Aiming to ensure a green future

10:34am Thursday 2nd March 2006

In the fourth installment of News Shopper's interviews with Lewisham's mayoral hopefuls, CHRIS JOHNSON speaks to Green Party candidate Mike Keogh about his vision to make the borough more environmentally friendly.

MIKE Keogh has a vision for Lewisham and it's enough to turn anyone green.

Imagine lying flat on your back in your hospital bed but with the conciliatory bonus of a landscaped view to look at.

Or a shopping trip to the town centre which will be much more pleasurable than before, thanks to a few hanging baskets.

These are just some of the ideas Mr Keogh thinks will help improve people's quality of life in Lewisham.

The former science teacher says in an ideal world he would like to fly over the borough and see nothing but natural greens and browns, rather than drab concrete rooftops.

And if the electorate vote for him to be Lewisham Mayor on May 4, this dream could well start to take shape.

The Ladywell resident has a plan to cultivate the borough's rooftops to attract more wildlife to the area.

This is one of his key manifesto priorities.

Mr Keogh said: "If you can attract insects to rooftops, this will encourage the birds, and so on.

"In turn, this will increase the diversity of wildlife in the borough."

The 45-year-old, who likes to be known as Mr Recycling, also says as Mayor he would ensure all new housing comes with fitted renewable energy sources, such as solar panels.

However, Mr Keogh is not only interested in the environment.

He also wants to make life taste a little better for residents in the borough.

This will include a policy to improve the borough's school dinners by using organic food and produce from the area's allotments and traders.

He also wants to see the town centre develop with key facilities close to public transport links, to ensure more people get out of their cars.

And for people who do need to drive, Mr Keogh said: "Obviously people still need to use cars.

"However, I would like to encourage people to join car-sharing schemes to limit the number of vehicles on the road."

The Green candidate says he is not power hungry.

He wants to devolve "real decision-making powers" to the Brockley, Ladywell and Crofton Park area forums and hand over a budget for ward councillors to fund "local improvements".

Mr Keogh is pledging to remove graffiti and dumped rubbish within 24 hours of it being reported.

He also wants to improve the borough's recycling record, which he says is poor, by introducing free compost collection for kitchen and garden waste.

CANDIDATE HISTORY

• Born at home in 1959 in Camberwell. Was raised in Lee, Lewisham, from 1961.

• Stood for position of Ladywell councillor in 2002 local elections and came fourth.

• Worked as a science teacher at the former Catford Boys' School, which has since been demolished.

• Currently works as a training and education officer for Envirowork Lewisham, a social enterprise where he helps train unemployed people by doing environmental projects.

• Has a partner, Peter.

• Currently lives in Ladywell, Lewisham.