LONDON GREEN PARTY MAYOR & ASSEMBLY MANIFESTO 2016 - Sian ...
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R o f g o o d i d e a s
THE POWE
D O N G R E E N P A R T Y
LON MAYOR & A ESTO 2016
S S E M B LY M A N IF
co-operatives and smaller companies not
big developers, funding experts to help
communities defend their estates and
helping private tenants with rent controls
and a renters’ union so they can organise
and stand together.
We will create better jobs by supporting
new, green and small businesses and make
sure more workers win fair wages. We
will save lives and set an example to the
world by cleaning up our air and creating
a network of better green spaces, and by
reducing our waste and impact on climate
change.
We will make London a better place to live
by reducing traffic, improving public trans-
port and helping people walk and cycle on
safe streets to nearby shops and services.
We will restore trust in the police by
The power of good ideas working with citizens to rethink their prior-
ities, and we will work to protect London’s
For the first time in history over half the
health services from privatisation and cuts.
world lives in cities, and there is no better
city to start changing the world than Above all we will make sure City Hall listens
London. to Londoners and involves them more
directly in the decisions that affect our city.
We have a rich history of change and
invention and our eight million people are The new Mayor and Assembly elected in
bursting with ideas to solve our problems. 2016 must take the first important steps
This Green Party manifesto sets out plans towards a better future for all our people.
for the Mayor and Assembly that build on We can do that, and build on sixteen years
these ideas. of effective work by Green Assembly
Members in City Hall, if you help elect more
Greens put fairness at the heart of all
Greens on 5th May.
our policies: building more homes with
SIAN BERRY,
GREEN CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR
Chapters
1. Action on housing 4
2. Transport that works 8
3. Air pollution and public health 12
4. Jobs and businesses 16
5. Policing and communities 20
6. Equality and diversity 26
7. Our city’s environment 30
8. Energy and climate change 34
9. Giving Londoners a voice 36
Cover: Sian Berry, Green candidate for Mayor of London, with Shahrar Ali and Caroline Russell, candidates for the London Assembly
Our KEY POLICIES FOR LONDON
Real Action On Housing Transport that works
200,000 new homes, half of them built affordably Fair fares for commuters, with lower costs for
by councils, smaller developers, communities and outer London, flat fares by 2025 and change
housing associations. between buses, tubes and trains at no extra cost.
Renters’ rights supported, with a London Renters Fair charges for motoring, to reduce congestion
Union and a push for rent controls. and pollution and help pay for improvements to
public transport.
No more estate demolitions, with practical help for
residents to make alternative plans. People-friendly streets, with big ticket projects in
every borough to support walking and cycling.
End rough sleeping, with places for at least 2,000
former rough sleepers and people moving on from Bring privatised trains back into public hands
hostels in our housing plans. under the wing of Transport for London.
Cut Deadly Air Pollution A Greener London
End the crisis of filthy air, bringing pollution below
No new runways at Heathrow or Gatwick and
legal limits by 2020 at the latest.
close City Airport to build a new quarter for London.
Get the most polluting vehicles off the road, and
A not-for-profit London Energy Company to
switch all buses and taxis to zero emissions.
compete with the ‘Big 6’ and power Crossrail.
Tell Londoners the truth, with clear, consistent
More than half of London to be green space, to
warnings about polluted air days.
support access to nature, growing food locally and
reduce flood risks.
Stronger businesses and more jobs
Create a Bank for London to support small Education, Skills And The Arts
businesses and the local economy.
Stop the loss of arts and music venues, particu-
Fight for the London Living Wage for the one in larly through the use of planning powers.
five working Londoners who are still paid less.
Rewrite the London Curriculum to support a
Protect independent businesses, particularly from broader range of subjects including arts and tech
soaring rents and unchecked regeneration. skills.
Better part-time jobs, with 1,000 new employers Create at least 150,000 high-quality apprentice-
signing up to truly flexible working. ships.
Policing AND The Community
Focus more police time on community policing, Giving Londoners A Voice
tackling hate crime and supporting young people. Bring Londoners into City Hall’s decision making
and kick out big business lobbyists.
Involve communities in addressing extremism,
rethinking the flawed and discriminatory Prevent Gain more powers for London to decide its own
strategy. taxes, policies and services.
Achieve ambitious diversity targets and gender Campaign to keep the UK in the European Union.
equality in the police, and introduce name-blind
recruitment across London.
action on
H o u s i n g
Greens on the London Assembly have already:
A decent, affordable home is a basic
• Helped establish the first major community-led housing
human right and should be at the project at St Clement’s in Tower Hamlets, ensuring the
heart of any civilised city. However, Mayor provided them with the land.
London’s housing is in crisis. • Supported council tenants in stopping or changing plans to
Most young people can’t buy their demolish their homes, including residents of the Heygate
estate in Southwark, the West Kensington and Gibbs Green
own home and millions of us pay a estates in Earls Court, North Tottenham estates in Haringey
huge proportion of our wages in rent. and Cressingham Gardens in Lambeth.
A city that is affordable only for the • Secured £5 million for community groups to bring empty
homes back into use, helping homeless people learn new
very well off is a broken city. skills and develop homes at affordable rents.
The Green Party will set up a not-for-profit
housing company to help Londoners take
the lead on building affordable homes and
regenerating our estates. Greens in City Hall will:
We will use City Hall money and public land
to support residents in planning their own CREATE a not-for-profit housing company
regeneration projects and to create a more Leaving housing to the big developers
diverse, public, private and co-operative and investors clearly isn’t working. Our
sector for new homes on smaller sites. plans will enable a wider range of smaller
We will make sure new housing is built companies, co-ops, community land trusts
to the highest environmental standards, and individual self-builders to be involved
making them warmer and cheaper to run. in the development of the vast amount of
And we will insulate older homes to the public land under City Hall’s control. This
same standards. will improve the speed of delivery of new
homes as well as pioneering new ways of
We will shake up the private rented sector providing real affordability.
by setting up a renters’ union to help
tenants help themselves against rogue We will set up a not-for-profit housing
landlords and lettings agents, and we’ll set company for London.
annual figures for a living rent for students The housing company will:
and private tenants to help us all campaign
for the power to control rents. • Create a new People’s Housing Precept,
replacing the existing Olympic Precept
4 London Green Party Manifesto 2016
from 2017, using an increase in council
tax to create a fund to invest in new EXPOSED: PLANS
homes and community-led housing TO CUT 7,000
projects.
