Councillor, Diana Moore, one of the Green Party councillors representing St David’s, the ward in which the development is proposed, said:

“Greens strongly support brownfield developments – and there is a real need for council and truly affordable homes in the city centre. However, Labour’s endless obsession with co-living is creating a city full of bland developments containing hundreds of unaffordable bedsits that fail to meet nationally set minimum space requirements. 

“Labour wrote the brief for this dire development completely ignoring the Council’s own housing needs research which sees little role for co-living housing [1]. So there is no proper evidence of demand in Exeter for this over-priced accommodation. Few single workers in Exeter can afford the eye-wateringly high rents. 

Councillor Tess Read, another Green councillor in St David’s, added:

“The proposed landscaping for this development is totally inadequate and there are with no plans to improve local amenities in the area, such as nearby St Bartholomew’s Cemetery. Indeed, the proposals would significantly reduce the green infrastructure in the city centre by removing 10 trees and there are no serious plans for replanting trees elsewhere. 

“Housing plans in the city centre must incorporate and increase biodiversity, recognise the local presence of protected species and be adaptable to climate change.

“We also want to see proposals to make it safer for walking and cycling. The area close to the proposed development has one of the highest collision records in the city centre [2].”

The post Greens raise objections to Mary Arches co-living proposals in exeter appeared first on South West Green Party.

Cllr Jan Foster said at the planning meeting:
“In principle, I support the development of this land for housing, but
I am concerned about the shortfall in affordable housing. If we and our
partners don’t keep to our own policy how can we expect other developers
to?
With regard to developer profit, perhaps it is time that developers

accepted lower profits than have become considered acceptable.
For this reason I cannot support the application.”

See the full statement here.https://docs.google.com/document/d/16G-7yU22YcsBzl8Atl-SQpgV5ezmH8o67FzjQO1TvK8/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.rdxkugodsyfd

The post Green Party: Only Voice Standing Up for Cheltenham Residents as GoldenValley Benefits Already Being Diluted appeared first on South West Green Party.

A £3.5 billiongovernment fund that paid for energy efficiency work at public buildings across the country – including three in Stroud District – has been axed as part of Labour’s spending review.

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funded the installation of air source heat pumps, when the old gas boilers needed replacing in 2023 at the Council’s Active Lifestyles leisure centre and Museum in the Park in Stratford Park, Stroud and at the Active Lifestyles Pulse centre in Dursley (formerly known as The Pulse).

The cutting-edge green technology extracts heat from the outside air and uses it to heat the building (including recycled heat from the swimming pools and changing rooms at the leisure centres). Additional rooftop solar panels help reduce the electricity usage.

The upgrades, which have made these buildings significantly more energy efficient, enabled Stroud District Council to meet the requirement of the then government to decarbonise all public buildings by 2035.

Thanks to a grant of £4.69million secured by the council from this energy efficiency fund, the council only had to contribute £700,000 towards the work.

Cllr Chloe Turner, Leader of SDC’s Green group, said: “I’m grateful that Stroud District Council officers were able to secure such a huge grant while the money was available, which has enabled us to modernise our heating systems and reduce our environmental impact in our most energy-intensive buildings. But this fund was a vital source of local government funding for climate action across the country, and culling it with no suggestion of replacement is an extremely frustrating decision from a government that likes to call itself ‘the greenest ever’.”

Projects that have already been awarded money will go ahead but there will be no further money available. Cllr Turner commented: “Many councils will have assumed that there would be a furtherfunding round – so this disappointing news has significant implications for low carbon and energy efficiency projects around the country. It will stop councils investing in modern, efficient, environmentally efficient systems for their high-energy buildings and could put net zero targets into question.”

She added: “The government claims it remains committed to building on the existing Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and is ‘looking at ways to incentivise the public sector as a whole to take steps to decarbonise’. But this seems meaningless, when the vital funding has been withdrawn.”

The PSDS was launched in 2020 to support public sector organisations in England to install low carbon heating and energy efficiency measures in their buildings, such as leisure centres and hospitals. These measures helped councils and other organisations to reduce their carbon emissions and their energy bills.

The post Stroud Greens frustrated at axing of government energy efficiency fund appeared first on South West Green Party.

