The Norwich Green
Newsletter of the Norwich Green Party
Thorpe Hamlet
Edition
Election
Special
In this issue
Your vote could make the difference!
Last year the Green Party missed out on winning in your area (Thorpe Hamlet Ward) by just one vote. This year your vote can make the difference! There are currently ten Green City Councillors forming a large opposition group at City Hall. They are already making an impact (see page two for examples) but it is clear that with more Green Councillors elected much more could be achieved.
Thorpe Hamlet Ward currently has four LibDem Councillors. On Thursday 1st May residents have the opportunity to elect a Green Councillor to provide some balance in the ward and at City Hall.
If you need to contact the Green Party ahead of the election or on election day please call us on (01603) 611909.
Thorpe Hamlet Ward local election results, 2005-2007
With your support the Green Party can win this time!
Peter Offord: candidate profile
Peter has been an active Green Party campaigner in Thorpe Hamlet Ward for two years now, visiting residents and taking up local issues. He is a former Navigating Officer for the Merchant Navy. More recently Peter has worked as a teacher of adults with disabilities. He currently works as a tutor, assessor and moderator, based at Wensum Lodge. Peter is also Chair of Norwich Stop the War Coalition.
Important election information
- Polling stations are open from 7am until 10pm on Thursday 1st May.
- You don't need to have your polling card with you to vote.
- If you do not know where your polling station is please phone the City Council Elections Office on (01603) 212055 / 212053.
- If you have a postal vote please return your ballot paper and associated form to City Hall before 1st May or hand it in to any polling station on election day. You can't get a new ballot paper.
- If you would like a lift to the polling station on 1st May please call the Green Party on (01603) 611909. This can be arranged in advance.
Green news and action from the last year
Here is a small selection of issues on which the Green Party has been campaigning over the last year. It is clear that, even as an opposition group, Green Councillors are making an impact and with a Green Councillor elected for Thorpe Hamlet Ward much more can be achieved.
May 2007
Green Councillors influence the new City Council procurement policy requiring the Council to purchase products that are Fair Trade, recycled, light on energy use and not tested on animals.
July 2007
Peter Offord and the Green Councillors help Thorpe Hamlet residents collect signatures for a petition to protect the Wolfe Road Sure Start nursery. The County Council later backs down on its plan to close the facility.
Green Councillors collect signatures for a petition for a footpath leading from St. Leonard's Road (by St. Michael's Terrace) to Gas Hill to be re-opened. This campaign is still ongoing.
November 2007
Following lobbying from Green Councillors, the Norwich Highways Agency Committee agrees that road safety measures for Rosary Road and Riverside Road should be priorities for 2008/09. Residents will be consulted in the summer over the details of the proposals.
February 2008
The city centre recycling banks now take plastic bottles - but Green Councillors say that many improvements are still needed to recycling facilities. Residents in many parts of Thorpe Hamlet Ward still need local recycling collections or banks.
The City Council adopts a Green Party proposal for a fund to be established for renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in new housing.
The Green Party challenges City Council support for 30,000 homes to be built in Greater Norwich over the next twenty years, mainly on greenfield sites. Green Councillors call on the Labour administration to stand up to Government targets and concentrate on smaller-scale building of affordable housing.
March 2008
Following lobbying from Green Councillors, the City Council agrees to review its policy on business parking permits in 2009/10. Green Councillors had asked for the review to happen earlier but the Labour administration did not consider it a priority. Residents in Cedar Road and Chalk Hill Road raised the issue with the Green Party because of the congestion and parking problems caused by each business having three local parking permits.
Peter Offord and the Green Councillors raise various anti-social behaviour concerns in the city centre and Thorpe Hamlet at the Safer Neighbourhood Action Panel meetings. Some of these issues are made priorities for the Police.
April 2008
Norwich is named as the greenest city in the country in a survey by Local Life Limited. The survey's authors say that the number of Green Councillors in Norwich is one of the reasons for the city finishing first. Green Councillors welcome the survey results but say that the Council still has a long way to go.
"We're backing Peter Offord"
"I'm backing Peter Offord because of Green Party policies on making the political system more democratic, decentralised and accountable. Greens are sensible - not sensationalist - in their position on tackling crime, and they will support cash-starved local charities and voluntary organisations. It's time to move away from the three-party system and vote Green for a brighter future."
