Skate park - Haringey Labour admits to wasting £25,000

1.24.22pm GMT Tue 18th Jul 2006

There was anger with Labour in the council chamber last night, as their environment lead member was forced to admit that £25,000 has been wasted on futile attempts to turn part of Priory Park into a skate park.

Lib Dem councillors have been warning the Labour-run Council for almost a year that the site was unsuitable, and had uncovered that Thames Water had told the council as long ago as February 2005 that the site would not be suitable because of the large open drainage chambers situated beneath the concrete area chosen for the sake park. However, despite repeated warnings and questions at Full Council, Labour denied the problems until recently, when it finally admitted that the plan could not go ahead.

Lib Dem Leader Councillor Neil Williams, who asked the question, comments. "It is shocking that the council has wasted so much money on these plans, despite being told nearly 18 months ago that the idea was not a runner. It shows staggering incompetence."

Local councillor Gail Engert, who has been pressing the council on the issue for months adds:

"All along Labour has been in denial about problems at the site, and has tried every trick in the book to stop local councillors getting involved. If they had listened, they could have saved Haringey council tax payers a great deal of money. They have also paid lip service to the views of local residents, and it is such a shame for falsely raising the hopes of local kids about the future of the site."