Steven Neville and Buckhurst Hill Greens

Urgent Need for Parking Review in Buckhurst Hill

2012-02-02T04:32:00.000-08:00

Quite a few people were unhappy with the last Parking Review and felt it was not thought out well enough. Those most angered by this review are those of

Station Way

who were left out altogether. This has had the effect of commuters using

Station Way

as a parking bay, and trade has dropped substantially. Meanwhile there is a campaign by us to petition the County to include Buckhurst Hill in a review which will include

Station Way

. These are all locally owned businesses which we feel deserve the County’s full support. Meanwhile the Tories blame a Lib-Dem County Councillor for eating up the budget by calling for a review in Epping that was allocated for reviews elsewhere. The fact is, there is a lack of money due to government cuts, and the County seemed to have no contingency fund to make sure Buckhurst Hill got the review this year after much delay. Now they say a review will happen 2012/13. Let’s hope they are true to their word, and

Station Way

is included.

Accident Highlights a Dangerous Crossing

2012-01-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

The recent accident at junction of Palmerston Road, Loughton Way, Roding Road, and Albert Road highlights what a dangerous junction it is and more and more people have signed our petition for pedestrian phase to be brought in here.

Buckhurst Hill West: By Election; A Big Thank You

2011-12-23T09:23:00.000-08:00

I would like to say a big thank you to the 243 or 30% of people issued with a ballot who voted for me in the Buckhurst Hill West by Election. It is our best result yet in Epping Forest . I wish the two winning Conservative Candidates well in the few months before the whole Parish comes up for election on 3^rd May 2012. They can sit in the chamber knowing they have a democratic mandate.

Vote to make a difference to Buckhurst Hill Parish Council

2011-12-20T03:52:00.000-08:00

On Thursday 22^nd December 2011 the voters in Buckhurst Hill West have the chance to ensure that there is a voice of opposition on Buckhurst Hill Parish Council. As it is there are four Conservative Councillors on the Parish, and the Conservatives have put two candidates to our one. As Greens we would make keep the Tory Council accountable and make sure it keeps its promises. We will be a voice of opposition in an otherwise all Tory council. If we are elected we will fight to make the council more open and transparent, help to get the council to involve the voters more in decision-making, sponsor a garden-share scheme, and help to sort the dog-fouling problem by introducing bags to complement the District penalty scheme. A Green will make a huge difference on the council; one more Conservative will not add anything to democracy.. So vote for Steven Neville, your Green candidate, on 22^nd December 2011. Polling opens from 7am to 10pm. Polling Stations are at St John’s and the Baptist church on

Palmerston Road

Vote Steven Neville for Buckhurst Hill West Parish By Election

2011-12-03T14:23:00.000-08:00

Steven Neville is the Green Party candidate on 22^nd December 2011. Steven is a hardworking local campaigner who has lived in Buckhurst Hill all his life. He is the chair of Epping Forest “20 is Plenty”, which wants a default 20 mph in residential roads. Steven says ‘I care passionately about Buckhurst Hill and feel we need an alternative voice on the Parish Council. We can only get that by voting Green on 22^nd December 2011.’

One more Conservative will not make the slightest bit of difference to the Parish Council which is entirely Tory after all the Lib Dems resigned from the Council. A Green councillor, however, will provide an essential independent voice.
,

If Greens are elected we will:

ü Keep the Tories accountable

ü Promote more youth facilities

ü Encourage more community involvement in the Council

ü Promote a Garden Share scheme in which residents who cannot garden any more can allow people without a garden to grow food

ü Reintroduce dog fouling bags to work with the District’s Penalty Scheme for dog fouler.

Tories force Buckhurst Hill West Parish By Election

2011-12-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

Local Greens express their extreme disappointment as an attempt to reach a mutually beneficial comprimise which would have avoided a by-election in Buckhurst Hill West was rejected and sabotaged by a group of high handed Tories. Local Green Steven Neville said 'We tried to come to a deal with the Tories by which we would put forward one candidate(in effect withdrawing one candidate for each party and we have done this) each for the two seats vacated in October by Angela Cass and Joyce Darby and thus avoid a by election just before Christmas. The Tories already have the only four occupied seats on the council and this arrangement would see them easily hold onto that majority but give another non Tory voice on the council. This would mean better decision making and a whole tranch of voters on the left would have a voice. However Local Tories have decided they should have both seats as of divine right and we should back away. This is arrogant and would mean a monocrome council which is bad for democracy.' The by-election will be on 22nd December 2011 7am to 10pm. Postal Votes applications need to be in by 7th December 2011. Proxy vote applications need to be in by 14th December 2011.

New Buckhurst Hill Parish Council and By Election

2011-11-26T04:35:00.000-08:00

A new era has started at Buckhurst Hill Parish and I wish the new council the best. I know they will try their very best to work on some of the problems. Obviously work for 4 and eventually 6 will be tough over the next few months because of having fewer councillors around to share the load, for which the Lib Dems should be ashamed. I also know it would take a while for possible co-options to take place so we will have to wait until May for a full council again.

