Labour members ignored Greens Councillor Scott Ainslie’s questions about Lambeth’s housing strategy and delivery at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, 13 March 2024.

Following the release of Lambeth’s New Homes Program, Cllr Ainslie asked about the council’s capacity to nearly double the number of homes it builds by 2030. Cabinet members and council officers failed to answer the questions.

Cllr Ainslie, Streatham St Leonard’s Ward, said in the meeting:

“The people of Lambeth know that Labour cannot be trusted on housing. In February 2014 the Cabinet member for Housing and Regeneration, Cllr Pete Robbins, said to BBC Inside Out that the millions generated from selling off thousands of Lambeth’s Cooperative Housing stock would be used to build more council houses. This never happened.”

“Also, in your 2018 manifesto, you promised to build a thousand council homes. How many were delivered? None”

He also highlighted the ballooning management and supervision costs in disrepair cases, saying:

“of the £147 million spent on disrepair cases, only £41 million is on actual repairs. The remaining £106 million goes to management and supervision. In other councils this balance is fifty-fifty – where is the value for money for residents?”

Watch the cabinet proceedings here.

CONTACT
Zoe Peet – Green Group Support Officer
zpeet1@lambeth.gov.uk
020 7926 9456

The post PRESS RELEASE – Lambeth Labour cannot be trusted on housing appeared first on Lambeth Green Party.

Greens abstained on Lambeth Labour’s budget for failing to acknowledge its own financial mismanagement and conveniently omitting to mention the tens of millions of pounds wasted on the disastrous Homes for Lambeth.

Cllr Nicole Griffiths, Streatham St Leonard’s ward, noted that Lambeth residents are facing the highest rise in council tax possible alongside a decrease in council services. She said:

“The council is still no further on in solving Lambeth’s housing and homelessness crisis. Thousands of families remain in substandard housing whether it be temporary, private or council. Over half our children live in poverty.”

Cllr Scott Ainslie, Streatham St Leonard’s ward, added:

“Lambeth has done nothing to protect the more than 3000 people who have seen a 350% increase in their heating and hot water charges and are tied into shared heat networks, with no control or protection from sky rocketing fuel prices.”

Questions asked by Cllr Ainslie about the plan for spending £53m in developer contributions to community projects went unanswered.

He also called out a lack of accountability in response to the Pay Policy Statement, pointing out that staff earning over £100,000 increased from 24 to 41 since 2020 – yet only 11 senior managers out of 24 from that same year are still working at Lambeth.

“So what has the taxpayer got in return for all these additional managers? Has there been an improvement in services? No. Lambeth is still consistently ranked as one of the most complained about councils in England.”

READ THE GREENS BUDGET AMENDMENT

Green Group Budget Amendment 2024-25

CONTACT

Zoe Peet – Green Group Support Officer

zpeet1@lambeth.gov.uk

020 7926 9456

The post PRESS RELEASE – Green councillors reject Lambeth Labour’s budget appeared first on Lambeth Green Party.

Friday 26 January 2024

At Wednesday evening’s Full Council Meeting the Labour administration voted down the Green Group’s motion (available here) calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel/Palestine conflict. Twenty Labour councillors (out of 58) were absent from the meeting, with just two Labour councillors and one Liberal Democrat voting for the motion.

Cllr Nicole Griffiths, Streatham St Leonard’s ward, says, 

“Our motion was not controversial – it was thoroughly researched, carefully considered and, crucially, based on humanitarian principles. Councils across the country are calling on the government to support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. We’re extremely disappointed that this council will not support the immediate ceasefire that our motion calls for.”

Cllr Scott Ainslie adds,

“If national government and major opposition parties fail to do the right thing then let local and regional governments do it. This issue affects many people here in Lambeth. Lambeth Labour have taken a stand about many national and international issues before, why not this one?”

READ THE MOTION

Call for an immediate ceasefire and the end to human rights atrocities in the Israel/Palestine conflict

CONTACT

Zoe Peet – Green Group Support Officer

zpeet1@lambeth.gov.uk

020 7926 9456

The post PRESS RELEASE: GREENS CALL FOR IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IN GAZA appeared first on Lambeth Green Party.