The London Assembly has rejected a £15.6m proposal for public toilets, pedestrian crossings, and a drug consumption room, citing concerns over feasibility.
The Greens wanted to raise money by bumping up the congestion charge by a pound, which they claimed would bring in an extra £13 million a year. The rest of the cash would come from City Hall’s reserves. They were also looking to set up a three-year pilot for the drug consumption room, similar to a new clinic in Glasgow. The idea was to let people use their own drugs under the watchful eye of health pros, but no drugs would be provided on-site.
They argued that such facilities could really help improve health and reduce drug-related crime. Another part of their plan included spending £100,000 on a commission to look into rent control in London. They also wanted to double the investment in public toilets on the Tube and put money into pedestrian crossings at dangerous spots.
But not everyone was on board. Labour member Krupesh Hirani called the whole package “unworkable,” especially the drug room idea, saying it needed more legal backing. He pointed out that the mayor was already investing in public toilets, so maybe they should see how that goes first.
The Conservatives were against raising the congestion charge, calling it “eye-watering,” and thought the rent control ideas were just plain crazy. The amendment got voted down 18 to 3, so it’s back to the drawing board for the Greens. Caroline Russell, the Green group leader, expressed her disappointment but vowed to keep pushing for these initiatives. It looks like the debate over how to tackle these issues in London is far from over.