COUNCIL HOMES
• Establish a People’s Land Commission,
making more public land available to Darren Johnson AM
community-led housing projects and has exposed that
using compulsory purchase powers to plans to regenerate
help them assemble other sites ready estates across
for development. London will lead to
the loss of more than
• Provide a Community Homes Unit of 7,000 council homes.
experts in planning and project devel-
opment in City Hall to help communities Figures from the
and small builders develop their plans. Mayor obtained by Assembly candidate Jennifer Nadal supporting
Darren show that residents of the threatened Silchester Esttate
• Offer residents a ‘Right to Regenerate’, estate regeneration
giving them the chance to take schemes will result in the loss of 1,389 affordable homes and
control of regeneration in their area by 7,326 social rented homes. These are all plans to demolish
developing their own Neighbourhood and redevelop estates that have been given planning permis-
Plan and establishing a community-led sion already by councils and the Mayor.
company to realise their plans.
Darren says: “Under the cover of tired stereotypes about sink
• Aim to provide 200,000 homes by 2020, estates, the Mayor is whittling away homes that are affordable
with 50,000 new homes a year created to Londoners. He talks up the new homes being built, without
through a combination of new-build and mentioning all those he is knocking down at the same time.
redeveloping empty properties.
“Almost without exception, estate regeneration has been a
SET UP A London Renters Union complete disaster in London and made our housing crisis
worse.”
More than two million Londoners are
private renters and they currently get a raw • Support renters taking legal action
deal. High rents, insecure tenancies and against private landlords with advice
poor conditions are a normal part of life services, a guide to their rights and
for far too many. We will comprehensively signposting to other agencies that can
reform the private rental sector to reduce help them.
rents, make renters more secure in their
homes and protect them from exploitation. • Establish and support local groups
exposing wrongdoing and prompting
We will support renters’ organisations local authority enforcement action, for
by helping to establish a London Renters example undertaking ‘secret shopping’
Union with core costs and office space exercises to identify those lettings
funded by City Hall but with the union agents not complying with laws relating
operating entirely independently of the to fees or uncovering racial discrimina-
GLA, which it will also need to lobby and tion against tenants.
influence.
• Set up a Londonwide landlord register,
The union could: working with accreditation schemes,
• Work with the Mayor and London borough licensing schemes and tenants
Assembly to lobby for radical reforms, to establish a database of landlords and
giving the Mayor the power to bring in campaign for mandatory licensing of
rent controls and require more stable all landlords. The database could also
tenancy agreements. include a blacklist of rogue landlords.
Chapter 1 Action on housing 5
Plan for genuinely affordable homes an adequate Statement of Community
We will bring Londoners into City Hall Involvement, giving residents a genuine
to rewrite the London Plan, which has opportunity to co-produce any plans. No
become a charter for bad developers. This estate will be demolished without the
will give citizens’ groups a real opportunity genuine consent of its current residents,
to shape the future of development. and the Community Homes Unit will
provide support to residents who wish
We will: to take over their estate through their
Right to Regenerate.
• Set targets for new homes of different
tenures based on need, supporting • Introduce new policies on taller build-
our aim of building 50,000 homes a ings, which can provide new homes and
year and include at least 16,000 social office space but must be located in the
rented homes and 10,000 low-cost right places. Stronger planning rules are
rented and ownership homes in the needed so that they play a positive role,
target. both practically and visually, in London’s
development and include street level
• Produce a usable definition of London
amenities in their plans.
affordable housing, ensuring that no
‘affordable’ home costs more than • Make sure the new London Plan
a renter’s or buyer’s income can includes affordable homes for people
realistically support. This will include a at all stages of their lives, including
definition of a ‘living rent’. Lifetime Homes so older people can
stay in their homes as their needs
• Publish detailed supplementary
change and making sure 10 per cent of
guidance on viability, which includes
new homes are wheelchair accessible.
measuring the value of land at its
existing use and accounting for exces-
sive land prices; removing any default Eliminate homelessness
or minimum profit level; requiring devel- The Government’s policies mean more and
opers to publish their assessments in more people in London are living without
full and with a non-technical summary; proper homes in temporary accommoda-
and setting up an expert unit in City Hall tion or on the streets. Rough sleeping has
to scrutinise applications and support unacceptably doubled in London in recent
borough planners. years. We have policies to help deal with
the causes of homelessness and we will
• Develop better policies for major also provide greater direct support to deal
regeneration projects by supporting with this immediate and growing crisis.
neighbourhood plans, providing the
community with financial support We will:
and giving expert advice through our
• Make sure London has a ‘housing first’
not-for-profit housing company and
approach to end rough sleeping and
Community Homes Unit.
include places for at least 2,000 former
• Introduce planning policy requiring any rough sleepers and people moving
regeneration of council or housing asso- on from hostels in our housing plans,
ciation estates to have a comprehen- together with support for the private
sive, independent analysis carried out rental sector with deposits and advice.
of the social, environmental (including
• Offer the services of our not-for-profit
embodied carbon) and economic
housing company to self-help co-oper-
benefits of all possible options, which
atives, which can work with homeless
will always include refurbishment and
people to bring empty homes back into
regeneration. Landlords must set out
use and help them house themselves.
