Bromley’s parks, libraries and community venues are central to its identity and quality of life. Yet residents have watched standards in many parks slip under an outsourced contract and years of underinvestment, while big events have left damage that has not been properly repaired. Bromley Labour will protect our green spaces, fix what has been allowed to decline and put friends’ groups and local communities back at the heart of decisions about our parks and community assets.

Summary

• Protect our green belt
• Fix the neglect of local parks, giving friends’ groups a greater say
• Support our high streets and local nighttime economy
• Bromley Skills and Jobs Partnership
• Protecting community centres
• Supporting local community identity
• Plans for each of our town centres and parades

3.1 Protecting the green belt

We will:

• Protect Bromley’s green belt from inappropriate development
• Work with local communities to shape plans that respect natural and heritage assets
• Stating in Bromley’s Local Plan that no green belt development site will be approved until all brownfield and grey belt sites have been developed

3.2 Fixing the neglect of Bromley’s parks

We will:

• Break up the failing parks management contract and explore new models that improve standards
• Use a dedicated large commercial events levy to repair damage and invest in facilities, especially play equipment
• Prioritise investment in parks that have seen the greatest decline
• Ensuring Bromley Council applies for all rounds of Government Green Roots Funding and exploring all other grant funding pathways available to local authorities

3.3 Friends’ groups at the heart of parks policy

We will:

• Give friends’ groups a formal role in scrutinising park management
• Involve them from the start in planning changes and funding bids
• Support them with officer time and small grants where appropriate

Bromley should be a place where residents can find good work close to home and where our high streets and local parades feel busy, safe and welcoming. Instead, under the Conservatives too many shops have been left to struggle, key civic buildings have been sold off and opportunities to reinvest in town centres have been missed. Bromley Labour will back local businesses, bring life back into our centres and make regeneration work for existing communities as well as new residents.

3.4 Supporting Bromley’s nighttime economy

We will:

• Work with residents, the police and local venues to keep town centres safe and welcoming in the evenings
• Support local pubs, cafés, restaurants and cultural venues to thrive
• Ensure the nighttime economy is well managed, with attention to noise, transport and safety

3.5 Bromley skills and jobs partnership

We will create a Bromley Skills and Jobs Partnership bringing together:

• Local colleges and training providers
• Schools and academies
• Jobcentre Plus and employment services
• Local employers, co-operatives, social enterprises and business groups

This partnership will focus on:

• Matching local residents to local jobs
• Anticipating future skills needs in growth sectors
• Supporting those out of work to move into good employment

National Labour will create Skills England and devolve more adult skills funding to Mayors and combined authorities so training better reflects local need.

Bromley Labour will:

• Work with Skills England, the Mayor of London and London skills bodies to make sure Bromley residents can access training and courses aligned to our local economic priorities and to new jobs in the green, digital and care economies
• Plug Bromley into the new London Inclusive Talent Strategy and the skills investment secured by the Mayor and London Councils, so residents can retrain, progress in work and access good local jobs, especially in health, care, green industries and town centre businesses

3.6 Apprenticeships and training

We will:

• Work with local firms to expand apprenticeships and traineeships, especially in health and care, green industries, digital, construction and creative sectors
• Encourage the council and its contractors to include apprenticeship and learning opportunities in major contracts
• Provide targeted support for young people, over 50s and long-term unemployed residents to access training and work

3.7 The Bromley Good Employer Standard

We will launch a Bromley Good Employer Standard to recognise and encourage employers who:

• Pay the London Living Wage
• Offer secure contracts rather than exploitative arrangements
• Support staff wellbeing, progression and inclusion

3.8 Clear plans for each town centre and parade

We will develop a clear plan for each of Bromley’s main town centres and key local shopping parades, setting out:

