• AS Labour candidates for South Hampstead ward in the local elections this May, we are excited to hit the ground running and hear from residents about the future they want for their ward.

We are very grateful to the outgoing councillors for their service and hope to build on their work opposing the Deliveroo “dark kitchen”, greening the streets of South Hampstead and building the ward’s resilience to flooding.

However we know that South Hampstead and the wider borough faces critical challenges in the upcoming months and years.

If elected, we promise to be councillors who are on the ground, listening to and fighting for residents’ needs day in, day out.

We welcome the recent judgment in favour of Camden’s stance in defence of affordable housing at 100 Avenue Road.

Camden rejected the developer’s planning application for this tower, only for the Conservative secretary of state to overrule the council’s decision and side with the developer.

The developer subsequently sought to row back on its commitment to affordable housing, seeking to reduce the proportion to zero on the grounds that it viewed the project as no longer financially viable. Developers balancing their books should not take precedence over the interests of the community.

Camden held the developer to account and has been vindicated in the latest decision by the independent inspector – a decision we strongly welcome.

Affordable, safe, housing is key to any community: we will continue to campaign tirelessly for this in South Hampstead, the borough, and beyond.

We look forward to speaking to many of you on the campaign trail over the coming months.

IZZY LENGA
NINA DE AYALA PARKER
& WILL PRINCE