CPRE take on landbanking campaign

Blog readers will know that 2 years ago the Ruscombe valley was parcelled into house-size plots and sold to over 180 people - see some of the previous landbanking items by clicking here and scrolling down to find links.

Photo: View across to Whiteshill showing a small part of the fields sold to landbankers

The Ruscombe Valley Action Group still meets regularly and wants to ensure this doesn't happen elsewhere - members have been in correspondence with the CPRE and various other national groups. Initially it seemed few were interested in this practice, we have therefore been delighted that CPRE have taken up the campaign - before Christmas they launched a news release plus a report and accompanying articles to national press. If Australia can prevent this activity then we should be able to in this country.

Listen to You and Yours programme on landbanking here.

Here is their release:

LANDBANKERS SELLING RURAL ENGLAND BY THE POUND

Countryside campaigners CPRE [1] today (Friday) launch a campaign against a growing carve up of England’s countryside. It leaves fields and woods at risk of being disfigured and neglected. [2]

Small investors from across the globe are being sold plots of rural land on hundreds of sites across England in order to build homes on them. Their chances of success are very low and their ‘investments’ are likely to fail, because permission to develop cannot be obtained on the great majority of the land.

But that has not stopped more than two dozen separate ‘landbanking’ operations from using glossy advertising and high pressure sales techniques to lure in gullible investors. CPRE fears top economist Kate Barker’s review of planning, commissioned by HM Treasury and published last week, could pour fuel on the flames of small investor landbanking. [3] She called for a major review of Green Belt boundaries across England. Landbanking operators may use this to advertise hundreds more plots on Green Belt land for sale, claiming their protected status may soon be lost following the Barker review.

See our briefing The Great Landbanking Carve Up

CPRE is combining with MPs from all parties to call for the Government to clamp down on the schemes. Greg Mulholland, Liberal Democrat MP for Leeds North West, has today issued an Early Day Motion supporting our campaign. [4]

CPRE has found nearly 30 operators involved in buying up land in open countryside and subdividing it into small plots, sometimes with stakes and fences. They then market the plots, mostly via the Internet, as having potential for development, with inflated prices to match.

Yet they do not have the necessary authorisation they need, both from planning authorities and the Financial Services Authority, to realise the potential they refer to – and little hope of ever getting it. Many use seductive but highly questionable claims to suck in investors from all over the globe. [5]

CPRE has surveyed the activities of these companies and found some 200 separate sites across England’s countryside are affected. [6] Once subdivided and sold, the sites are at risk of being disfigured or neglected. [7]

The Government has recently proposed a small change in planning law to prevent the landbanking operators from subdividing land into small plots with unsightly fences and posts. CPRE welcomes the proposal, but on its own it will not be enough to tackle the growing problem. [8]

Much more needs to be done across Government. Councils need to be able to remove fences and stakes already in place, and Government urgently needs to use the powers it has in company and property law to curtail the landbanking operations.

Mark Prisk MP (Conservative, Hertford and Stortford) said: ‘It’s high time the Government acted. In Hertfordshire and across the UK, this landbanking is bad for our countryside and even worse for people tempted to speculate.’

Colin Challen MP (Labour, Morley and Rothwell) said: ‘The trend towards speculative landbanking needs to be arrested, and I hope that the collapse recently of a landbanking company will make people think twice about this capricious threat to our Green Belt. At a time when market pressure, as opposed to sound planning policy, appears to be the preferred post-Barker approach to housing supply, we need to carefully consider who would actually benefit. Landbanking should be discouraged – it is speculation against the countryside.’

Greg Mulholland MP said: ‘Ordinary people are being ripped off and at the same time landbanking scams are causing real distress to many local communities who are worried that important local sites, including in Green Belt land, will be built on. It is time the Government tackled this, to stop people being conned and to protect Green Belt land for future generations to enjoy.’

Paul Miner, CPRE’s Planning Campaigner, said: ‘In Australia they have clear laws to stop this practice and are using them. [9] We shouldn’t have to tolerate it here either. The Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Trade and Industry, the Financial Services Authority and the Office of Fair Trading need to work together and stamp it out completely.’ [10]

Faecal coliform in Ruscombe Spring

Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish Council test the water yearly at Middlespring - the photo is of the report - apols as it appears too small to read - basically reasonably OK except a faecal coliform in the Spring. This is worrying as it is before the Spring runs through the valley and certainly makes the Spring water unfit for human consumption.

The Parish will be writing to SDC - but I was also asked to seek advice from the Ruscombe Brook Action Group members. I am awaiting replies - is this the result of a leaking sewage pipe or sceptic tank or cattle or what? There also appear to be no tests for pesticides or herbicides. I've also just sent a handful more of emails to seek further information about the best way forward - it all lends support for the partnership we are hoping to develop to look at all issues along the brook.

Last chance to email Competition Commission re Tesco

Just sent a news release re Tesco and the Competition Commission - read that here and take a moment to send an email using the Tescopoly website here.

All the evidence indicates that if we don't act soon we will loose even more of our farms - see some of our recent campaigns on this issue here.

Green Reading List Blog launched

A lazyish day today eating more mince pies, catching up on emails and reading - always enjoy Resurgence and Ecologist. Infact read an article in The Ecologist that links nicely to my Blog below about the rise digital TV and other gadgets. This article, the Electric Cabaret looks at other consequences of our high-tech media age - how work-home boundaries are blurred, roles are blurred and the impact on our relationships....sadly all too many of those gadgets will have found their ways into homes this Christmas - read Molly's Blog on Christmas which is a useful reminder about how this sacred festival has been corrupted.

...but I'm getting side-tracked here this Blog entry is really about a new project - a "Green Reading List Blog" - that has just been started - it is described as "an informal and personal contribution to the Green Party" by a Green party member. The idea is that people visit the blog and post their suggestions for categories, books or web based information in the comments boxes.

Photo: view of Randwick from top of Ash Lane, looking across to Whiteshill in the distance

These will then update as frequently as necessary so that the newest post shows the reading list as it currently stands. The site is here: http://paulfr0st.wordpress.com/

This seems a very useful project as many is the time I'm asked what Green books are good to read. This list is very much in it's early days - suspect when the list gets longer it'll need to 'weight' some of the suggestions or make more subdivisions - also need to get the list out more - Wikipedia, Greensworld, blogs etc. Maybe we can also add a few key Greens to list their favorites?

Here are my essential additions that I'll forward to the list for inclusion:

A great look at what's wrong and the ways forward - "Green Alternatives to Globalisation, A Manifesto" by Michael Woodin and Caroline Lucas, Pluto Press 2004 ISBN 0745319327

A much-needed spiritual element - "The Compassionate Revolution, Radical Politics and Buddhism" by David Edwards, Green Books 1998 ISBN 1870098706

An easy starter on key issues - "The Little Earth Book" by James Bruges various editions Alistair Sawday Publishing Co Ltd ISBN 1901970310

I also think it would be great to have a fiction section - and possibly poetry and more - but certainly there are many great novels that help us vision a Green world - if you do decide to add a section here's many people's favorite:

"Woman On the Edge of Time" by Marge Piercy 1976 (2000). Woman on the Edge of Time. London: The Women's Press. ISBN 0-7043-4656-7

What would your suggestions be?