In the meantime there is the chance for a possible By-Election in Buckhurst Hill West on 22^nd December 2011. We do not want this as we see it as expensive, too near to Christmas, and an extra load on electoral services at Epping Forest District Council. We are working to make sure we avoid a By-Election.

Lib Dems leave Buckhurst Hill in the lurch

2011-11-15T08:30:00.001-08:00

Now the entire Lib Dem group have resigned from the Parish Council and as yet we do not the full reason why. We do know, however, that they have nearly destroyed the finances of the council, they bought the Woollard Centre, laudable though it was, at great expense, had no plan on how to get the money back, and as it is it barely breaks even. They had no imagination of how to take things forward, they had run out of ideas, were increasingly out of touch and also secretive. We now have a situation where Buckhurst Hill East only has one councillor representing it out of five, and Buckhurst Hill West has three out of six. There will be by-elections in West for two of those seats but the rest are vacant and as we are so near to the next election we cannot have by–elections. The new Tory administration should co-opt to share load and be true to the statement of running the council on a bi-partisan basis. The Lib Dems should have stayed and faced the electors next May but they chose not to.

PARISH COUNCIL RESIGNATIONS

2011-11-14T07:14:00.000-08:00

It was recently announced that two councillors on Buckhurst Hill Parish Council have resigned over employment issues. Joyce Darby, who was chairman of the Council from 2009-2011, and Angela Cass both had served for 3½ years from 2008. Their resignation was the only honerouble action available to them following an employment tribunrel ruling that had gone against the council, yet again. This is a devastating blow to the Lib Dems and comes after a whole catalogue of problems. Last year a Lib Dem Parish Councillor defected on separate issues. The finances of the Council are under severe pressure: the Woollard Centre, bought (plus refurbished) by the Council from Essex County Council for £275,000, and it will cost £1million after loan repayments, is barely breaking even and the Roding Valley Hall is in a similar poor financial state and possibly more employment issues have yet to emerge.

The accounts for the Council have not been made public on the website for three years. It appears the Parish is out of touch and presiding over a whole heap of problems of their own making. Recently, in these tough economic times, the Parish voted to increase the hall surcharges up for non locals, believing it would both turn off non-locals using the hall and at the same time encourage them to cough up the increased fee. Really?? It has to be mentioned that the one Tory at the meeting went along with this. It is symptomatic of the confusion on the Administration. They also decided on a maintenance matter by going for the much higher of two quotes, and this was after negotiations. Again all Lib Dem/Tory councillors present voted this through. It is clear that the Conservative-Lib-Dems both locally and nationally cannot be trusted to look after the issues and concerns of ordinary citizens. We need a Green voice on the Parish council and soon. I am glad as I go out and about that more and more people say they will be voting Green next May.

Have you competed the Waste Managment Survey?

2011-09-23T04:17:00.000-07:00

Epping Forest Distrcit Council are seeking your views on Waste Management: Follow this link It needs to be competed by 19th October 2011.

Green Party Conference 2011: This is Not True Coalition

2011-09-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

We recently had our party conference in Sheffield home to Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg. In her speech our leader Caroline Lucas said this:

I have been heartened by people, locally, saying they will vote Green, people who voted Lib Dem for whatever reason. They see that we are the only active party in Buckhurst Hill other than the Tories and Lib Dems

Police Opening Times Cut

2011-08-29T14:17:00.001-07:00

In order to save £2.5million Essex Police are planning to slash opening hours at Loughton Police Station from 24/7 to 6 hours a day. This is a huge cut of 75%. In Epping we are to see times cut from 14 hours to 6 hours. While many of us use the phone to get the police, stations being open are a sign of police visibility in the community. Across the country the Con-Dem governments cuts are hitting front line policing making it more difficult to deal with crime. While some cuts in opening times may be acceptable these are huge cuts and we call on the police to rethink.

Pothole Progress

2011-07-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

Before

After

I am please that we are starting to see our potholes filled after a lot of chasing up by me and others. We will now carry on seeing if more potholes can be filled before next winter.

New Police Number

2011-07-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

It has been brought to my attention that the new Police number for non-urgent crime matters is 101. If the matter is urgent dial 999 as usual.

Protecting Our Open Spaces

2011-07-07T09:20:00.000-07:00

I was appalled at leaked government plans to make it easier to use green belt land to build on. While we all recognise the need for Housing, especially affordable and social housing, this is a charter for chaos. Under the plans it is up to the council to say why we can’t build on green belt land and thus, with the safeguards gone, this will be a charter for tearing our green spaces and all sorts of developments. I do hope between now and the official launch of the policy the Con-Dem government think long and hard about this.

As a member the Buckhurst Hill Open Spaces Group I will do my utmost to make sure in future council land and that which is regularly used by the public is untouchable. At the end of

Chestnut Avenue

and

Hornbeam Road

, thanks to efforts by members of the Group and local residents, we now have a Village Green, meaning developers can’t touch it. An Application for the Donkey Field site has now gone in. The Group are doing valuable work at defending our green spaces, and it is a shame the Parish Council, while still allowing us to meet at the parish offices, has demoted the group and cut our funding.

