Green Councillors have had quite an influence on Council budgets across the country in this year’s budget-setting process.
Where Green are in Power, they have been able to secure investment for ambitious Green Recovery plans.
In Brighton & Hove, the Green-led Council has approved its budget for 2021-22 (with support from labour and conservative councillors), featuring more than £27m investment into climate action, as well as new investments in equalities work, housing and homelessness and economic recovery.
In Lewes District, the Council, where Greens are part of the Ruling Administration, has passed a Green Recovery budget that focuses on what matters to local people: investing £100m in building sustainable council homes, retrofitting, renewable energy and improving the biodiversity of the local area. Under Green leadership, the council has also got commitment from 7 local authorities to engage in a programme of shared retrofitting together to create the workforce and jobs of the future.
But even where there is only one or two Green Councillors, they have successfully proposed ammendments that push their councils further than they would otherwise have gone.
In Peterborough, Cllrs. Nicola Day and Julie Howell’s successful budget amendment will provide grant funding for homeowners and landlords to retrofit homes to make them warmer and more energy efficient , cutting fuel poverty and carbon emissions.
In Arun District, Birmingham and Darlington – to name just a few council – one Sole Green Councillor has successfully lobbied for a budget to kick-start the council into taking action to address to Climate Emergency.
Clls Nicola Day and Julie Howell proposed a successful budget amendment in Peterborough which will enable funding for householders to insulate their homes.
