Colchester Green Party
For the Common Good
Our Manifesto
Colchester Green Party
reflects the values, principles and policies of the national Green Party of
England and Wales.
The Green Party will work
for:
● An economy that gives everyone their fair share
● A society capable of supporting everyone's needs
●
A planet
protected from the threat of climate change
● A more democratic political system
The Green Party is the only Party
that offers a genuine alternative to the other Parties to develop the local economy, to protect the local environment
and to create a new kind of democratic politics.
1. Local economy
* We will work to
ensure that the growth of our town is matched by appropriate investment in
infrastructure, such as schools, hospitals and public transport links.
*We will support local
businesses, encouraging schemes which keep money circulating within the local
economy, instead of letting it be siphoned away by multinational corporations.
*We will prioritise the
development of the town centre rather than out-of-town shopping centres.
*We will explore ways of
reducing the overheads of small businesses in the town centre.
*We will seek to attract
businesses to Colchester that focus on recycling, generating renewable energy,
energy saving and home insulation. This would bring investment and new jobs to
the area.
*We will promote the building
and upkeep of greener homes, favouring design and build with low carbon
materials and methods.
*We actively support our local
food banks for as long as people are in need of them but our policy is:-
-No-one who is working should
be paid less than a living wage. The National Living Wage is discriminatory in
that it excludes under 25s. This section of the population are the most prone
to insecure zero-hours contracts. We will push for employers in the Borough to
pay their staff at least the National Living Wage regardless of age.
* We will encourage and
support fairer alternative credit services such as Colchester Credit Union.
2. Our environment
The Green Party has long
recognised that climate change is the worst environmental hazard facing us.
* We call for more stringent targets
for reduction of global, national and local greenhouse gas emissions and for
the establishment of effective enforcement mechanisms. Our local policies
in areas such as transport and planning reflect this commitment.
We recognise that overdevelopment is of major concern to Colchester residents-
* We will protect green spaces from development and utilise brownfield sites.
* We are opposed to Essex County Council's use of glyphosate herbicides on our pavements.
* We will work with the Essex Wildlife Trust to promote bio-diversity.
* We believe that Colchester Council needs an in-house ecologist to advise on ecological aspects of policy.
* We will work with community groups to introduce more community wildlife gardens.
*We will improve the cleaning up of litter by identifying litter ‘hot spots’ for more regular cleaning and by ensuring that all streets are thoroughly cleaned up every two weeks.
Air quality is one of our top priorities-
Borough Council monitoring shows that air quality is now poor in many areas of the town. The central corridor, which runs from Mersea Road down to North Station, has some of the worst quality air in the Borough.
Our own monitoring in Spring 2018 revealed very high levels of pollution in several Castle Ward streets including North Station Road and East Hill.
Borough Council monitoring shows that air quality is now poor in many areas of the town. The central corridor, which runs from Mersea Road down to North Station, has some of the worst quality air in the Borough.
Our own monitoring in Spring 2018 revealed very high levels of pollution in several Castle Ward streets including North Station Road and East Hill.
*We will use local council powers to tackle air pollution by:-
-enforcing the law on engine idling
-enforcing the law on engine idling
-aiming to reduce traffic flow at key points
-providing better alternatives to driving for local journeys such as exploring shuttle bus schemes
-curbing speeds by introducing a default 20mph speed limit in residential areas to decrease the release of air pollutants and to reduce traffic accidents
-working with bus companies to run cleaner and more reliable vehicles in Colchester
-provide more cycling infrastructure.
We recognise that overdevelopment is of major concern to Colchester residents-
* We will protect green spaces from development and utilise brownfield sites.
* We will strive
to protect Salary Brook Valley and Middlewick Ranges from development. We will lobby the MOD to end the plan to sell off Middlewick Ranges for housing and campaign for the site to become a nature reserve.
*We will strive to minimise the negative environmental impact of the new town planned for near to Wivenhoe, which we opposed.