Save our Open Spaces

2011-06-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

I am glad to report that I have joined Buckhurst Hill Parish Council Open Spaces Working Group. This group is concerned with the protection and preservation of the natural environment in Buckhurst Hill - something we in the Green Party are concerned with. The green spaces of Buckhurst Hill are like the lungs in our urban environment. In this age of the Big Society it is good that this group is wider than just parish councillors and includes the community beyond, as this is an issue many consider to be of vital importance.

I will fight to make sure that as many of the areas owned by the council are kept for the community as possible, so they will be unable to be sold off at some later date. I will also see what can be done to support biodiversity in these areas.

Rethink needed on Library Opening times

2011-05-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

I notice that we in Epping Forest are not immune to the cuts in Library Services. Luckily for us it is just hours that are being cut: my local Library in Buckhurst Hill loses 1 hour overall. However, for a number of residents the weekend is the time they get down to the Library. Saturday and Sunday were the days they used. Now none of our Libraries will be open on Sunday. For many this is awful and, to them, is a major cut. As it is, overall Loughton Library is losing 14 hours, Debden 8 hours, North Wealth Bassett 7 hours, Epping 4 hours; and Waltham Abbey and Chigwell escape with no cuts! Many poor and disadvantaged people rely on our library service to get books and it is a scandal that some of the biggest cuts hit many of these areas. Epping Forest is losing 34 hours in total. Sign the online petition to reduce the cuts in Debden and Loughton, especially.Sign the petiton

A Big Thank You!

2011-05-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank you to all those who voted for Ben in Buckhurst Hill West on 5^th May. We moved into 3^rd place thanks to your votes, beating UKIP and Labour. In Epping Forest we Greens got our best result more than doubling our vote on last time and coming second to the Tories in 5 wards. We need to work hard and build on these results!

I would invite anyone who wants to do more to help getting Green councillors elected in our area to contact us via our website (eppingforestgreens.org.uk) or ringing 07545 378553.

20 is Plenty: Open Letter to Norman Hume

2011-05-05T02:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a letter I sent to County Councillor Norman Hume, who is in charge of Transport and highways.

Dear Mr Hume

I am heartened to that you say Essex County Council is pleased to try out new ideas. I hope you are aware of the reduction in average speeds in Portsmouth by 7mph, where 20mph speed limits have been put in place (previous speeds were 24-29mph). I hope you are aware of a NHS report from the Directors of Public Health in the North West which strongly supports 20mph speed limits without humps or other traffic-calming measures. It is entitled “Road traffic collisions and casualties in the North West” and is at http://www.nwpho.org.uk/rtcs_nw/reports/RoadtrafficcollisionsandcasualtiesintheNW.pdf

I note too your use of guidelines from 1993 where you say ‘The legislation governing the introduction of 20mph speed limits is limited to streets where the current or average speed is at or below 24mph.’ This is simply not true. Firstly these guidelines are not rules, secondly they are out of date, and thirdly the guidance was for areas, not individual streets. Since this time we have guidelines from 2006 and 2009.

Your reply fails to recognise that today we no longer need to adhere to these guidelines and many local authorities do not. In Portsmouth the average speed was between 24 to 29mph where they introduced many of their 20mph speed limits. The 2009 Department of Transport circular states ‘“Early research from the area-wide 20mph limit in Portsmouth suggests that greater reductions can be achieved through signed-only limits where previous average speeds were significantly above 20mph.” I suggest you update your reference material.

In light of this will you reconsider introducing wide area 20mph limits to promote safety, environmental well-being and community benefit? I await your reply!

Yours faithfully,

Steven Neville

Vote Ben Wille for Buckhurst Hill West on 5th May

2011-05-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

I would just like say a word about Ben Wille, the Green Party candidate for Buckhurst Hill West. Ben is a teacher of Classics and Drama at Chigwell School. He has recently become convinced that the Green Party presents by far the best set of policies for improving the quality of life both on the planet as a whole and in our local area. He says ‘The mood amongst local people is that the Tory/Lib-Dem Government’s budget plans are not the only option. A mixture of intelligent investment and reduced tax avoidance would provide financial stability and at the same time avoid job losses and service cuts. People want these alternatives put forward at every level of government.’ If elected he will:

defend public services, work for more decent affordable housing and reverse the scandalous rent rise for those on social housing, and campaign for better public transport, walking and cycling facilities. It is clear that neither the Tories nor Lib-Dems can be trusted. Locally both parties have cut budgets. The Greens are the Real Alternative - we are the only party that has consistently called for proper funding for further and higher education, scrapping Trident, or demanding that the post office be maintained in the public sector. Labour introduced tuition fees and wanted to sell off the Post Office. Now more than ever is the time for a change from the tired old politics of the tired old parties. So on 5th May vote for Ben Wille.

Say Yes to AV

2011-05-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

I just want to clear up some common misunderstandings about the Alternative Vote which are put forward by those who want to keep the highly unfair First Past the Post System:

1) "AV is unfair. With First Past the Post, everybody gets one vote. But under AV, supporters of extreme parties like the BNP would get their vote counted many times, while other people's votes would only be counted once.”