6 London Green Party Manifesto 2016
• Set up a Homelessness Board in City
Hall, bringing in public services such as community homes
the NHS, London Councils, the Metro-
Both Ken Livingstone
politan Police and specialist services to
and Boris Johnson
ensure a more joined-up approach is
promised to provide
offered for pathways out of homeless-
land for a Community
ness, particularly for those with multiple
Land Trust. But both
needs to make sure they do not slip
dodged this commit-
through the cracks.
ment, preferring to
sell land to the highest Residents on the West Kensington and
• Make sure our housing policies
Gibbs Green estates putting together plans.
form part of an integrated London bidder. That usually
strategy for improved mental health. meant big developers.
Overcrowding and poor or precarious
So Green Assembly Member Jenny Jones worked closely with
living conditions can lead to illness, and
London Citizens over several years to force Boris Johnson to
people with mental health problems are
honour his promise. She lobbied the Mayor to ensure the East
too often left to fall into homelessness.
London Community Land Trust could establish itself at the St
• Back a new law to prevent people Clements site in Tower Hamlets. Jenny also pursued Boris over
on the streets being turned away by his promise for a Community Land Trust on the Olympic Park.
councils and extending the City Hall ‘No
Our idea of a Community Homes Unit comes from Jenny and
First Night Out’ scheme, with more GLA
Darren Johnson working with groups like West Kensington and
buildings and land used for emergency
Gibbs Green Community Homes, who want to take over their
shelters particularly in the winter
estate, and Self-help housing, who help homeless people bring
months.
empty homes back into use and rent them.
• Lobby London boroughs and the
With a Green Mayor, this unit would help transform the way we
Government to protect homelessness
build homes and communities in London.
funding and press for the London
Councils grant scheme to be taken over
• Set up a task force to review the impact
by City Hall to protect essential services
of the Immigration Bill on Londoners.
that operate across multiple boroughs.
• Petition the government to recognise
• Increase support for asylum seekers
the unique needs of housing in London
and EU migrants at risk of destitution
and reverse the harmful measures in
and homelessness who have very little
the Immigration Bill.
access to statutory help with housing or
benefits, campaigning for more devolu-
tion of funds and increased aid via the
GIVE A fair start TO students in London
European Union. Eight out of ten students worry about
making ends meet. Student rents are
guarantee housing for all communities soaring with London by far the most expen-
sive region of the UK. We are not serving
The impact of the Immigration Bill risks
our valuable young citizens well when they
severely constraining access to housing for
are faced with such a high cost of living.
people receiving benefits and for migrants
and their children. We must avoid creating We will:
an underclass of renters based on employ-
• Commission work to produce an annual
ment status, nationality or ethnicity.
London figure for a ‘Student Living Rent’
We will: and then work with universities and
colleges to make sure at least 50 per
• Create an anonymous hotline for renters
cent of rooms in their halls of residence
to report discrimination.
are available at that rate or lower.
Chapter 1 Action on housing 7
TRA N S P O R T T H AT
W O R KS
Londoners need to be able to get
around easily on a transport system Greens on the London Assembly have already:
that is fairly priced and works for • Tripled the cycling budget and introduced plans for cycle
hire and cycle superhighways.
everyone. Our streets are not just for
travelling on but for spending time • Provided crucial support to campaigns that scrapped a
motorway bridge over the Thames and a third runway at
in, visiting shops, sitting, playing and Heathrow.
getting exercise.
• Started a smarter travel unit to support people swapping
Greens will prioritise investment in walking, their car for the bus or bike.
cycling and public transport to help people
• Worked with bus campaigners to force Transport for London
out of car dependency. Our policies won’t
to publish a comprehensive bus safety plan, including a
create new traffic or make air pollution and
whistleblower scheme.
congestion worse.
Cities such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam
• Achieve flat fares by 2025. By freezing
chose to take a more liveable path many
and cutting outer London fares and
years ago and have reaped the benefits.
letting other fares rise in line with
Their leaders had the vision to make funda-
inflation we can achieve flat fares and a
mental changes and now these cities have
single zone for all of London.
healthier streets and people, backed by
huge public support. • Create a new ‘ONE Ticket’ so you pay to
get where you are going, not each stage
We can do the same in London by having
of the journey, changing between any
the courage to make the right choices now.
buses, trains and tubes along the way.
Greens in City Hall will: • Ensure fair treatment of part-time
workers with a lower rate for daily
Bring in fair fares for everyone pay-as-you-go caps to match the
It’s not fair that people in outer London pay savings made on monthly travelcards.
so much more to get to work or that part- • Integrate payments for bike hire and
time workers pay more per day than those car clubs with public transport to
using monthly travelcards. And it’s not make registration an automatic part
fair that if you need to take two buses, or of the system. Bike hire will be free
change from a bus to the tube on the way with a Freedom Pass or 60+ card and
you pay more than one fare for one journey. discounted with Zip cards.
We will:
Reduce traffic and pollution
• Cut the number of zones to four next
year, with savings for everyone currently We need to renew the creaking 13-year-old
in zones 3-6. Congestion Charge. Experts and industry
8 London Green Party Manifesto 2016
agree that London needs a new, smart
road-charging system covering the whole FAIR FARES AND
city, which rewards drivers who avoid rush ONE ZONE FOR
hour and the busiest roads. We also need
much faster ways of reducing air pollution. LONDON
This means extending plans for the new London’s transport
Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). isn’t serving everyone
We will start consulting on the develop- equally. At stations
ment of these new measures straight after across London, hard-
the election in May. Meanwhile we will take pressed commuters
immediate steps to improve our existing are backing our plan to
efforts to reduce traffic and pollution. With flatten the fare zones and let everyone change between buses,
new policies to discourage unnecessary trains and tubes without paying extra.
journeys, particularly commuting by car, we Our fares plan is fully costed and will be a better deal for
will also raise funds to pay for lower fares Londoners across our city, helping people on low pay and part-
and investment in better alternatives. time workers as well as everyone in outer London.
