HOW YOU CAN HELP SAVE THE ANIMAL PARK
- SIGN THE COMMUNITY'S PETITION AGAINST THE CLOSURE https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-maryon-wilson-animal-park
- EMAIL YOUR WARD COUNCILLORS - asking them to lobby the Council's leadership to scrap the plan - email your councillors using www.writetothem.com
Opposition Conservative councillors in Greenwich have announced they will put forward a plan to save Maryon Wilson Animal Park when the Budget goes to a vote at the Town Hall, after revealing that Labour's plan to close it will only save £5,000 over the next four years.
The Labour-run Council's proposed Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for the next four years shocked residents by including plans to close Charlton's Maryon Wilson Animal Park - the second attempt the Council has made to do this. More than 6,200 people have signed a community petition against the closure within its first 48 hours.
Following their investigation of the Council's budget proposals, Opposition Conservative councillors have revealed that the closure proposal will only save £5,000 in total over the next 4 years, due to the high cost of re-homing 93 animals. The Council's total expenditure budget for 2024/25 is £333 million.
The Council's budget is expected to come to the Town Hall for a final vote in late February or early March. The Council's 4-strong Opposition Conservative Group has announced it will be putting forward a fully-costed proposal to save Maryon Wilson Animal Park, unless the Council's Labour leadership withdraws the proposal.
Councillor Matt Hartley, Leader of the Conservative Opposition on Greenwich Council, said:
"I've now had it confirmed that Greenwich Council's plan to close Maryon Wilson Animal Park will only save £5,000 in total over the next 4 years. This short-sighted proposal makes no sense whatsoever, and will mean local families lose the enormous benefit of this much-loved community facility without even a meaningful financial benefit for the taxpayer.
"The small print of Labour's own proposals show that the Council is going to have to spend £115,000 re-homing 93 animals and closing the park over the next three years in order to generate a saving of £120,000 by 2029. This means the loss of this vital community asset will generate a puny net saving of just £5,000 over the next four years. Why on earth are they attempting this closure yet again, and for such a tiny saving to the taxpayer?
"Labour councillors need to get a grip of their Budget-setting process and withdrawn this nonsensical proposal to close. If they don't, then Opposition Group of Conservative councillors will bring forward a fully-costed proposal to save the Animal Park - and we will make sure this is voted on in a separate, dedicated vote at the Town Hall.
"I would urge everyone who wants to save the Animal Park to sign the community petition, and also to email their ward councillors and urge them to put pressure on the Council's Labour leadership to withdrawn this element of the budget."
Read more on The Greenwich Wire:
Closing Maryon Wilson Animal Park will save just £5,000 a year from budget
Watch and share Councillor Matt Hartley's video urging residents to sign the community's petition and email their ward councillor
