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 Sian Berry |
Green pledge to bring breath of fresh air to streets
THE Green Party has staked its claim for victory in the Kentish Town by-election with a pledge to cut poison pollution in one of Camden’s busiest roads.
While the party has struggled to make an impact in other areas of the borough, the Greens won two council seats in neighbouring Highgate in May. Kentish Town candidate Sian Berry was beaten by just over 150 votes.
She is now being promoted as a realistic contender for victory in the December 7 poll, the by-election created by Labour councillor Lucy Anderson’s Town Hall exit.
As she toured the area with Jenny Jones, a London Assembly member, on Tuesday, Ms Berry, now the party’s national principal speaker, told voters she would work to cut pollution in Kentish Town Road.
She said that air pollution in Kentish Town was at levels in breach of European law and was getting worse.
Ms Berry said that, while the council has kept tabs on the level of poisonous nitrogen dioxide in the air, coverage of the results was patchy and did not measure particulates, tiny pieces of soot that can damage the lungs.
She said: “Camden needs to act urgently to improve air quality in Kentish Town. The fact that the most deadly pollutant is not even being measured here, despite the high levels of other chemicals in the air, is a real scandal.
“We must have a permanent pollution monitoring station in Kentish Town and the council must take the problem seriously at last.”
Ms Berry said she was also campaigning for more parking breaks for drivers of cleaner, electric-powered cars and improving facilities for cyclists. She added: “People in Camden need to be educated and informed about the health risks they face from living with air pollution and the council is simply failing them.”
Ms Berry has received support from former councillor Gerry Harrison, who represented Labour at the Town Hall for 12 years.
He claims he is disillusioned with the Labour government and the new Liberal Democrat and Conservative alliance at the Town Hall. Mr Harrison said: “There is a race to set the lowest council tax in London, without a care for who gets hurt in the scramble.”
Privately, members of rival parties are concerned about the role the Greens will play in the by-election and have not ruled out Ms Berry winning.
But Lib Dem candidate Ralph Scott said that in May the contest in Kentish Town was between Lib Dems and Labour. He added: “Sian Berry is running again, a similar campaign to last time, but she came sixth last time.” |
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