This is nonsense. It is like saying that if you go to a restaurant, and find that your preferred dish is not available because it wasn't popular enough, then you shouldn't have the chance to have a 2nd preference.. Each person has only a SINGLE Transferable Vote. It is interesting to note that the BNP are campaigning against AV.

2) “AV doesn't work. Rather than the candidate with the most votes winning, the person who finishes third could be declared the winner.”

Yes, of course, the person who finishes 2nd or 3rd ON FIRST PREFERENCES could become the winner - IF they get enough transfers from other candidates. That is exactly HOW AV works. AV allows people to express what their actual preferences are, and thus be truer to their convictions. (It therefore also, crucially, allows smaller parties over time to build up their 1st preferences until they become contenders to actually win. This is how the Green Party has grown in Australia.)

3) "AV is expensive. Calculating the results is a long, complicated process (which would cost the taxpayer about 250 million for counting machines).”

Actually, AV would be barely any more expensive than FPTP: surely the very small additional cost - basically, the extra staff time to count the more complex ballot papers on election night - is a price worth paying for democracy. Indeed there is no need for machines, as has been suggested, at all.

4) “No one wants AV. Even the 'Yes' campaigners don't actually want AV - they see it as a convenient stepping stone to yet more changes to how we vote."

Well, it is certainly true that there are many Yes2AV campaigners who would in the longer term want PR, and it would be great, from their (our!) point of view to have AV as a 'stepping-stone'! Because yes, included among those many are we in the Green Party. It is relatively easy to imagine a chance occurring to have proper proportional representation, which is the Green Party’s favoured option ultimately, should we win this vote. AV is our preferred option, compared to First Past the Post.

DEMOCRACY AT THE HEART OF THE CAMPAIGN

2011-04-16T05:23:00.000-07:00

(Pictured from left to right) Nicky Harries, Steven Neville, Rob Ogle

On Saturday 9^th April 2011 Epping Forest Greens were outside Waitrose, Queens Road, Buckhurst Hill persuading local voters to vote in favour of the Alternative Vote on Referendum Day on 5^th May, as well as persuading people to sign a petition to give us all the chance of a local referendum on having a directly elected Mayor for Epping Forest.

Local Greens feel this would free councillors to represent their electors better as having a directly elected Mayor would replace the current council leader system by which the person who leads the party that wins a majority becomes Council Leader and dictates what happens with councillors doing as they are told and thus a Directly elected Mayor removes the need for the whip system, (as is already happening elsewhere), which we have in the council at the moment. The Green Party will be outside Waitrose again on the 30^th April.

What is Going on is No Joke

2011-04-15T03:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the Green Party Local Election Broadcast:

Green Party Surgery, 16th April 2011

2011-04-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

Buckhurst Hill Green Party Campaigner Steven Neville is holding a surgery to allow residents of the area to take up their concerns with him. He says ‘At this time of cuts people want to know someone is actually listening to them.’ The surgery will take place at St James’ United Reformed Church,

Palmerston Road, Buckhurst Hill, IG9 5NG

from 10am to 12 noon on Saturday 16^th April 2011.

He Let you Down

2011-04-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

Caroline Lucas and her latest Video

EDUCATIONAL MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE

2011-04-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

I have been interested in the recent debate on the Educational Maintenance Allowance. It is designed so people from poorer backgrounds can get help with funding for books, travel etc. I have witnessed firsthand how this has helped students from less privileged backgrounds get an education. From this I will make two observations: a) a number of these had jobs as well and could not afford an education on that money alone; b) every day they signed a form to say they had attended classes. They thus got the money for the classes they attended. The EMA now has been scrapped by the Lib-Dem/Tory government and replaced with a new ‘targeted’ scheme. EMA cost £500 million, while the new scheme costs £180 million. Because people don’t fall into certain categories they will lose out. I once attended Epping Forest College and know how students from poorer backgrounds benefited from the EMA, while they will not under the new scheme. Caroline Lucas and the Green Party opposed the scrapping the EMA, as we saw the value. We see how it helps people who might not get a good education otherwise and may not be able to escape poverty. Both the Tories and Lib-Dems promised to protect the EMA and they have broken promises and betrayed a whole generation of school children.

Epping Forest: Say Yes to AV

2011-02-19T05:21:00.000-08:00

Epping Forest Greens are backing the Say Yes to AV campaign; we believe the Alternative Vote (AV) is more democratic than the current First Past the Post (FPTP) system. It is a stepping stone on the path to reform of our electoral system. Of course we ultimately want a form of Proportional Representation, which the Green Party leader, Dr Caroline Lucas MP tried to give us by having the AV bill amended as it went through parliament. Although the Con-Dem government voted this down (Tories and Lib-Dems)

How does it work? It means every vote has a single transferable vote in which they can express the parties or candidates they most want to win in order of preference. So you may say your first preference is Green, 2^nd Lib-Dem and third another. The first preference votes get added up and if one candidate gains over 50% then they are elected. If no candidate gains over 50%, then the candidate with the lowest share of 1^st preference votes is removed and these votes transferred to the voters second preferences.

