Leader's statement - Councillor Serge Lourie
I am honoured to have been selected as the Leader of the Council. I have lived in Kew
since 1976 and regard it as a wonderful place to live (apart from the aeroplanes!). I have known Richmond upon Thames very well all my life as I was brought up in Chiswick.
My children, who are now grown up, went through the state education system attending the Queen’s School, Shene and the Tertiary College.
We are very fortunate in having so many wonderful nationally and internationally renowned facilities such as the National Archives, Kew Gardens, the Wetland Centre, the River Thames, the Royal Parks, Hampton Court, the National Physical Laboratory and the Rugby Football Union at Twickenham.
The borough is a collection of towns and villages each with their own identity. This is a great strength and gives a great of sense of community that shows itself in the enormous diversity of a truly vibrant voluntary sector.
My objective for the Council is to run it efficiently for the benefit of local people and to listen to what you say. Key policy areas to which I am strongly committed are:
- To make the borough the most environmentally sound borough in the country, radically reduce the amount of rubbish we produce and increase the recycling rate;
- Working with teachers and governors, to make the secondary schools as good as the primaries;
- To improve facilities for younger people; and
- To keep the finances under control and reduce the excessive level of reserves.
If you want to contact me, please do not hesitate to get in touch on cllr.slourie@richmond.gov.uk or phone 020 8487 5001.
Councillor Serge Lourie