Green Councillor Carol Bennett said:

“Not only has Steve Race refused to join his colleagues in opposing this cruel legislation, he joined around 40 Labour MPs in signing a letter in support [1]. 

“People in Exeter with disabilities have the right to live with dignity and respect. PIP payments are essential for many to live independently and to participate in work, education and society. Removing it will deepen hardship and cost more in the long run. 

“These cuts are a short-sighted attempt to balance the books on the backs of people with disabilities. They come just as the government announces billions more for boosting the UKs nuclear arsenal. Labour is now the party of warfare not welfare.

“Greens have long called for fairer taxes on the super-rich that could raise billions and prevent cuts to the support for the most vulnerable. Wealth taxes could also help fund our crumbling health service and broken care system.” 

The post Exeter Greens slam local MP for backing cuts to disability payments appeared first on South West Green Party.

Green councillor Lynn Wetenhall said:

“This is classic greenwash. Labour is looking to use a city centre car park – which will encourage more driving to the city centre, more congestion, more air pollution and emissions – to fund climate action. It makes no sense at all and is against the Council’s own climate policies. Other possible sources of funding for the Council’s net zero work have not even been investigated despite there being a good number of other options.”

At the full council meeting where the car park decision was announced, Green councillor Tess Read described funding net zero work from the building of a car park “beyond parody”. She also highlighted a failure to consider alternative uses for the site:  

“There has been absolutely no attempt to consider any alternative uses for this site that might deliver as much, or more, money and deliver better economic, social and environmental value. Labour are putting the brakes on ideas and interests in the site and plan to build a car park where Exeter should be boasting a modern covered market, green space or a play park.”

Exeter Green Party recently ran a public survey on what people wanted to see on the site, with 400 suggestions received. A market, green space and play area were the most popular suggestions. 

The post ‘Greenwash’ – Greens denounce plans for new city centre car park to fund net zero work  appeared first on South West Green Party.

The Severn ward by-election yesterday (June 11) saw Moya Shannon becoming the 24th Green Party councillor on Stroud District Council.

Moya won with 439 votes, ahead of the nearest rival, the Conservative candidate, who got 425 votes. The other candidates were from Reform (421), Labour (177), the Liberal Democrats (112) and UKIP (5).

Moya will take the seat previously occupied by Labour councillor Richard Maisey, whose death in April sadly triggered the by-election.

Moya said: “I am very grateful to the voters of this ward for putting their faith in me and the Green Party to represent them and I look forward to working for the best interests of the many voices in our community.

“I come to this job with my own particular set of values and goals. The healthy and sustainable use of our local environment and the agricultural, business, wildlife, and living spaces within it, are all very important to me, as are local transport solutions and community energy production. I hope to support people and make a positive difference in these important aspects of our lives.”

She added: “Having lived in this ward and raised my family here I have a deep connection to the place and the people, and it is both for the place and for the people that I intend to work. 

“Many people have approached me with their ideas and with issues that need resolving and I aim to listen to and work on the concerns that have been brought up during this campaign. I will expect to hear many more and I will do whatever I can within my role to address these for all the people of the Severn ward.”

Cllr Chloe Turner, leader of the SDC Green group, said: “We’re delighted with this result, which reflects the strength of Moya as a local candidate and champion for her community, and wider support for our Green administration at Stroud District Council.

“We were always in a strong position, given feedback from residents showing that there was a local appetite for the Green ethos of fairer, greener politics. Richard Maisey was a very popular councillor and the people of Severn clearly wanted a community focused, green-thinking and warm person to replace him.

“I look forward to working with Moya as part of the newly enlarged Green group; she will be an asset to our friendly, dedicated and collaborative team.”

The post Stroud Greens delighted by Severn ward by-election win appeared first on South West Green Party.

The closure of the pool was included in Labour’s February budget [1]. The Progressive Group – made up of both Green and Liberal Democrat councillors – proposed an amendment in their Alternative Budget proposals to “undertake a leisure services review to protect leisure services from closure [2].”

In particular, Greens have highlighted the impacts of the decision to close the pool on school children. Five schools currently use the pool for swimming lessons and in 2016 Labour pledged free lessons for children in Exeter [3]. 