We back AV. Why? Because it means we all have a real say in who will represent us. We have a single transferable vote. People can vote more freely and know that their vote will count. In two thirds of seats the winner at the last election got less than 50% of the vote and so AV could affect who wins in such seats.

AV is how most parties elect their leader, from Labour and the Lib-Dems to Greens. It is also how the Mayor of London is elected.

It allows people for the first time in years to vote for whom they want and so ends the classic tactical vote whereby voters back another party to keep so and so out. Yes it may change certain results but that only be healthy for democracy.

Is it expensive? Well not much more than FPTP and that is not a good enough reason not to better the democratic system.

So we urge the voters of Epping Forest to vote for AV over FPTP on 5^th May.

Green Party welcomes NHS report calling for hump-free, bump-free 20mph speed limits on all residential roads

2011-01-31T06:32:00.000-08:00

Health directors’ new report agrees with long-standing Green Party policy

Epping Forest Green Party has welcomed a new NHS report (1) on road deaths and injuries which strongly recommends a general 20 mph speed limit, without humps and bumps, on all residential roads.

Directors of Public Health in the North West have produced the report, which draws attention to the high rates of death and injury on roads in the region where children are more likely to be injured in RTCs than anywhere else in the country.

This is an incredibly important report from NHS Directors of Public Health. It says we have a serious problem with death and injury on the roads and it says the solution is a 20 mph limit. I agree.

The report presents compelling evidence that lives could have been saved and injuries reduced if 20 mph limits had been introduced in residential areas. We have called for residential roads in Epping Forest to have these limits as well as those areas near school and shops. The County Council have decided not to include us in a pilot scheme, which is just not on. I call on our Director of Public Health to do the same.

One of the report’s main points is that over four-fifths of child casualties occur on roads that have a speed limit of 30 mph, and statistical modelling shows that up to 140 killed or seriously injured child casualties could be saved each year if 20 mph speed limits had been applied in these areas.

In the report, road traffic casualty rates are measured for all local authorities in the North West. Stockport is the “best” with 342 casualties per 100,000 population and Eden the worst at 793 per 100,000 population. Lancaster had 477 casualties per 100,000 population.

Other regions may have slightly better records, said the Greens, but they would be advised to follow the 20 mph policy to reduce road deaths further.

Notes

1. The full report, Road Traffic Collisions and Casualties in the North West of England, was produced by the North West Public Health Observatory in conjunction with NHS North West, the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University, the Child and Maternal Health Observatory and the Trauma and Injury Intelligence Group. See http://www.nwph.net/nwpho/Publications/Forms/rta.html.

Have your say on Transport in Essex!

2011-01-06T08:31:00.000-08:00

Essex County Council are asking for your views about local transport. You can find and take part in the consultation here.

Campaign to Save Courts Success

2010-12-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

Local Greens have been campaigning to save our local courts. It is good news that Harlow Magistrates Court has been saved from the axe when it may have gone the way of Epping Magistrates and Harlow County Courts which the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government havem in their less than infinite wisdom, decided to close. Both Harlow courts were well used, it seems totally stupid to not keep both open. Justice will now be served, in many cases, in Chelmsford in new extension project. Greens believe in localism and fostering strong communities which means justice should be as local as possible and while we very much welcome the decision to keep Harlow Magistrates Court open we deplore the decision to close Harlow County and Epping Magistrates Court.

Students can join Young Greens for free!

2010-12-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

Feel let down by other politicians’ lack of support for young people and students? The Green Party supports free education for all.

Students of any age can join the Green Party for free until 1st Jan 2011 (and you are eligible for this offer if you are under 30 too). 400 have already done so in the last few days!

Greens only party to fight for free education

2010-12-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

I have kept out of this debate, but now feel I should add my two pence worth. It is clear that the Con-Dem governments wish to push up tuition fees and this will hurt the very people, those on low incomes, who could benefit most from a university education and saddle them with huge debts. This is thus a regressive not progressive move. While the few Lib-Dems MPs who kept their pledge are praise worthy as are the Tories who on principle are against this fee rise I am appalled by all the Lib-Dems who have gone into the voting lobby to vote this regressive move through and break such a firm pledge. If I were a principled Lib-Dem I would seriously think of joining another party.

