By Elaine Michel, Open Spaces Committee member and Battersea Society trustee
For this edition of Keeping it Local, Elaine interviews Ethan Brooks, recently appointed Cabinet Member for the Environment at Wandsworth Borough Council.
Councillor Ethan Brooks speaking at the prize-giving ceremony for this year’s Wandsworth in Bloom competition, held in the Old English Garden in Battersea Park. Photo © Wandsworth Borough Council.
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.
A: I’m Ethan Brooks, Councillor for Thamesfield Ward and Cabinet Member for Environment. Environment is a broad portfolio: Waste and Streets, Air Quality, Climate Change, Parks and Green Spaces (including cemeteries), Sport and Leisure, Libraries, Arts & Culture, Opposition to Heathrow expansion T3. I also sit on the Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee (EOSC) and the Western Riverside Waste Authority Board. Outside that I am a Governor of Roehampton Forest School. I live in the Borough with my partner.
Q: What was your route into Local Government?
A: I’ve always been around Public Service. My mother was a Youth Worker in Peterborough, where I grew up. She ran the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme for the East of England as well as Sailability, an organisation which aims to get people from all backgrounds into sailing and out on the water to enjoy nature. I came to London for Uni and after graduating worked at the BBC and then moved into the charitable and not for profit sectors at The Royal Society for Blind Children and then Waymap as Director of External Affairs. Waymap is an app which guides the visually impaired through challenging spaces such as hospitals, stations and airports. I left in 2024 and have been involved with the community since then as a Councillor and then at this year’s election I became a Cabinet Member.
Q: Why Environment?
A: During the Covid pandemic I noticed Wandsworth Council was very good at keeping parks open for people which was invaluable for mental and physical health. So when I was elected, I said I wanted to sit on the Environment OSC. I became the Shadow Speaker halfway through the last term, in 2024.
Q: Are you a gardener?
A: Yes! My mum has a big garden and greenhouse, so I grew up with home grown produce. My partner and I only have a small garden, and all the veg is grown in raised beds: tomatoes, chilies, kale, and horseradish in pots. We also have a mini greenhouse.
Q: Any eco tips?
A: We have a worm farm which processes our food and garden waste to produce nutrient dense compost. It’s a great way of recycling compostable matter. We try and minimise our plastic use and buy from refill shops like The Source. We also have an Oddbox subscription as we try to do our bit around food waste.
Q: Where does the Forest School come in?
A: Roehampton Church Forest School is the only one of its kind locally. I became involved through a fellow Councillor. Everything about their ethos fits my values. The school backs on to Putney Heath and many of the children come from the Alton Estate. The School is aiming to attain full accreditation as a forest school by 2027. The children are already enjoying learning through sessions on The Heath.
Q: Over the next four year term, what are your top 3 aims for the environment?
A: Firstly, getting the orchestra of management, contractors, and users in sync. Communities in the Borough are hugely involved in green spaces, with literally hundreds of people collaborating to make them thrive. So the role I play is to plug into that network to improve their communications with each other via newsletters, forums, and face to face meetings. I’ve attended the Green Spaces Forum and found it very helpful. One of my absolute highlights this year was judging the Wandsworth in Bloom competition, it was so inspiring. We’ve just launched the Greener Wandsworth Newsletter which contains information about funding opportunities, air quality, and keeping warm and well this winter.
Secondly, expanding street cleansing by prioritising purchase of new jet-washers which are more efficient and help provide a sense of pride in place, that where people live is cared for.
Thirdly, more collaboration in Arts and Culture. Whether that’s local markets in green spaces and parks, I welcome any suggestions from your members! You can get in touch by email at cllr.e.brooks@wandsworth.gov.uk
Making friends: Ethan meets a Suffolk Punch horse. Photo © Ethan Brooks.