Joe Hill, Sherbourne Place resident
"We have a great opportunity to elect the first Green Councillor for Thorpe Hamlet on 1st May. The Greens were just one vote short in the ward last year so I really hope they win this time. The Green newsletters for the area are regular and informative and the Greens visit residents on a regular basis."
Joe Oldman, Quebec Road resident
"The Greens take a real interest in issues in our area, such as the need for traffic calming on Mousehold Street and the need to get the Heathgate Community Centre re-opened."
Wendy Garrod, Balfour Street resident
"It's no contest. The Greens are the only party with sensible policies on the environment."
Tom Foxe, Railway Cottages resident
Save the Rosary Road Post Office: campaign update
Photo: Peter Offord with Green Party Councillors Bob Gledhill and Adrian Ramsay and local residents outside the Rosary Road Post Office. They are holding up the petition signatures collected by the Green Party in the area.
Peter Offord and the Green Party Councillors have been actively supporting the campaign to save the Rosary Road Post Office. They have been visiting residents in the area to inform them about how to respond to the consultation on the proposed closure. They also attended the recent demonstration outside the Post Office. A video about the demonstration can be viewed below.
The Green Councillors have also been highlighting some of the reasons behind the proposed Post Office closures in Norwich:
- The Government plans to close 2500 branches nationally.
- Labour, LibDem and Conservative Euro-MPs have voted for an EU Directive that will prevent Governments subsidising Post Office branches that are not making a profit, even if they are important local facilities. The Labour, LibDem and Conservative Parties are therefore effectively supporting Post Office closures. Green Euro-MPs opposed this Post Offices Directive. The Green Party believes that Post Offices are crucial to local communities and that branches should be empowered to offer a wider range of services.
Rosary Road Post Office on YouTube…
Watch a video by uniQpictures about the recent protest outside the populair Rosary Road Post Office and learn what you can do to save our Post Offices.
1 Harvey Lane
Several residents have asked for an update on plans for flats at 1 Harvey Lane. Two applications have been rejected by the City Council. If a new planning application is submitted the Green Councillors will ensure residents are consulted.
Beatrice Road trees
Peter Offord writes…
The Green Councillors have followed up concerns raised with me by residents about the five trees on Beatrice Road that the City Council is going to fell. Council officers say the trees are being felled because they have ganoderma decay fungi. Green Councillors have asked for a commitment that the trees will be replaced in the next planting season.
Manifesto summary
Green Party Councillors and members launching the party's
local election campaign outside the Forum earlier this month.
Among the policies that the Green Party is putting forward at this City Council election are:
- Pressing for a Quality Bus Contract, so the local councils can ensure reasonably-priced and reliable bus services.
- Preventing development on land with high levels of flood risk and land that is important for wildlife. Protecting and enhancing green spaces.
- Expanding doorstep recycling facilities and support the reuse, repair and recycling of materials through a Resource Recovery Park.
- Setting up area committees with local budgets, where ward councillors have real power to influence what happens in their areas (whether they are from the ruling party or not) and where local people can come along and have their say.
- Establishing more farmers' markets, to support local producers.
- Requiring a higher level of affordable housing in all new developments and ensuring that Council housing remains in public ownership.
- Bringing those services currently run by CityCare back under the control of the City Council so councillors can have more influence over ensuring a good service for residents.
The full Green Party manifesto is available on our election pages.
Strong Green prospects
Photo: Peter Offord (left)
with Green MEP Caroline Lucas.
On 3rd April Green Party MEP and Principal Speaker Caroline Lucas visited Norwich to launch the national Green Party campaign for the local elections. Norwich was chosen for the launch because of Norwich Green Party's strong prospects at these elections.
At the launch, Caroline Lucas talked of how all parties now speak green language but that only the Green Party has the policies for delivering green measures on the ground. She outlined some achievements of Green Councillors in different parts of the country, including in Norwich where Green Councillors have secured a commitment to renewable energy for new housing to help tackle fuel poverty and climate change.
Last year the Green Party was just one vote in your ward away from becoming the second party on the City Council. The Greens are hoping to make this breakthrough this year. The election of more Green Councillors would mean more Green influence over policies decided at City Hall.
Published by Tom Dylan, 123 St Leonard's Road, Norwich, NR1 4JN
on behalf of Peter Offord, 116 St. Clement's Hill, Norwich, NR3 4BY