We will: Read more about our fares policy and see how much you
would save here: sianberry.london/fairfares
• Begin consultation on a replacement
for the Congestion Charge to cover the
rate for outer London, to help reduce
whole of London and based on three
the impact of car commuting and
key principles: levels of pollution from
encourage workplace travel plans and
the vehicle, the distance driven and the
car-sharing schemes.
time of day and type of road used.
• Recognising that taxis help fill the gaps
• Clean up our air with a stronger,
in public transport and reduce the need
Londonwide ULEZ, developed alongside
to own a car., we value London’s black
the new congestion charging scheme
taxis, which provide a well-regulated,
to start in 2019 at the latest. The two
quality service. We will take steps to
schemes could be merged or imple-
regulate the growing number of private
mented separately, and it is likely we
hire vehicles, while promoting ways for
shall need to exclude the most polluting
people to make shared journeys and
vehicles from our city entirely, not
more efficient use of those vehicles.
simply charge them more. This issue
will be a key part of our consultation
with the public and public health Invest in transport for a better future
experts. We will cancel plans for new road-building
schemes, including river crossings and new
• Work with London boroughs to increase road tunnels. Instead, our investment plans
car club parking to match the potential will be for new river crossings for people
for these services. We will aim for one on foot, bikes and public transport. We will
million car club members by 2020. reduce the impact of traffic by investing in
• Push for more freight and waste to be Londonwide improvements in walking and
shipped on rivers and canals, protecting cycling, buses, trams, tubes and trains.
them from property development and
creating a strategy for carrying more People-friendly streets See more of our
deliveries, parcels and post by bike. We will: comprehensive
• By 2018, introduce a levy on workplace policies to reduce
• Ensure we have people-friendly street
parking spaces, with higher rates for air pollution in
projects in every London borough to
central and inner London and a lower Chapter 3.
support better local town and village
Chapter 2 Transport that works 9
centres. These will be led by local • Incentivise City Hall and Transport for
communities who want to see the London staff to walk and cycle to work
benefits of reduced traffic levels. Each as often as possible.
borough would receive a similar level of
funding to the current ‘mini-Hollands’. Public transport
• Fully implement Healthy Streets and We will:
Lifetime Neighbourhoods principles • Review the long-term infrastructure
in all aspects of London’s spatial plan to 2050, ensuring more investment
and transport planning. This includes is made in new rail links, trams, light
making sure streets have places to stop rail services and rapid bus routes to
and rest, find shade and enjoy pleasant improve connectivity.
surroundings, as well as providing good
access on foot and by bike. • Increase bus capacity on overcrowded
routes and ensure capacity on the wider
• Introduce funding for better street play network grows to meet demand. Use
areas for young people, with rat-running detailed data, working with bus, taxi and
reduced by closing off roads, and technology firms to explore where new
parklets and play streets for communi- routes are needed.
ties that want them.
• Support new public transport projects
Cycling and walking infrastructure with strong local campaigns behind
them, including the Sutton tram exten-
• Complete Transport for London’s current
sion, the Bakerloo line extension and an
cycling vision and superhighway plans.
Overground link from Barking to Abbey
• Increase funding for major cycling Wood.
projects and ensure they are all of a
• Support Crossrail 2 in principle but
high quality, with safe junctions and
work to ensure that the route and new
segregated space, so that Londoners of
stations are in the best position for as
all ages can cycle safely.
many Londoners as possible to benefit.
• Support major walking and cycling
• Take all privatised commuter rail
infrastructure projects, such as the
services under Transport for London’s
planned pedestrian/cycle bridge from
wing, running them for the public
Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf.
good not private profit. Increase the
• Bring in ‘Car-Free Sundays’, starting frequency and quality of services with
with an expanding area of the West End, new investment, particularly on orbital
and encourage all London boroughs to routes to help reduce the need to travel
follow suit in their town centres. by car in outer London.
• Permanently remove motor vehicles
Better access for all
from Oxford Street as soon as possible.
• Expand the Cycle Hire scheme and test We will:
the viability of expanding it into outer • Immediately review bus driver training
London boroughs or creating new town with the involvement of older and
centre hubs. disabled people’s groups to address
issues of poor driving and behaviour
• Expand cycle training in schools and towards people with disabilities.
prioritise improvements to the road
network around them to enable 100,000 • Ensure all buses have the best possible
more children to cycle to school. access, including working with bus
manufacturers and making procurement
10 London Green Party Manifesto 2016decisions by working closely with older
people, parents and disabled people’s REDUCING BUS DANGER
organisations to maximise access for
Assembly Members achieve more
people of all ages and needs.
by working with communities and
• Commission an independent audit campaigners. Darren Johnson
of ways to improve accessibility on AM has worked closely with
the tube and rail networks. Too many campaigners like crash survivor
projects to provide step-free access at Tom Kearney to improve the safety
stations are currently on hold simply of buses for pedestrians and
due to cost. We will make the case for passengers. Bus safety campaigner Tom
the social value of these schemes and Kearney with Green Assembly
Their first small victory was candidate Caroline Russell
build a new investment programme.
persuading Transport for London to
open the bus fleet up to a whistleblower scheme called CIRAS,
Reduce danger on our streets already used by train operators. It will let bus drivers raise
We will: safety concerns anonymously.
• Introduce a 20mph default speed limit In February, a comprehensive bus safety plan followed. This
on all Transport for London roads, includes new technology to improve braking and limit bus
including red routes where people live, speeds on 20mph roads. Bus contracts will include incentives
work and shop. The new speed limit to improve safety. TfL will also be much more transparent
will be properly enforced with average about safety statistics, and about collision investigations.
speed cameras.
