The Norwich Green

Keep Money for Public Transport and Social Services, say Greens

Green Party councillors have welcomed news that the ruling Conservative Cabinet at County Hall has dropped proposals to withdraw funding for local voluntary groups and for bus passes for sixth form college students. However, the Greens are unhappy that the Cabinet's budget proposals still include cuts to subsidies for 23 bus routes, cuts to funding for library books and cuts to money for care homes.

Chris Hull, Green Party County Councillor for Town Close ward, said: "We received many letters from concerned residents about the proposed cuts to college students' bus passes and to voluntary organisations. I am pleased that these proposed cuts have been dropped, but the Green Party Group thinks the council should not be cutting any money from public transport and social services."

"The County Council is still planning a Northern Distributor Road (NDR), at the cost of around £100m, with £1.2m of consultation fees allocated for it in next year's budget alone. This road may never be built and yet public money is being spent on it each year. If the council dropped its NDR plans now, it could avoid any cuts to public transport and social services and fund more road safety measures."

25 Bus: Campaign Update

Janet Bearman writes...

Several residents have asked us how First bus responded to our petition for the 25 bus service to the hospital to be reinstated. The petition was submitted in December and, sadly, we have still not received a response from First. We will report it in this newsletter as soon as we do. 988 residents signed the petition. We believe that the lack of a timely response from First illustrates the need for the councils to have some power over the local bus services through a Quality Bus Contract.

We are also still awaiting a response from First on some of the other residents' concerns that we raised with them, such as:

• the removal of the bus stop by Gordon Square.
• the fact that the 25, 26 and 27 services no longer go down St. Stephen's Street.
• a request for bus stop timetables to be printed in larger letters

Campaign Against Mass Tree Pollarding

Councillor Hull writes...

The Green councillors have been supporting residents in their campaign against plans by the City Council to radically pollard 32 mature trees in Lime Tree Road. An independent arboricultural consultant has published a report arguing that there are more appropriate and less drastic ways of tackling safety problems with the trees than pollarding (which involves cutting a tree back to just a trunk). The alternative measures are crown reduction and removal of weak limbs.

At the time of writing, the council has postponed the work on Lime Tree Road to allow more time to discuss the issue with the residents. The Green Party and Friends of the Earth are concerned that the work on Lime Tree Road could mark the start of a programme of pollarding trees across the city, destroying their appearance, the local environment and wildlife habitat. The council has said it intends to pollard thousands of trees in Norwich.

Green Energy Campaign

Janet Bearman writes...

Unthank Road Safety Measures

Councillors on the Norwich Highways Agency Committee have approved funding for some road safety measures on the section of Unthank Road between College Road and Park Lane. The measures include widening parts of the narrow pavements, introducing a 20mph speed limit and establishing more crossing points.

Councillor Chris Hull commented: "This is good news. We often receive requests from residents for road safety measures on this part of Unthank Road. However, the plans may not be implemented for up to a year. Furthermore, the Highways Agency Committee has agreed to install a push-button crossing over the part of Unthank Road between Christchurch and Colman Roads. This is welcome – but it is also too far down the priority list to happen in the near future. These issues add weight to the Green Party's argument that the councils should divert money away from road building and towards road safety measures. With this extra funding, these road safety measures could be implemented much sooner – as could measures on other roads where residents have called for action, such as Mount Pleasant and Grove Walk."

Stop Unthank Tesco: Campaign Update

Tesco has submitted a revised application to build a store on the corner of Unthank Road and Trinity Street. The only significant change from the first application is that the new proposals are for a two-storey building with two flats on the top floor.

The deadline for submitting comments on the fresh application to the City Council was earlier this month but the Planning Committee meeting where a decision on the application will be made is not expected until March. The Green Party councillors submitted objection letters to the council, arguing that the new application does not alter the original reasons for opposing the plans.

Councillor Bob Gledhill said: "We remain concerned about the effect a Tesco store would have on independent and local businesses in the area and on the local transport system, due to the increase in the number of delivery lorries visiting the road."

Norwich City Council rejected the original application by Tesco in March 2005. The Public Inquiry resulting from Tesco's appeal against this decision is still planned for 9th-12th May.

The Norwich Lanes

Battery Recycling

Janet Bearman writes...

The Green Councillors are frequently asked where in Norwich people can recycle household batteries. Dixons and PC World stores both have boxes where people can leave batteries for recycling on a counter near the door. If you know of any other shops that provide such a facility please inform us. Rechargeable batteries remain the better environmental option but it is useful that battery recycling facilities exist.

Household batteries can also be recycled at the Swanton Road Recycling Centre, as can vehicle batteries. Charities often ask for old mobile phone batteries for recycling.

Recycling Not Incineration, say Greens

At the end of this month Norwich City Council will be adopting its budget for the 2006/07 financial year. Green Party councillors are arguing that improvements to local recycling facilities should be a top spending priority.

Green Party campaigner Janet Bearman said: "Because the Green councillors hold the balance of power at City Hall, they have been able to secure some improvements to local recycling facilities. However, Norwich is still a very long way from having a truly comprehensive recycling scheme. For example, we urgently need investment in better recycling facilities for residents of flats and we need far more plastic bottle banks."

Councillor Adrian Ramsay added: "It is essential that we massively improve our recycling rates to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and undermine the County Council’s arguments for building an incinerator at Costessey. We were disappointed that LibDem and Labour councillors would not join us in opposing the incinerator plans at the last City Council meeting."

Peter Tatchell: Why I've Joined the Green Party

Human Rights Campaigner to Visit Norwich

Norwich residents will have the opportunity to put questions to human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell when he visits the city on 1st March. During his visit, Peter will take part in two public meetings where he will tell people why he has joined the Green Party and take questions from members of the audience. The public meetings will take place as follows:

Wednesday 1st March
1pm in room 1.28 of Union House at UEA
7:30pm at St. Thomas’ Church Hall, Earlham Road (by Edinburgh Road junction; on 26 and 27 bus routes).

For more details please contact Councillor Bob Gledhill on 621980.