13 April 2022
Having grown up in Stanmore and lived around Harrow all my life, I can’t bear to see our council making such a mess of our borough’s future and its finances. Since the noughties I’ve been a member of the Green Party, and of many community and environmental groups and movements both locally and globally, standing for election in my own ward every time since 2010. My household is car-free, my garden is wildlife-friendly and I try hard to minimise my greenhouse gas emissions and avoid waste. As well as speaking up for environmental causes I’ve often challenged Harrow authorities on issues such as the closure of the Belmont Health Centre Walk-in service and the disgrace that is the Old Redding Viewpoint car park fiasco. When Belmont Community Hall was threatened with demolition for flat-building, I helped fight successfully to keep it open for community groups. And I pushed for the much needed School Street proposals for the beleaguered roads around Bentley Wood High School, which were subsequently abandoned by a council without the courage of its convictions about active travel and ‘Healthy Streets’.
In 2019, a few months before it officially declared a Climate Emergency, Harrow’s cabinet approved a new Climate Change Strategy. However, the strategy and subsequent plans and decisions have shown few concrete commitments or targets for climate actions or outcomes. Instead there have been a lot of nebulous undertakings to ‘raise awareness and inspire others’, ‘support and promote’ others’ programmes and initiatives, ‘encourage’ more environmentally friendly behaviours and ‘consider’ what else to do next or not. Short term thinking and lip service to vague principles are not enough though. Where are the real measures for crucial imperatives like flood resilience, extreme heat mitigation, electric vehicle charging, car sharing/clubs, walking and cycling, home insulation, eco-heating systems, biodiversity and reducing air and water pollution? When are we going to make effective improvements to the failing food waste and garden waste schemes and pick up bulky waste for free to minimise fly tipping?
Let’s stop wasting resources on repeated expensive consultants for high-rise, high-tech visions that have little to show for themselves; let’s focus instead on better communication with wiser and wider consultation. How are we actually going to meet Harrow’s stated goal to become a net zero carbon borough by 2030 and provide reliable, accessible services for everyone who lives here? As long as we elect only squabbling two party politicians, we’re not going to see any rational, decisive action for the people or the planet any time soon. Even one or two Green Party councillors can drive changes for the better. It’s already happened in London and elsewhere. It’s time for Harrow to show it can play its part in facing the challenges that are coming to us all. We can make a difference to people’s lives and to our environment by listening to the voices in our community and to the science of the world. That’s what I want to do.
Linda Robinson
Regional News
National News
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