• Reinstate the road user hierarchy, • Install countdown signals at all major
putting pedestrians and those with disa- junctions and review traffic lights to
bilities at the top and private car travel ensure pedestrians and cyclists have
at the bottom of priorities for schemes enough time to cross.
such as junction improvements. • Introduce a rush hour construction lorry
• Update and improve London’s Transport ban (as a condition of planning and
Health Action Plan and ensure that safe effectively enforced), and a rush hour
and healthy travel is a key goal of all our HGV ban, implemented by amending
transport plans. existing planning restrictions on delivery
times working with businesses, local
• Support the extension of the Confiden- communities and the boroughs.
tial Incident Reporting and Analysis
System (CIRAS) to coaches and heavy • From 2016 ensure all GLA Group
goods vehicles in London (see box). procurement insists on direct vision
cabs and HGV safety technology,
• Develop the use of speed limiters and extending this by 2018 to all lorries
journey data recorders on all vehicles operating in London.
working for Transport for London.
• Risk assess regulated routes for HGVs
• Increase and improve traffic law in London to minimise danger on side
enforcement, including training of police roads and back streets.
and TfL staff and monitor the impact of
transport law enforcement on people • Support the London Freight Enforce-
walking and cycling. Work to treat ment Partnership to take dangerous
dangerous and careless driving offences lorries off our streets. All HGV operators
that kill and injure as seriously as and drivers in London will have to
violent crimes, seeking devolved powers undergo cycle awareness training and
to address this directly. register with the official safety schemes
FORS and CLOCS.
Chapter 2 Transport that works 11p u b l i c h e a lt h a N d
c l e a n a i r
The Mayor and City Hall have a clear
responsibility to make sure London
Greens in City Hall have already:
• Secured cross-party support for the Low Emission Zone and
is a healthy environment in which to
other policies to keep the most polluting vehicles off our
live, work and enjoy life. streets.
Air pollution causes more than 9,500 • Set up London Food, which has gone on to train almost
premature deaths in London every year. 2,000 school and hospital catering staff to provide healthy
Sixty years after the Clean Air Act helped food.
put an end to the deadly smogs that came
from coal fires and power stations we need • Supported local campaigns against NHS privatisation and
a similar level of urgent action now. hospital closures.
Greens will stop the half-hearted efforts to • Consistently been the only party to promote traffic reduction
clean up our air and make comprehensive as a way of reducing pollution.
plans to bring pollution below legal limits
by 2020 at the latest. We will develop plans
enforcement of the existing ban on
to meet this commitment whether the
idling for parked vehicles.
Government plays its part or not.
• Introduce a higher congestion charge
The public health responsibilities of the
for all but the cleanest vehicles in
Mayor also include promoting physical
central London, to create a Very Low
activity for daily trips with great streets for
Emission Zone. This will ensure that
walking and cycling, making sure healthy
where drivers have a choice of vehicle
food is widely available, supporting good
they never bring polluting cars into
mental health and wellbeing and reducing
London and will provide a strong
the risk of disease at all stages of our lives.
incentive for London’s car owners either
to give up their vehicles or to change
from diesel to petrol, hybrid or electric
Greens in City Hall will: cars as quickly as possible. We will
invite boroughs to opt in to expand this
Take Immediate action on polluting zone into illegally polluted parts of inner
vehicles and outer London.
We will: • Accelerate the programme of replacing
diesel buses with hybrids and electric
• Tighten up the standards on the current
vehicles, ensuring the entire fleet is
Londonwide Low Emission Zone for
moved to these technologies by 2020
vans and make sure they are properly
at the latest and that the Ultra Low
enforced through vehicle checks, with
12 London Green Party Manifesto 2016Emission Zone can be extended to all of policies in the London Plan to support Find more policies
London without affecting bus services. the trend for lower car ownership in for cleaner ways of
both inner and outer London. This will getting around our
• Maintain and extend scrappage grants
be supported by our transport policies city in Chapter 2.
and loan schemes for black cab drivers
to improve public transport and make
so that all their vehicles are zero-emis-
living without a car easier in all parts of
sions capable by 2018, ensuring there
our city.
is a suitable charging infrastructure
for them to run on electric power in all • Ensure all planning applications are air
areas of inner London at least. quality neutral, requiring new devel-
opments to reduce air pollution in the
• Join car owners and those affected by
most heavily polluted areas.
high air pollution in bringing legal action
against car makers for cheating on their • Oppose all road and airport expansion
emissions tests and misleading all of and put together proposals for City
us about the pollution caused by our Airport to be closed and replaced with
vehicles. a new quarter for homes and busi-
nesses, working with local authorities,
• Begin consultation immediately on
businesses, smaller developers and
introducing emergency traffic-reduction
academic and cultural institutions.
measures to protect Londoners from
the worst air pollution days we currently • Revisit plans for the ‘New Bus for
experience. London’ to explore a number of newer,
more accessible, higher-capacity and
• Lobby Government for a scrappage
cleaner versions of the new design,
scheme for diesel vehicles, and for
more suitable for Londoners’ varied
changes to Vehicle Excise Duty and the
needs.
new Roads Fund to encourage reduced
car ownership or a switch to low- or • Ensure the electric car charging
zero-emission vehicles. network is properly maintained and
funded and aim to expand it to provide
Make Longer-term, comprehensive plans 25,000 charging points across London.
to reduce traffic and pollution • Develop more electric vehicle charging
To do everything we can to reduce pollu- networks for vans, car clubs and private
tion, we also need effective planning and cars in local areas in collaboration with
traffic-reduction policies.The planned Ultra local councils.
Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) starting in 2020
is too small and has standards and charges Improve Monitoring and health
for polluting vehicles that will be too slow information
in bringing pollution below legal limits.
