Exeter Green Party Manifesto City Council Elections 2015

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1 Exeter Green Party Manifesto City Council Elections The Green Party is bringing creative thinking and positive solutions to Councils across Britain. We believe Exeter should be no different. Indeed, many of the ideas Exeter Green Party has proposed over the years are now being implemented. For example, in 2010 we called for solar panels to be installed on Council property and we are pleased more roads in Exeter have become 20mph limits following campaigns we promoted. The Green Party is the truly progressive voice in both local and national politics. Exeter Green Party Councillors are committed to: Putting people and the environment first Challenging austerity and generating income to mitigate government spending cuts Building local economic resilience Prioritising people s health and wellbeing Achieve sensible development of the city within physical, social and environmental limits Making local Government more democratic and accountable. The election of Green Councillors will help create a balanced Council to hold the Labour dominated City Council to account, creating a strong opposition that will seek to raise the quality of debate and decision making and push the council to operate in a fairer, more accountable and transparent way.

2 2 Putting people and the environment first Push for the Council and its partners to commit to a local carbon plan showing how Exeter will meet greenhouse gas reduction targets and reduce the City s ecological footprint by half by Robustly resist the austerity agenda of other parties which is cutting essential local services. We will seek to protect public sector jobs and minimise the use of agency staff paid for with public money. Celebrate and support Exeter s diverse and multi-cultural communities and promote inclusion. Push for the full use of the Social Value Act to set a high standard for contracts that the Council awards so the Council can work with businesses that pay the Living Wage and where bosses are paid no more than ten times the lowest paid employees and reject zero hours contracts. Promote the introduction of the Living Wage Accreditation Employer Mark to all local employers who pay at least the Living Wage to all employees. Support community led schemes to promote the development and generation of renewable energy. Challenging austerity and generating income to mitigate Government spending cuts Challenge any further cuts to the Council s budget and resist those that will impact on the most vulnerable in our communities. In particular people with disabilities, young people, older people, sick people, people with caring responsibilities and women. Campaign against the bedroom tax and evictions arising as a result of the bedroom tax. Support services which help people deal with debt and crises resulting from welfare cuts. Work to reduce energy demand and improve energy efficiency in City Council buildings and extend renewable energy generation from local authority and other public buildings to cut energy costs and generate income. Review parking charges in City Council controlled car parks so they maximise essential income for reinvestment in Council services and are on a par with bus fares. Advise that the Council s investments are completely divested from fossil fuels and nuclear and invested in sustainable and renewable investments. Building local economic resilience Push for the introduction of preferential retail business rates, where necessary, to increase the proportion of independent shops run by local business and social enterprises. Work to secure better local advice and support for small businesses and social enterprises and ensure all local traders voices are heard in shaping economic strategy affecting their local area.

3 Support the launch of the Exeter Pound, the local currency for Exeter, to boost the local economy, help local businesses thrive and keep money circulating in the community. Seek to ensure the Council accepts part payment of some of its services and council tax in this local currency. Resist more clone town Exeter : oppose further expansion of supermarkets and chain stores in the city and out of town retail developments and create local economic centres, especially in new developments. Continue to push for a new market square as part of the redevelopment of the bus station and Sidwell Street area; showcasing the Best of Devon, with an area of flexible units to house an expanded farmers market, craft and artisan use, local businesses, social enterprises and charities and for showcasing Exeter s multiculturalism and diversity. 3 Prioritising people s health and wellbeing Press for the introduction of a single pollution reduction policy and strategy in order to address all sources of pollution which impact on people s health and damage the environment, with a particular emphasis on improving air quality. Promote a walking city which prioritises pedestrians and creates an urban environment which is easy and safe to walk through and improves access for people with disabilities. Press for a more coherent cycle network with priority being given to completing missing links and improving dangerous junctions. Protect the city s parks, green spaces and trees and support community participation in their management and encourage increased tree planting. Support measures and facilities which promote health and wellbeing in the city such as a new swimming pool. Push for the protection and expansion of cultural and tourist activities in the city. Press for increased funding for activities to engage and encourage children and young people, and support the most vulnerable groups in the city including those in debt and women and children seeking refuge from domestic violence. Development today as if tomorrow matters Challenge the economic and housing growth assumptions and projections for Exeter as outlined in the Core Strategy. Seek proper engagement with East Devon and Teignbridge District Councils to ensure the extensions of Exeter are carefully thought through and properly funded to prevent urban sprawl which will become a drain on the City. Campaign hard for the legal protection of Exeter s remaining green spaces due to their positive impact on health and wellbeing. Ensure that developers contribute their fair share to the infrastructure required to cope with the growth of Exeter.

