Tamasin Rhymes lives with her family in the ward, is a school governor and a highly respected and engaged member of the community.

Full statement

Tamasin says:

“It is vital to protect our community facilities, which need security of tenure, and not to have bits of it sold off piece by piece. To deal with anti social behaviour and knife crime we desperately need more safe spaces and youth centres for our young people. The Cubs and Scouts, who provide exactly this, need a secure home and the property at Shrewsbury House, which the council agreed to sell off, would be a potential venue.”

“The council offers no meaningful community engagement on the environmental issues we face. Projects like Herbert Road Green Oasis have found that the council failed to work with them despite previous promises. Fly tipping is an issue we need to work hard on. And Herbert Road is a problem area for shoplifting and the businesses there needs more careful support to alleviate crime. The council sits on large amounts of community infrastructure levy money which should be set aside for areas like this.”

“Another major issue is that so much house building is going on in the borough which doesn’t cater for existing residents who need at least affordable housing, while the percentage of social housing in new builds remains shockingly low.”

Tamasin Rhymes manages Greener and Cleaner’s community Hub in The Glades shopping Centre, Bromley, and is a member of Community Trade Union. She is co-founder and Chair of non party collective Greener Greenwich Community Network which aims to improve our climate resilience through education and community events. Tamasin was part of the creation of Plum Lane Community Orchard and Plumcroft’s Eco Council work as well working on biodiversity and food growing across the borough.

The by-election was caused by the resignation of Shooters Hill Councillor Ivis Williams from the Labour Party over the treatment of her by the Labour majority council when she defended the concerns of a big group of residents who wanted to save the Shooters Hill Equestrian Centre, and also petitioned for land and property by Shrewsbury House to be kept as a community asset rather than sold to developers.

These issues, alongside the Green Party’s support for environmental protection, social justice, benefits for the disabled, fair pay and workers’ rights demonstrate clearly why we need a strong opposition in Greenwich, and the Green Party can provide it. Placing their first councillor in Shooters Hill would enable the Green Party to begin to stand up for residents and challenge the heavily Labour-dominated council.

Ivis Williams has endorsed Tamasin Rhymes, saying she is a local candidate with a good understanding of residents’ issues. She adds: “There is a need for more opposition voices in the Town Hall, and I believe that the Green Party candidate can bring that voice and be a champion for residents.”