Earlier this week, Green Party Leader and Brighton Pavilion MP, Caroline Lucas, co-sponsored an Early Day Motion (EDM 1130) with Lib Dem MP Greg Mulholland, calling for the vote on raising tuition fees to be halted, noting that “the government has failed to convince many people that its proposals will be fair and sustainable” (1). She also co-sponsored an amendment to the Government’s Tuition Fees Motion to the same effect.
The government’s plans to saddle young people with huge debts, and to scrap the Educational Maintenance Allowance which has been so successful in enabling more young people to stay on in education, are hugely destructive, and completely unnecessary.
Caroline said “There are alternative ways to fund education, including a more progressive taxation system. For example, a business education tax levied on the top 4% of UK companies, as proposed by the University and Colleges Union (UCU)(2), would require business to pay its fair share for the substantial benefits it receives from higher education.”
“Raising corporation tax to the G7 average would generate enough annually to abolish tuition fees, and increase UK investment in higher education to the average for other comparable countries, while leaving 96% of companies in the UK unaffected by the change, and still leaving the UK’s main corporation tax below that of France, Japan and the

.”
Caroline Lucas continued:
“The Green Party believes that education is absolutely vital for people to be able to participate fully in society, and as such, access to learning should be as democratic as possible, with no person made to feel excluded by prohibitively high costs.”
It is all very well for Vince Cable to say there was no other way but putting it quite simply there is. If you want to protect free education the Green Party is only sensible option.
Notes:

1. Research published by university think-tank million+ and London Economics suggests that the majority of students (60-65%) will be worse-off under the new proposals, and that social mobility and participation will also be adversely affected, “Fair, progressive and good value?”, (30 November 2010), http://www.millionplus.ac.uk/file_download/184/Fair
2. “In place of fees: time for a Business Education Tax?” (10 March 2010), http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/2/3/inplaceoffees-betax_ucucompass_mar10.pdf

Core Planning Strategy: Consulation?

2010-12-09T03:47:00.000-08:00

I am very concerned about Epping Forest District Council’s current consultation exercise regarding the new Core Planning Strategy. I know of one person who has had a leaflet through his door, but I and many others (some of whom have no access to the internet, I may add) have not. There has also been a travelling exhibition which is nothing more than the leaflet over several panels: when I went to see it nobody at Loughton Library knew it was there, not even the lady who worked for Epping Forest District Council! I found it eventually through trial and error. There are also consultation workshops: our local one was on 2^nd December and yet without the leaflet many people would not know it is happening at all. I feel the minimal amount of effort has been put into this, and yet this is highly important as it will determine council attitudes to development over the next 20 years. We want to protect green spaces, and have a say where houses, schools and other infrastructure projects go. We are often unhappy about planning decisions and when we have a chance to have a say the council seemingly wants as few people to contribute as possible!

Next Surgery in Buckhurst Hill

2010-11-17T02:56:00.000-08:00

Steven Neville will be meeting concerned residents on Saturday 20^th November 2010 at 10am at St James United Reformed Church,

Palmerston Road, Buckhurst Hill

. Come to him with your concerns about the local area.

Alternative Vote Campaign Starts, But Where is the PR Option?

2010-11-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

A Campaign for the Alternative Vote has started with a Public Meeting this Friday at 7.30pm at Theydon Bois Village Hall. “Lovely” you may think. What is at stake is keeping the current First Past the Post system or moving over to the Alternative Vote system, very similar to how Londoners elect their Mayor. You vote for favourite and then your second favourite candidate. After that they count your votes for your favourite party (1^st preference), then they look to who came last amongst those votes and eliminate them. Then they look at all the people who voted the lowest placed candidate and see what their second choices were, and add them onto the remaining candidates. So a Tory might have 43%, Labour 21%, Lib Dem 20%, Green 8%, UKIP 7% and other 1%. So you remove Other, then UKIP and so on until one person gets over 50% of voters’ first and second choice votes.

Lovely, but it did not have to be this way. On October 13^th Dr Caroline Lucas MP tabled an Amendment with some Labour and Tory support to put a PR choice on the Ballot for the forthcoming Referendum and every Lib-Dem voted it down. 1 It is very sad that not one Lib-Dem feels they can support fare votes. While AV is a step in the right direction we all know PR will mean your first choices will all count!

1, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101012/debtext/101012-0004.htm

Public Spending Review: Another Way

2010-10-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the Con-Dem government announced cuts of £81 billion in public spending. Much of these are in front line services hitting the poorest the most. The rise in train fares will be especially difficult for pensioners and others on fixed incomes. It will have least 500,000 people losing jobs in the public sector with a knock effect in the private sector. 1

Local services will be cut in Epping Forest and indeed we wait to see what they will be. We do know they want to cut our well used local courts and the police are bracing themselves for more cuts. 2 Locally people using social housing will find it increasingly difficult to pay rents. 3

This follows a betrayal by the Lib-Dems on Tuition Fees with students having an even greater burden to pay.

On the Environment we have the Lib-Dems supporting nuclear energy by permitting it and then paying for the waste to be stored. A back-door subsidy. 4 On the same day, the Energy Secretary pulled the plug on a major renewable project: Cycle England, which has been a great boon in encouraging cycling and safe cycling, is to be abolished (it only cost £200,000).5

Our Leader Caroline Lucas MP summed it up “Where's the fairness in a budget that lets vital public services go to the wall, hitting the poorest hardest?"6 “Rather than callously cutting to the bone the UK’s vital social infrastructure the Chancellor should axe the renewal of Trident, which would save £100bn.”