Waste and Plastics-
*We will explore the introduction of heritage-based water fountains in central Colchester to reduce the consumption of bottled water. We will seek to involve local artists in this.
*We will work with local retailers to explore ways to reduce plastic food packaging. We will lobby companies to use environmentally friendly packaging to reduce waste.
*We will make sure residents know about recycling options and about methods to reduce household waste.
*We will ensure that people living in flats have equal opportunity to recycle.
*We will explore the introduction of heritage-based water fountains in central Colchester to reduce the consumption of bottled water. We will seek to involve local artists in this.
*We will work with local retailers to explore ways to reduce plastic food packaging. We will lobby companies to use environmentally friendly packaging to reduce waste.
*We will make sure residents know about recycling options and about methods to reduce household waste.
*We will use existing legislation to put pressure on fast-food outlets and coffee chains to reduce litter.
3. The NHS
Our NHS is the most
effective public service ever created in the UK.
The Green Party will lobby national government to end the creeping
process of privatisation that is eroding it. We believe the NHS should remain a
unified public service and we oppose Private Finance Initiatives.
* We will rigorously campaign to persuade national government to match growth in local population sizes with greater
NHS investment.
* We will lobby to establish Community Health Centres that
will provide community-based services.
* We are the only Party to
consistently oppose cuts to local council services and the NHS.
* We will fight to ensure there are sufficient numbers of qualified
staff.
* We will lobby national government to
ensure that mental healthcare has parity with physical healthcare.
*We can reduce the cost of
healthcare by building a healthier society-tackling air pollution, reducing the
stress and stigma of unemployment, reducing inequality and overcrowded housing
and ensuring that everyone can have access to healthy, affordable food.
4. Housing
* We all want warm, safe and
secure homes. The current government have presided over the worst housing crisis in living
memory. At present house building is to meet market demand, not local need.
Social housing is essential to address this crisis.
* Colchester Green Party will
work to build and refurbish homes to meet everyone's need for secure and
comfortable housing. Council and co-operative housing will be prioritised for
funding, housing associations democratised and protections for private tenants
improved.
*We will lobby
central government to fund the provision of new council housing and for an end
to blocking local councils from increasing their stock.
*We will utilise
brownfield sites for new housing rather than our countryside and ensure that
such sites are not left undeveloped for many years or developed into luxury
flats and PFI expensive student accommodation, which do not address the real
local need.
*We will work to ensure that
private landlords maintain their properties to a very good standard.
*We will push for Colchester's
derelict buildings and shops to be brought back into use, including those above
shops.
5. Leisure and tourism
Colchester has a rich heritage and we fully recognise the importance of this both educationally and economically.
Colchester has a rich heritage and we fully recognise the importance of this both educationally and economically.
*We will work to restore and
make more accessible our heritage sites and to improve their advertising and
sign-posting.
*We will work for the addition
of a Civil War Museum and liaise with battle
re-enactment groups with a view to staging more public events.
*We will explore ways of promoting Colchester's medieval heritage such as improving the St John's Abbey and St Botolphs Priory sites with better signage and/or visitor facilities.
*We will liaise closely with the Balkerne Tower Trust regarding the options for bringing the Jumbo water tower back into appropriate use.
*We will explore ways of promoting Colchester's medieval heritage such as improving the St John's Abbey and St Botolphs Priory sites with better signage and/or visitor facilities.
*We will liaise closely with the Balkerne Tower Trust regarding the options for bringing the Jumbo water tower back into appropriate use.
*We will work to
ensure that there is more publicity and improved signposting of our Roman sites
such as Butt Road Church and the Roman Circus Museum.
*We will work to support the
development of our community and creative spaces.
*We will protect our Library
from the further selling-off of resources and
the conversion of whole floors as offices. We believe
that the library should remain a library rather than Council offices by another
name.
