Lambeth Conservatives

Labour fail to tackle climate change

Labour councillors have failed to take a lead in tackling climate change in Lambeth after sitting on the recommendations of a cross-party report for 9 months.

The Climate Change Commission report was finished in July 2007 and after months of delay it was finally tabled at a Labour Cabinet meeting in January 2008. But even then it was, unusually for a report of this sort, not accompanied by an action plan. Instead the Labour Cabinet members agreed to the report in principle and said it would then produce an action plan in answer to the recommendations.

Since then nothing has happened. Labour leaders have failed to show the strong political leadership needed to push things forward. They must make sure that officers are not simply concerned about protecting their own budgets and departments but encouraged to work across the usual boundaries to get things done.

Clare says: "It is completely unacceptable that Lambeth has failed to agree what it is going to do about climate change following this important report.

"Nine months after the report they haven't even managed to produce a bit of paper, let alone action. Action to tackle climate change is needed NOW. The planet won't stop warming up while Lambeth shunts responsibility between departments. It is a case of Labour fiddling while the planet burns."

Labels: Clare Whelan, Climate change, Environment, Labour Lambeth

Vassall chain saw massacre

As over 40 trees were being felled in Myatt's Fields Park, residents awoke to the cold reality that they'd been hoodwinked by consultants who'd run roughshod over local concerns.

"The council's regeneration scheme for the park has so many things going for it, but the botched consultation left many feeling they'd been hoodwinked into a grandiose scheme that included a chain saw massacre,” says Stuart Barr.

He adds: "The contempt and distrust that so many residents hold for Lambeth's handling of this is extraordinary. What local people needed was a councillor who made sure they were listened to, not simply rubber stamped the demolition."

The future: What's vital now is that the council must listen more to what local people want, be that on parking consultation, or how the regeneration scheme is being monitored. Vassall needs to elect a councillor who's prepared to kick the Council to make sure they serve us, not we serve them.

Don't forget: the tragic truth is that Lambeth chopped down 160 more trees last year than it replanted; that's a small forest – and makes a sick joke of the Labour's attempts to reduce our carbon footprint.

Labels: Environment, Myatt's Fields Park, Parks, Stuart Barr, Trees, Vassall ward

Save our trees!

Fact: Last year Labour felled 298 trees, but replanted only 138

Residents are gobsmacked at new statistics showing how little the council under Labour cares about our environment.

Stuart said: "Trees are such a vital part of our environment. There's no excuse for the council not to replace trees it chops down. They sacked the Park Warden patrols that made our parks safer, now it seems they want to get rid of trees too."

"I'm delighted that they've caved in on retaining some of the healthy trees in the renovation of Myatt's Fields Park that residents wanted kept. But they must not be allowed to rip out our green lungs elsewhere."

Conservatives would:

Guarantee to plant more tree than are removed
Fight against healthy trees being felled from Myatt's Field Park and elsewhere

Labels: Environment, Myatt's Fields Park, Park wardens, Parks, Stuart Barr, Trees