Catch up on local news: film nights, PO raid and Lawns

Several local news items

Photo: View across to Bread Street from Ruscombe this afternoon

Randwick Film nights: The SNJ this week carries a story about the recent Randwick film nights - I sadly missed them - several people have told me how good they were - included a look at the Wap 33 years ago when the festival was revived - the first Randwick Mayor, the late Jim Turner had three of his sons in the audience.

There was also a film about the Woodchester pavement from 1973 when it was uncovered - I saw the replica made of this - wasn't expecting much but have to say even the replica was amazing - it has been on show locally at the Prinknash Abbey - see also BBC report re Prinknash Abbey.

Paganhill Post Office raided: Police are still hunting raiders who made a hole in a wall in an attempt to burgle the Paganhill post office at the Maypole Community Centre, in Stratford Road. The culprits apparently broke into the hall before gaining entry to the post office, but while they did get into the Post office nothing was stolen from the premises. Anyone with information about the break-in is urged to contact Gloucestershire police on 0845 090 1234, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Some good news is that the Paganhill Post Office is now getting used more - there were serious worries as after it moved trade dropped off to an unsustainable level - I think nobody knew it was there - however trade has picked up and it is now a going concern. However like all small post offices it faces many threats and some have said already it could be one of the ones listed for closure if we are not careful. Readers of this Blog will know I have been deeply unhappy about the whole process - Greens campaigned vigourously to try and ensure Tesco kept the Post Office in their store like in Nailsworth - too readily people accepted their refusal - read previous blogs here (it will come up with previous blogs and this one) - and see letter to SNJ at the time here.

Lawns work: Many will have noticed that work has begun on the ambitious plans to transform the Lake at The Lawns, just off Cainscross roundabout. The Ruscombe Brook Action Group has campaigned long and hard to get reed beds put in to help improve water quality - the brook ends up in that lake before going into the canal - I've attended a fair few meetings and while I am not wholly happy with the outcome it is better than original proposals and does have reed beds.

Some £35,000 worth of funding will go into dredging the lake, building up banks and more. The Stroud Community Land Trust who now manage the area, plan to turn it into a new space for wildlife and the community. The area, as locals will know, has fallen into disrepair over more than a decade. The two-hectare site, which lies in the shadow of Tricorn House, was formerly the garden of a large house known as The Lawns. Boasting a large lake, a flowing brook and hundreds of mature trees, the site has been described by residents as an oasis in an urban jungle. The house was bought by the county council and then demolished to make way for the new road. The old gardens remain, but in recent years the amount of litter, dogs mess and vandalism, along with the poor condition of many of the trees and the silting up of the lake, has meant many local people have stopped using it.

Blair advisor's plane commuting wakes me

I hope all Blog readers have had a good Christmas - I had planned a few days of quiet after the wonderfulnessness of family and friends but was awoken yesterday from the land of mince pies, crackers, wrapping paper and fairy lights by the Western Daily Press...well it was after 11.00 in the morning...

Photo: Standish Woods on Christmas Eve

The paper were after a comment on Blair's Sustainability advisor who commutes from Winchcombe near Cheltenham to Scotland every week by plane....you can read my comment here. There was part of me that cursed this advisor for leading to this phone call that woke me from my Christmas relaxations - but it was also good that the paper is asking for Green party comments on such matters - after all the polls show our support is growing - and there seems to be among many a recognition we need some radical changes if we are to really tackle climate change...the other parties are still not coming up with the policies that the scientists say we need.

Anyhow that aside this Sustainability advisor, Richard Wakeford, is asking for trouble commuting to Scotland and at the same time putting his name to reports that call on the rest of us to 'take responsibility for promoting sustainability in our own lives' - this is just the sort of thing that gets up people's noses. He argues family reasons keep him in Cheltenham but then why take the job - surely there are people capable in Scotland - indeed I know a few myself who would happily give Mr Blair advice!

Mr Wakeford may well be doing everything possible in the rest of his life to offset the plane emissions - solar on his house, shopping local etc etc - but that really is not the point - even travelling by train would mean 17 times less emissions - the Government must lead on this and it can't have it's top bods preaching to us then not following their advice - it makes a complete mockery and does nothing to encourage the rest of us to take action.

Mr Wakeford is further evidence of the need for urgent action by the Government - if he can't tackle his emissions then it should be clear to all that we need the Government to lead. Anyhow read the Western Daily story here - apparently front page - wish I'de been more awake as can think of allsorts more I would have liked to say!

Christmas greetings to all

Just a note to wish all seasonal greetings - back with the Blog after Christmas!

Re-double the Kemble-Swindon line

If you have a moment do please send Network Rail an email saying you support plans to re-double the line from Kemble to Swindon. The proposal to redouble the Swindon-Kemble single line is listed in Network Rail's Business Plan 2006 as infrastructure investment under consideration by Network Rail. The more people that write in support the more they will hopefully take this proposal seriously. If you prefer to write their address is Network Rail, 125 House, 1 Gloucester Street, Swindon, SN1 1GW

Night bus and Christmas recycling

Don't forget the Stroud Night Bus this holiday season - times and routes here. And a great idea to have these beer mats (see photo) in the pubs advertising these buses.

And think about Christmas recycling...in less than two hours the UK produces enough waste to fill the Albert Hall, and that’s not including the wrapping paper, decorations and empty bottles generated during the festive season!

Trees - Stroud District Council's usual recycling collection service for Christmas Trees will be in operation between Friday 29th December and Monday 15th January 2007. Large skips will be located throughout the District - our nearest one will be Cainscross Council Car Park or Focus in Rodborough. Trees will be taken away for shredding and composted locally. Skips will be removed from Monday 15th January 2007

Cards - Christmas cards can be taken to Tesco and W.H. Smith from 1st January.

Kerbside box - And don't forget the kerbside recycling service includes the collection of household non-rechargeable batteries, please bag separately at top of box.

Cardboard - Banks for the recycling of cardboard are located at Council Car park Cainscross.

Helpline for info: 01453 754424

Wifi, Digital, plasma screens and more: what are the dangers?

A local campaigner contacted me recently to see if I knew anything about the impacts of new technologies are having on our environment.

Photo: sunrise over Whiteshill earlier this week

Total energy use by home electronics rose by 30% between 1999 and 2005 from 0.6 to 0.8 MWh. The switch to digital TV is adding to the increase and will lead to even more significant increases - 22% of people now listen to the radio through their digital TV to avoid also buying a radio. This is releasing an extra 190,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. The switch to digital will also lead to more consumerism - more buying and more waste as old radios and TVs get ditched.

