“Environmental action welcome, but we resist any pro-developer agenda”, says Green Party’s Mark Whiley.

Green Party Chair, Mark Whiley, writes in the Havering Daily on recent elections, and the positioning statement and cabinet reveal from the new Reform administration.

Havering has decided. I want to start by thanking all those that gave their vote to Green Party candidates. We stood to serve the borough, to help rebuild communities, to protect our environment, to protect those hardest hit by the cost of living crisis, and to offer our real life expertise across many disciplines at a time when Havering needs a talented team at the top.

Next Wednesday, Reform will lead a new majority administration, led by former Conservative Group Leader and Redbridge Council Leader, Cllr. Keith Prince. I wish the new administration and council officers the best of luck in grappling with the hard challenges our borough faces.

The focus on Launders Lane fires and Data Centre proposals are welcome.

Cllr. Prince’s positioning statement to the Havering Daily on May 13th spoke of urgently tackling the environmental crisis at Launders Lane, and granting a 3 months extension to the Data Centre consultation. Both are very welcome. I hope the extension will gather the feedback necessary for the new Strategic Planning Committee to make an evidenced and well reasoned decision on any application.

The statement did however raise concerns for me, largely about planning.

“It’s gone”, cried Cllr. Prince of the Romford Masterplan. I have seen Reform advocates online make similar triumphant comments, particularly because they don’t like certain places of worship. Plans like the Masterplan or the renewal of Havering’s Local Plan are documents referred to in Planning to decide what is and isn’t appropriate, as per the designated zoning and guidance they offer. To scrap them does not prevent developments, it does the opposite. Removing local planning frameworks lifts potential obstacles for developers.

I will be urging the new administration to strengthen our planning frameworks, not abolish them, and for Havering’s Local Plan and a replacement for the Masterplan to be on their agenda. The new Cabinet announcements include those with active interest in real estate projects – and profits – in Havering, and we know that Cllr. Prince himself was, until quite recently, advising property developers with applications in the borough.  The CEO of a Real Estate company, active in Havering, should not be the member for Regeneration.

I’ll repeat my stance from a leaflet I delivered late last year. Like Liverpool City Council’s standards committee, we should adopt protocols to regulate contact between developers and elected politicians. That includes developers and politicians not being one and the same.

On crime and town centre regeneration, the positioning statement also felt too wooly.

Havering has committed for many years now to 5 extra officers as part of the Havering Joint Task Force. Renewing that commitment does not match the emphasis that Reform placed on getting “tough on crime” and tackling a “crimewave” during the campaign.

I also am looking forward to the plan for Romford Market Place regeneration, now that the Masterplan is scrapped and that a detailed plan was promised by Cllr. Prince on Reform’s social media. As an active community volunteer, I’d also like to understand what putting “TLC back into our town centres… from day one” means in practice. Is this more support for volunteers, a new strategy developed with our waste contractors and town centre businesses, does it involve money?

Every administration needs good scrutiny, and the Green Party will still be visible and vocal to ensure Havering is served right by its politicians.

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