Andreas Kirsch - Councillor for Kingston upon Thames (Chessington South and Malden Rushett Ward)

Councillor Andreas Kirsch

Liberal Democrat Chessington South and Malden Rushett Ward Leader of the Council & Portfolio Holder for Heritage and Culture and Co-Chair - Corporate and Resources Committee

Email: Andreas.Kirsch@kingston.gov.uk

Council: Kingston upon Thames

Council Profile: View on council website

Committees: Council (Member) Corporate and Resources Committee (Co-Chair) South of the Borough Neighbourhood Committee (Member) Senior Staff Panel (Chair) Kingston Partnership Board (Member) Blue Badge Appeals Panel Place Committee (Member) South of the Borough Planning Sub-Committee South London Waste Partnership Joint Committee People Committee

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Positions, Voting Record & Activity Summary

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Councillor Andreas Kirsch has demonstrated a consistent commitment to Kingston Council matters, with a clear emphasis on council governance, local community needs, and ethical considerations. His activity is documented in 2024 and 2025, with a greater depth of involvement and leadership roles evident in the more recent year.

Key Themes and Priorities:

  • Council Governance and Policy: This is a dominant theme, particularly in 2025, where Kirsch chaired Senior Staff Panel meetings and co-chaired Corporate and Resources Committee meetings. His participation in the Member Working Group reviewing the Constitution further underscores this focus. He also proposed motions and amendments related to responsible investment, indicating a concern for ethical governance.
  • Local Community Needs: Kirsch actively engages with local issues, demonstrated by his allocation of Councillor Ward Funding to local organizations in both 2024 and 2025. His attention to parking charges in 2025, resulting in a policy change to revert to 30-minute increments, shows responsiveness to community concerns: > So, we are reverting back to the 30-minute increments so you don't need to pay for a full hour. If you park less than 30 minutes, you pay only for 30 minutes. If you park up to one hour, you park for the one hour. If you go for one and a half hour, you pay for one and a half hour.
  • Financial Autonomy and Funding: Kirsch advocated for increased council funding and financial autonomy, proposing the Liberal Democrat Group Motion regarding England's Councils in Funding Crisis in 2024.
  • Ethical Considerations and Responsible Governance: Evident in his December 2025 motion on safety and amendment to the Responsible Investment Policy, Kirsch is focused on ensuring ethical considerations are at the forefront of council decisions.
  • Environmental Concerns: As portfolio holder for culture and heritage and lead of the council, Kirsch voiced strong opposition to the third runway at Heathrow in June 2025, emphasizing the council's long-standing stance and rejoining the No Third Runway Coalition.

Evolution of Focus:

While Kirsch was active in 2024, his role appears to have expanded significantly in 2025. In 2024, his activities were centered around ward-specific funding and advocating for broader council funding. In 2025, he took on more leadership roles (chairing and co-chairing committees) and addressed broader policy issues, suggesting a move towards a more strategic and influential position within the council. The focus on ethical investment and governance also became more prominent in 2025.

Significant Contributions (Especially Recent Years):

  • Policy Change on Parking Charges (2025): Successfully advocating for the reversion to 30-minute parking increments, directly addressing community concerns.
  • Amendment to Responsible Investment Policy (2025): Proposing a strengthened policy with clear exclusion criteria, demonstrating a commitment to ethical investment.
  • Opposition to Heathrow Expansion (2025): Reaffirming the council's stance against the third runway and rejoining the No Third Runway Coalition.
  • Facilitating Discussions on Health Plans (2025): As Chair of the Kingston Partnership Board, he raised concerns about data coherence during the pharmaceutical needs assessment: > ...either we should try and keep the state you know same criteria for discussing statistics and discussing graphs so you know going forward you know let's try to be um you know especially when we're doing so many different stats you know let's let's get that kind of thing on a firm footing...

Patterns and Consistent Areas of Interest:

  • Local Ward Funding: A consistent pattern is his allocation of Councillor Ward Funding to local organizations, demonstrating a commitment to grassroots initiatives.
  • Committee Participation: Active participation in various committees, particularly the Corporate and Resources Committee, indicates a sustained interest in council operations and resource management.
  • Advocacy for Council Funding: A consistent interest in ensuring adequate funding for the council to deliver services effectively.

