Greenwich Conservatives have thrown their support behind the resident-led ‘No Toxic Cruise Port in Greenwich’ campaign, and its new petition calling for the planned Cruise Liner Terminal at Enderby Wharf to have either on-shore power or be scrapped.
Despite the Terminal promising significant economic benefits to the borough, Conservative councillors on the Planning Board, serving in a non-political capacity, previously voted against the plan on the grounds of the negative impact on air quality presented by current plans.
Councillor Geoff Brighty, Conservative councillor for Blackheath Westcombe ward, said: “Sadly, the current plans were voted through by Labour councillors on the Planning Board – including the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council – despite objections from me and others.
“I have long been opposed to the current plan with no on-shore power, and would like to congratulate local residents for running such a strong campaign against it. This is an argument that, I believe, Labour councillors can no longer ignore.
“As with the IKEA store on the Peninsula, we again have a development which will lead to more pollution and more congestion being championed by the Labour Leadership of Greenwich Council. Labour talk a lot about the problem of air quality, but actions speak louder than words.”
The Conservative manifesto for the 2018 Greenwich Council elections, published earlier this week, includes a pledge to oppose developments that negatively impact on our local environment, including the Cruise Liner Terminal on the basis of current plans.
Councillor Matt Hartley, Leader of Greenwich Conservatives, added: “It is undeniable that the Cruise Liner Terminal would bring massive economic benefits to Greenwich – and on its own, this would be extremely welcome. A strong case has been made, however, that the current plans present an unacceptable risk to air quality – as do other developments that Labour councillors have supported, including IKEA on the Peninsula and the Labour Mayor’s ULEZ expansion to the South Circular, which risks increasing pollution along a huge swathe of the borough.
“Residents have made a powerful argument for either a clean Cruise Liner Terminal with on-shore power, or none at all. I really hope we can achieve the former.
“The manner in which these decisions have been taken – with Labour’s Leader and Deputy Leader both (unusually) serving on the Planning Board, where votes are not supposed to be whipped along party lines – also raises questions. This is something that must be addressed in the next council term.”