Lambeth Conservatives

Labour’s Folly

Lambeth Labour has cut “green” initiatives to balance its poor financial bookkeeping. Park Rangers have been cut, tree officer positions left vacant, and dustcart depots placed in residential areas to save face in Labour-held wards. Labour’s commitment to green issues is skin deep.

Conservatives’ Answer

“Conservatives will work to reduce expensive waste-to-landfill by rewarding residents for recycling, rather than adopting the Labour approach of punishing residents for failing to meet obscure targets.”

We will place best environmental practice at the heart of everything that we do. This is not just eco common sense – it is good housekeeping too. Landfill taxes and other expenses are likely to rise in future as central government works to cut harmful emissions and reduce waste.

“We will remove dustcart depots from residential areas.”

In office, we will:

• Protect open land and green spaces as a matter of principle.
• Invest in and enhance parks and open spaces, maintaining boundaries and investing in appropriate lighting. Events in our parks and green spaces are enjoyed by many residents. We also recognise that the larger events can be disruptive to neighbouring residents. Therefore, there will be no increase in the number of events in our parks and green spaces without full consultation with local residents.
• Ensure more toilets are available to the public in Lambeth.
• Work with Park “Friends” groups to ensure that spending is community led.
• Support the London Wildlife Trust Manifesto to ensure that we protect the environment in our borough.
• Remove dustcart depots from residential areas.
• Invest in clean, renewable energies wherever possible. We will work with our schools and statutory partners to maximise available funding to introduce greater fuel economy measures and renewable energy installations.
• Work to cut the amount of waste generated in Lambeth by supporting local residents, the voluntary sector, and businesses to do so.
• Work to increase recycling and reduce expensive waste-to-landfill, including by emulating Conservative councils that have rewarded residents for recycling, rather than adopting the Labour approach of punishing residents for failing to meet obscure targets. (Windsor and Maidenhead, which rewards homes that recycle with vouchers and discounts, has seen recycling rates rise by 30% to 35%).
• Learn from private-sector success stories, whereby companies have achieved zero-net-emissions and zero waste-to-landfill.
• Support the continued free collection of bulky items from households and weekly bin collections.
• Introduce borough wide food waste collection and composting facilities.
• Plant 250 new appropriate trees a year for streets and green spaces. We will improve maintenance of existing trees and encourage citizens to volunteer as tree wardens.
• Increase the number of park rangers and review their remit.
• Seek new allotment space in Lambeth and actively encourage residents and local groups who wish to grow their own food.
• Encourage cycling and safe routes to work or school for all residents who use their bicycles instead of motor vehicles.
• Promote carbon footprint reduction by encouraging owner occupiers to install energy efficient measures in their homes.

To find out more CLICK HERE and download our manifesto (PDF, 9MB)