Teddington locals have praised life in Richmond borough where the Lib Dems took all seats on the council.

The party is entering its third term in charge of Richmond – this time in complete control as all five Green councillors lost their seats at the local elections on May 7.

Residents on Teddington High Street told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) they were happy with how the council ran services and maintained the borough, although they raised concerns about there now being no formal opposition on the authority.

Businesses also said it was becoming increasingly difficult to operate in the expensive borough and they needed more support to keep its high streets alive and thriving.

Lib Dem council leader Gareth Roberts told the LDRS he was proud of the administration's record in delivering reliable services in Richmond, but stressed they would not become complacent.

He promised supporting the borough's high streets would be a major priority over the next four years.

While celebrating the Lib Dems' complete sweep of the authority, Councillor Roberts pledged they would listen to all voters – including through consultations and encouraging people to ask public questions at meetings – with the party now having all 54 council seats.

Richmond has consistently been crowned one of the happiest places to live in London and the UK in recent years – including being named the best place to live in the capital by The Times this year – over its access to nature, strong sense of community, safety and transport links.

The borough also topped Rightmove's "happy at home" index in 2023.

Residents on Teddington High Street said the council had a visible presence in the community, where they saw contractors keeping the streets clean and ward councillors working with them on local issues.

Alex Sumner, 77, told the LDRS her ward councillors had helped to address safety issues caused by cyclists using the pavement near her home.

Alex said they had "worked really hard to try and stop that happening and eventually had no cycling signs put on the pavement, and that has made a difference".

Yan, 62, and Richard, 68, also said they were generally satisfied with how the council ran services.

"We see them cleaning the streets a lot, they all look nice," Yan said. "There's no leaves about, as you can see."

The pair said they were concerned the lack of formal opposition on the authority would weaken scrutiny.

"Having said that, I'd rather live here than some other boroughs," Richard added.

One shopkeeper who lives locally, and wished to remain anonymous, said Teddington was a "lovely place to live" with a strong community spirit.

"It's a nice place to live, quite safe, no trouble on the street", he told the LDRS.

But he said it was too expensive to run a shop in the borough, with high rents and rates crippling businesses.

The shopkeeper described how this was made worse by local parking arrangements, which allowed drivers to dump their cars for hours or days on end in some places – blocking space for other shoppers.

He said: "The rent is too high, over the phone [they] won't give any support, and the parking is terrible… they are 24 hours on the road."

While business rates are set by the Government, councils can offer local discounts to help with costs.

Raj Mudhar, 65, who has run Pristine Dry Cleaners for 25 years, said he was generally satisfied with how the council ran the borough, and that it had a "good community spirit".

He was among businesses to state it had become increasingly difficult to operate due to high rents and rates, however.

"Everything is going up, but I can't put the prices up," he said.

James O'Callaghan, 75, and Lori Jackson, 63, who run Montpelier Antiques and Interiors, also said they would like to see more support from the council for independent businesses and improved parking arrangements.

They said that although the council had provided a discount, their business rates were still too steep – having risen from around £250 to £440 a month over the last two years for just a small shop.



Lori said: "You see what's happening in Richmond in different areas [as] other shops have closed there. It's so sad. It's really depressing to see that."

She said the council must "keep the high street alive – it's just really sad what's going on – of course we know everybody is buying online, but we still need to encourage people out, talking to each other" and "keep the community spirit going".

The pair praised the council's maintenance of the area and engagement with other local concerns, however, with Lori describing how ward councillors had worked with her to tackle drivers idling on the high street.

James said the council maintained the area well as "the rubbish is clear, the streets are clear" but he wanted to see improved parking arrangements to help businesses.

He added that it was "a bit of a shame that they don't have opposition" now.

Richmond's former Green leader on the council, Andrée Frieze, told the LDRS after election night that the party would continue to scrutinise the Lib Dem administration.

Ms Frieze, who was not standing for re-election, said having "54 councillors all from the same party, with no opposition to scrutinise them, is really bad for democracy, it's really bad for residents".

Ms Frieze vowed the Greens would "stand up for the rights of residents, but also make sure that we keep protecting our planet, dealing with inequality and social justice" by continuing to challenge the Lib Dems, who she warned against becoming "complacent".

The Lib Dems' victory came after it stood a full slate of 54 candidates in Richmond, as did Labour, the Conservatives and the Greens. Reform put forward 45 candidates, while three Independent candidates battled for a seat.

The party had 49 seats going into the election, after the Conservatives lost their only seat on the authority in a by-election in January 2024. The Lib Dems originally took control of the council from the Tories in 2018.

The overall turnout in Richmond was 50.8 per cent – up from 47.7 per cent in 2022.

The Lib Dems secured 51.5 per cent of the votes, miles ahead of the Conservatives with 17.9 per cent of the share – they were followed by the Greens at 16.1 per cent, Reform at 10 per cent and Labour at 4.5 per cent.

Councillor Roberts told the LDRS: "First and foremost, thank you to every resident who took part in these elections and to everyone who placed their trust in the Liberal Democrats.

"This result gives us another four years to deliver for Richmond upon Thames – and we will continue governing for every resident, regardless of how they voted.

"Good local government depends on listening, openness and being visible in our communities, and that approach will remain at the heart of this administration.

"Residents have told us they value clean streets, reliable services, strong community engagement and councillors who work hard locally and get things done. We're proud of that record – but we're not complacent.

"Richmond is an outstanding borough, but we know many businesses are facing real pressures from rising costs and wider economic uncertainty. Supporting vibrant, successful high streets will be a major priority over the next four years.

"Teddington continues to perform strongly, with low vacancy rates, continued investment and new independent businesses choosing to open here.

"We will continue working closely with local businesses and listening carefully to concerns around parking, footfall and the future of our high streets. Our focus is on ensuring Richmond upon Thames remains one of the best places in London to live, work, visit and do business.

"At a time when councils across the country are under enormous pressure, residents expect local leadership that is competent, community-focused and ambitious for the future. That is exactly what we intend to keep delivering."