Green Party pledge to tackle cost of living crisis at local election campaign launch
5 April 2022
- Green Party co-leaders will promise to deliver locally-led insulation projects to reduce energy needs and keep people’s homes warm amid cost of living crisis
- Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay will visit Central Hill housing estate in Lambeth to speak to residents campaigning for retrofit and refurb of their homes
- Denyer: “Insulation programmes don’t sound very glamorous but what they can deliver is nothing short of incredible. Imagine – a warm, snug home even on the coldest days. Little to no heating bill at all. A neighbourhood that has almost zero emissions. That’s what Greens are pushing for here alongside residents.”
- Ramsay: “Because that’s what Greens are all about – fairness and community – sensible, practical solutions – and protecting the places we live and the people we care about.”
The Green Party will promise to help tackle the cost of living crisis at the launch of its local election campaign today [Tuesday 5 April].
Co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay will set out how Green Party councillors have been leading projects across the country to insulate peoples’ homes, helping to keep them warm and reduce bills.
The leaders will visit Central Hill housing estate, in London, which is currently facing demolition under regeneration plans by Lambeth Council [1]. There, they will speak to residents campaigning against the estate’s demolition, who instead want to see a retrofit and refurb project carried out so they can stay in their homes and ensure they are warm and comfortable.
Denyer and Ramsay will promise Green Party councillors elected on May 5 will work to emulate those in Green-led Lewes District Council, who are leading the way by working with six other local authorities to retrofit 40,000 council homes, using the collective financial firepower of their housing maintenance accounts – a combined total of £1 billion. [2]
Elsewhere, Green-led Stroud District Council has also set out plans to invest £180 million to retrofit, insulate and decarbonise its five thousand-strong housing stock to ensure warm, sustainable housing for residents. [3]
At the launch, Denyer will set out how Greens elected across the country are working hard to build fairer, greener communities.
Denyer is expected to say:
“In the middle of this cost of living crisis, we know what needs to be done and yet the government is falling so chronically short.
“On top of that, Labour and Conservative-run councils up and down the country are not listening to what residents want. The Labour council here in Lambeth want to knock down this estate. To displace families and friends from their community.
“As a result they have simply neglected these buildings for a decade. And they are forcing people to live in constant fear of losing their homes, with all the physical and mental trauma that brings.
“Greens have another plan. Not to discard these homes but to upgrade them.
“Insulation programmes don’t sound very glamorous but what they can deliver is nothing short of incredible.
“Imagine – a warm, snug home even on the coldest days. Little to no heating bill at all. A neighbourhood that has almost zero emissions.
“That’s what Greens are pushing for here alongside residents.”
Ramsay is expected to say:
“Because that’s what Greens are all about – fairness and community – sensible, practical solutions – and protecting the places we live and the people we care about.
“Local Green Councillor Pete Elliott has been working with the people who live in this neighbourhood.
“Living and breathing the Green value of community first – that more power should be in the hands of the people who are impacted by the decisions made. And why is Pete doing that?
“Because he thinks it’s fair that everyone should have a warm home. He thinks it’s fair that no-one should feel terrified of their next energy bill. And he thinks it’s fair and right that we take the steps needed to protect our natural world.”
ENDS
Notes
2 https://greenworld.org.uk/article/lewes-model-explained
3 https://greenworld.org.uk/article/warm-words-warm-homes-stroud