“And if he also scraps plans for the proposed eight new nuclear power stations, he’ll save the UK something like £8bn in waste disposal subsidies.” 7

1, http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/19/spending-review-document-job-cuts
2, http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/efnews/8465791.EPPING_FOREST____50m_of_police_cuts_needed/, and , http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/efnews/8464726.EPPING_FOREST__Fire_service_must_make___7_6m_savings/
3, http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/20/spending-review-2010-osborne-cuts?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
4, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lib-dem-uturn-on-nuclear-energy-sees-huhne-announce-eight-new-power-stations-2110271.html, and, http://www.greenparty.org.uk/News/18-10-2010-huhne-nuclear-power.html
5, http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/oct/14/cycling-england-quango-cut
6, http://www.greenparty.org.uk/News/budget-to-destroy-a-million-jobs.html
7, http://www.greenparty.org.uk/News/2010-10-19-scrap-nukes-report.html

Neighbourhood Watch Update

2010-09-28T03:29:00.000-07:00

I have met with Colin Freeman, the man charged by the police of reviving this worthwhile scheme, and we had a really productive meeting. Now we have the task of encouraging people to sign up. It does rebuild community spirit and lower crime. Coalition Government Cuts will reduce the number of Police Constable Support Officers (PCSO) on which the Police are so dependent. These officers do much of the work on the ground. It is now even more important that we get involved.

Lucas ammendment for AV Referendum Bill

2010-09-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

Dr Caroline Lucas MP, the Green Party leader, has tabled an amendment to the AV referendum bill. The amendment would allow us, the voters, to have a genuine Proportional system choice at the referendum rather than just a choice between the Alternative Vote or First Past the Post, which the Lib-Dems accepted as part of the coalition deal. The Green Party is committed to the Additional Member System (AMS), which authorities agree would deliver a result closer to true proportionality as well as retaining constituency.

Green Party Conference

2010-09-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

Caroline Speech Part 1 Caroline Speech part 2

It’s the Green Party Conference this weekend in Birmingham and obviously we are celebrating Dr Caroline Lucas becoming our first MP. Caroline’s career shows she is a lady with a strong ethical and principled stance as she showed in her expenses when she was an MEP. She is also our leader.

At the conference we reflected on how we address the savage cuts of the ConDem coalition government. She appealed to Liberal Democrat supporters who were shocked by what they are doing in government:

"We are gaining members from the Liberal Democrats too. Perhaps their anguish and sense of betrayal is all the more sharp, for being so unexpected. Could they really have imagined during the election campaign, when Nick Clegg could hardly open his mouth without saying the word "fairness", that they would be voting for a party that would become an apologist for the most brutal, savage cuts in a generation?

"Cuts which are decimating communities up and down the country.

"Cuts that affect people like the woman who came to my surgery a few weeks ago, desperate to be re-housed because she, her partner and child were all living in a single room in Brighton, and she was expecting another child very soon.

"That's why the Green Party is committed to fighting these cuts every step of the way.

"I don't criticise Nick Clegg and those around him for agreeing to work with the Conservatives. But I do criticise him for the terms of that deal. With our principles and our courage to be honest with the public about the greatest issues of our time, such as climate change, we are the natural home for Liberal Democrats who feel betrayed by their leaders.

"And so to those Liberal Democrats, I say, join us. Many of your former colleagues are already here.

"Don't give up on politics. There is a party out there of principle and integrity - and it's the Green Party. " 1

Lucas went on to outline why, on nuclear power, the Trident nuclear deterrent, and education, the Green Party is providing the real opposition to the coalition government:

"Labour championed the Academies programme, despite all our warnings about the risk of creating a two-tier education system. Now - surprise, surprise - the Coalition has dropped any requirement that Academies should gain from outside sponsorship, or should help those communities most in need. Any pretence of a higher social purpose is out. Michael Gove's plans are simply about an ideological opposition to state education and a chance to allow private companies to make a profit from our schools. And Labour, having opened the door to this in the first place, cannot mount an effective, principled opposition, despite their heroic efforts to try to rewrite history. And that's why we need the Green Party." 2

Along with this speech there were commitments to fight the privatisations of the NHS and Post Office, that the Tory-Lib-Dem government are proposing. We propose also that we separate Retail and Investment Banking. It is this link that caused so much of the pain we have suffered as a nation.

1, http://www.greenparty.org.uk/News/10-09-2010-caroline-lucas-liberal-democrat-criticism.html, Retreived 12th September 2010.
2, http://www.greenparty.org.uk/News/10-09-2010-caroline-speech-conference.html, Retreived 12th September 2010.

Neighbourhood Watch Coming Back!

2010-09-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

I have been calling for the reintroduction of Neighbourhood Watch as a way to build community and to lower crime, with anti-social behaviour up 11% recently. 1
It will help the Police to have extra eyes and ears, but more importantly it will get people talking to one another who may not have done so and deepen community spirit. Recently the Tories said they agreed with us. So do the Police, and have appointed a man called Colin Freeman to reintroduce this worthwhile scheme to Loughton and Buckhurst Hill. Watch out for his next move.

