Late licences: Greens fight for fair consultation

Under new central government legislation, every pub has the opportunity to apply for a licence to serve alcohol beyond the traditional hours. The Green Party has been issuing letters to people living near to pubs in Mancroft ward that have applied for late licences, to ensure residents have the opportunity to comment before the City Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee makes a decision on the application. However, last month it emerged that the council had given incorrect consultation deadlines to residents and councillors for many of the pubs applying for late licenses. The council has since been refusing to accept comments received after the deadline it should have set – even if this deadline was before it informed residents of the late licence application!

Green Councillor Bob Gledhill said: “The Green Party is not opposed to all late licenses. Staggered closing times might help reduce anti-social behaviour. However, when a pub in a residential area applies for a late licence it is vital that local residents have a real opportunity to influence the decision-making process. It is quite unacceptable that the council has refused to account for the views of many residents in these consultation processes.”

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Consultation on play area improvements

The City Council has obtained £89,000 for improvements to play areas in the area around Hotblack Road and West End Street. The council will be conducting a consultation with councillors and residents later this year on where and how the money should be spent.

Councillor Adrian Holmes commented: “Residents often tell me about improvements they would like to see at local parks, so this money is very welcome. Several residents have said they would like new swings, with a rubber layer underneath them, at the park behind Turner Road. I have made this suggestion to council officers and would also be glad to pass on any other proposals that residents have.”

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Revised application for site former Little John Pub

A planning application for nine flats and three houses to be built on the site of the former little John pub on Armes Street is set to be withdrawn. City Council planning officers ruled that the site could not cope with this number of properties and has asked the developer to submit a revised application.

Susan Curran said: “Some local residents had contacted the Green Party to say they were concerned about the number of properties proposed for the site. However, they also said that they would be pleased if an application for a smaller number of units could be approved because the derelict building is an eyesore and often has people breaking into it.”

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Greens Concerned about Norfolk Employment Growth Study

The Green Party has expressed concern at the Norfolk Employment Growth Study commissioned by local councils. The strategy is based on plans for a large-scale increase in the number of homes and jobs in Norwich and in the city’s population. The Green Party believes that over-heating the city’s economy in this way would harm the environment and the quality of life of local residents.

Councillor Rupert Read commented: “The concentration of development in the west of Norwich in recent years has massively increased traffic levels in the Earlham Road area. New development needs to be more evenly spread within the country, the county and the city. The ‘Growth Strategy’ would result in urban sprawl across the city’s greenbelt. The main priority for development in Norwich should be affordable housing on brownfield sites.”

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Put boarded-up shops back into use

At a recent full meeting of the City Council, a petition was submitted containing signatures of many concerned local residents in the St Augustine’s Street area. The petition called for the Council to take action to ensure that empty, boarded-up shops in St Augustine’s Street are renovated as soon as possible so they can be put back into use.

Councillor Adrian Ramsay said: “I hope the council can help ensure the buildings are put back into use as soon as possible. Boarded-up properties are not only an eyesore but they often attract crime and anti-social behaviour. It is worrying that there are so many boarded-up shops in Anglia Square and the northern part of the city centre. I am concerned that the opening of the Chapelfield development could worsen this trend and would urge residents not to neglect independent and local businesses.”

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Council votes to keep housing stock

In June, it was announced that 78% of Norwich council tenants and leaseholders responding to a survey had backed the option of the council retaining ownership and control of its housing stock. City Councillors have now unanimously voted to do just that.

Susan Curran said: “I am delighted that Norwich has resisted attempts by the Labour Government to force councils to sell off their homes. Stock retention had the clear support of tenants and leaseholders and was supported by the Green Party from the outset. It is the best way to ensure this affordable housing remains available for future generations. We now need a commitment from the Government that all councils will receive adequate funding for housing improvements, regardless of which option was chosen.”

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Hewett School playing fields saved!

The company hoping to build a private leisure centre, nursing home and nursery on a quarter of the Hewett School playing fields has withdrawn its application. Local residents and Green Councillors were preparing their case against the development when they heard the plans had been withdrawn.

Councillor Adrian Ramsay commented: “We are delighted that the playing fields have been protected for school students, and hopefully the local community, to use. They are an important green space in our city. New school facilities should be funded by the County Council and the Government – the school should not have to sell off assets to generate cash.”

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Plastic bottle banks installed – Susan Curran writes...

Banks for recycling plastic bottles have recently been installed at Sainsbury’s on Queen’s Road and Waitrose in Eaton. The Green Councillors secured funding for the new banks as part of the negotiations for this year’s City Council budget.

However, at least there is now a facility for plastic bottle recycling in the City Council area. The LibDem budget proposals did not include any money for plastic bottle recycling. But as a direct result of the Greens holding the balance of power we were able to secure money for these two banks. Another improvement is that residents with green recycling boxes will soon be able to put tins and cans out for collection.

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County Council planning to privatise streetlights

Norfolk County Council is planning to embark on a private finance initiative scheme for maintenance of Norfolk’s streetlights. The scheme would involve half of the county’s streetlights being replaced before the end of their natural life. Green County Councillors are opposing the scheme, arguing that functional streetlights should not be replaced unnecessarily and that private finance initiative schemes prove very costly in the longer term.

The Greens are instead lobbying for the County Council to pilot the fitting of solar panels to streetlights to make use of free, renewable energy form the sun. This initiative is already being trailed elsewhere in the country following proposals by Green Party Councillors.

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Improvements to St Stephen’s subway

A number of residents have contacted the Green Party to request action from the councils to improve lighting and tackle vandalism in the St Stephen’s subway. Green Councillor Chris Hull is pleased to report that the County Council is planning to replace the lights in the subway with a brighter type that is also more resistant to vandals. At the same time, some of the tiling (near to the lights) will also be replaced. This work is due to take place later this year. Councillor Hull has also urged the councils to ensure any graffiti in the subway is removed on a regular basis.

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Contacting Mancroft Greens

The 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:

We would be pleased to hear from you