The Norwich Green

Please Vote Green in the City Council Elections

Howard Jago (left) and Steven Altman are your Green Party Candidates for Mancroft Ward in the Norwich City Council elections on Thursday 4th May. Green Councillors keep in touch with residents all year round and provide a voice at City Hall for a range of environmental and community concerns. Please elect Howard Jago and Steven Altman.

This newsletter contains information on some of the campaigns and policies of the Green Councillors. Our next leaflet will contain a summary of our manifesto for the City Council elections and a summary of the achievements of the Green Councillors. For a copy of the manifesto please go to www.norwichgreenparty.org or call 621980 / 623223.

The Green Party holds council seats in three neighbouring wards to your area. Following our year-round work, Greens can win in Mancroft. Please elect Howard Jago and Steven Altman on 4th May to ensure there is a strong Green voice at City Hall.

Campaign Against Radical Tree Pollarding: Update

Green Councillors have been supporting a local residents’ campaign against plans by the City Council to radically pollard 32 mature trees on Lime Tree Road (pictured left). Four independent tree consultants have argued that there are more appropriate, less drastic and cheaper ways to maintain the trees than pollarding (which involves cutting the trees back to trunks). The alternatives include crown reduction and removal of weak branches.

In February, the Green Councillors and local residents successfully persuaded the Council to postpone the work until alternatives had been considered. The Council’s Executive is set to consider the options and make a decision at a meeting on 19th April. The Green Party believes it is important to ensure that a less drastic maintenance method is chosen. This would help protect the appearance and health of these trees and help ensure that the Council does not radically pollard mature trees elsewhere in the city.

Greens Fight for Affordable Housing in New Developments

The City Council has a policy of requiring 30% of housing in new developments to be affordable housing (mainly provided by housing associations). However, the Green Party believes the Council compromises on this policy far too often. For example, the developers of the important St. Anne’s Wharf site in the city centre recently got away with a 9% affordable housing quota. The Green representative on the committee was the only councillor to vote against this low level.

Mancroft Green Candidate Howard Jago said: "Property prices in Norwich have been rising well above the rate of inflation in recent years and there are more and more people in need of low-cost housing all the time. Far from failing to implement the current 30% quota for affordable housing in new developments, the Council should be increasing its quota to 50% - as is the case across London. This is a priority issue for the Green Party at this City Council election."

25 Bus Petition: Response From First

The First bus company has now responded to the Green Party petition, signed by almost 1000 residents, for the reinstatement of the 25 bus service to the hospital. First has said the service was not commercially viable and it does not intend to reinstate it, although the company would consider doing so if the road into UEA from Earlham Road were made two-way to improve traffic flows.

Steven Altman said: "Green Councillors are lobbying for this road to be made two-way as we know it would improve bus services. However, the 25 service to the hospital should still be reinstated to provide a direct service to the N&N for residents in the Unthank Road area. This is one reason why it is a priority issue for the Green Party at this City Council election to introduce a Quality Bus Contract for Norwich – to give the Councils power over bus services. However, we are pleased to note one improvement: in the timetable changes introduced on 2nd April, First increased the 21 service from UEA to the hospital in the early mornings, evenings and on Sundays."

Recycling and Plastic Bottle Banks

Howard Jago writes...

The most common issue raised with us by Mancroft residents is the need for better recycling facilities, especially for plastic. We agree it is crucial that there are comprehensive recycling facilities locally as the only environmentally-friendly way of tackling the waste problem. The City Council has consistently failed to put the necessary investment into recycling scheme improvements. Because the Green Councillors hold the balance of power at City Hall they have been able to successfully lobby for some improvements. However, there is still a long way to go and it is a priority issue for us at this City Council election to lobby for access to comprehensive recycling collections for all Norwich households.

The improvements to recycling facilities that the Greens have successfully lobbied for include:

• tins and cans are now included in the green box collections.
• more houses are being added to the green box scheme and more flats provided with communal recycling bins.

In our March newsletter we reported that the Green Councillors had obtained funding for two to three additional plastic bottle recycling banks in Norwich. The most popular suggestions made to us about where these should be located are: Exeter Street car park, under the Magdalen Street flyover and Earlham House shops. We have passed these suggestions to council officers and will keep you informed of developments through this newsletter.

Several residents have requested a reminder of where the current plastic bottle banks are located. They are at Sainsbury’s (Queen’s Road) and Waitrose (Eaton). There are also some plastic banks just outside the City Council area at, for example, Tesco at Harford Bridge.

Your Green Party Candidates

Howard Jago is a former Campaigns Co-ordinator of the national Green Party. He lives on Merton Road (off Dereham Road) and pledges, if elected, to keep in regular contact with Mancroft residents through newsletter delivery and visiting residents. Howard's interests include sustainable planning and supporting local and independent businesses.

Steven Altman is a postgraduate History student at UEA. He has been supporting the work of the Green Councillors by helping with casework and campaigns. Steven has also visited hundreds of Mancroft residents in recent months to talk to them about local issues.

LibDem Councillor Dawn Castle-Green has resigned from her post early due to ill health. We wish her well. There are therefore two vacancies in Mancroft this year rather than the expected one. Mancroft residents will have two votes in the City Council elections on 4th May. Please use both your votes to elect Howard Jago and Steven Altman as your Green Party Councillors.

However, if you decide to give the Green Party one of your two votes, our first choice candidate is Howard Jago.

Attacks on UEA Students

Several residents contacted the Green Councillors about the recent series of attacks on students on the UEA campus. Green Councillors raised this issue with the Police and the Council, asking for more frequent Police and Community Warden patrols in the area. Green Councillor and UEA lecturer Rupert Read spoke at a meeting on the issue at which many students raised the need for better lighting on campus, particularly on the path leading to The Village where most of the attacks have taken place.

Mancroft Ward Green Party Candidate Steven Altman, who has been elected as the next Welfare Officer for UEA Student Union, commented: "I have urged UEA and the Councils to improve lighting and patrols in the area to help stop these dreadful assaults."

Anti-Incineration Campaign

Howard Jago writes...