Greenwich Labour would offer every child in the borough a £150 voucher to help them buy a bike if it wins next month’s council election.
The party, which has ruled the borough since 1971, is also pledging to deliver 6,000 social and “low-rent” homes over the next decade, a crackdown on crime and antisocial behaviour and to cut bulky waste collection fees to £5.
Labour could lose power for the first time in 58 years on May 7 amid the unpopularity of Sir Keir Starmer’s government, the rise of the Greens and Reform UK, and anger at how it has handled local policies.
But council leader Anthony Okereke hopes to convince voters that “Greenwich is the place to be”, with a council that aims “to make life easier for our residents”.
Much of the 60-page manifesto describes council programmes already in train, or that already exist – such as £5 family swims at leisure centres and the new Rowan Wood SEN school in Kidbrooke that is under construction.
But one of the most eye-catching new policies is a pledge to give every resident aged 16 or under a £150 voucher to buy a bike or scooter and safety equipment.
The pledge could involve the purchase of up to £9 million-worth of vouchers if every one of the 61,000 eligible children and young people took part.
“Everyone remembers getting their first bike, but we know this can be a challenge for many parents struggling with the cost of living,” the manifesto says. “A voucher to help children and young people get a bike or scooter will help them get active and live healthy lives while having fun.”
Another is to “deliver 6,000 council, social rent and low-rent homes over the next ten years”. It is not clear how distinct this is from the Greenwich Builds programme begun under Okereke’s predecessor Danny Thorpe, which pledged to start 750 homes between 2018 and 2022 and another 1,000 after that, and has been beset by delays and rising costs.
However, last year Okereke’s cabinet agreed to switch from building new homes to buying into new developments, and it is likely that many of the 6,000 will come from the typical negotiations with developers over the next decade.
The new town at Thamesmead Waterfront – where 15,000 homes are planned – would also account for a large portion of that total. The party also pledges to look at a new leisure centre and library for Thamesmead.
There is also a pledge to “work with Berkeley Homes and TfL on Woolwich and Abbey Wood Elizabeth Line improvements such as a second entrance in Woolwich”, claiming that “Greenwich Labour has a track record of station improvements”.
‘A borough that people are proud to call home’
Labour also pledges to improve town centres, set up a cultural infrastructure and development fund to “repair and improve our world-class heritage sites” and to “digitise our world-famous Greenwich archives” alongside creating a reading room at Charlton House. There is also a pledge to working on finding a new home for the archives, thrown out of their old home by the council eight years ago to make way for Woolwich Works.
The party also promises to “negotiate ruthlessly with developers” to receive “substantial amounts” of money for local priorities. However, that pledge is weaker after mayor Sir Sadiq Khan introduced emergency measures to kickstart homebuilding, including cuts to the community infrastructure levy that developers pay, meaning councils will get less money.
Okereke said the manifesto was about “building a borough that people are proud to call home”.
“We have built more affordable homes than any other London borough in recent years,” he said. “We have cut the number of families in costly hotel accommodation. And we have invested in services that support residents every day.
“Now we are going further. This plan focuses on what matters to you. Putting people first. Keeping bills down. Making streets safer. Improving local areas. And giving every young person the chance to succeed.”
Dubious claims
Not all claims in the manifesto hold water. In a reference to the Mast Quay Phase II towers at Woolwich, where Greenwich had issued a demolition notice because the building was not as designed, Labour also claims to be “the council that took rogue developers to court and had them pay £7 million in fines”.
What actually happened was that the tower was given retrospective planning permission and the developer made to pay £7.9 million in contributions to the council, as would have happened if it applied afresh, rather than being fined. Comer Homes has been contacted for comment.
The party also claimed to have funded the construction of Woolwich Elizabeth Line station. While Greenwich Council led a successful campaign to get the station built, it paid £15 million of developer cash towards early work on the station box , a bill it took 11 years to pay off, with Berkeley Homes contributing an undisclosed sum. Fitting out the station cost TfL £294 million – roughly equivalent to the Greenwich Council’s entire annual budget.
Conservatives: ‘End war on drivers’
The Conservatives focus on their record as a campaigning opposition in their manifesto.
They pledge to campaign for increased neighbourhood policing and for the council to do more on crime and antisocial behaviour; push for the maximum legal protections on homes being converted into HMOs; and to end “Labour’s war on drivers” by opposing more low-traffic neighbourhoods and “CPZs imposed without public consent”. The Tories would push for a local exemption to the existing Greenwich low-traffic neighbourhood.
There are also pledges to “protect precious green spaces from development” and to push for more investment in parks; to “get tough on littering” and to campaign against “Labour’s wasteful council spending”. The party would oppose plans to charge for garden waste collection and push to restore the exemption from council tax for the borough’s poorest residents, which was scrapped by Labour last year.
Matt Hartley, the Conservative leader, said: “Even with our small numbers on the council, Greenwich Conservative councillors have made a real difference in the last 4 years.
“More mobile CCTV cameras, the return of town centre jet-washing, loop trains to the Elizabeth Line restored, HMOs blocked in our communities, [Coldharbour] police base saved from closure, and millions saved for local taxpayers – the list is a big one. But with more councillors, we could do even more.”
Greens: ‘Reduce traffic in residential areas’
The Greens pledge to “help council officials to listen better and bring communities more into policy making, to support independent businesses and “refresh our high streets by opening up empty council-owned spaces for community uses” and to “push for a bold development plan that puts the needs of residents first and sets ambitious targets for genuinely affordable housing”.
The party says it will also “support plans to reduce car traffic in residential areas” and “make sure that measures that benefit one area do not negatively impact other areas”. It will also “push for easier cross-river crossings by bike and cargo bike” and for better maintenance of the Greenwich and Woolwich foot tunnels.
It also pledges to “take everyday frustrations seriously” by “tackling street cleaning and flytipping aggressively”.
Lib Dems: Support for small businesses
Among the pledges in the Greenwich Liberal Democrat manifesto is a promise to support independent businesses and start-ups, provide affordable workspace and hubs for creative and green industries and keep business rate increases as low as possible.
The Lib Dems also promise to keep council tax increases as low as possible while targeting help to those who need it most, to build “genuinely affordable housing” and to campaign for visible neighbourhood policing.
They also pledge to “safeguard libraries, leisure centres, parks and play areas at the heart of local life”.
Reform UK: Scrap borough of sanctuary
Reform UK is not publishing individual manifestos in London boroughs, but the party has pledged to scrap Greenwich’s participation in the borough of sanctuary scheme, which is a commitment to welcoming refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.
It has also pledged to “stop inappropriate HMOs” in Eltham Town & Avery Hill and the Mottingham, Coldharbour & New Eltham wards and to stop “rip-off charges from private contractors” to save the council money.
Reform says it would also encourage more local infrastructure while not building on green spaces, and bring in tougher planning polices to ensure housing is attractive and suitable for families.
Updated on April 22 to include Liberal Democrat and Reform pledges, and again on April 23 to correct an error. Additional reporting by Cameron Blackshaw, Local Democracy Reporter
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