We will:
We will:
• Ensure that air pollution is monitored
• Begin consultation immediately on a and properly publicise the data so that
scheme to replace the ULEZ that will people can better protect their health,
protect all Londoners and be effective for example by cutting car use and
in complying with the law. It could be avoiding outdoor exercise when there is
combined with the new Londonwide high pollution.
traffic demand management scheme
we will develop to replace the Conges- • Provide support through air quality
tion Charge. funds for local communities to carry out
their own monitoring exercises, helping
• Put much stronger car-free housing improving public understanding and
Chapter 3 Public health and clean air 13identifying hotspots that need urgent • Complete TfL’s current cycling vision
action. and superhighway plans, and increase
funding for major cycling projects,
• Help to develop and install more
ensuring they are all of a high quality,
continuous monitoring equipment, and
with safe junctions and segregated
innovative ways of providing public
space, so that people of all ages can
displays of real-time air pollution data
cycle safely.
on the streets.
• Make sure all schools, retirement Healthy food
homes and day-care centres are able We know that the challenges people face
to develop air pollution action plans to in accessing healthy, affordable food and
respond to high pollution episodes. doing so in a sustainable way are as great
as ever in London in 2016, with more than
Bring in Integrated policies to support 100,000 Londoners turning to food banks
public health last year for help.
Healthy streets and neighbourhoods Rising inequality and poverty, small shops
under threat from development into
Our transport policies are integrated: housing, and markets under threat from
focused on promoting walking and cycling squeezed local authority budgets all add
and public transport, and helping people to the pressures on land use that reduce
leave their cars at home. Car use is asso- our ability to grow our own food and afford
ciated with low levels of physical activity, what is in the shops.
which increases the risk of obesity and
poor health. Greens in City Hall will follow in the foot-
steps of Jenny Jones AM, whose pressure
A recent study for TfL found that if the on the Mayor helped lead to the formation
potential for converting short car trips to of London Food and make her its first
walking and cycling was realised, there Commissioner. We will strengthen this role,
would be a net gain for Londoners of and integrate it closely with the public
around 61,500 years of healthy life and health work of the Mayor and boroughs.
economic benefits of £2 billion.
We will:
We will:
• Develop a co-ordinated and strategic
• Reduce fares on public transport for response to food poverty in London,
all of outer London, let people change working with boroughs to help protect
between buses, trains and the Tube and extend meals on wheels and free
without paying more than once for their school meals, and deal with problems
journey, and abolish unfair zones by such as ‘holiday hunger’ when school
2025. meals are not available. Charities and
• Ensure we have people-friendly street voluntary groups are a vital part of the
projects in every London borough to picture, as are monitoring the impact
support better local town and village of welfare refore and strong policies to
centres. promote the London Living Wage.
• Fully implement Healthy Streets and • Work with boroughs to map food
Lifetime Neighbourhoods principles poverty and identify opportunities to
in all aspects of spatial and transport improve access to affordable healthy
planning, and make London a demen- food by introducing new street markets
tia-friendly city through training for and allotments in areas where it is hard
public staff as well as better planning. to buy or grow food.
14 London Green Party Manifesto 2016• In the London Plan, require boroughs to
create exclusion zones around schools GREENS TAKING THE LEAD
where fast food shops aren’t allowed ON AIR POLLUTION
and to resist a saturation of fast food
shops in any part of their borough. Across London, Greens have
been monitoring pollution levels
• Support and significantly expand through citizen science projects,
London’s street markets, provide for working with local community
them in major regeneration projects, groups to measure the pollution
and drive forward the recommendations we are forced to breathe.
of recent reviews by trade associations, Sian Berry and Caroline Russell join
the Government, Parliament, City Hall Dee Searle, Green London Islington Greens to put up air pollution
and the London First Retail Commission. Assembly candidate, has been monitoring tubes
co-ordinating a Camden-wide
• End the sponsorship of sporting events monitoring project. She says: “Scientific studies have shown that
by junk food companies, and ensure all 9,500 Londoners die prematurely each year because of air pollu-
events given support by the GLA group tion. We need to know what that means for our neighbourhoods.
offer healthy food options.
“Our community pollution monitoring has shown hotspots on
• Back the introduction of a sugary drink main roads, rat-runs, near schools and health centres, and even
tax. on residential streets. Greens in City Hall will use information
• Support schools, hospitals, prisons like this to draw up effective Londonwide and local measures to
and care homes to grow their own reduce polluting traffic and prioritise people over cars.”
food, offer more healthy food including Find out more about Camden Green Party’s work here:
organic vegetarian and vegan options, www.camden.greenparty.org.uk/waking-up-to-no2
and remove all junk food and drinks
vending machines.
in Personal, Social and Health Education
• Introduce standards in the London Plan (PSHE) classes in all London’s schools,
so that every new home has space to and support efforts by Greens nationally
grow food, whether on a large balcony to make it a statutory requirement.
or roof garden or in a garden or allot-
ment plot. Drugs as a health issue
Harm reduction in sexual health We will:
We will: • Treat drug addiction as a health issue
instead of waiting for it to become
• Support key services such as sexual a crime issue, supporting changes
health clinics and domestic violence to the priorities used by the police
refuges as vital Londonwide services. and ensuring that services are better
Instead of a clinic or refuge being integrated in order to bring a greater
dependent on one local council’s over- number of addicts into health care
stretched budget we will ensure that rather than the courts
these services are adequately funded at
a London level. • Support the evidence and consensus
among health workers, the police and
• Oppose cuts to local government’s educators against the blanket national
public health budget. prohibition of less dangerous drugs, a
• We will lead the fight on sexually policy that pushes people into greater
transmitted disease prevention and sex danger and underpins a lot of organised
education, working to make sure sex crime.
and relationship education is included
Chapter 3 Public health and clean air 15JOBS AND
B U S I N E S S E S
London’s economy brings prosperity
for London and for the whole of the
Greens on the London Assembly have already:
UK. But the benefits are not felt by • Introduced planning protections for small shops , as a
consequence of two major investigations.
every Londoner and we still depend
• Held two Mayors to account on the number of jobs and
too much on financial services and
apprenticeships for young people.
the undue influence of the biggest of
• Exposed the loss of space and rising costs faced by small
big businesses. businesses and creative industries, forcing the Mayor and
We will ensure that smaller firms and Transport for London to rethink policies around redevel-
co-operatives, alongside creative venues oping light industrial sites.
and businesses, receive the support they
need to flourish.