Plasma screens will make it worse still - in August it was reported that the demand for plasma screen TVs is creating an energy demand requiring two new nuclear power stations.....

Interestingly though Ethical Consumer researchers found with computers that the choice between a conventional, bulky cathode ray tube (CRT) and a flat screen monitor is probably the single most effective and easy environmental choice you can make when buying a new desktop computer. The biggest advantage is energy use, according to the report's authors. Less energy is needed to manufacture a flat screen, and LCD monitors operate on around half the energy of conventional ones. They also give off less heat, which can dry up the surrounding environment. In addition, flat screens emit less radiation, contain fewer hazardous and non-renewable materials and use a smaller quantity of ozone depleting chemicals, which contribute to global warming. Although flat screens do tend to be more expensive than conventional monitors, the cost can be recouped over the long term through lower energy use, and flat panels last around three years longer than CRT monitors.

And at least now there is a growing awareness about putting stuff on stand-by: most appliances on standby use 85% or more of the power they would use when switched on!! The Guardian recently reported that UK computer equipment left on at weekends and at night emits as much carbon in a year as 120,000 4x4s!! In our crazy world some of that equipment is left on 24/7 because anti-virus programs apparently need to be constantly updated - surely this needs looking at!

There are also concerns about Wi-Fi safety.

A Canadian university has limited Wi-Fi networks on campus because the long-term safety of the technology is "unproven". Read more about this here. Meanwhile an elementary school district outside Chicago has been sued for installing a wireless computer network by parents worried that exposure to the network's radio waves could harm their children. Read more here.

When I raised this issue with a colleage they said: "We should not be against all transmitters but limit them to very low powers. It will be far safer to use a wifi than a mobile phone." I hope he is right! Certainly we are not doing enough to raise awareness about mobile phone dangers - Greens have repeatedly tried to get this issue more on the agenda locally and nationally. See latest letter to press on this here.

So where does that leave us? Well I would welcome more info on this - is there anyone who could add something to this?

Fat traps, relining sewers, manholes and misconnections

Over the last weeks, as Secretary of the Ruscombe Brook Action Group, I've had various correspondence with Severn Trent water over the sewage system in this area. Things are still moving ahead in a very positive way - there seem to be a huge number of issues we are looking at at the moment - heres' a sample of them to update you:

1. Fat trap distribution

We have started distributing these locally and hopefully the local press will also cover the story - see my blog (18th December) below about fighting the fat. Photo of me with 150 plus fat traps.

2. Leaflet

We have agreement now to produce 1,000 joint leaflets with Severn Trent - have been trying to agree text - nearly there - then hopefully we can deliver to the local area.

3. Manholes, outflows, relining and other works

We now have plans of manhole covers and outflows - Severn Trent also now have a plan to do some spot relining of the sewers - they are looking at the moment at budgets and how soon the work can start. RBAG are asking for more info about where this is planned. We have also raised concerns about the bolted manhole covers - that is not a solution to the problem. The shattering of the concrete/brick base around a manhole would seem to confirm our view! To seal it again would not seem useful without other actions. We want to be reassured that the relining will also be designed to tackle that problem.

4. Misconnections

The photo shows what happens when people have misconnected washing machines to pipes that run straight into the stream rather than the sewer. Severn Trent have been checking one area - visiting every house - they are down to the last 9 to check.

5. Developing a partnership

As noted before we now have a brief for undertaking the work to create a plan for the brook. We also have an offer of £2,500 plus to create this plan - it will look at the priorities and where best to spend money to tackle the problems along the whole length - clearly part of the brief will be to work with stakeholders like landowners. I am in the process of setting a meeting up at Ebley Mill with Officers of the Council, other councillors and more for the end of January. We hope to establish some form of partnership so that all parties can have a say. Clearly when the research has been undertaken and projects identified, prioritised and costed then we can look at funding issues with all the parties and more.

6. Sewage on your lawn

I have had a fair bit of contact with a householder in the area who has seen sewage repeatedly overflow onto his front lawn - over 14 occasions - Severn Trent have more recently tried to regularly jet the sewers but contractors have not been good at coming on time and clearly this is not a solution. There was another major incident a couple of weeks ago and Severn Trent and others came out for a site visit. The proposal is to put a non-return valve on the pipe but no-one is clear what the effects of this might be - will it lead to pipes shattering underground due to massive pressure, or build up in someone elses property, or further blockages in this householders home?? I will be writing a letter to express my concern about this - it seems because the sewage only floods around the house and front and back doors that it is not a priority for capital expenditure to sort the problem. We'll see.

Randwick woods and the campsite: come to a meeting or telephone your thoughts

Many will know that the Cotswold Way campsite in Randwick woods closed this year following repeated vandalism, noise and other problems. To me this is a huge shame as the campsite offered walkers and others a place for the night.

Photo: woods yesterday bathed in winter sun

Randwick Parish Council has taken the initiative to look at this further. Last night they invited representatives from other local Parish councils and the National Trust to look at why the site closed and whether there was an option of reopening the site. Parish councillors noted that since the closure people had been camping on various private land in the area and causing a number of problems.

The lack of other campsites in the area compounds the problem - and the canal developments and the need to be encouraging more local sustainable tourism all add support to the arguments in favour of reopening the site.

So should the site reopen?

Well clearly the problems a few residents faced from noise and vandalism on a repeated and sustained basis over months was wholly unacceptable. If we are to consider the site reopening - and I am very much in favour of that move - then we need to be absolutely sure that such problems like this do not arise again.

So what are the options?

Photo: more of woods yesterday

The Parish meeting came up with various possibilities and lots of questions. Could the site be run commercially or part-commercially? Would fees from the site pay for a warden to visit regularly? Could a warden be employed locally? Could funds be found to improve the site to reduce vandalism? Could the police be more involved to ensure that raves like those at Ash Lane don't occur? Would Stroud District Council, the National Trust and other groups put money into making this a local community resource? Could other local groups be involved including young people to help improve and maintain the site?

So what is the next step?

I am hoping to arrange a meeting to discuss this - I've provisionally booked Thursday 18th January 6.30pm to 7.10 at the Village Hall as a time for residents to come forward and share thoughts, fears, hopes and ideas about the possibilities of reopening the campsite. The Parish Council meet at 7.15 and as always that is open to the public and there is a slot for the public to ask questions or raise issues if they like. I will confirm this meeting time on this Blog when I know the hall is free. MEETING POSTPONED: Parish Council will let us know of new date - but in meantime please send comments re campsite.

I am also happy to talk or meet with others to discuss the best ways forward if you can't make that meeting. This is not easy and we have to be very clear we need to find a way that does not lead to further serious problems for residents in that area. Please phone me, Philip Booth, on 01453 755451 to share your thoughts.

National Trust woods - some brief background info

It was great to hear from the National Trust a bit about the history of the local woods. Here is some of what they said...In the 1930s a local committee started buying up bits of land locally: over the years they managed to buy some 27 pieces of land and during the 1940s to 60s they replanted the woods like the Standish woods which were felled during the wars. The local committee handed over the land to the National Trust but continued to manage it and organise all the work needed.

