- The Mayor made manifesto commitments to protect the capital’s green spaces; to make more than 50 per cent of the city green; and to ensure that all children ‘have access to nature’.
- The Mayor also pledged to make London the first ‘National Park City’.
- However, London’s parks are at risk. Cuts in local authority budgets are affecting the quality and accessibility of our public green spaces.
- Many local authorities have already transferred the management of their parks to third parties.
The London Assembly Environment Committee will tomorrow hold its first public meeting as part of its investigation into the management of London’s public green spaces and will examine how the Mayor can deliver his manifesto commitments.
Green spaces: approx. 2:00pm-4:00pm. The guests are:
- Anita Konrad, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Programmes, Groundwork London
- Sue Morgan, CEO, The Wandle Valley Regional Park Trust
- Robin Smale, Director, Vivid Economics
- Victoria Bradford-Keegan, Project Manager, The National Trust
- Kitran Eastman, Strategic Lead Clean & Green, London Borough of Barnet
- Simon Ingyon, Executive Director Parks and Leisure, Enable Leisure and Culture
The Committee will also discuss the announcement by the mayors of Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens that they will ban diesel vehicles by 2025, and consider whether this could or should be implemented in London.
City diesel bans: from approx. 4:00pm. The guests are:
- Shirley Rodrigues, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy
- Elliot Treharne, Policy & Programmes Manager (Air Quality and Hydrogen)
The meeting will take place on Thursday 8 December from 2:00pm in the Chamber at City Hall (The Queen’s Walk, London SE1).
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed via webcast.
Follow us @LondonAssembly and take part in the meeting discussion using #AssemblyEnv throughout, #LondonSpaces for the first section and #airpollution for the latter section
Notes to editors
- Full Agenda papers.
- Léonie Cooper AM, Chair of the Environment Committee is available for interview. See contact details below.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For media enquiries, please contact Mary Dolan on 020 7983 4603. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.