Small and medium-sized firms are at Greens in City Hall will:
the heart of our communities, providing
tmost of our jobs and helping to make our Back local economies and small
neighbourhoods distinctive and our city businesses
somewhere people want to live and work.
The Federation of Small Businesses reports
We will back the firms creating the high- that the availability of affordable premises
quality jobs of the near future: our rapidly and difficulties in securing finance are key
growing digital and technology sector and problems facing these crucial businesses.
new jobs in green energy.
Support and financial services
London’s young people will get the skills
and training they need for a wide range of We will:
fulfilling opportunities, and our support of
workers in their efforts to win fair wages • Create a Bank for London specifically See more
and decent working conditions will also tasked with providing loans and finance policies to
continue. to small businesses. It would also be
an ethical choice for London’s savers. reduce inequality
Regional banks of this kind are a and support
common feature around the world and workers in
this idea is long overdue for London.
Chapter 6.
16 London Green Party Manifesto 2016• Help local authorities create town
centre rejuvenation funds financed by PROTECTING OUR LIVE
the business rates paid by large retail MUSIC INDUSTRY
developers and contributions they will
be required to make as a part of gaining The number of live music
planning permission. The funds would venues across London has
be run by boards of local businesses, dropped more than third in
residents and community groups. the past eight years alone.
• Make a small business owner chair This is why Darren Greens will help protect music venues.
of the London Enterprise Panel and Johnson AM called on Pictured: Orphan Colours performing
focus the GLA’s economic development the Mayor of London to recently at The Borderline.
budget on support for small businesses convene a Music Venues
and co-operatives. Roundtable, and this has now produced an action plan to
protect an important part of London’s economy.
• Establish at least one Community
Enterprise Zone on the GLA’s land bank, Darren says: “London’s music venues are facing a crisis, not
with the infrastructure to support small through lack of popularity, but from rapidly rising property
and social enterprises. values which have led to landowners increasing rents and
new development projects that have cost us some very long
• Create a strategic appointment in City established venues.
Hall to oversee the continued devel-
opment of London’s digital industries, “Greens in City Hall will bring in stronger planning policies and
supporting the development of ultra-fast new rules for when new homes are built next door, putting
broadband, protecting premises and responsibility for dealing with sound-proofing on the new
helping start-ups and smaller firms gain development, rather than threatening the existing venue with
access to promotion abroad. complaints about noise.”
• Put the GLA’s banking services out to • Ensure all businesses displaced in City Hall
tender and include each bank’s track and Council regeneration plans are able to
record in lending to micro and small return to those sites at reasonable rents
businesses as an important factor as
well as whether they have divested • Protect London’s vital remaining high street
from fossil fuels launderettes, by exempting them from any
new permitted development rights.
Planning policy and protecting
• Use planning policy to ensure that all local
premises neighbourhoods have a range of essential
We will: local services and shops.
• Protect existing employment and small Tenders and contracts
business space. The Government’s
permitted development rights, allowing We will:
offices to be converted into residences, • Procure a larger portion of GLA services
are not right for much of London. We from smaller firms, using duties to consider
will support local authorities in creating social value when spending public funds.
permanent exemptions where needed.
• Promote the Fair Tax Mark by encouraging
• Define and protect areas where groups firms tendering for contracts to become
of businesses are of particular heritage certified.
and cultural significance to the city as a
whole, such as the musical instrument • Maintain and improve the CompeteFor
cluster on Denmark Street’s ‘Tin Pan system helping micro and small enterprises
Alley’ or the restaurants on Brick Lane. bid for public sector contracts.
Chapter 4 Jobs and businesses 17Support arts and culture Drive improvements in wages, skills and
We will: education
• Include in planning rules a requirement We will:
for a range of cultural spaces, including • Extend City Hall’s London Living
arts and music venues, to be built in Wage requirements to include all the
new developments. purchasing contracts within the GLA
• Protect our grassroots music venues, group, not just direct contractors.
which are being lost at an alarming rate, • Incentivise small firms via contracts
by supporting their listing as assets of and advertising discounts to sign up to
community value and with planning be accredited Living Wage Employers.
rules and a new approach to licensing, (Currently more than 60 per cent of
working with the boroughs to ensure small firms in the city pay the London
that existing venues are not threatened Living Wage but very few are signed up
by noise complaints from new residen- to the scheme.)
tial developments around them.
• Introduce anonymised CVs in all GLA
• Set up a register of ‘meanwhile’ Group recruitment and work with
temporary spaces available to help employers to use them more widely.
arts and cultural organisations where This will help to ensure any conscious
rising property prices threaten rehearsal or unconscious biases are removed
spaces and artists studios. Many small from the job application process.
and medium-sized organisations are
seeking creative solutions to rising • Create at least 150,000 high-quality
prices by looking to take over – either apprenticeships aimed at young people
temporarily or permanently – ware- under 25, all paying at least the London
houses and other industrial spaces Living Wage and with half a day’s
and we will find ways to support such off-the-job learning per week.
ventures. • Continue to oppose tuition fees for
• Help small arts organisations and further and higher education and the
existing and emerging artists to benefit cuts to the Education Maintenance
from our new advertising policies for Allowance and university grants, all
London’s transport network. Local arts of which limit opportunities for young
venues will get discounted advertising Londoners.
space at their nearest Tube station and • Lobby the Government strategic educa-
at local bus stops. tion priorities to be devolved to the GLA,
• On a permanent basis ensure that in co-operation with local authorities in
existing digital advertising space in Tube London, and for control of the Mayor’s
stations will be dedicated to art projects academy schools to be returned to local
for one minute every hour. boroughs.
