Lucy Critchlow is the Green Party candidate for Graves Park Ward in the local elections on May 5th 2022.
I am standing as a Green Party candidate as I care passionately about addressing social and environmental justice. The Green Party is the only political party with the bold aspiration to support the radical transformation of society needed to tackle these issues.
I have campaigned on climate change and biodiversity issues for several years. I am keen to work with people across the Graves Park Ward to consider innovative ways of tackling these issues transparently and democratically.
I live in Norton Lees and am an active member of the community, taking part in litter picks, raising money for the local woodlands and green spaces, and organising children’s nature trails and book swaps.
I run a successful local studio with my business partner that conserves and restores easel paintings for museums, art galleries, and historic houses across the region.
I am keen to push forward plans to improve air quality and reduce congestion along roads such as Chesterfield Road in Woodseats and Norton, which has illegally high levels of pollution and roads such as Derbyshire Lane in Norton Lees. A better system of affordable and reliable electrified public transport, along with an improved and safer cycle network, would offer one part of the solution to these issues and should be fought for with urgency.
Several housing developments have recently been built in Graves Park Ward, and there must be funding to properly invest in the infrastructure of our existing and expanding neighbourhoods. In Sheffield, we have many historic buildings, including old factories, shops, pubs, schools, and churches, which have effectively been abandoned and are falling into disrepair. Rather than looking to expand into the green belt with new builds, we should celebrate our heritage by restoring and re-purposing these existing assets.
The recent campaign by the ‘Friends of Cobnar-Bolehill Woods’ to save and protect the woodland adjacent to Graves Park from sale and potential development was a monumental effort and demonstrated the passion and determination of residents; something which I am keen to support and highlight, in any future planning application.
As well as protecting our green assets, I feel we should be actively re-wilding our streets to improve biodiversity for the benefit of future generations. I will push for the planting of more street trees and for managing monoculture grass verges to flourish as mini wildflower meadows, including the banning of glyphosate -based weedkiller. Not only would this help wildlife, but it would bring a wide range of health benefits to Graves Park residents.