Yearly Activity Timeline

In 2025, Councillor Andreas Kirsch was actively involved in Kingston council matters, serving in various leadership roles and participating in numerous committees. A key theme throughout the year was his focus on council governance and policy, demonstrated by his chairing of Senior Staff Panel meetings (February, May, October, December), co-chairing Corporate and Resources Committee meetings (February, September, November), and participation in a cross-party Member Working Group reviewing the Constitution (April). He also served on the Kingston Partnership Board (February, April, September), and the Blue Badge Appeals Panel (February, March).

Kirsch demonstrated a commitment to local community needs through his role on the South of the Borough Neighbourhood Committee, where he allocated Councillor Ward Funding in March to local organizations. He also addressed concerns about parking charges in July, announcing a change in policy to revert to 30-minute increments: > So, we are reverting back to the 30-minute increments so you don't need to pay for a full hour. If you park less than 30 minutes, you pay only for 30 minutes. If you park up to one hour, you park for the one hour. If you go for one and a half hour, you pay for one and a half hour.

As portfolio holder for culture and heritage and lead of the council, Kirsch voiced strong opposition to the third runway at Heathrow in June, emphasizing the council's long-standing stance and rejoining the No Third Runway Coalition.

In September, as Chair of the Kingston Partnership Board, he facilitated discussions on health plans and the Kingston Compact, raising concerns about data coherence during the pharmaceutical needs assessment: > ...either we should try and keep the state you know same criteria for discussing statistics and discussing graphs so you know going forward you know let's try to be um you know especially when we're doing so many different stats you know let's let's get that kind of thing on a firm footing...

In December, he proposed a motion on safety and an amendment to the Responsible Investment Policy, demonstrating a focus on ethical considerations and responsible governance. The amendment aimed to strengthen the policy with clear exclusion criteria, drawing inspiration from models like the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund and the Danish Teachers' Pension Fund.

Monthly Activity in 2025

During December 2025, Andreas Kirsch was active in council matters. He chaired the Senior Staff Panel meeting on December 16th, though specific actions or statements are not recorded in the available reports. At the Council meeting on December 16th, he proposed the motion Everyone has a right to feel safe. He also proposed an amendment to the Responsible Investment Policy (originally proposed at the Council meeting on 14 October 2025 and seconded by Councillors Sabah Hamed) which became the substantive motion after a vote. This amendment included several key points:

"This Council notes:

  • the Pension Fund Panel's decision on September 17th, 2025, to review and strengthen the Responsible Investment Policy and its agreement, having identified its directly held investments, to consider options to divest from and actively not invest in companies on the UN OHCHR List;
  • the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund model as an example;
  • the direct precedent set by other pension funds, such as the Danish Teachers' Pension Fund (Lærernes Pension), which have already divested from companies found to be complicit in violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and
  • that other UK Local Government Pension Scheme pools, such as the Brunel Pension Partnership, have adopted detailed responsible investment policies that include specific commitments on human rights, demonstrating a clear pathway for pooled funds to manage these issues.

This Council believes:

  • that a strengthened Responsible Investment Policy, with clear and robust exclusion criteria, is the most effective way to provide a clear mandate to the London CIV and fulfil the democratic will of the Full Council; and
  • that this policy-strengthening work must be completed in a timely manner to maintain public confidence and ensure prompt action.

This Council therefore resolves:

  • that the final, strengthened Responsible Investment Policy will be reported back latest at the 19th March Corporate and Resources Committee and thereafter to the next meeting of Full Council; and
  • that the Pension Panel reports regularly on progress on the recommendations of the Task and Finish group, agreed by the Pension Panel on 17th September 2025 to the Corporate and Resources Committee.
Meetings in December 2025
Council - Tuesday 16 December 2025 7:30 pm - 16 December 2025

Andreas Kirsch proposed the motion Everyone has a right to feel safe. He also proposed an amendment to the motion regarding the Responsible Investment Policy at the Council meeting on 14 October 2025, which was seconded by Councillors Sabah Hamed. This amendment became the substantive motion after a vote. The amendment included the following points:

"This Council notes:

  • the Pension Fund Panel's decision on September 17th, 2025, to review and strengthen the Responsible Investment Policy and its agreement, having identified its directly held investments, to consider options to divest from and actively not invest in companies on the UN OHCHR List;
  • the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund model as an example;
  • the direct precedent set by other pension funds, such as the Danish Teachers' Pension Fund (Lærernes Pension), which have already divested from companies found to be complicit in violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and
  • that other UK Local Government Pension Scheme pools, such as the Brunel Pension Partnership, have adopted detailed responsible investment policies that include specific commitments on human rights, demonstrating a clear pathway for pooled funds to manage these issues.

