London Mayor candidate Sian Berry pledges to ‘gold plate’ London’s green belt if elected
By Joe Talora, local democracy reporter
London Mayor candidate Sian Berry has pledged to “gold plate” London’s green belt if elected on May 6.
The Green Party candidate has pledged to further protect the area from development and has revealed plans to support small farmers while making green belt areas more accessible to Londoners through Transport for London.
Encompassing parts of outer London including areas of Barnet and Enfield in the north and Bromley in the south, London’s green belt is a protected area with restrictions in place to prevent overdevelopment.
The London Green Belt Council has said that the area is “currently facing an unprecedented threat from development” and that “urgent action is now needed” to preserve green spaces.
Sian Berry today said: “The green spaces enveloping our city are precious but neglected, which puts them under threat. We must use it or lose it and no mayor has yet made a coherent plan to value and support the green belt. Green will turn our city limits into a treasure all Londoners can benefit from.
“My plan to gold plate our green belt means working with surrounding councils to improve and protect it. As Green mayor I’ll bring a new start, and the true leadership and vision to get this right.”
Much of the green belt falls outside of the GLA’s limits but Sian Berry has said she will work with surrounding councils across party lines to implement her ideas.
In addition to supporting farmers and increasing food production in the green belt, Ms Berry has said she will look to plant new woodland and consult experts to improve flood protection.
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