No To Lee Valley Tax

The Lee Valley receives money from every council tax-payer in London as well as the County Councils in Hertfordshire and Essex. By contrast our own Wandle Valley Regional Park in South West London leads a threadbare existence supported by the small allowances that our local boroughs can afford. When the current arrangements were made in 1966, there was a strong argument that the whole of London should help restore the Lee Valley, which was then a polluted ex-industrial wasteland in a poor area. Now after the Olympics and years of investment this is a beautiful park run by a well resourced Park Authority. Yet few visitors from South West London ever go there. The current Government and London Mayor have been asked to support legislation for change, but have failed to do so. Now in the run up to the national and London Mayoral elections we should demand that change. Let us repatriate our annual £1.6m payments and use the money to support a beautiful river park of our own instead.