With the local elections around the corner, major parties in Richmond have published manifestos on how they promise to transform the borough over the next four years.

Voters will head to the polls on 7 May to choose who they want to represent them in the south west London borough until 2030.

All 54 seats of Richmond Council will be up for election across the 18 wards in the borough.

The Liberal Democrats, Labour, Conservatives and The Green Party are each standing 54 candidates in Richmond, while Reform UK has put forward 45 candidates.

A total of three Independent candidates are also standing in the election.

The Council has been run by the Lib Dems since 2018, when the group took over from the Conservatives for the first time since 2010.

The authority currently has 49 Lib Dem councillors and five Green councillors, who form the opposition.

From housing and finance to transport and the environment, here are the major pledges parties are making to Richmond residents in the election.

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Liberal Democrats

Below are some of the key policies the Lib Dems have pledged in Richmond. You can read their full manifesto here:

Housing and cost of living

• Launch anti-poverty strategy
• Increase pipeline of more than 1,000 social and affordable homes by unlocking small and overlooked sites
• Continue buying back former council homes sold under Right to Buy
• Working with landlords to raise standards and crack down on rogue landlords
• Invest in early homelessness prevention
• Work to end rough sleeping with targeted support via new rough sleeper hub

Environment and transport

• Launch the Richmond Community Energy Co-Operative for residents to invest in clean local power
• Oppose Thames Water's Teddington wastewater recycling scheme
• Continue to resist Heathrow expansion
• Make roads safer by tackling illegal e-bikes, dangerous speeding, unsafe parking and reckless driving
• Fight cancellations and lobby TfL and operators to improve bus and train services, particularly in areas with limited options
• Expand mega skips service to two annual events per ward
• Fast track retrofit schemes to help lower bills

Communities

• Campaign for stronger local policing and oppose any cuts to face-to-face police presence
• Invest in community centres, family hubs and leisure facilities
• Tackle anti-social behaviour and crime hotspots
• Invest in early help for children and adults

Economy and finance

• Improve Richmond town centre with new public spaces, activities and events, including exploring pedestrianisation options
• Work to bring empty shops back into use
• Lobby the Government for fairer business rates and greater local retention and investment
• Support strong evening and night-time economy to boost footfall and support workers
• Work with partners to deliver local festivals, performances, markets and cultural events
• Fight government cuts
• Transform how the council works to save around £30million a year by 2029

Green Party

Below are some of the key policies the Green Party has pledged in Richmond. You can read their full manifesto here:

Housing and cost of living

• Build new stock for social rent with direct investment
• Streamline planning to help unlock and retrofit empty homes
• Create borough-wide service for every home to finance more insulation and renewable energy
• Support zero-carbon construction for new domestic renovations and extensions

Environment and transport

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• Ban use of bee-killing pesticides
• Support public ownership of water firms
• Stop Teddington direct river abstraction scheme
• Reduce air and noise pollution everywhere
• Oppose Heathrow expansion
• Restore river, wetlands, parks, biodiversity corridors and other spaces for nature
• Keep the Travel Pass
• Fund free travel for under-22s
• Fix roads and pavements to improve accessibility
• Increase protected cycle lanes, safer junctions, crossings and child-friendly neighbourhoods
• Encourage smaller, cleaner modes of transport and end dominance of larger vehicles

Communities

• Invest in youth centres and mental health support for children and young people
• Set up citizens' assemblies to influence policy at every level
• Add better lighting, public toilets and facilities for disabled people and families
• Turn empty or underused buildings into community assets for creative connection
• Enable everyone to benefit from a sustainable digital economy
• Evaluate council's use of resources, including its staff-sharing agreement with Wandsworth

Economy and finance

• Offer tax reliefs
• Provide stronger advice networks and a fairer safety net for low-income households
• Adopt a prevention-first approach to reduce demand for costly acute care

Conservatives

The Conservatives have not published a manifesto for Richmond, but the national party has set out key priorities for the local elections across the country. The LDRS has summarised these below, which you can read in full here:

Housing and cost of living

• Launch Cheap Power Plan to cut energy bills for families and businesses
• Scrap stamp duty on family homes

Environment and transport

• Mandate police to stop e-bikes being ridden on pavements
• Fix potholes

Communities 

• Hire 10,000 new police officers
• Triple stop and search people to take knives and drugs out of neighbourhoods
• Tell police they must stop drugs being smoked in public spaces
• Launch Immediate Justice sentences for offenders to repair damage
• Deliver better public services
• Run better schools

Economy and finance

• Abolish business rates
• Back businesses and high streets
• Cut Britain's welfare bill

Labour

Labour has not published a manifesto for Richmond, but its pledges from candidates standing for election have been summarised:

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Housing and cost of living

• Campaign for more affordable housing

Environment and transport

• Support improvements in the environment and sustainability of the borough

Communities

• Tackle and reduce anti-social behaviour by investing in youth provision
• Work to improve young people's mental and physical health
• Expand positive activities and safe spaces
• Hold the administration to account by putting the needs and interests of local people first

Economy and finance

• Provide practical support for local businesses to succeed
• Campaign for cleaner, safer and better-connected town centres
• Deliver thriving local high streets
• Push for fairer parking
• Improve partnerships between the council and local traders
• Boost footfall through community events, clearer signs and better business skills

Reform UK

The pledges from Reform for Richmond borough are as follows:

Environment and transport

• End the "war on motorists"
• Increase parking options across the borough

Communities

• Prioritise hard-working local people
• Make the borough's streets safe again
• Tackle crime and protect residents everywhere, not just in a "safe space tent"
• Focus on road safety, not 20mph speed restrictions on main roads

Economy and finance

• Introduce robust scrutiny of council finances
• Put a stop to "virtue-signalling vanity projects"
• Focus on excellence and value for money in core services

READ MORE: South Richmond ward: Meet the candidates for the upcoming local elections.

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