Green Mayoral candidate, Sian Berry, promises to empower Londoners by setting up Land Commissions enabling people to make the best use of land in their areas. Bringing together residents, experts, and community groups, they would transform under-used buildings and plots of land, creating new homes, green spaces, community infrastructure and businesses. City Hall would support the purchase of land through grants, revolving funds or borrowing financed from businesses and residential rents.
A core principle of her platform is to give power back to people to deliver the better city Londoners need. “The huge responses from people on the ground, from all walks of life, to the climate emergency and the coronavirus crisis, has shown the potential for local action and local ideas” she said
She’s also calling on Government to grant a ‘Community Right to Buy’: for community groups to buy land put on sale. “Together, we’ll find land to use for the things which actually matter and build the resilience we need, not only to get through this crisis, but to be stronger when we face the next challenges in our city.”