Then in the late 1970s the National Trust employed the first warden, Harry Hayward who sadly died last year. He was in post for 10 to 15 years: now the National Trust have a team of wardens to manage a massive 4,500 acres of land locally that includes Woodchester Park and the Commons. Michelle Oliver who was at the Parish meeting with her boss the Head Warden, David Armstrong, is the officer responsible for our area.

There are many stories of how well Harry managed the woods and started the campsite in the 1980s for walkers - it was on a site that had started to be used as landfill and was only a wee way away from the Cotswold Way. It had no parking, a pit for a loo and water was available until that was vandalised about 7 years ago and not replaced.

The Cotswold Way for those not familiar is a long distance walking trail that runs between the city of Bath in the south, and the town of Chipping Campden in the north.The trail is approximately 100 miles long, and runs for most of its length on the Cotswold escarpment. It has been in existence for over 30 years and has recently been approved as a National Trail. This designation is special - making the trail one of only thirteen trails to be made into National Trails in England in the past 50 years.

After Harry left it was harder for the National Trust to manage the site: he lived there and was able to visit very regularly and attend to any difficulties. The problems however were mainly litter and minor difficulties but then about 3 years ago the more serious problems began: parties, raves and vandalism that spread from the site to neighbouring properties. 2 years ago the problems became even more frequent. The police also said they had not got the resources to keep policing this site.

Early this year the NT decided the only option they had was closure. They have operated a licence system so that groups can still book the site but no one has taken up this offer - if this route is to be pursued then we need much better publicity of this scheme.

Although the site was supposedly closed, the summer still saw people camping there regularly and also many reports of people now camping in other parts of the area on local farmland. This has led to a number of problems.

As noted above the community now needs to consider what is the best way forward. Should we try and tackle the problems and restore this campsite or should we look for other solutions? Clearly the campers are still wanting places to camp so what can we do to help local landowners who are now facing problems? Do come to the meeting to make your views known.

Other issues?

It was also interesting to learn about the ancient monuments like the Long Barrow in the National Trust woods. These are sadly being damaged by mountain bikers and boarders (see photo) - this is most likely ignorance of the monuments rather than anything intentional. The National Trust have already started to look at ways to make people more aware about these local monuments so that the accidental damage can be stopped. This seems a great opportunity to celebrate more our local heritage. How best can these monuments be made more of a feature? Do we need information boards? Perhaps some fencing or some trees removed?

Various other issues were also discussed like how the areas are maintained and the plans for some limited stone wall repairs. The Trust have also offered to talk to local groups and schools.

Bristol airport: news at the moment is as good as we could have hoped

First of all tomorrow is the LAST DAY to submit your response to North Somerset Council on the BIA expansion Master Plan. If you haven't responded yet, please do so NOW! Details are on the campaigning website. See link to Stroud District Green party's submission here.

Photo: Bristol Airport fuel

The special meeting held by North Somerset Council's Strategic, Planning and Economic Development panel (SPED) was yesterday. I have a report that the meeting started uncomfortably with BIA being given an uninterrupted 30 minutes to give its case and other groups having to fight to even speak for 3 minutes each (at the beginning of the meeting they were told they wouldn't be allowed even this, but councillors rebelled and the chair relented). Despite this, it was apparently a very one-sided affair with only one other person speaking in favour of expansion. At the end a resolution was passed 3-1 (with several abstentions) that the P&R committee "should not accept the master plan until full and independent reports had been prepared on all 5 areas mentioned", these being:
1) surface access, parking, traffic
2) climate change, biodiversity, pollution
3) economics case
4) physical changes to the airport eg terminal building etc
5) policy background

This is as good as we could have hoped for - but we must insist that all of these reports are in-depth, independent, transparent and if possible scoped with our cooperation, and be prepared and published well before ANY decision is made upon the Master Plan. This is all huge progress. Let's hope 2007 will bring success!

Petition to protect European public services

Collecting some greenery in the Slad valley this afternoon - for Christmas - my it was beautiful in the woods. Back in time for some tea before Parish meeting tonight. But hey if you have a moment do please sign this petition....

The European Trade Unions Confederation (ETUC) have launched a Europe-wide petition to protect and strengthen public services that are vital to the wellbeing of all European Citizens. They are under threat from corporations and possible new legislation. We have already seen the threats in this country growing - huge sums of money are going to private companies and shareholders rather than being invested in patient care.

This petition is timely in calling on us all to act to ensure everyone has access to good health care, schools and quality public services now and in the future. It is essential that the public interest is seen as more important than open markets and by reaching the target of one million signatures on the petition, the European Commission will see there is a public demand for action.”

You can read more and sign the petition at www.petitionpublicservice.eu

Ruscombe Green linked to New Statesman

Hey, hey, hey we really are going up in the world - this 'Ruscombe Green' blog now has a link on the New Statesman website as one of three Green Blogs attached to the Blog of Principal speaker for the Green party - see Sian Berry's Blog here.

Have to say that publication isn't one I get regularly but the last copies I did get show they are really looking at issues like climate change in more depth and from different angles than most of the other similar publications. I am not yet convinced this is a trully 'green' publication but theres lots to get ones teeth into. This latest issue for example looks at how the government has been disguising the quantity of greenhouse gases that we create with our flights to and from the UK plus why the chancellor will not become a green premier and an article I enjoyed (particularly after the entry below re Baron Booth of Bread Street) looking at how the loans for peerages inquiry has exploded the myth of the British honesty gene. See the New Statesman website for more.

GM Potato trials and chemicals legislation

Have been meaning to write a letter to press on this since the announcement a couple of weeks ago - see here my letter. It is, as I say in the letter, extraordinary that the Government is still pushing ahead on GM despite such massive opposition - and the evidence of concerns about GM continue to grow despite the fact that worldwide GM is celebrating it's billionth acre of GM crops.

There are numerous examples and research to back up that claim - I wont go into them here otherthan to mention briefly a couple that were in the news - 'superweeds' - a huge problem in some countries now like Canada - and they were even found after the UK trials - the result of GM oilseed rape cross-breeding with a common weed in farm scale trials, making a genetically modified new breed of charlock, previously thought to be safe from mutation. This version of the common weed, found alongside oilseed rape in the UK and mainland Europe, is resistant to the weed killer used in the GM trial and confirmed as containing the gene inserted into the GM oilseed rape.

If GM oilseed rape was grown commercially, herbicide-resistant weeds could become widespread. Farmers would then have to use more and more damaging toxins to get rid of them, with all the associated knock-on effects on the environment. Infact across the world there is growing pest resistance to GM crops like GM cotton in Gujarat reported a week or so ago.

The yields are also not what many had hoped - just last month it was report that a new wave of farmer suicides in Maharashtra is being directly attributed to the huge losses made by farmers lured into growing GM cotton by promises of bumper harvests.