• How we will support existing businesses and attract new ones
• How public spaces, lighting, planting and seating will be improved
• How we will keep areas clean, safe and welcoming during the day and evening
• How new homes, where appropriate, can be built in a way that supports vibrant high streets and respects local character
• How we will trial a limited weekend free parking scheme in selected small shopping parades, alongside improved walking, cycling and public transport, to support local traders while monitoring the impact on congestion, revenue and air quality
• Stop the roll-out of paid parking at local shopping parades and review the recent schemes to ensure they have proved to be value for money for both the council and local businesses
• Consider a worshipper permit scheme, or exemptions from Controlled Parking Zones to allow members of faith groups to access parking for local places of worship

These plans will be developed with residents, businesses, community organisations and transport partners.

3.9 Putting community uses back into the heart of our centres

We will:

• Use empty or underused units and council buildings, where appropriate, for community, cultural, health and advice services
• Support pop up and meanwhile uses that bring life back to struggling parades
• Look for opportunities to support and improve local services such as libraries, advice centres, youth services and health in accessible town centre locations

3.10 Linking regeneration, housing and infrastructure

Where new development is proposed, Bromley Labour will:

• Insist that schemes include genuinely affordable housing, good design and contributions to local infrastructure and services
• Use planning gain and developer contributions to improve streets, parks, community facilities and active travel links around new developments
• Make sure that local residents are involved early in shaping what regeneration looks like, rather than being presented with a finished plan

3.11 Supporting local identity and culture

Every part of Bromley has its own story.

We will:

• Support local community events, heritage and culture e.g. festivals, markets and cultural events that celebrate each area’s identity
• Work with local artists, young people and community groups on public art and heritage projects
• Protect and promote historic buildings and landmarks where they contribute to local pride and sense of place

3.12 Working with the London Local Growth Plan

National Labour will agree Local Growth Plans with Mayors and local leaders, setting out how each area will drive growth, investment and good jobs.

In London, that plan will be led by City Hall. A Labour-led Bromley will not sit on the sidelines.

Bromley Labour will:

• Work with the Mayor of London and other boroughs to make sure Bromley’s needs and strengths are properly reflected in the London-wide Local Growth Plan
• Develop a Bromley Economic and Skills Strategy that sits underneath the London Local Growth Plan, focused on our town centres, local parades, key employment areas and new sectors such as green industries and care
• Make sure that our own regeneration, skills and business support priorities in this manifesto are aligned with the wider London plan, so we can draw in investment rather than miss out on it

3.13 Community wealth building and co-operative development

Bromley needs an economic model that keeps wealth circulating locally instead of leaking out of the borough. Community wealth building and co-operative development give us a practical way to do this.

Bromley Labour will:

• Implement a Community Wealth Building strategy that uses procurement, commissioning, land, planning and investment to support local businesses, social enterprises and co-operatives
• Ensure that co-operative and community ownership development forms a clear part of Bromley’s economic development and growth strategies
• Use centrally allocated economic development funding to build co-operative development support capacity, working with specialist partners where appropriate

3.14 Co-operative high street recovery

Our high streets and local parades need investment, not just short term sticking plasters.

Bromley Labour will:

• Set up an Economic Recovery Fund targeted at high street regeneration, supporting improvements in shopfronts, accessibility, green space and community uses
• Explore the creation of Community Improvement Districts where residents, businesses and community organisations work together to shape investment and priorities for their local centre
• Encourage the growth of micro businesses in health and adult social care that embed co-operative principles, creating local jobs and better continuity of care
• Give priority in regeneration and business support programmes to co-operatives, social enterprises and locally owned firms that keep more value in the local economy

3.15 Working with London-wide town centre support

We will:

• Work with the Mayor of London’s Local Growth Capacity Support Programme so that Bromley benefits from shared learning, expert advice and support to develop strong local regeneration plans
• Seek town architect support for Bromley town centre, Orpington, Penge, Beckenham and key local parades, bringing in design expertise to improve public spaces, support sustainable transport and make our centres more welcoming and attractive

3.16 Supporting community organisations in council buildings

Community organisations, social enterprises and small charities are a vital part of local high streets and centres.

