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Greens secure recycling improvements
Green Party Councillors have secured funding for improvements to the city's recycling scheme as part of the City Council budget for the new financial year. Prior to the recent budget discussions, the Greens had secured a commitment to the following improvements:
Extending the green box scheme to those houses that aren't currently on it.
Introducing metals into the green box collections.
Installing bring banks for paper and glass at flats (where residents do not have green boxes.
Establishing a subsidised opt-in system for garden waste collections.
Introducing on-street recycling bins for glass and paper at six city centre locations.
At the budget meeting, an additional £90,000 was set aside for the installation of metal banks at flats and for two to five plastic bottle recycling banks for the city. The green waste collections and banks for flats are set to be introduced in spring 2006, while the other improvements should be in place by autumn 2005.
The Green Councillors also succeeded in obtaining additional Council staff resources for making improvements to facilities for cyclists in Norwich.
Councillor Adrian Ramsay said: "Holding five seats and the balance of power gave us enough bargaining power to insist on extra money for two of our policy priorities.
"Unfortunately, our proposals to fund ten plastic recycling banks by cutting money from budgets for civic hospitality and promotional materials were voted down by the other parties. In the longer term we would like to see plastics collected from the doorstep - but having two to five bring banks is at least a start. We will also continue to push for measures to reduce waste at source, such as Government taxes on packaging.
"I am pleased to say that all three parties agreed to keep the council tax increase to inflation level. Our next budget priority is to obtain money for more pedestrian safety measures, such as crossings and flashing speed limit signs, on busy roads."
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Norwich: a Fair Trade City
Norwich has recently been awarded Fair Trade City status. The status was obtained due to the increasing number of outlets in Norwich that stock Fair Trade goods, and the recent production of a directory showing where Fair Trade goods can be bought locally. Norwich began to seek Fair Trade City status following a Green Party motion two years ago.
Councillor Adrian Ramsay said: "For those goods that cannot be grown locally and need to be imported (such as tea, coffee and bananas), it is vital that developing world workers are given a fair wage for their work. This is what the Fair Trade logo on food and drinks products represents. It is great that Norwich is playing its part in promoting Fair Trade. Green MPs would lobby for lower import levies for Fair Trade goods to ensure they become the norm and not the exception."
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Greens support healthier school meals
Green Party Candidates in the Norfolk County Council elections have pledged their support to the Feed Me Better campaign. The campaign seeks to ensure that local, organic and fresh fruit and veg is served up in schools meals across Norfolk.
A Norwich shop has offered to supply local, organic fruit and veg to Norfolk schools at cost price - but it needs the support of County Councillors to make this happen. With County Council elections on 5 May, the company has called upon party candidates to pledge their support to this initiative - and the Green Party candidates are the first to do so.
Susan Curran said:"This campaign seeks to improve the health of school children by moving away from packaged food towards meals made from fresh, organic ingredients. Using local produce also helps protect local producers, and it helps protect the environment by reducing unnecessary pollution caused by importing foods that can be grown locally."
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Advertisement
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Bread from Metfield and All Natural bakeries, meats and poultry from Courtyard and Castle Acre Farms, fruit and vegetables from EOSTRE, pulses, grains, flakes, pasta, sauces, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan products.
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2 Earlham House, Earlham Road, Norwich
Tel 01603 250000
Opening hours:
Monday-Wednesday 9-6
Thursday-Saturday 9-7
Sundays 11-4
Shop online at www.thegreengrocers.co.uk
We deliver fruit and veg boxes to your door across Norwich and Norfolk
You can ask for 5% of your bill to be donated to Norwich Green Party - at no extra cost to you!
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Iraq: two years on
Local Green Party members this month joined a march in London to protest against the continued presence of UK troops in Iraq. Two years after the war started the fighting and killing in Iraq continues. The death toll of Iraqi civilians and UK soldiers is rising all the time. The Green Party supports the replacement of UK and US troops with UN troops, or another international force acceptable to Iraqis.
Councillor Adrian Ramsay, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Norwich South, said: "It is clear that Blair took us into war under false pretences - there were no weapons of mass destruction. It is also clear that the war has not improved the security of the Middle East, or Iraq. We need Greens in Westminster to oppose any further pre-emptive, illegal strikes of Bush and Blair, on Syria or Iran."