Without the slightest hint of irony, the Minister for Environment said that new potato trials were necessary to establish independent evidence, because otherwise, "we ... leave ourselves open to pressure from commercial companies, for example, and we are not going to bow to that."

Infact yesterday I also wrote a letter about this Government and how they gave into the chemical industry over new EU legislation to protect us from known dangerous chemicals in our environment. See that letter here. It seems that there are all too many examples around. I doubt press will publish them both - perhaps I would have done better to combine the two issues into one letter?

Notable historic quote:

"Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA's job."
Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications. "Playing God in the Garden" New York Times Magazine, October 25, 1998.

Ten Lords a lending and Baron Booth of Bread Street

It has been a bad year for British democracy. The 'loans for peerages' affair has highlighted all too clearly why there should be no place for patronage in Parliament. Some will remember the title I bought off the internet from a campaigning group to highlight this dreadful situation - Baron Booth of Bread Street. I even have a 'Certificate of Inauthenticity' (see below) and the money raised by the campaign is being used to challenge this patronage.

An amazing 80 pence in every pound donated to the Labour party comes from people subsequently honoured. This is totally unacceptable in a modern democracy.

Two-thirds of the public supports a predominantly or wholly elected second chamber, yet politicians have fudged this issue for years. Although there are signs that the Government has finally accepted that the second chamber must have some elected members, much more work must be done to ensure that MPs vote for a wholly elected second chamber.

The great card above comes from the Unlock Democracy website - you can send it as an e-card to family and friends to highlight the campaign - the site also has tips for further campaigning.

According to reports (e.g. The Independent): "in an unprecedented move, when MPs vote on the Lords shake-up in the new year, they will rate the different options in order of preference so that one proposal eventually enjoys majority support after second preferences have been redistributed. The method, similar to the alternative vote system used in elections in Australia, will ensure that the Commons reaches a clear view on how the second chamber should be modernised."

So if MPs now think that simple First Past The Post (FPTP) is no longer suited to their needs, are they finally going to see that FPTP is just as ill-suited to the needs of the country and the electorate? Are we perhaps seeing a recognition for the need to change our electoral system to Proportional Representation?

This Labour Government has immense power yet was elected with support from scarcely one in three of those voting and a little over one in five of the total electorate.

It's not surprising that people are unhappy with the voting system. People want to feel their vote has a value. Proportional representation would completely reinvigorate the dynamics of politics in this Country. Indeed a House of Commons elected under PR would not have supported Tony Blair over the war in Iraq. It would also mean Green voices in Westminister representing the views of substantial sections of the electorate....

But enough of this - time to polish my coronet - yes I've discovered allsorts that I never knew about being a Baron - mostly from people who have delighted in taking the mickey - an English Peerage baron is entitled to a coronet bearing 6 silver balls around the rim and in case you need to know how to address ...non-Scottish barons are styled The Right Honourable The Lord [Barony]....

Be a one tonner: tackling your carbon footprint

Over in Cheltenham an indefatigable campaigner, Cathy Green has a new project - it is all about taking responsibility for our personal CO2 emissions and cutting them by 80% - ie going from using 5 tonnes per year to one tonne - but doing it together in a group with others - she is launching the project in February and everyone is invited to go along to find out more.

So how to do it? How can we cut those emissions? Cathy writes:

"The process is very simple and easy to do - all you really need to do is switch to a Green Electricity supplier, insulate your house, cut down the driving and STOP FLYING! Once you have done these actions you will be well on your way to becoming a One Tonner."

You can read more about her project on her Blog.

This local project is a very useful and necessary development - we need to be showing ourselves and others how it can be done - and there is lots of good info out there - there are now loads of websites to help calculate 'carbon footprints'and CO2 emissions - and of course also give advice on how to tackle them.

There is also often conflicting information about how much we actually produce - one of the most recent pieces, a study by the government-funded Carbon Trustputs the annual carbon footprint of the average Briton at 10.92 tons of CO2 - a huge amount but US citizens average 19 tons of CO2 each year (see their great picture left dividing up the proportions of carbon). And as the Carbon Trust say the first step to reducing our emissions is to understand where they come from...

Interestingly the research demonstrates that our leisure and recreation pursuits - activities as diverse as watching a football match or taking a trip to the seaside - account for most of our emissions. Nearly a fifth of the average British citizen's 10.92 tons of CO2 - 1.95 tons - is emitted through recreation and leisure: everything from holiday trips by car and visiting a gym, which has substantial emissions, a trip to a leisure centre where the swimming pool is heated, watching television and enjoying live evening sport under floodlights.

However the importance of minimising carbon emissions from our homes is also reinforced by the figures, which show the average British citizen contributes 1.49 tons of CO2 a year through the heating of his or her home.

In the third category, 1.39 tons of CO2 are generated by food and catering. That includes everything from emissions generated directly by cooking and food use - refrigerating, freezing and cooking - plus the indirect emissions from the production of food and drink products and services. Production includes raw material cultivation, packaging production, manufacturing, distribution, disposal and recycling. Together, the top three categories account for a half of our individual carbon emissions.

An amazing 2kg of carbon can be saved for every journey under three miles for which we walk and don't use the car. Clearly taking public transport is also apart of the answer - sadly it is often poor quality, too infrequent and too expensive - infact I've just written today to Network Rail re the Kemble to Swindon line which urgently needs the single track converted to a double - at last it is on the list of proposals for Network Rail to consider. I'm not yet sure how the consultation works (or doesn't) but I've written to get clarification and lend support to the doubling of the tracks.

Anyhow closer to Stroud than the One Tonner project is the Transition Towns project - see my Blog entry for Wednesday last week. Their website is also growing all the time - and talking of website's we've had a little change around of the Glos Green party's home page - hopefully makes it easier to find what you are looking for - there is also always the search engine.

Cut emissions on new developments

Tonight there was a Planning Policy Panel on 'On-site renewables' - sadly rather poorly attended by councillors - it was, at last, a chance to discuss reducing CO2 emissions in new developments in the District - Stroud, if all goes well could have, in 6 months time, a rule to cut 10% of carbon on developments of around 10 houses - similar to the Merton Rule.

Photo: wind turbine, Lansdown Road, Stroud

About time too - the sad thing is that it looks like we can't go further as national government are setting the guidelines - some of those are good but some restrict us from pushing harder now. Infact many other Councils have been doing great things and encouraging renewables and carbon reductions - Woking, Kirklees, Milton Keynes, Croydon and many more.

Last week the new national Planning Policy Statement on climate change was announced by Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government - it gives welcomed new powers to local authorities and calls for all homes to be carbon-zero in 10 years time - already developers are crying it isn't possible - this is nonsense and the Government mustn't give in - infact if we are to tackle climate change they cannot give in.

