Green Party candidate for Mayor of London Jenny Jones today visited Ilford to meet local voters and lay out policies designed to support the capital’s High Streets.
Jones visited the British Heart Foundation shop on Cranbrook Road and voiced her support for the Green candidate for Havering and Redbrige, Haroon Saad.
Jones said: "Decades of big-business government have left our high streets holding on by a thread.
"As Mayor I would give communities and councils more power to keep jobs and money in their local economy."
The policies include:
1. Using planning policy to ensure that by 2020 all neighbourhoods will have a range of essential local services such as chemists within walking distance, and we will use planning policy to achieve this.
2. Increasing small business representation in the community by ensure micro and small businesses are properly represented on London’s Local Enterprise Partnership.
3. Working with boroughs and trade bodies to Encourage Londoners to "buy local" and commission research into "buy local" schemes.
4. Ensuring small and local businesses aren’t disadvantaged by congestion and parking and consulting them on the future of the congestion charge and a ‘pay as your drive’ scheme, which would reduce time and money spent in traffic jams.
5. Preventing the construction of purpose-built car parks for supermarkets wherever possible and ensure local shops aren’t disadvantaged by parking standards.
6. Lobbing the Government to give local authorities much stronger powers to prevent chain stores taking over independent shops, and to control the saturation of certain business types such as takeaways, betting shops and payday loan companies.
Saad said: "The social economy is vital both in terms of creating work locally and providing services that reflect local needs.
"As such it provides a real and tested mechanism for inclusive growth. In the post crash world we live, it is essential to recognise the importance of this sector. Our policies seek to provide greater support and development of social enterprise in London."
Jones said: "Haroon is a knowledgeable and passionate campaigner who can help protect the rights of London’s small businesses. His work at the at the Local Urban Development Network means that he is also in a fantastic position make sure his constituency gets what they need from their Assembly member."