• Create a Deputy Mayor for education
and assign staff in City Hall to work with
schools and colleges to improve the
co-ordination of education in the capital.
A second post will help coordinate and
improve further education, which has
faced damaging cuts, putting at risk the
ability of Londoners of all ages to train
and improve their skills.
18 London Green Party Manifesto 2016“We have to think about values other than profit in this great capital of ours, otherwise
we are in danger of losing the cultural richness that helped make it great in the first
place.
“I was involved in the sadly unsuccessful campaign to save the Cass art faculty – a
creative powerhouse on the edge of the City – from being redeveloped. Just because it
stands in a place where land values are rocketing off the scale, it is now being sold off,
with courses disbanded and so much staff and student skill lost.”
London Assembly candidate Caroline Russell, pictured with Sian Berry and Patrick
Brill (better known as artist Bob & Roberta Smith), an associate professor at the
Cass.
Chapter 4 Jobs and businesses 19policing and
com m u n i t i e s
An effective police force is one that
truly represents the people it serves.
Greens on the London Assembly have already:
In a city as complex and diverse • Exposed the loss of lower-cost community support officers
and civilian staff that will ultimately result in more police
as London it’s essential that police officers being back behind their desks and off the streets.
officers get out from behind their
• Reversed cuts to road safety policing, resulting in big falls
desks and onto the streets to help in casualties from collisions.
build trust with local residents and • Been at the forefront of defending Londoners’ civil liberties
business owners. by helping to constrain the use of Tasers, leading cross-
We will ensure the Metropolitan Police party opposition to water cannon, reforming stop and
service (commonly known as the Met) gets search and the policing of protests, and forcing the Met
the resources it needs to tackle crime and to delete thousands of peaceful campaigners from their
increase community cohesion and safety database of ‘domestic extremists’.
in the most effective ways. We will set new
priorities in collaboration with the commu- and mental health service cuts have left
nity and ensure that safeguards for civil the police dealing with the consequences
liberties and fair treatment of all sections of in often tragic ways.
the population are preserved.
We will:
Working together we will do everything we
can to keep all Londoners safe from harm. • Replace arbitrary officer targets with
more sophisticated frontline capacity
Greens in City Hall will: targets, with a particular focus on
neighbourhood and community policing.
Review budget cuts • Undertake a review of council service
An investigation by the London Assembly and funding cuts since 2010 and
concluded that officer numbers are a bad explore ways of using more of the Met’s
way to measure whether the police have budget to support community organisa-
the resources they need. tions that are a vital part of their work
of tackling issues such as knife crime,
Cuts to other public and community-led
mental health and domestic violence.
services can also have a significant impact:
cuts to youth services have undermined • Lobby Government for a fairer settle-
the police’s ability to tackle knife crime, ment on costs incurred from national
20 London Green Party Manifesto 2016and ‘capital city status’ duties and for
the power to recover all policing costs Challenging the
from commercial venues and events government on
such as airports and football matches.
Prevent in Islington
Improve community policing Green Councillor Caroline
Russell proposed a motion
We will:
calling on Islington Council Caroline Russell backs the commu-
• Work with Londoners to develop new to work with communities nity cohesion work of Mohammed
approaches to policing, and a model and faith groups to ensure Kozbar at Finsbury Park Mosque.
of policing by consent, extending to that extremism is challenged
community policing, preserving public collaboratively not driven underground.
order while maintaining free speech and
the right to protest, and the use of force. She tabled it in response to an incident in 2015 that saw a
Muslim pupil at an Islington school questioned about links to
• Protect and expand Safer Neighbour- Isis after using the word ‘eco-terrorism’ in a French class.
hood Teams with a new drive to recruit
community support officers from their Caroline says “Islington faith communities and schools are
local communities, making the teams doing amazing work to promote community cohesion and
more representative in order to increase challenge extremism. We need only look to Finsbury Park
levels of trust. Mosque for an excellent local example of a faith community
leading the way. What no one should be doing is treating
• Get more police officers out of their a young person as a potential extremist for talking about
cars and onto the streets either on foot protecting trees in a French class.”
or on bicycles, providing a more visible
presence locally. Shield. Police, community members and
• Promote more inter-agency cooperation family members would confront young
between the police, social services, people at risk of exploitation by violent
physical and mental health organisa- criminals with the impact of violent
tions and youth services, for example crime on their local area.
by placing youth workers in A&E • Offer those who are willing the
departments and increasing the number opportunity to participate in intensive
of school visits by local police officers. programmes of mentoring, training and
• Create a fund within the Met budget job support, together with access to a
for voluntary and community groups one-stop-shop for housing advice and
that help reduce the causes of criminal other local services. Make clear the
behaviour, for example youth groups alternative of tough law enforcement.
that address knife crime. • Help undermine the criminal drug trade
that sustains gangs by campaigning for
Address youth violence effectively the decriminalisation of all drugs and
Too many young people full of potential find the legalisation of less harmful drugs
themselves exploited by gangs. We need to such as cannabis. We need a drugs
work harder to help people escape violence policy that is evidence based.
and find a place in everyday society. • End the arbitrary and discriminatory
blanket use of stop and search and
We will:
other tactics that alienate the very
• Work with boroughs and community communities the police most need to
organisations to roll out a ‘community work with, creating a new, strongly
initiative’ response to gangs as a independent organisation to oversee
replacement for the flawed Operation stop and search powers.
Chapter 5 Policing and communities 21You can also read
