It's Parks not Roads, Stupid

10.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 27th Sep 2007

Labour plan to build on green space in the Borough

Word reaches us of a double whammy from Labour who seem hell-bent on tarmac-ing over every park in the borough.

Plans are well advanced to eliminate a swathe of Brixton's most famous green lungs, the historic and much-loved Brockwell Park. Originally saved from being built over by enlightened Victorian residents and championed by the local MP and then, later, even added to to make it bigger, today's myopic local politicians are desperate to slice away a corner in Herne Hill.

What could possibly merit such corporate vandalism? Making the road wider to speed up traffic apparently. Curious that the Labour Government says that building more roads only encourages more cars when this notion completely passes over the heads of their brethren in Lambeth Town Hall.

Would that this was the only example of the reds destroying anything green. Down on the southern edge of the Borough, locals have been campaigning tirelessly to upgrade Streatham Vale Park. They even managed to persuade Lambeth to transfer a neglected strip of adjacent land being used as a rubbish dump from the Housing Department to Parks to increase the size of this land locked urban oasis.

Now Labour councillors want to widen a road using the land that's only just been given to the park. What's more Lambeth Housing had been persuaded to give a £300,000 dowry of public money to Parks as part of the original transfer. Now the land and the money will all be buried under tarmac.

Labour really does have an unfortunate record with Parks. When they are not starving parks of funds, they're getting rid of them. Remember the secret plan plan hatched between Labour leaders and a private company to build an indoor ski-slope on Vauxhall's Spring Gardens? That one got exposed and stamped-on, fortunately.

Then there was Albert Embankment Gardens from where you could get riverside views of Tate Britain and Parliament - now the foyer of a plush hotel. Labour tried to convince everyone that this still remained a public space. Well you just try taking your thermos and sandwiches inside and see how long you last.

And, don't forget that Labour's newly approved 'flagship' Brixton Town Square will now actually have less green bits than it did previously.

There's something clearly amiss in the wiring of Lambeth Labour politicians that whenever they see a park they're driven to concrete over it.

You'd think that with all the new tower blocks they're approving everywhere that our precious green spaces would be protected or even added to.

Wouldn't you?