Connecting with nature in London

I am lucky Bromley is the greenest London borough and I have 3 parks within 15 minutes walk of me.  there does seem a lack of direction though as to what these spaces are there for.

There was significant development in  the one nearest me, a new playground and an enthusiastic community group. Unfortunately that group now seems to have lost interest, I've volunteered to help twice but just been ignored.

Local events work well to increase awareness, in Lewisham I learnt a lot about the river developments from a summer event.  I don't think every park needs an event programme but the local community can be bought in and encouraged to get involved by professional, rather than enthusiastic amateur organisation., which is well communicated and has significant local business and retail support. 

A weakness of your survey is on London Plan and borough plan handling of these issues. We need London-wide policies to protect mature tree cover - for street trees + those on private and public land. Existing powers should be used to the full and new powers may be needed.

On waterways the presence of occupied houseboats helps to make pedestrians feel safe and the CRT should stop hounding boaters. (Lea Navigation is the local case I know.)

Developers take advantage of cash strapped councils and exploit this. As a result they take charge of large areas of land instead of a building. Their is little thought beyond profit for the likes of Persimmons or TW. We end up with these dead corporate spaces with token greenery. No new parks which actually seek to massively increase ecosystems for London's wildlife. Blocks featuring less and less green garden spaces shoot up for maximum properties  per block and maximum returns to shareholders.

Train builders! We lack the skill now.

We all have a part to play in not contributing to the deterioration of our waterways but Thames Water needs to be held responsible, along with the other corporate polluters of our rivers. No excuses, no hiding. Find the major sources of pollution, hit them with a very heavy hand. Invest and fix out of their own and shareholder pockets. It is unreal the amount of corruption allowing these corporations to kill our country with virtual impunity.

Sort it out or seize their assets and send them packing. 

Government exists to legislate. Close the loopholes, create the necessary laws and ensure they are upheld. Stop bending to corporate lobbying and strip them of their power.

I am a PhD Biologist and my expertise is freshwater algae. It is a tragedy that the water companies are dumping untreated sewage in our rivers, lakes and ocean shoreline. I am willing to conduct workshops about the ecology of lakes and rivers. I am also very concerned about climate change.

I am a Ranger with LNPC the problem is developers chopping down mature and replacing them with new trees which will take years to grow. British Land at Canada Waters removed a large area of natural growth by the inland water where our swans nested for years, to store their waste while building investment flats, they have now replanted it claiming gree credtials, the swans have left and this area will take year to grow bringing the benefits for clean air and biodiversity. They are also buidling another tall investment block overlooking a primary school on the edge of our Nature Reserve, causing harm to the biodiversity. Planning laws need to the improved to protect our environment. London is small and offices and investment flats are NOT needed homes for people and our precious biodiversity Must be protected