At today’s London Assembly Budget Plenary meeting, Green Group Lead London Assembly Member Caroline Russell urged her colleagues to support her budget amendment to fund much-needed services and initiatives for Londoners across the city.
The Green amendment consisted of the following six recommendations:
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Increasing and improving public toilets on the Transport for London (TfL) network
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Funding a drug consumption room pilot for London
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A London Renters’ Commission
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Mapping London’s contaminated land
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A resident empowerment fund
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Funding for more pedestrian crossings
These proposals would be funded in part by a £1 increase in the congestion charge raising £13 million per year to provide £10 million for pedestrian crossings and £3 million a year to double the Mayor’s toilet fund. The remainder of the Green proposals would be funded with £2.6 million from the £329.3 million of reserves in the draft consolidated budget.
Reflecting after the Green amendment failed to pass, Caroline said:
“From opening life-saving drug consumption rooms to producing much-needed maps of polluted land, the Green amendment was designed to make meaningful differences in the lives of so many Londoners.
“While it is disappointing to see our colleagues on the Assembly speak and vote against these common-sense proposals, I want to thank the many activists, campaigners and Londoners who have worked tirelessly to get these initiatives this close to the finish line.
“I will continue to champion these critical interventions in the coming year, banging that drum until Londoners are protected from drug harm, can quickly find a toilet on the tube, and safely cross the road without fear.”
To read the Green Group budget amendment in full, please click here.