As promised, even though we've stepped right back from Beddington Farmlands and Hackbridge, we would get involved in the May Local Elections to assist in getting the right councillors elected in the wards surrounding the Farmlands. So we've been involved in meetings, campaign strategies, lobbbying councillors, flyer delivery and providing funding to candidates.
I visited the Farmlands on Wednesday evening, the highlights being 3 Great Crested Grebes, nesting Grey Herons and my first UK Swallow this year.
Also had a little look around Hackbridge to see how the Plant Up Hackbridge project is going, something we led on around 2015 before Viridor blocked funding but fortunately (5 years later) Viridor have provided the funding so better late than never. Also more people involved which is great.
Charlie, the new warden has done a bit of work on providing better visibility from the hides- in this case providing public viewing for the small herony that was first established last year
The wildflower verges are blooming on the main drag
Trees that we help to organise being planted in the Heart of Hackbridge Project and bulbs recently planted in the Plant Up Hackbridge project . Lysanne, Sheldon and Dave have been behind most of this- brilliant stuff.
The current main entrance to the farmlands has been tidied up a bit too (believe it or not!)
The road map to completion of this major urban nature reserve. This is displayed in the public hides and on this occasion not graffitied with the usual phalluses
We've invested in another flat in the village to create more affordable, energy efficient rental property. This one should be ready within a month and being renovated by Roger, a bird group member. If all goes to plan will keep buying these up, doing them up and renting them out. We got this one for a very good price through auction - the estate agent reckons once its done up we could make £35,000 on it if we sold it right back as there has been a sudden spike in demand for flats. Tempting but that's not the idea! So overall the Natural Capitalist game is going pretty well so far. Income wise we've got two rental properties on the go now, two to three teams out on the tree and garden work daily, are working on two more rental properties now and should have them done soon, recently expanded our Bulgaria stake so bit by bit slowly building up the wonga to get the £2 million we need for our private nature reserve (should be there within 5 years). I've more or less given up on green stocks and shares as lost nearly 20% on that so will concentrate on core business of environmental management, buying land and sustainable buy to let. Last post on all this HERE
Considering we've invested a lot of time, energy and now money into Hackbridge, getting the right councillors elected in the area is vital. Also working towards getting a more representative council overall too with less Lib Dem dominance to break up the one party Sutton state (which over time became more of an arm of the corpocracy and more anti- local people) so getting behind that campaign- ideally would want to get some kind of representative balance without any one party getting too much dominance. Hopefully both Conservatives and Labour will win seats from the Lib Dems this May (Greens getting in would be great as they make the best local councillors but they would need a significant swing with some dedicated in-it-to-win it campaigns in target wards IMO ). We've been supporting all candidates across all parties who will work hard for the wards surrounding the farmlands and across the borough. Unfortunately some of the local candidates are playing dirty but luckily that is being challenged (see above) with calls for a clean fair competition. There are some genuine excellent candidates standing in Hackbridge this year for the first time ever (!- apart from maybe when I stood lol HERE ), candidates that have proven track records for leading local projects and achieving tangible objectives on the ground. Purging local democracy of national party and corporate stooges is vital for societal regeneration. A nationwide local politics revolution which starts at the bottom and climbs to the top is the only way of bringing deep political change, so being involved in that in even a small way is the idea.
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