Lockdown has taught us to really appreciate our local environment and greenspaces. That is why I was pleased to join Friends of Roxbourne Park for a litter pick as part of the ‘Great British Spring Clean’ campaign last month. I am incredibly grateful to all the volunteers who work so hard to keep our parks clean and tidy for residents to use. Please help them and the community by putting your litter in the bin or taking it home with you. We must all work together to eliminate litter now and for future generations.

 As part of the ongoing conversations to look again at our national planning system I recently joined colleagues to debate how we can better protect our most precious habitats. The concept of a ‘Wildbelt’ has been brought forward by The Wildlife Trust, and while the details would be need to be worked on some more, I think the idea has some very promising potential. A classification which can work in addition to the green belt classification would suit somewhere like the Colne Valley a great deal, not only protecting this valued site for future generations but also preserving the unique habitats for wildlife. Wildbelt designation could be a relevant consideration for other sites such as Joel Street Farm, as an addition to their green belt status. Recognising the contribution of such areas to animal life as well as more general environmental considerations would provide additional protections and further enhance our precious, green local environment

 Locally, it has also been great to see residents coming out in support of our local pubs and cafes. I was pleased to visit the Black Horse in Eastcote, which is a fantastic investment in a local pub and clearly very popular with residents enjoying the reopening in the recent sunny weather and the Euro 2020 tournament.

 I’m also delighted to have been able to resume coffee shop surgeries, which have been held recently at Maison du Soleil in Ickenham and Village Express in Northwood. It was refreshing to have more facetime with residents after living ‘virtually’ for so long and thanks to the Covid-secure measures in place, I was able to do this safely. I look forward to meeting more of you in venues around the constituency over the coming months. 

 As ever, if you would like to get in touch, please call my office on 01923 822 876 or email [email protected]