However sadly 'giving in' looks like exactly what they have done over the new Code for Sustainable Homes - also announced last week - instead of being mandatory this Code is voluntary! This is little better than useless - the Code has some excellent ways forward but we know it wont be followed by many unless it is mandatory.

We have limited time to make the cuts in carbon dioxide emissions which are needed. As Friends of the Earth said in response to the announcements: "Carbon zero homes could be built now - so why wait ten years before insisting that builders construct them."

Are Labour really tackling climate change?

I was asked this question the otherday in response to last month's Independent newspaper who ran a front page with Tony Blair asking “Who says I’m not Green?” (18 November 2006).

Photo: Mildest December on record

I have to ask can Mr Blair really be serious asking this? Caroline Lucas Green MEP answers:

This is a Prime Minister under whose government greenhouse gases have risen, not fallen; a Prime Minister who has dragged his feet on implementing key European legislation on energy efficiency (and faces being taken to the European Court over it), and one who is presiding over both a 30 billion pound road building scheme, and the biggest expansion of aviation – the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions - in a generation.

The climate measures he has proposed so far are largely timid and ineffectual. For example, his proposal to include aviation into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme could actually result in higher overall emissions.

The problem is that aircraft emissions are between two and four times more damaging to the climate than those from most other industries (due partly to the altitude at which they are emitted, and to the effects of non-CO2 emissions such as nitrogen oxides and condensation trails). As aviation is likely to be a net buyer of permits, ground-level emissions will be replaced by emissions with at least twice the climatic impact. Moreover, the price increase to customers will be negligible, and will fail seriously to reduce aviation growth.

As the European Parliament’s Rapporteur on Aviation and Climate, I have proposed an aviation-only emissions trading scheme, together with parallel taxes to address aviation’s non-CO2 impacts – proposals which have been agreed by my European colleagues, but still opposed by this government. If Blair really wants to be seen as “Green”, he should take his own advice – stop posturing, and urgently introduce practical policies which will really make a difference.

Indeed our Government Ministers (notably Milliband) have for far too long got away with outrageous spin on the UK Governments performance re climate changing emissions. They have done this by using obviously carefully prepared forms of words, mixing statistics in a confusing way and this has been helped by the failure of most journalists to challenge properly.

The most recent "The Environment in your pocket (2006)" published by Defra using the National Statistics office contains data that clearly nails this Government on many of their false claims.

Typical claims from Ministers:

- This Government is a world leader in reducing emissions
- This Government is successfully reducing greenhouse gas emissions and is going to reduce them further

There are 2 main measures of greenhouse gas emissions which Ministers like to confuse. There is the Kyoto basket of 6 gases (which include CO2) and the separate CO2 alone figure. The Defra publication helps put these straight:

The Kyoto basket of 6 greenhouse gasses (as expressed in millions of tonnes CO2 equivalent) has RISEN in the UK since 2003. Most of the reduction towards the Kyoto target of a 12.5% reduction (by 2008/12 on a 1990 base) occured under the Tories before this Government came to power. Although the UK is currently on track to meet Kyoto, if emissions continue to rise it could be a close run thing.

The domestic CO2 alone target reduction of 20% by 2010 on the 1990 base is WELL OFF TARGET. UK CO2 emissions have risen in recent years and are now higher than in 1995. This Government has overseen a rise in CO2 - the single most important greenhouse gas produced by society - and the 5% reduction claimed by Ministers for themselves occured under the Tories.

Whilst there was a long term trend towards lower emissions in several sectors before Labour came to power, that progress has been halted or reversed. Industry CO2 emissions fell fast/steadily until about 2000 but then stopped falling. Domestic CO2 also fell fairly steadily until Labour came to power and is slightly down in recent years but overall is UP since Labour came to power. Other users have flatlined since 2000.

But most worryingly, transport related CO2 has continued its long term rise under Labour (that has occured since 1970 - more than doubling since then). For the first time transport is now the equal largest sector in terms of CO2 emissions.

Douglas Alexander has now announced plans to partially re-regulate the buses, but any positive impact this may have is dwarfed by his commitment to another runway at Heathrow airport and a new runway at Stansted.

Aviation is the fastest growing contributor to climate change and so is a litmus test of any politician's environmental credentials. The Tories, surprise surprise, claim they haven't decided where they stand on this issue, but a stream of government figures and reviews keep reminding us that Labour stand shoulder-to-shoulder with big business on this issue - aviation expansion and unfettered economic growth at any cost.

In contrast the Green Party would use the tax system both to change behaviour and redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor. We do not believe in limitless growth, in part because we recognise that the world has finite resources. We would introduce some eco-taxes, but - unlike other parties - would ensure the revenue raised went directly to providing greener alternatives. Our policy of domestic tradable carbon quotas would be accompanied by a citizen's income - an unconditional, automatic payment to each individual as of right, replacing the unfair benefits system.

U-turn on National Identity Register welcomed but battle not won

This photo is of my sister-in-law and partners' granddaughter playing Hide-and-Seek in Standish woods this weekend - and what a glorious weekend. Possibly a tenuous link to this topic - but often one of the arguments for ID cards is if you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear....

What nonsense - we will be hearing next that spy cameras should be in every room in our homes linked back to the nearest police station - after all alot of crime goes on behind closed doors like child abuse, drug dealing and more. And while we are about it lets have all our mail openned and checked...

The need for privacy has nothing to do with implying we have something to hide or fear - to invade privacy someone should have a really good reason like you were strongly suspected of committing a criminal act. Only out-of-control dictatorial regimes monitor and control citizens all the time just in case a tiny minority get up to mischief. Infact it is more likely innocents who have more to fear as it is terrorists and criminals who are able to find ways around these cards.

Anyhow news that the Government is taking a U-turn on the National Identity Register (NIR) is most welcomed. This would have been the system that recorded everyone’s biometric details in one place - the plan is now to host the information across three existing IT systems. Read the BBC report here: ‘Rethink on ID card computer plan‘.

Whilst this is not yet a halt to the ID cards scheme - the launch for ID cards is still planned to begin in 2009 - the decision to bin the National Identity Register is definitely a start in chipping away a future ‘database state’. The whole project has been ill-conceived from the start and is a huge waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere. Read more about it here, here - and herere last Green party action against ID cards locally. Plus the excellent website with lots of quotes from a Phil Booth who is not me and is no relation but does say lots of wise things - read more about the nonsense arguments that try to justify spendfing vast sums of our money on ID cards at: no2id.net

Help us fight the fat - Brook group gets serious about kitchen fats and detergents

The Ruscombe Brook Action Group have launched a campaign locally with a new leaflet to raise awareness about our sewers (see photo). Although I designed the leaflet based on ideas from the group I can now see allsorts of things I would like to change...mind it took long enough to put that together...

...anyhow we have a 150 fat traps and money-off vouchers which we will be giving away at local schools and to houses along the Ruscombe brook. Below are the quotes given to local press - today I've started giving the fat traps out - more later this week and after Christmas.