Green Councillor for Heavitree ward, Cllr Carol Bennett, said:

“Labour finds itself in deep water over its announcement to close Northbrook pool.  They didn’t say what they were proposing in advance of the budget meeting where the closure was announced, and certainly didn’t seem to think about the consequences for the community.  

“Northbrook is especially suited to schools and children with Special Educational Needs. Labour have not been able to offer swimming teachers or timetable space at St Sidwells Point. In 2016 Exeter Labour committed to free swimming lessons for children, now they are planning to close a pool where lots of local children learn to swim.”

A petition signed by more than 2,200 residents has triggered a Full Council debate on 10th  June, ahead of the final decision expected at Executive on 24th June. 

Green councillor for Newtown and St Leonard’s, Lynn Wetenhall, said:

“We’ve been listening to the community to hear about the  impacts of closing Northbrook pool. It’s an ill thought-through decision. Labour have presented partial and inaccurate operational and financial information to the community and councillors. [4]  Nor has there been any serious attempt to look at other options for how the pool might be run. 

“Hearing what residents have to say, it is clear there are plenty of improvements that could make this community resource more financially viable and these need to be considered before making any decision on closure .”

Green councillors will be raising questions about the planned closure of Northbrook pool at the City Council Scrutiny Committee on Thursday.

The post Greens call on Labour to work with community to find a way to protect exeter swimming pool  appeared first on South West Green Party.

Councillors of all political parties voted overwhelmingly to appoint Cllrs Turner and Braun to their new roles, with just two abstentions.

Cllr Braun had been Group leader for four years and Leader of the Council for almost three years and has stepped into the role of Deputy Leader to find a better balance with her day job. She also continues as a councillor for Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley and Stinchcombe.

Cllr Braun thanked council officers, Green colleagues and the leaders of the other political groups for their help during her time as Leader. “We have agreed on most things across all political groups, which reflects our culture of collaborative working. I’m particularly proud of the work we have done together on the council’s priorities in the new Council Plan, which stand us in good stead for the years ahead.”

She said she fully supported Cllr Turner in the new role. “Chloe brings a wide range of leadership and engagement skills to the Council Leader role, as well as extensive experience as both a district and county councillor, so she’s very well placed to lead us through the next chapter of the council’s work and local government reorganisation. Most importantly, Chloe brings a real passion for the people and places of Stroud district.”

Cllr Turner said she had learned a lot from Cllr Braun, calling her “a source of stability and collaboration, with a generous and open style of leadership”.

The post Chloe Turner is the new Green Leader of Stroud District Council appeared first on South West Green Party.

Green councillor for Heavitree in Exeter, Catherine Rees, who has supported the campaign for wild camping on Dartmoor and joined the rally outside the Supreme Court last October, said:

“I am so delighted and relieved by this decision. The Supreme Court ruling will be welcomed by so many people – those who want to be able to wild camp on Dartmoor and those who support the right to do so. 

“I hope this is a turning point and the government now passes a Right to Roam Act, to protect and extend public rights of responsible access to nature across England, as they promised before the election. I would love people across the country to have the same right to connect with nature and sleep under the stars as we have on Dartmoor.”

The post Exeter Green Party welcomes Dartmoor wild camping legal ruling  appeared first on South West Green Party.

Newly elected Green councillor on Devon County Council, Andy Ketchin, said:

“Nigel Farage has pledged to impose an Elon Musk style purge of Council jobs [1]. Thankfully, Reform didn’t win a majority on Devon County Council, but this threat is a useful reminder that our hard-working Council staff need to ‘Reform proof’ their jobs by joining a union, if they haven’t already done so. Union leaders have made a similar plea and have pledged to defend staff and uphold employment laws.”

Councillor Diana Moore, the leader of the Green group on Exeter City Council added: 

“Reform’s ideological Council jobs purge  is dangerous. With many Councils facing financial crisis, there’s really nothing left to cut. Years of austerity have left council services and infrastructure stretched to the limits or axed altogether. Councils desperately need increased funding from the government not more cuts. 

“People are feeling let down and disillusioned where local services can’t function properly for them. The government must urgently increase funding for council services, especially social care, SEND, public transport and housing, to help individuals and support our communities.”

The post Join a union to ‘Reform proof’ your job, urge Green Party appeared first on South West Green Party.