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Green Opposition criticises Council’s weak progress on affordable housing
The Opposition Group is bringing a motion to the Richmond Council meeting on 2 December, pushing the Council to invest in more truly affordable homes, such as social rented. Data from the GLA shows that: This is despite opportunities for the Council to do so, including at Twickenham Riverside, which has just had another planning application for the site approved. In the officers’ report on the application,…
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Thames river basin has the worst water quality in the UK
The results of the Great UK WaterBlitz, a survey of the health of rivers and streams in the UK carried out by volunteers under the aegis of the charity Earthwatch UK, have just been published – and, for local residents, they make grim reading. The data suggest that the Thames river basin area has the…
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Hue and cry over spilt coffee, bin threats and Richmond Station Cycle Hub
Richmond has been in the news a lot this week – but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. The first story to hit the news was about the heavy-handed action of enforcement officers pursuing a woman over some spilt coffee, on the grounds (no pun intended) that all our street drainage goes into local waterways,…
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Andrée Frieze’s statement on the Heaton Park Synagogue attack in Manchester
“As both a fellow Jew and the leader of the Opposition on Richmond Council I am horrified by the terrorist attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Yom Kippur. “My heart is broken by the death of two of the congregants, Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, may their memories be a blessing. I…
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Greens in the room make a difference
Tribune 453 (published on 11 July) included an article on the Full Council meeting of 8 July. It was a balanced and fair assessment of the current dynamics of local politics, concluding with the paragraph: “The Liberal Democrats remain dominant, but their appetite for bold decisions is visibly limited. The Greens, though small in number, continue to…
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Cllr Andrée Frieze to step down at next May’s Council elections
Green Party councillor for Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside, Andrée Frieze, has decided not to stand for re-election in next year’s local elections. Andrée was first elected in 2018 in Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside and then again in 2022, when the Green Group became the only Opposition on the Council. Andrée became Opposition Leader…
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Richmond and Twickenham Greens congratulate Zack Polanski, Mothin Ali and Rachel Millward on recent leadership elections
Member of the London Assembly Zack Polanski was recently elected the new leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. Deputy Leader of Richmond and Twickenham Greens and South Richmond Councillor Chas Warlow told Nub News: “We fully support Zack as the new leader of the Green Party of England & Wales. We also…
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Shutting Twickenham Police Station’s front desk shocks Green councillors
The closure of the 24/7 front counter at Twickenham Police Station has shocked local Green councillors, who form the Opposition on Richmond Council. Deputy Leader of the Opposition Chas Warlow said: “We’re very concerned to hear about the closure of the front desk at Twickenham Police Station, which reduces still further the presence of the…
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Council must demonstrate its ambitions through actions as well as words
Highlights from a review of Richmond’s recent Full Council meeting on 8th July in the Twickenham Tribune include: “The most pointed challenge came from Green councillor Chas Warlow, who asked how the Council’s public commitment to democratic values aligned with its opaque decision-making around the Pensford Field lease. The decision was made in a private…
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Greens challenge rising “car-spreading” as Lib Dems block SUV parking-charge motion
The Opposition Green Party councillors took on the surge of oversized, high-polluting vehicles at Full Council on 8 July 2025, urging Richmond Council to introduce parking charges that reflect a car’s size and emissions. The Green motion – proposed by Cllr Caroline Wren and seconded by Cllr Andrée Frieze – asked officers to design a…