This Council believes:

  • that a strengthened Responsible Investment Policy, with clear and robust exclusion criteria, is the most effective way to provide a clear mandate to the London CIV and fulfil the democratic will of the Full Council; and
  • that this policy-strengthening work must be completed in a timely manner to maintain public confidence and ensure prompt action.

This Council therefore resolves:

  • that the final, strengthened Responsible Investment Policy will be reported back latest at the 19th March Corporate and Resources Committee and thereafter to the next meeting of Full Council; and
  • that the Pension Panel reports regularly on progress on the recommendations of the Task and Finish group, agreed by the Pension Panel on 17th September 2025 to the Corporate and Resources Committee.

Activity Timeline

Meetings Attended Note this may include planned future meetings.

53 meetings · Page 1 of 11

Council Member

Council - Tuesday 16 December 2025 7:30 pm

The council is scheduled to discuss motions relating to community safety, gambling reform, and support for Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). Councillors will also consider the appointment of independent persons, the timetable of meetings for 2026/27, and the retention of the committee system governance arrangements.

December 16, 2025
Senior Staff Panel Chair

Senior Staff Panel - Tuesday 16 December 2025 10:30 am

The Senior Staff Panel of Kingston upon Thames Council is scheduled to meet on Tuesday 16 December 2025. The meeting will include interviewing candidates for the position of Director of Finance. The panel may also exclude the press and public from part of the meeting.

December 16, 2025
Corporate and Resources Committee Co-Chair

Corporate and Resources Committee - Thursday 27 November 2025 7:30 pm

The Corporate and Resources Committee of Kingston upon Thames Council convened on 27 November 2025, addressing a range of strategic and financial matters. Key decisions included approving the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle for temporary accommodation, awarding contracts for cloud data centre services and CCTV upgrades, and endorsing the new Inclusive Kingston Strategy 2025-29. The committee also reviewed the revenue and capital budget monitoring reports.

November 27, 2025
Kingston Partnership Board Member

Kingston Partnership Board - Thursday 13 November 2025 1:00 pm

November 13, 2025
South of the Borough Neighbourhood Committee Member

South of the Borough Neighbourhood Committee - Wednesday 5 November 2025 7:30 pm

The South of the Borough Neighbourhood Committee met on Wednesday 5 November 2025, and approved Neighbourhood Community Grants for Man & Boy, Oxygen, and the Kingston Tamil Heritage Group. The committee also received updates on community policing, a report from the Community Manager, a Decisions Progress Update, and reviewed its Work Programme.

November 05, 2025

Decisions from Meetings

103 decisions · Page 18 of 21

Revitalising Kingston’s Ancient Market Place - Operator Appointment

From: Corporate and Resources Committee - Thursday 21 November 2024 7:30 pm - November 21, 2024

...to appoint a preferred operator for the Ancient Market Square, Market House, and street market, and to grant a lease for the site, delegating authority to finalize the agreement.

Recommendations Approved

Changes to the Council's Contract regulations

From: Corporate and Resources Committee - Thursday 21 November 2024 7:30 pm - November 21, 2024

...to comply with the Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024, the committee approved changes to the Council's Contract Regulations, including setting the threshold for applying contract rules at the amount specified in Schedule 1 of the Procurement Act (currently £214,904) and updating the regulations accordingly, effective from 24 February 2025.

Recommendations Approved

Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report (including workforce equalities report) 2024

From: Corporate and Resources Committee - Thursday 21 November 2024 7:30 pm - November 21, 2024

...to note the progress against the Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Action Plan and the content of the Workforce Equalities Report.

Recommendations Approved

Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring 2024/25 as at Month 6

From: Corporate and Resources Committee - Thursday 21 November 2024 7:30 pm - November 21, 2024

...to note the forecast outturn positions for the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account, Schools Budget, Dedicated Schools Grant, and capital program for 2024/25, to note management actions mitigating the forecast overspend, and to approve the reprofiling of capital budgets decreasing them by £45.433m in 2024/25 and increasing them by the same amount over the following three years, as well as changes to existing capital schemes resulting in £2.157m of budget no longer required.

Recommendations Approved

Annual Complaints Report

From: Corporate and Resources Committee - Thursday 21 November 2024 7:30 pm - November 21, 2024

...to note the Annual Complaints Report, the content and forthcoming changes to complaints handling, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Annual Letter, and the Public Interest report.

Recommendations Approved

Summary

Meetings Attended: 53

Average per Month: 2.8

Decisions Recorded: 103