4 4 Ensure the New Homes Bonus worth up to 3 million a year, and the neighbourhood portion of the Community Infrastructure Levy is fairly and transparently used to prioritise funding for vital local facilities, such as community buildings, and youth and community services identified by local people as necessary as the result of the planned growth of Exeter. Push for full and transparent consultation over proposed greenfield developments and take seriously the results of these consultations. Press for further social and council housing developments to provide truly affordable zero carbon homes, which proritise housing for key workers. Explore imaginative brownfield development initiatives such as turning single storey car parks into affordable low-car housing developments and prioritise bringing empty houses back into use. Press for the planting of trees, an expansion of food growing land within the city and for allotment sites to be afforded permanent protection. Resist granting planning permission where plans are likely to have a detrimental impact on the quality of life for Exeter residents, for example on allotments, green spaces and the City s ridge lines. Push for new planning guidance that enables community developed, owned and managed housing co-operatives, community land trusts and co-housing projects which guarantee genuinely affordable housing in perpetuity. Press for all new housing developments to be zero carbon with immediate effect, to ensure very low energy running costs. Push the Council to use the planning process to ensure new housing developments are low-car developments. Press for an ambitious programme of home insulation and installation of renewable energy technologies to address fuel poverty, prioritising the most vulnerable and heard to heat homes. Press for 100% of electricity used in Exeter City Council offices to come from renewable sources. Keeping the city moving, sustainably Make the case for sustainable transport measures that tackle Exeter s seriously poor air quality, relieve congestion and help reduce the city s carbon emissions. Push for Exeter to become a 20mph city, making it safer and more conducive for all ages to walk and cycle, and the introduction of self-enforcing 20mph zones to all, and any, residential street where residents support this. Seek the introduction of a workplace parking levy on the city s largest businesses and employers, beginning with parking provision at the Civic Centre as a demonstration model. Ensure income from such a levy is ring-fenced to support sustainable transport initiatives, including initiatives put forward by businesses paying the levy. Support the expansion of car clubs into residential areas, reducing the need for car ownership and offering access to a car for those who are unable, or choose not to, own a car. Ensure that existing planning guidance for the inclusion of car clubs is implemented.

5 5 Use the opening of the new railway stations across the city, e.g. Newcourt and Marsh Barton, as key interchanges for a more ambitious Devon Metro with new rolling stock, increased frequencies and improved connections to Exeter, e.g. from Cranbrook and Okehampton. Support the introduction of Link and Ride schemes as an alternative to any further Park and Ride in the city, providing frequent high quality buses along strategic routes into Exeter with smaller car parks along the route, thereby encouraging a greater proportion of journeys to be made by public transport. Press for a new state of the art Bus Station situated close to the city centre to enable integration with local and national public transport links. Reducing waste Argue for the immediate adoption and implementation of a zero waste strategy for the City. Press for the immediate introduction of weekly food waste collections from houses and businesses to increase recycling rates and generate energy and income and the development of a community owned enterprise to process/compost food waste. Press for waste reduction to be prioritised over recycling when considering communication strategies and messaging on waste. Support work with householders, businesses and the University in a concerted effort to increase recycling rates from 36% to 45% in the next 2 years. Continue to highlight the flawed decision by Exeter City Council to support incineration in Exeter; make the case for alternatives to future incineration and monitor the impact on health and the environment of the new incinerator. Argue for the district heating system to heat public buildings and retrofit existing homes and businesses rather than heating new homes which can be built to high environmental standards. Making local government more democratic and accountable Press for decision making to be decentralised and for local people to be more involved in decisions that directly affect them, in particular when considering the impacts of new housing and other developments as well as the way in which budgets are allocated. Seek to ensure public services are provided by public sector staff, strengthening accountability and professionalism. Press for additional planning guidance which increase the responsibilities of developers toward the community and the environment and which increases community participation in planning new developments. Explore ways of increasing public participation in local democracy including through social media, online participation and polling. Look to publish all Freedom of Information requests and responses and councillors expenses on the Council s website.

6 6 How can you help Exeter Green Party? You can help by: voting Green in the May 2015 general election and in local elections displaying a window poster (or something larger!) at election time delivering leaflets in your area joining the Green Party at: making a donation at: to help with the campaign: Contact us info@exetergreenparty.org.uk Telephone: Write to: Exeter Green Party, c/o 42 St Davids Hill, Exeter EX4 4DT we have more followers than any other political party in Exeter. Join the discussion! Facebook /ExeterGreenParty we have a highly active page. Please Like us! Promoted by Isaac Price-Sosner on behalf of Exeter Green Party, c/o 21C Blackall Road, Exeter, EX4 4HE