has postponed the publishing until after the EU elections).
However, importantly for Alexandra Ward, Haringey Council's proposal is to abolish Alexandra Ward and merge the East into Bounds Green and the West into a new Muswell Hill East ward. The Council's proposals means the Triangle, Albert Rec, Tunnel Gardens/Bidwell Gardens and the north half of Palace Gates Road would become part of the new Bounds Green Ward, and the rest will be Muswell Hill East. According to the Council's submission "The council believes voters in Alexandra have more in common with those in Bounds Green due to the Tube stations."
The Haringey LibDems submission to the consultation was to keep Alexandra Ward with some minor changes to the ward.
the Local Government Boundary Commission will publish its draft recommendations at the end of May (28th of May), and then there will be opportunity for local residents, residents groups, etc., to make comments on the potential changes. Once the option for consultation goes live, we will be sharing with everyone the opportunity to make comments. Website HERE
Replies
Dear All,
The local boundaries commission have now published their recommendations for Haringey. As per the original post, Alexandra ward would be removed, with part of it merging into Bounds Green, and the remainder into a new Muswell Hill North (which stretches all of the way from Coldfall Woods to Alexandra Palace Station.
I have also included the link here to the consultation documents - Haringey Boundaries
We will be opposing these proposals and are currently working on alternative plans to see what we can do to retain a Alexandra Ward.
As mentioned in the most recent Alexandra Park Neighbours newsletter, there will be a public meeting on 10th July, and we will also be there to hear peoples views and feedback.
All the best
Nick
Thought I would share the map that has been proposed.
You can see from below that essentially the entire triangle area gets aborbed into Bounds Green - with the boundary being the back of Alexandra Park Road to the south, and Tunnell Gardens / Blake Road / Wroxam Gardens to the north.
Alexandra Park School, the Golf Course, Pinkham Way, Rhodes Primary School would all fall into “Muswell Hill North”
I will see you all on 8th of June.
Can I suggest we meet at Sweet Tree bakery on Saturday 8th June at 10.30am to plan how we are going to respond to this.
The recommendations of the Bounday Commission on 28th May are here:
Yes, I'm very happy to meet on Saturday 8th to discuss how to proceed.
I'd also be worried about the possible risk to public services of abolishing Alexandra Ward. As I understand it, Alexandra Park Library would end up in the new Muswell Hill East ward. Muswell Hill already has a library so would that mean that one or other of them could be undermined/closed, depending on how wards influence allocation of public funds?
Good point!
There's an old anarchist slogan: "If voting changed anything, they'd abolish it". It looks like the council wants to demonstrate the truth of this. In the last 3 local elections Alexandra had the highest turnout of any ward in the borough if I've got the figures right. And seats change hands - unlike most places. In 2010 a Green candidate only missed a seat by about 120 votes. Whatever you think of the various candidates' politics, this looks seriously like a functioning democracy, rather than the kind of sown-up political turf which suits people in power. Votes in Alexandra actually matter (and I have changed the way I vote on occasions).
There is also an administrative issue for our organisations like residents associations, supporters of various services, liaison with police safer neighbourhoods team and so on. Over the last 20 years people in the area north of the park have worked hard together on keeping up a sense of community, and trying to deal with problems like traffic and transport - we have our local fete, street parties and community gardening etc. Our situation between the park and the railway actually makes this area a particularly coherent community on the ground. The boundary proposal involves breaking up this area between two wards, meaning two different sets of councillors to try to involve in our issues. And in the past we have had strong and very welcome support from councillors of both main parties to our community efforts, through contributions from the ward budget they administer, and pursuit of issues like station staffing. We shouldn't let these strengths be diluted. The council bureaucracy (or whoever) seems entirely insensitive to these aspects of the life in the borough.
Thank you Alex. Very well said!
This has upset my Monday! I’ve lived in Alexandra Ward in Outram Road for 38 years and my community is Alexandra community. Yes I relate to Bounds Green and Muswell Hill as well but not in the same way.
We are a large ward so why do we need to be subsumed into one or other of the other two wards? It sounds undemocratic to me. We need our own Councillors to represent us.
I will definitely protest against this.
Katie
Hi Katie,
completely agree with you, and sorry to have upset your Monday.
We were incandescent when we saw the plans; Alexandra Ward has existed since around 1902 (could be 1901), and is one of the oldest wards in continuous existence.
Alexxandra ward has a distinct and historic identity, and residents of Alexandra have a distinct identity and need and deserve representation, and not be subsumed into other wards. The proposal of a Muswell Hill that stretches from the Highgate Woods to Palace Gates Road makes no sense. The Triangle being annexed into Bounds Green makes equally no sense either.
The moment the Commission’s plans are published (fingers crossed Alex remains) we will then mobilise!
best wishes
nick
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