In this issue

Greens become second party on City Council
Save Vauxhall Street Post Office: campaign update
20mph plan approved!
Resident's Associations
Whitlingham walk
City College development update
Greens propose all-party executive

Greens become second party on City Council

In the local elections on 1st May Norwich Green Party gained three additional seats and became the second largest party on the City Council. The Greens are now just two seats behind Labour. Norwich City Council once again has the largest group of Green Party Councillors in the country.

In your part of the city (Town Close Ward) Green Candidate Samir Jeraj was elected with 42 per cent of the vote. Samir said: "I am delighted to have been elected to represent Town Close. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. The enlarged group of Green Councillors is pressing for Greener policies at City Hall."

Town Close Ward result 2008

Samir Jeraj (Green): 1,317 (42%)
David Munday (LibDem): 750 (24%)
Tak-Man Li (Con): 591 (19%)
Andreas Paterson (Labour): 483 (15%)

New political make-up of Norwich City Council

Labour: 15 seats (no change)
Green Party: 13 seats (up 3)
LibDems: 6 seats (down 5)
Conservatives: 5 seats (up 2)

Number of Councillors by party on Norwich City Council

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Save Vauxhall Street Post Office: campaign update

Green Party Councillors have challenged national representatives of the Post Office at three recent public meetings regarding the proposed closure of the Vauxhall Street branch. Chris Hull provided data on the high proportion of elderly and disabled people who live in the Vauxhall Street area, to illustrate how the Post Office is a crucial local service. Janet Bearman highlighted the difficulty that many people would face trying to get to the suggested alternative branches at Dereham Road and Castle Mall.

Green Councillors have responded to the consultation to outline the detailed arguments about why the branch should stay open. The consultation has now closed. National representatives of the Post Office are studying the letters they were sent. They are expected to announce their decision in late June.

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20mph plan approved!

Councillor Samir Jeraj on Mount Pleasant,
where residents have been calling for a 20mph speed limit.

The Norwich Highways Agency Committee has approved a proposal from Green Party Councillors for a 20mph speed limit to be introduced across residential roads in the city. Parts of the city already have a 20mph speed limit but the local Councils have up until now been taking a piecemeal approach to extending the zone and rejecting most local requests for a 20mph limit in particular areas.

The 20mph speed limit will be mainly based around speed signs, rather than speed bumps. However, Green Councillors have asked Council officers to look at how the new limit can best be enforced. The officers are also drawing up proposals on when and how the limit should be introduced.

Councillor Rupert Read, Norwich Green Party transport spokesperson, said: "A 20mph limit will mean safer streets across the city. Lower speeds will help people feel more confident to walk and cycle. I'm delighted that Norwich is taking this positive step for improved road safety."

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Resident's Associations

The Green Councillors are always willing to attend meetings of local residents' groups. If you belong to a group and would like a Green Councillor to attend a meeting or you have an issue to raise please get in touch.

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Whitlingham walk

Green Party Councillors will be leading a walk from Norwich City Football Club to Whitlingham Country Park on Saturday 21st June. The walk is a social event but is also part of the campaign for improved pedestrian and cycle links from the city to Whitlingham. The walk will begin at 12noon, starting by Carrow Road bridge. For more information please call Councillor Bob Gledhill on (01603) 621980.

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City College development update

Outline proposals for the substantial redevelopment of the City College site are to be considered by the City Council Planning Committee in June. Following extensive consultation with residents and campaign group College Redevelopment Concerns, Green Councillors have raised concerns at many aspects of the proposals including: the scale of the project; the duration and accompanying disruption of the works; current plans for the demolition of the Norwich building; and the lack of detail in the proposals.

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Greens propose all-party executive

Following the elections the Green Party proposed that the seats on the City Council's ruling Executive be divided up between the four parties in proportion to the number of seats held on the Council as a whole. This proposal was rejected by the other three parties. Instead Labour, as the largest party, is continuing to run a minority administration.

Councillor Adrian Ramsay, Co-ordinator of the Green Party Group on Norwich City Council, said: "Having won more seats we wanted to secure more influence over the day-to-day running of the Council by taking on Executive posts. We felt that votes and decisions in a shared Executive would better reflect the make-up of the Council than an Executive made up of councillors from a single party. However, we will make the best of the situation. We will work on getting more Green policies adopted by the full Council and other committees. As the official opposition, we will also hold the Labour administration to account."

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Published by Tom Dylan on behalf of Town Close Ward Green Party,
both at 27 Clarendon Road, Norwich, NR2 2PN