1, http://maps.police.uk/embed/essex/epping-forest/buckhurst-hill/ (Retrieved 1st September 2010).

Save our Local Courts

2010-08-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Epping Forest Green Party are concerned about government cuts that will mean our local Magistrates Courts at Epping and Harlow being closed. I have said said "There are enough pressures on our justice system as it is: closing these courts, and forcing more work on Chelmsford, is just crazy. Justice should be seen to be done locally and not just far away. There are also rumours that Epping Police could close; if so this would put unbearable pressure on Loughton. This petition is calling on the government not to do this and allow justice to stay local."

You can sign our online petiton here or download a paper copy here

Coaltion cuts hit poorest

2010-08-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

“Conservative-Lib Dem cuts will hit the poorer people in society”, says Lucas

New Green MP and Party Leader has had some interesting things to say about housing benefit after a Crisis report:

She has warned that the coalition government's cuts to housing benefit could result in increasing social problems with serious debt and homelessness.

The Green Party leader was commenting on a recent report published by homelessness charity Crisis (1). The report highlights the social risks of housing benefit cuts, which will affect 936,960 households across the UK who are currently claiming local housing allowance (LHA). On average, these households will lose over £600 a year (2).

The report also warns that cuts to housing benefit could have hidden costs in the future, in order to deal with the social problems of homelessness, including health problems and providing accommodation.

Housing benefit cut is equivalent to big increase in income tax for poorer people

Caroline Lucas MP said:

“Consider someone earning £16,000 (after tax-free allowance) and receiving housing benefit. If they lose £728 that would be the equivalent of paying an income tax rise of over 4.5 per cent (3, 4, 5).

“These particular Tory-Lib Dem cuts will leave more people struggling to pay the rent, more people falling into serious debt and ultimately more people becoming homeless.

“This is very unfair, coming at a time when many of these people are facing economic uncertainty or even redundancy.

“Once again we see the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition’s cuts hitting the poorer people in society. The government could avoid these cuts by properly tackling tax avoidance and tax evasion perpetrated by some of the wealthiest, which could raise billions of pounds a year (6).”

It seems we too in Epping Forest will be affected with 1,000 households being hit. (7)

Notes

1. The report by Crisis can be found at http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/publications/1008HBCuts%20formatted.doc. Crisis comments, “The Government announced cuts of £1.8bn to housing benefit in its emergency Budget soon after coming to power. According to an impact assessment by the Department of Work and Pensions, every one of the 123,000 households in the region reliant on Local Housing Allowance (LHA) — the form of housing benefit paid to tenants in the Private Rented Sector — will be affected. On average, claimants in the South East will see their LHA cut by £12 per week, or £624 per year.”

2. Figures from “New figures reveal areas hardest hit by housing benefit cuts”, Crisis news release of 12 August 2010: http://www.crisis.org.uk/pressreleases.php/403/new-figures-reveal-areas-hardest-hit-by-housing-benefit-cuts.

3. £728 is the extra rent that people in one-bed properties in Caroline’s own constituency, Brighton and Hove will be forced to pay annually due to cuts in housing benefit. The amount will vary from area to area due to the government’s method of calculation. The calculation of housing benefit is complicated. The level of benefit you can claim is linked to local rents in the area and is calculated at the median rent level. The government is moving the basis of calculation of entitlement from the 50th to the 30th percentile (of rental costs of properties in a given area). The reason for the relatively high figure in Brighton and Hove is that there’s a bigger gap between the 30th and 50th percentiles. This is because there’s an especially large private rented sector in Brighton and Hove, so rent levels are more spread out, hence the bigger gap, hence the higher average cut in benefit.

4. £728 as a percentage of £16,000 = 4.55%. Of course taking into account tax-free allowance, the actual percentage would be much higher.

5. This and all other raw figures here are derived from the aforementioned report by Crisis, citing two government sources: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/local-authority-staff/housing-benefit/claims-processing/local-housing-allowance/impact-of-changes.shtml and http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/impacts-of-hb-proposals.pdf.

6. See Cuts: The Callous Con Trick by Caroline Lucas et al, http://www.financeforthefuture.com/TaxBriefing.pdf. See also Green Party news release of 19 June 2010, “Cuts ‘destructive and unnecessary’ says Green Party leader”, at http://www.greenparty.org.uk/News/2010-06-19-callous-cuts-report.html.

7 The figures can be found here:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/local-authority-staff/housing-benefit/claims-processing/local-housing-allowance/impact-of-changes.shtml

Potholes and the future

2010-08-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

Over recent years we have had a regular pothole problem each winter. Potholes have been filled in. I have been taking photos from around Buckhurst Hill and, along with some residents, have met with council officials. I was glad of the prompt response by the council. I am surprised that many were left unfilled from the previous winter. Of course we had the dictat from the previous Labour government over the depth the holes needed to be before being filled (not, as some have claimed, the Tory County Council). Let’s be fair - they had their hands tied. In the long term we need a complete overhaul of our roads. The council officals agree. However we have one thing stopping this: Coalition Government cuts will mean this cannot happen or that it will be a stretch to make it happen.