6. Local democracy
* Time and again decisions
affecting Colchester are made by Essex County Council with no understanding of
what Colchester really needs.
*Localism is central to
Green Party politics. We would campaign for more powers to be devolved from
County Council level to the Borough, particularly roads.
*We believe that council
meetings should be as open and transparent as possible and more accessible to
those most affected by decisions made in those meetings.
*We will work to increase the
involvement of residents and residents' groups in council decision-making
processes by holding consultations at an early stage, before decisions are made
by officers.
*The National Green Party is
campaigning for a change to a proportional representation electoral system,
replacing the undemocratic and unfair 'first past the post' system. We would
campaign for Colchester to pilot proportional representation systems for local
elections.
7. Transport
*We will campaign to bring the railways back into public
ownership, saving money and improving services, a policy supported by 66% of the
population.
*We will campaign to return
control of our roads to the Borough.
*We will work to end the
traffic problems in the town centre with a combination of affordable and
efficient public transport, improved cycle routes and by encouraging more walking
and car sharing.
*We will work with
local bus companies and provide financial incentives to facilitate cleaner,
less polluting buses.
*We will lobby for more
affordable fares and a proper bus station.
*We will push for a default 20mph speed limit on residential streets.
Through these measures we would cut congestion, pollution and
reduce road casualties.
*GP councillors will push for
safe and properly planned cycle routes and the increased availability of cycle
parking and storage facilities.
8. Community safety
*We will investigate why
Colchester has a higher crime rate per person than inner city Birmingham and
Liverpool. Solutions are complex but include many things that the Council can
influence such as licensing, design of public spaces and youth and leisure
facilities.
*We will work to halt cuts to
police numbers and insist that any new development has a corresponding increase
in policing resources, in the fire department and in ambulance services.
9. Defence
*Colchester is a garrison
town. We would work to help veterans
train and find work and provide support for those suffering from physical and
psychological trauma.
10. No nuclear at Bradwell
*We are strongly opposed to
the proposed new nuclear power station at Bradwell on safety, environmental and
economic grounds.
*The site is low-lying and
liable to flooding, storm surges and other coastal processes which will result
from climate change. It lies on a fragile and shallow estuary with Marine
Conservation Zone designation.
*Bradwell is already a nuclear
waste site for radioactive waste from other power stations. New nuclear
development would increase the amount of waste.
*There were radioactive leaks
into the ground over a 14-year period to 2009 and a fire in 2011.
*Since 1952 there have been
more than 17 major accidents at nuclear power stations throughout the world.
Bradwell is only 9 miles from Colchester.
*A new nuclear power station
would take 6 times as much cooling water from the estuary as the old one,
seriously damaging the ecology of the estuary and the world-famous oyster
industry.
*We advocate a tidal lagoon
system which releases water at high tide, allowing water to flow out through
turbines at low tide, generating electricity. Grid infrastructure formerly used
at Bradwell nuclear power station could be utilised for this.
11. Education
*We will lobby central government to
end tuition fees for students and replace loans with grants. Students
leaving Essex University now face an average debt of £45,000.
*We will promote a
comprehensive system of local schools and lobby
national government to bring Academies and Free Schools under Local
Authority control.
*We will campaign for
increased education spending. Funding cuts and privatisation are seriously
affecting Sixth Form Colleges and adult education. Colchester has a large and
successful Sixth Form College.
*Many children have to travel
several miles to school every day because their parents don't have confidence
in their local schools or because school places aren't available. We will work
to ensure that every child can attend their local school.
12. Animal
Welfare
The Green Party
has long recognised the need to treat animals well. Nationally the Green Party fully supports the ban on hunting with hounds.
*We will ensure
that all Council run catering services provide vegetarian and vegan options.
*We will work
closely with animal welfare organisations and law enforcement agencies to
ensure that reported animal abuse is investigated thoroughly.
COLCHESTER GREEN PARTY
For the Common Good
