Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 11 August 2021.
Your manifesto committed to improving London’s network of green corridors and open spaces, connecting Londoners with green areas and improving community links. Your own Green Space Commission found last year that there is an urgent need to champion green space in London and that this must be linked to the climate and ecological emergencies; new public health demands, including mental health and loneliness; and measures to address social exclusion. How will you build upon the Commission’s work to ensure that work of the boroughs in providing green space is supported; and that London’s green space is protected, restored, improved and championed?
London Green Spaces Commission, ‘London Green Spaces Commission Report,’ August 2020
The pandemic has reaffirmed the importance of our parks and green spaces, which help protect our city’s nature, deliver mental and physical health benefits and provide a haven for many during lockdown. The decrease in funding, skill shortages and increasing pressures on boroughs to deliver more for less has created significant challenges for organisations responsible for maintaining and improving these spaces. My Green Spaces Commission recommended the establishment of a centre for excellence to champion the benefits of green spaces, making these spaces more inclusive and resilient, securing new investment and setting up a new green space skills programme. The charity Parks for London was identified as the organisation best placed to drive innovation and promote best practice. The commission identified the need for improved London-wide coordination and strengthened links with borough health, housing, culture, climate and sports functions, creating new approaches to enhancing and championing green spaces. Working with London Councils, the London Environment Directors’ Network and the Chief Cultural and Leisure Officers Association, we are growing the capacity of Parks for London so it can develop and expand its work. We have given additional funding for the work taking place there, but also the Green New Deal has committed £6 million to help create greener and more resilient spaces across London. This will help ensure all Londoners have access to a green space within a ten-minute walk of their home.
Thank you very much, Mr Mayor, and thank you very much for your leadership on this. As you said, Londoners really appreciated green spaces over the last year or so because of the pandemic and so many lockdowns.
In terms of the London Green Spaces Commission, the Commission did not call for it to cover pocket parks and small green spaces, which can be so vital, as you said, for many Londoners who may be slightly further away from larger spaces. Do you think it might be possible to protect these pocket parks and very small green spaces? I think they are part of the green lungs of London and very often are really valued by local people.
Yes, I agree. I thought that they were covered. If they are not, I will look into the point you made - I agree with you 100%, by the way - to make sure they are. I think it is very important.
Thank you very much, that would be great. Perhaps I can correspond with you and we can sort that out.
The other thing I want to ask very quickly is, you have previously highlighted and championed really important policy areas by appointing, for example, the Night Czar, Amy Lamé, and you have a mayoral health adviser and also the Victims’ Commissioner. Is there any possibility that you might commit to appointing a green space champion, who would then be able to do that vital work with London Councils and other stakeholders that you have mentioned to protect, restore and improve Londoners’ access to green spaces?
I think one of my roles is to be London’s green spaces champion and show leadership in this area, not just in visits and funding, but showing that I take this seriously. What we are doing in addition to the work taking place by the new centre for excellence that I talked about, the work taking place by Parks for London, is to make sure we have our policy support in this area. My view is that I should be the green space champion, for the reasons you said, not just the pockets, but also because they are the lungs of our city. It goes with our focus in relation to the Green New Deal in relation to how we address the climate emergency, in relation to how we deal with the twin challenges of climate change and poor air quality, but also one of the things we have learnt from the pandemic is how essential green spaces are for us. I think the last 16 months have reminded Londoners why it is so important.
Thanks very much, Mr Mayor. I think you know there are several others of us in the room who are also very keen to see that green thread through all policies.