We will:

• Introduce a Social Value Discount on rent for small charities, community organisations and social enterprises using council owned properties, recognising the contribution they make to local life and helping to prevent them being pushed out by rising costs

3.17 Cleaner, greener Bromley

While Bromley’s recycling rate is higher than many nearby boroughs, it has not risen above 50% for some time and many households (especially flats) have no recycling collections at all. The community bulk waste collection is much more expensive than in other London Boroughs, and fly tipping continues to be a serious problem across our communities.

We will:

• Expand recycling services to flats above shops
• Introduce wheelie bins for recycling and residual waste to cut spillage and contamination. This will also reduce street litter from items blown out of boxes on bin days, helping to improve street cleanliness across the borough.
• Launch a community skip scheme to help residents dispose of bulky waste affordably and reduce fly tipping
• Enforce against persistent fly tippers and problem locations, making use of the wider powers the Labour Government has given Councils.
• Develop innovative anti-littering and anti-fly-tipping education and awareness programmes to change behaviour
• Consider schemes for bottle, can and other return / deposit programmes as part of existing national schemes (such as plastic-free places) and new initiatives

3.18 Tackling the climate crisis and cleaning up Bromley’s air

We believe that the climate crisis is an inheritance we do not want our children to receive. Unlike the Conservative-led council, Bromley Labour will get to work identifying how we as a council can do our part to tackle the crisis and help local residents to do theirs.

We will:

• Develop a clear plan for how the council can reduce its own emissions and environmental impact, including buildings, vehicles and procurement
• Use the Greener Bromley Investment Fund to support practical local projects that cut emissions and bills, such as insulation, community energy and tree planting
• Work with residents and businesses to expand electric vehicle (EV) charging points and car clubs where people want them, giving real alternatives to private car ownership
• Launch a Clean Air Neighbourhoods programme, focusing on air quality around schools, high streets and busy junctions
• Introduce measures such as safer crossings, anti-idling enforcement and green screening in areas with poor air quality
• Support safe walking and cycling routes to schools, stations and town centres, designed with residents and disabled people from the start
• Publish clear, accessible air quality data so residents can see the progress we are making
• Develop a Local Area Energy Plan for Bromley, in partnership with residents, businesses, the electricity network and community energy groups, to map how we decarbonise heat and power locally
• Plan a borough-wide retrofitting programme with local community energy co-operatives, including supporting new and existing retrofit co-ops to grow and deliver projects in Bromley neighbourhoods
• Work with a Labour government and the Mayor of London to bring Warm Homes Plan investment into Bromley, cutting bills, cutting emissions and creating skilled local jobs in retrofit and clean energy

3.19 Launch the Greener Bromley Fund

We will establish a £1 million Greener Bromley Fund, a type of Community Municipal Investment (CMI) – an investment model which allows residents to invest their money in projects that benefit the local community and receive a return on their investment.

We will:

• Allow residents to invest in local projects to reduce carbon emissions and tackle the climate emergency
• Fund schemes for residents, schools and community groups to improve local green spaces, biodiversity and energy efficiency
• Back community-led projects such as tree planting, food growing, habitat restoration and small-scale renewable energy

How Labour’s national plans support this locally:

• Skills England and devolved adult skills funding will allow Bromley to shape training and apprenticeships around the jobs we are creating in our own town centres, care sector and green economy
• A London-wide Local Growth Plan, agreed between a Labour Government and the Mayor of London, will bring investment, infrastructure and business support that we can target at Bromley’s high streets and employment areas
• National support for community wealth building and social enterprises will strengthen our efforts to keep more wealth circulating locally through co-operatives, social businesses and community ownership
• National investment in clean energy, nature recovery and climate resilience will help Bromley restore and enhance parks, rivers and green spaces as part of a wider environmental recovery