Councillor Charlie Davis has been appointed as the new leader of the Conservative opposition group for Greenwich Council, with Councillor Luke Warren named as his deputy. The appointments were noted at a full council meeting on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, and will officially begin for the 2025/26 Municipal Year.
Councillor Davis, who takes over the leadership, paid tribute to his predecessor, Councillor Matt Hartley. Hartley is noted as the only Conservative leader in Greenwich to have never lost a seat at an election
and to have gained seats at every election that he's been leader at
. He led the Conservative opposition through difficult circumstances after the last election
.
Councillor Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Council, also paid tribute to Councillor Hartley, highlighting his ability to pull the Conservative group back together and focus on delivering for residents
during challenging times. Okereke welcomed the new leadership duo and expressed his hope for continued collaborative working for the benefit of the borough's residents. He stated, I look forward to working just in the same way I did with Councillor Hartley. Like I say, we are all elected to achieve the best outcomes for our residents. That needs dialogue. We now all have joint meetings together as a group. That's important. And I pray, I just, I hope that we come into all of that with all good faith and continue to work together.
Councillor Davis's primary policy priority, as articulated in his motion, is to protect democratic oversight in planning decisions
. He aims to ask the government to reconsider these changes
to the National Scheme of Delegation of Planning Functions, which he believes significantly reduce the ability of elected councillors and residents to scrutinise planning applications
. He urged, I would ask members across this chamber to consider very carefully what these changes will mean for the communities they represent and for their own ability to stand up for residents. And I would ask them to put their residents before their party.
The meeting minutes indicate that Councillor Davis's motion, Protecting Democratic Oversight in Planning Decisions
, was not carried, with 19 votes in favour and 31 against
. This suggests that the Conservative opposition group has 19 members, while the opposing group has 31 members, making a total of at least 50 councillors on Greenwich Council.
Further details on the council's financial outlook, including debt maturity profiles and loan projections, can be found in the Info pack Council 2026-7
document [https://greenwich.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s20730/Info%20pack%20Council%202026-7.pdf].
