In this issue

Greens become second party on City Council
Safer neighbourhoods update
Ivy Road care home proposal
20mph plan approved!
Youth club places available
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 (Wensum Ward) Green Party Candidate Ruth Makoff was elected with 51% of the vote. Ruth said: "The enlarged group of Green Councillors is pressing for Greener policies at City Hall. Thank you to everyone who voted Green. I am pursuing the issues raised with me on the doorstep."

Wensum Ward result 2008

Ruth Makoff (Green): 1,219 (51%)
Stephanie Clark (Labour): 589 (24%)
Mike Gillespie (Con): 346 (14%)
Brian Clark (LibDem): 253 (11%)

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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Safer neighbourhoods update

Councillor Ruth Makoff attended the latest meeting of the Safer Neighbourhood Action Panel (SNAP) for Earlham, Larkman and Marlpit. The SNAPs are non-political panels that operate in each part of the city and are made up of councillors and community representatives who decide on the policing priorities for the area. The priorities chosen were: tackling vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour in the Ivy Road area and addressing anti-social behaviour around Earlham High School.

Among the current priorities of the West Central SNAP (which covers the parts of Wensum Ward inside the ring road) is tackling noise nuisance from speeding motorbikes in the Livingstone Street area. To report community safety concerns that you think the Police should address, or if you have information on incidents relating to the issues listed above, please call 0845 456 4567.

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Ivy Road care home proposal

A new planning application has been submitted for a care home on Ivy Road. In January the City Council approved plans for a 90 bedroom home on the site. Residents expressed concern about the scale of that proposal. The new application is for 70 bedrooms. For more information or to comment on the plans please contact City Council planning officer Lee Cook: (01603) 212536 or leecook@norwich.gov.uk.

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20mph plan approved!

Photo: Councillor Tom Llewellyn on Ranworth Road in North Earlham,
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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Youth club places available

Places are available for high school age children at the youth club at the Spinney Centre in Earlham High School. The club runs every Wednesday evening and costs just 75p for each session. There is a range of activities available. There is also a club for the school holidays. For more information please call (01603) 251180.

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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, 27 Clarendon Road, Norwich, NR2 2N
on behalf of on behalf of Wensum Ward Green Party, 17 Merton Road, Norwich, NR2 3TT.