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Ethical investmenst success!
Green City Councillors have succeeded in their campaign to persuade Norwich City Council to recognise the importance of ethical investment. The Green Party motion, adopted last month, commits the Council to considering the ethical implications of where it invests its money.
Susan Curran commented: "We must now establish that ethical investment includes not investing in arms companies. It is vital that the County Council also adopts an ethical investment policy as the County invests the pension funds of Council employees. If elected as a County Councillor, I will lobby for such a policy."
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Boxes, bins and lids
Would you like a compost bin for your garden so you can recycle your organic garden and kitchen waste at home? The City Council has some free bins on offer. To order, call (01603) 212212 and ask for Environmental Health.
If you need a replacement or second green recycling box and/or lid, please call City Care on 0845 650 2045.
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Surgery Times
Your Green Party Councillors hold the following surgeries:
- Last Friday of each month
Cadge Road Community Centre
10-11am
- Second Monday of each month
Belvedere Community Centre
Belvoir Street
6-7pm
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Contacting Mancroft Greens
Your Green Party Councillors continue to take up local issues of concern with the Council. If you have anything you would like us to investigate or any questions please contact us:
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We would be pleased to hear from you
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Elections 2005
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Background and facts
On 5 May you can vote for who should be your County Councillor and who should be your Member of Parliament. There are no City Council elections this year.
The Green Party currently holds five City Council seats but no County Council seats.
The Green Party does not currently have any County Council seats.
You live in Norwich South Parliamentary constituency, for which Charles Clarke is currently the MP.
The deadline to register for the County Council General Election was 11 March.
Poling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on poling day. If there is any change that you won't be able to get to your poling station on Thursday 5 May you can order a postal vote form from the Elections Office at City Hall:
T (01603) 212055
E elections
Forms must be returned to the Elections Office by 5pm on Tuesday 26 April.
Students can vote twice (both here and at home) in the County Council election, but only in one place in the General Election.
Citizens of the UK, Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth can vote in the General and County Council elections. Citizens of other EU countries can vote in the County elections only.
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Elections 2005
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What does the
County Council do?
The County Council has control over education and social services across Norfolk. It is also the primary authority in charge of transport and has joint responsibilty with the City for waste and recycling. After winning the City Council seats for Nelson ward last year, the Green Party has a strong change of winning the County Council seat on 5 May.
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Elections 2005
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Key Green pledges for the General Election
Green MPs would stand for:
Taking urgent action on climate change
Balancing learning in schools: helping children develop, not just pass endless tests.
Defending schools and hospitals: exposing the true cost of private finance initiatives.
Keeping the peace: strengthening the UN; withdrawing UK troops form Iraq; resisting further pre-emptive strikes.
Protecting developing economies: calling for overseas aid to go to those who need it, indigenous industries, not British contractors.
Defending justice: ending detainment without trial and ensuring a right to trial by jury.
Protecting the environment: helping more farmers convert to organic and ending GM crop trials; scrapping VAT on renewable energy.
Localising the economy: protecting local producers by ending the importation of foods that can be grown locally; protecting local businesses and services by resisting more large and out-of-town shopping developments.
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Elections 2005
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If not here,
where?
We urgently need a strong Green voice at Westminster to speak out for environmental sustainability and social justice. The Greens hold five City Council seats in Norwich South - the same number as Labour and five more than the Conservatives. Norwich South is one of the best prospects in the country for a Green MP! Four former Norwich Labour Councillors are actively campaigning for a Green MP in Norwich South because only the Greens are a distinctive alternative to Charles Clarke and New Labour.
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"If everyone in Norwich South who would like a Green MP votes Green, the Greens will win."
Tom Green
Alexandra Road resident
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"I'm campaigning for a Green MP in Norwich South because only the Greens have consistently opposed the Iraq War, GM crops and privatisation."
Derek Pardey
Licoln Street resident and former Labour City Councillor
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"Only the Greens call round outside election time to talk to me about local issues."
Shirley Webb
Winter Road resident
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The Norwich Green is published by Adrian Ramsay, 98 George Borrow Road, Norwich, NR4 7HU on behalf of Norwich Green Party, 15 Connaught Road, Norwich, NR2 3BP.
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