Philip Booth, Secretary of the Action group that has campaigned against repeated incidents of raw sewage escaping into the Ruscombe brook, said: "We have found many reasons why local sewers have on occasions overflowed. One aspect that doesn't get enough publicity is that putting cooking fats down our drains can lead to the sewers clogging up. The brook group now have a 150 'fat traps', courtesy of Severn Trent water, to give away. Infact almost any container will do but we are using these traps to highlight the issue - the fats then can be disposed of in household rubbish or better still converted into fat balls for the birds to eat (i)."

Philip Booth said: "Cooking fats are not the only problem: many of the detergents we use in our homes are also high in fats and other ingredients that can harm wildlife (ii). We are very pleased to have had support from Ecotopia in Stroud High Street who stock many environmentally-friendly detergents - on showing one of our leaflets they will offer 15% off detergent-free laundry balls."

Philip Booth said: "We have to start to think differently about our sewers if we want to ensure our countryside is less polluted. Too often the toilet and sewers have been used for items like cotton buds, nappies, sanitary wear, dental floss, medicines and worse (iii). All these can lead to problems. We are hoping our campaign to 'Fight the Fat' will raise awareness of these issues."

Notes:
(i) In the case of fast food establishments and other large fat users RBAG would like to see the fats being collected and used as biofuels rather than flushed away to block our sewers.
(ii) Other problems with detergents include:
- Phosphate based detergents in particular are banned in some countries because they add nutrients to the waste stream which can cause eutrophication (or algae growth) in receiving waters.
- Chlorine products - bleaches - are another problematic waste stream. Most people probably live in the mistaken belief that such products could only have a beneficial effect on the drains, because they kill germs, but this is not the case. With so much organic material and ammonia in sewage, the chlorine products react with these rather than bacteria, which is why chlorine is never added in the early stages of sewage treatment. The problem is that these chlorine based products react with organic chemicals to produce chlorinated organic's - the same group of chemicals as the weedkiller DDT, PCB's and pesticides. They are not biodegradable, they persist in the environment and have a cumulative effect. They are not removed in the sewage treatment process. Many experts predict there will be a general presumption against the use of chlorine products in future, apart from as a residual biocide in the water supply.
(iii) Severn Trent Water is a founder member of the national 'Bag It and Bin It' group which campaigns to raise awareness of the problems that arise from flushing personal and disposable products down the toilet. Plastic or insoluble materials that are disposed of in this manner cause over two-thirds of all blockages of the sewerage system and add to the problems of sewage flowing out into rivers. The 'Bag It and Bin It' campaign aims to prevent sewage related debris from littering British riverbanks and coastlines by educating people not to flush their disposable products down the toilet - urging them instead to 'Bag It and Bin It'. Here are their suggestions:
Cotton buds, Ladies tights, Dental floss
- Dispose of these in the bin along with other household rubbish.
Tampons and applicators
- Wrap well and dispose of in the bin.
Condoms
- Wrap well and dispose of in the bin.
Incontinence pads
- Contact your Local Council or District Nurse Service and request inclusion in what is commonly known as the 'yellow bag' scheme. This scheme delivers and collects yellow bags specifically designed for the safe disposal of incontinence pads.
Sanitary towels
- Special bags for sanitary protection items are available from pharmacies.
Bandages & plasters
- Wrap well and dispose of in the bin.
Disposable nappies
- Wrap well and dispose of in the bin. Before doing so you could flush any human waste down the toilet - but not the nappy itself.
Razors and blades
- Put the used blade inside a rigid container, which you are also throwing into the dustbin. Razor blades should never be flushed down the toilet.
Medicines
- Any unwanted or unused medicines should be returned to your local pharmacy for safe disposal. Do not dispose of medicines with other household waste. Always remember to keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Is Bristol airport getting desperate?

I was sent a letter today by Bristol International Airport which said that "a number of emotive claims about the proposed expansion" were being made and that they would "like to ensure a balanced and informed debate".

This is a little odd - infact in the factsheets they sent to me they failed to address any of the key issues I raised in the Green party's submission to the consultation process. This expansion cannot go ahead if we are serious about climate change - it is as simple as that. You can see my press release just sent by clicking here.

Where is there a biodiesel garage? And is it the answer?

There is a ready supply of 100% biodiesel right here in Stroud. It is, at present, only crop biodiesel imported from Scandinavia but Adrian Lawton, who produces it, has recycled chip oil in the past and might do it again, with adequate support. For more info and where else you can get biodiesel see the Pure Biodiesel Community website at www.purebiodiesel.co.uk

If you have to drive this is a better option - although at the moment it is slightly more complicated than a BP forecourtin Stroud as you will need to get keys organised and serve yourself. See the website for more details.

But while biodiesel is still a better option we should be wary about seeing it as an answer to climate change or Peak Oil - to see more read the article 'Biofuels - Climate curse or cure?'. This shows how we cannot expect the answer to lie in biofuels - we need the land for food - all the more important with population increases and climate changes effecting existing crops - we do not want to see even more of a world where the rich can still drive there 4x4s and the poor starve.

Send fruit to the Government!

There are two campaigns at the moment that have a similarity - both want us to send fruit to the Government.

Photo: Banana leaf reproduced with permission from Charles Roffeys' collection.

Burma's democracy movement has called for targeted economic sanctions against the regime in Burma, which spends up to half its budget on the military and is possibly the worst dictatorship n the World - but instead of stopping companies investing in the oil, gas and timber sectors in Burma, where the regime earns most of its money, British and European companies are banned from investing in a pineapple juice factory and a few other minor companies. This is surely a joke. Britain is ranked as the second largest source of approved investment in Burma, but the government refuses to ban companies from investing there. To highlight just how ridiculous the UK and EU sanctions are, Greens have joined campaigners in posting pineapples - fresh, dried or tinned - to Margaret Beckett, the British Foreign Secretary, and calling on her to unilaterally ban new investment in Burma. The USA banned new investment back in 1997. Britain must now ban new investment in Burma. The Citizen kindly covered the story yesterday. I've long been a member of the Burma Action Campaign and been involved in many of their letter-writing campaigns.

I first got interested after I was fortunate to visit the country in 1986 for a week - at that time that was the maximum allowed - and it was before the current boycott of visiting the country was called by Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Tourism provides the dictatorship in Burma with millions of pounds every year. Forced labour has been used to develop many tourist facilities. I have also joined their campaign to boycott Lonely Planet guides for their extraordinary stance of encouraging tourism to Burma against the wishes of the democratically elected leaders....anyhow the Burma Action Campaign has had much success in stopping travel companies going there are and also publishes a Dirty List of companies that still trade there. A great example of where people pulling together can bring about change - we now need our Government to listen. You can also send a pineapple to:

Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, Foreign Secretary,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
King Charles St,
London SW1A 2AH

More about that campaign here. Incidently apols for text fonts going hay-wire in this post - they wont respond to me!

