Green launch petition on 25 bus route

On 2 October the First bus company introduced some changes to its routes and timetables. One of the changes is that the 25 bus service, which runs from the train station and along Unthank Road to UEA, no longer continues beyond UEA to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.

Chris Hull, Green Party County Councillor for Town Close ward, said: “Many local residents have contacted us to complain that there is no longer a direct bus service to the hospital from the Unthank Road/South Park Avenue area. People travelling from this area to the hospital by bus now have to change at UEA, meaning a less efficient service for hospital staff, patients and visitors. The Green Party has launched a petition calling on First to reinstate the previous 25 route [note: Petition now closed].

“There are other First services to the N&N such as the 24 (via Newmarket Road). However, the 25 should also be going to the hospital to ensure there are frequent services to the N&N from different parts of the city.

Photo: Green campaigners Janet Bearman and Councillor Chris Hull at a number 25 bus stop on Unthank Road.

“Following Green Party proposals, the City Council has called upon First to reinstate the 25 service to the hospital. However, with no regulation of local bus services, First can ignore what the council has said. That is why the Green Party also proposed that Norwich should have a Quality Bus Contract to give the local councils power over routes and fares. This would enable cheaper, more reliable services to be put in place. The City Council has agreed to creating a Quality Bus Contract. I will be pushing the County Council to also back the plans and make them a reality.”

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Unthank Tesco appeal date set

The Planning Inspectorate has recently announced that the Public Inquiry into the application by Tesco to build a store on the corner of Unthank Road and Trinity Street will begin on Tuesday 9 May 2006. Green Town Close Councillor Chris Hull is part of the Residents Against Unthank Tesco committee that is preparing the case against the store.

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Lime Tree Road trees

Councillor Chris Hull has been attending meetings of a Lime Tree Road residents’ group to discuss ways of lobbying the City Council over plans to radically pollard the lime trees on the road. Some of the trees were pollarded in the spring, and the council still intends to radically pollard the rest of them in February. The Green Party agrees with the residents’ group that less drastic measures such as pruning and removal of dead wood would be more appropriate for the majority of trees on the road.

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Hewett School gym funding – Councillor Chris Hull writes...

Green councillors successfully helped Residents Against Inappropriate Development to campaign against plans for a private leisure centre, nursing home and nursery to be built on a quarter of the Hewett School playing fields. The vast majority of residents we spoke to in the area agreed that this green space should be protected for the school and local community to use. The school wanted to use the money from selling the land to fund a new gym. I am putting pressure on the County Council to provide the money. The Green Party is also investigating other possible sources of money for the school, such as lottery grants.

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Renewable energy in new developments

Norwich City Council has agreed in principle that developers in Norwich should be required to obtain at least 10% of energy in new developments from clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar power.

Green Councillor Adrian Ramsay said: “Government regulations on planning policy mean it could be a couple of years before this comes into force but I am glad the policy has been agreed in principle. Green Councillors have been lobbying for this requirement for some time after several other councils put the policy in place. 10% is the absolute minimum of clean energy that we should be requiring.”

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Protecting local services

Norwich City Council has backed Green Party calls for MPs to pass the Local Communities Sustainability Bill. The Bill would give councils more power to ensure the survival of important local services such as post offices, bank branches and corner shops. Green Councillors argue that the Bill is needed to reverse the trend towards the loss of local services that are vital for people who are unable to travel far and for protecting the environment by reducing the need to travel.

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