The Twickenham and Richmond Tribune is to be congratulated on being the only media outlet that follows Council proceedings with the interest it deserves and needs. However, the article by James Knight in Tribune edition 488 [1] is misdirected and lacking in background information.
The implication in the article is that the Opposition on Richmond Council has failed to hold the Liberal Democrat administration to account on key issues such as affordable housing provision. This is simply misleading and untrue. We have frequently brought up this Liberal Democrat administration’s failure to ensure a sufficient supply of affordable housing in the borough. We have gone further than mere criticism: we have consistently provided suggestions and proposals, several of which have been adopted by the LibDems, including:
- Direct investment – after a 20-year absence – in our own housing stock;
- Feasibility studies on maximising housing on council owned sites – such as under-utilised buildings or car parks, now adopted for one of the key sites;
- More social rent homes in developments already underway, such as Twickenham Riverside.
Green councillors have also been instrumental in:
- Pushing the developer of the Stag Brewery site to offer an increase of affordable housing from 7 to 12% on this £800m site, the biggest in Richmond;
- Urging a fast-track process for affordable housing on major development sites.
Mr Knight is quite right to highlight the questions asked by the public at Full Council meetings – public participation in our democracy is absolutely vital in order to keep it alive –but we believe that the function of the Opposition is to go further than pointing out a problem.
The Green Party in Opposition has done things differently: we’ve offered constructive criticism, provided a voice for residents when they are not being listened to, and persuaded the administration to be more ambitious in their aims. Indeed, it is the Opposition who have frequently encouraged members of the public to ask the very questions at Full Council that Mr Knight uses in support of his headline argument. The Green Party in Opposition has also consistently challenged the Liberal Democrat administration when it has been sorely lacking in transparency: think of the Pools on the Park health suite removal, the Pensford Field lease debacle and the bizarre decision to remove the Teddington Cemetery allotments.
Mr Knight’s article also rightly praised the questions asked by members of the public on disability issues but he forgot to point out the budget amendments (inspired by discussions with disabled residents) proposed by the Green Party to provide more blue badge bays in Council car parks and to install a “Changing Places” disabled toilet in Richmond town centre (proposals rejected out of hand by the Liberal Democrats). The Greens have also highlighted the discrepancy between the treatment of working age adults receiving social care, togetherwith the high non-residential care contribution charges for those only on benefits.
Greens in the room also pushed the Liberal Democrats to consult on a new Transport Strategy for the borough, replacing one that was out of date and unworkable, given the large-scale developments planned for Richmond. Green Party councillors helped residents to bring a petition to the Council of over 1,400 signatures on tackling transport issues surrounding the new developments in Mortlake.
Other successes include tackling anti-social behaviour, initially downplayed by the Lib Dems, who failed to appreciate the blight on communities living with long-standing anti-social behaviour issues; the reversal of cuts to youth and children’s services; and helping those with unclaimed council tax discounts and exemptions get fair treatment – in this last case, urging the Lib Dems to be more proactive and avoid taking costly legal action against them.
If residents of Richmond borough want constructive politics for people and the environment that work to solve problems rather than scoring political points, whether in power or in opposition, they must vote Green at the upcoming elections. Despite being small in number, we have built a track record of achieving gains for the residents of Richmond: we’ve stood up for the most disadvantaged residents and we’ve pushed the Council to do better. While we’ve supported the positive direction of the Liberal Democrat administration, we’ve opposed its lack of transparency. We’ve earned the right to your vote.
