On the 2nd May, Leigh’s residents voted overwhelmingly to elect a second Green to represent them on the City Council. Cllr Stuart Allen was duly elected with 1725 votes and joins Cllr Richard Longstaff to represent Leigh ward until 2026.
Greens are proving all around England that they are the credible alternative to the status quo through their hard work and dedication for residents.
People of all backgrounds appreciate the effort and drive Green Councillors and Candidates put into the job. Stuart, like so many Greens elected this year, proved with actions not words that he was a Councillor-in-waiting. Voters are tired of the same old unproductive tit-for-tat bickering of representatives of the old parties, and are increasingly happy to support Green candidates who get things fixed, hold the Council to account, and work for residents all year round – not just at election time.
Community Engagement
“We had conversations with over 1000 residents, and knocked on many more doors than that”, Stuart says. “I was at every Full Council meeting and asked important questions regarding air pollution around Broadway, water pollution, and removal of trees.”
A key issue the Greens secured action on, was unblocking the blocked drains around Leigh. After years of neglect, the gullies desperately needed deep cleaning to remove waste and soil from them. Richard and Stuart worked together to action a plan with the Council and Veolia, which involves one road being thoroughly maintained every week. Richard says “The drains were desperately in need of a proper clean out, we’ve been successful in getting Veolia to take on a road a week along Pall Mall to get them finally sorted.
Reducing Floods
Residents are so happy with the improvements and has resulted in far less localised flooding.” It’s this attitude to listen to residents and work together with the wider Council and its contractors that is refreshing for residents. The Greens do things in a better way, looking deeper at the root causes of local issues and implementing lasting solutions.
Improvement Initiatives
Three key areas that the pair want to look at are; finding a way to reduce anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping around the Broadway, reducing speeding by redesigning problem roads, and improving the air quality and street scene around Leigh by increasing tree canopy cover and reducing idling traffic. Stuart says, “These aren’t going to be instant fixes, but we can at least start the ball rolling in finding long-term solutions that will benefit everyone.
Building Community Dialogue
It’s really important that we start a dialogue with residents and businesses to ensure we can collectively make Leigh an even better place to live.” And it’s not just Leigh where the Greens can make a difference. Richard says “we want to make the whole of Southend fairer and greener; our Tree Motion to increase tree canopy coverage, our push for better water quality and cleaner beaches, and our drive for better, more sustainable design in housing will make huge differences to all of Southend’s residents.” Stuart adds, “we have dedicated and compassionate voices in every ward in Southend, doing their bit to improve the whole city; Tilly Hogrebe, our General Election candidate for Southend West & Leigh, is passionate about education and families, Nathaniel Love is doing a fantastic job in Belfairs pushing for better bus routes, Sarah-Ann Patel in Milton is championing live music and the arts, and Simon Cross, our General Election candidate for Southend East & Rochford, cares deeply about our fantastic charities and mental health provisions.
There’s not just Richard and I, but a wider team of talented local people that have real-world experience in their respective fields, and a lot to offer the Council. They all really know their stuff,”
The Greens will not be forming part of the new coalition administration that will run Southend for the coming years. Richard and Stuart will remain as independent voices and will focus on delivering results for residents and pushing for bold actions on social issues and the climate and ecological emergencies.
Ensuring Accountability
They are looking forward to working collaboratively with the new administration in a cooperative spirit and will continue to scrutinise Council decisions. They will advocate for the protection of local services, facilities, biodiversity, and the environment.
Residents can find out more about the work Southend’s Green Party Councillors are doing by following Richard Longstaff or Stuart Allen on Facebook or Instagram, or by visiting
southeastessex.greenparty.org.uk
South East Essex Green Party
stuartallen.greenparty@gmail.com
Branch Chair & Coordinator: James Vessey-Miller
Leigh Ward Coordinator: Simon Gittus