News / WECA Mayoral Elections 2025
Four of six mayoral candidates pledge action for nature
Four of six West of England Mayoral candidates pledge action for nature ahead of the Thursday election.
Avon Needs Trees is celebrating the impact of its Nature is Lush campaign, as four of the six candidates for West of England metro mayor have now responded directly to an open letter calling for action on nature.
Helen Godwin (Labour), Oli Henman (Liberal Democrat), Mary Page (Green) and Steve Smith (Conservative) have all visited the Lower Chew Forest, the largest new woodland in the South West for a generation, to hear firsthand about the campaign’s goals.
is needed now More than ever
Each has now issued formal responses to an open letter from Avon Needs Trees, expressing clear intentions to support nature across the region if elected on Thursday.
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Helen Godwin stated that we needed to “think very carefully about farmland and that we don’t go down the route of over-farming.”
She also cited the need to rewild where possible and protect our rivers. As well as committing to delivering the Nature Recovery strategy.
Oli Henman also committed to delivering the Nature Recovery strategy. Additionally, he would continue the Green Recovery Fund and support the creation of green jobs.
Mary Page echoed similar promises, pledging to prioritise the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, Nature Recovery Partnership and the Green Investment Funds.
Adding, “These are deep commitments from both me as a person and the Green Party together.”
Steve Smith has gone a different route to his fellow candidates with a “massive focus on ‘brownfield first’ house building,” as a means of addressing the housing crisis and while “easing the pressure on the Green Belt.”
His other approach is ensuring that there is a “practical alternative for people to choose as an alternative to the car.
There are six candidates standing for election on Thursday – photo: Martin Booth
These responses represent a major success for the campaign, which gathered over 1,000 signatures and drew support from business, cultural and environmental organisations across the West of England. Individuals including Chris Packham, Dr Mya-Rose Craig and Deborah Meaden also threw their weight behind the charity’s calls to action. The candidates’ commitments mark a significant step forward in ensuring that nature and climate remain central to regional decision-making.
“We launched Nature is Lush to push nature up the political agenda, and the responses from candidates show that message has landed,” said Tom Le Fanu of Avon Needs Trees. “With these commitments now public, voters can weigh up these responses and go to the polls knowing nature is firmly on the table.”
The vote is likely to be extremely close between all five parties, with voter turnout low. The charity is urging voters to head to the polls on Thursday to ensure nature has a voice in this election.
All photos: Avon Needs Trees
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