The other campaign is to send a banana to Tony Blair after campaigners felt that Blair's Banana Republic was created on Thursday 14th December 2006. It came into existance, they say, when the rule of law was abolished in the UK, and replaced by the law according to politicians.....this all relates to the decision over the Saudi defence probe - the investigation by the Serious Fraud Office into BAe Systems plc concerning payments made in relation to the Al Yamamah programme with Saudi Arabia has been discontinued - the last letter re this from Gloucestershire Greens was back in January. It does seem clear that Saudis have encouraged Britain to drop the case - it is also extraordinary that we continue to sell arms to them - there is no way that could fit with any ethical foreign policy.

Indeed an ICM opinion poll commissioned by the One World Trust, Democratic Audit, and the Federal Trust in January 2006, found 83% of the UK population were against arms and military exports to countries which violated their citizens’ human rights (though being reminded that exports were important to the UK economy and jobs - which I would dispute!).

With the recent decision to end investigations, the conditions under which some of these arms deals are secured, will now remain excluded from adequate parliamentary and public scutiny.

Send those bananas and pineapples!!

Add your name to the 'Wall of Shame'

After scribbling the last blog on homelessness I thought I should also make this entry. Shelter is calling on Gordon Brown to fund an extra 20,000 social rented homes each year in a bid to end the housing crisis. To get his attention, they built a 30-metre wall on London's South Bank and asked people to sign it. You can add your name to the Wall of Shame here.

Homeless in Whiteshill: the South West's housing timebomb

Yesterday I got a phonecall from someone who has no home - the third person in our ward that has contacted me since I was elected in May - we really cannot underestimate the impact this can have on a person. It is true most people registered homeless are not actually on the streets but the toll that 'sofa surfing' takes on relationships, work possibilities and health are enormous.

Years ago as a Social Worker in London I often had the unhappy task of trying to help people fleeing violent relationships and exploitative landlords or who had lost their homes due to a whole host of reasons - I don't have the figures to hand but a huge percentage are people who have been in the forces often suffering from their experiences of war - and of course a high percentage also have mental health problems - indeed with the stresses of such living it would be surprising if people did not.

What sort of society are we? To me it is utterly outrageous we cannot find homes for people - look at the wealth around us - money for wars, renewing Trident, £300,000 bonuses for corporate 'leaders', second-homes, massive corporate profits - we are one of the wealthiest nations but the rich get richer and the poor get poorer - in our District the number of people registered homeless is steadly rising. Inequality in a society has a negative impact - it is in our interests to create a fairer society.

On current rates anyone on the register with a place further down the list than 20 basically wont get a home for years - if ever. All I can do is check people have the points they should have and know where they can get further advice - but it all stinks - basically there is not much out there - the private-rented sector is shrinking and there are fewer opportunities if anything.

But what we are seeing here is the same across much of the South West. We are the only region in England with above average house prices but below average incomes. We are the most unaffordable region in the UK to buy a home - house prices are 9.3 times average incomes and by 2011 average house prices will rise from the current £200,000 to more than £280,000 - a further whopping great 40% rise.

Affording a home at the cheapest end of the market requires income of £25,557 - 67% higher than average. House prices have already risen 164% since 1997 - yet incomes have only gone up 20%. Housing waiting lists have gone up across the region by 50% in 5 years with the 'Right to Buy' Council houses still having an impact on reducing the number of homes available.

Affordable housing makes up only 16% of all homes produced - on averahe each local authority gained just 12 new affordable homes after 'Right to Buy'. Despite extra investment over last 2 years we are still only producing half the affordable homes we need.

Research shows this all means - more overcrowding, poorer health, lower education attainments, restrictions on social mobility and employment prospects.It also affects the individuals quality of life, the regions economic prospects, leads to outward migration of young people, pressure on services and causes unbalanced communities - particularly in rural areas.

We have a housing timebomb. It is time politicians took this issue seriously.

Capitalist mantras

I came across this cartoon some weeks ago and then found it again today. It fits well with my 'advert' here for Stroud-based Molly Scott Cato's Blog about Green Economics.

Greens have been seen by some as negative and not putting forward alternatives - I certainly find it a challenge to write to the press about an issue in less than 250 words - often saying why something is not working takes nearly all the space meaning there is little room to present the green alternative/vision - but it is just not true to say those green alternatives are not there...we are virtually the only party with a philosophical basis to our policies - and do not consider policies in isolation - when we look at health policies we look at all aspects from food additives and chemicals in the environment to transport policies to how drug companies operate etc - and as Molly writes in another Blog:

"Such a vision offers greater community and personal satisfaction: a world where conviviality replaces consumption, where local identity replaces global trade, and where community spirit replaces brand loyalty."

See also a Comment I wrote for The Citizen earlier this year - things are definiately changing - there are many positive signs around - see earlier Blog re Transition Towns, the national poll increases in those saying they will vote Green and the medias greater willingness to tackle these issues etc etc. Yes I know we still have a long way to go but we are at last talking about the alternatives and options - Milliband even mentions tradeable personal carbon allowances, our Council is at last talking renewable energies, carbon neutral homes is also on the menu...

Anyhow in Molly's most recent piece she has a bit on capitalist mantras - that's what I was intending to write about but seem to have got side-tracked above - I strongly recommend reading her full Blog (12th Dec 2006) which talks about how capitalism isn't just a powerful economic system but also a system of ideas - here are some she picked out with some alternatives.

There is no such thing as a free lunch → Food is for sharing
You can’t get something for nothing → Unless you are a shareholder or landowner
Everybody has a price → Generosity is its own reward
Time is money → My time is my own
Nothing in life is free → The best things in life are free
Money makes the world go round → Love makes the world go round
We need to protect our wealth → We need to rely on the love of others
If it isn’t hurting it isn’t working → If I can’t dance I don’t want to be part of your revolution

She is urging people to make further suggestions.

CNN - no GNN

Always wondered if it should carry the strap line - "GNN - the news that CNN doesn't give you."

Yes folks the latest edition of the Glos Green party email news is just out - a collection of links to news releases, articles and letters from the last month - over 50 items.

Photo: local woods a few days ago - no more autumn leaves here although an apple tree in my garden still has some - all too mild.

The contents are listed below to give you a taster - usually like the quotes section - but browse at your leisure - click here to read full GNN (or Green News Network) and here to get a free copy each month:

QUOTES OF THE MONTH
1. GLOS GREEN WEBSITE CHANGES: NEW BLOG
2. GLOUCESTERSHIRES' CHRISTMAS ARRIVES IN FELIXTOWE AND A GREEN CHRISTMAS?
3. WAR AND PEACE: DREW VOTE ON IRAQ, LETTER TO ALL GLOS MAYORS AND RADIO BROADCASTS
4. COUNTRYFILE ASKS 'IS STROUD THE GREENEST TOWN IN THE WEST?'
5. CLIMATE CHANGE: KEEPING THE PRESSURE UP
6. FILE ON FOUR'S LOOK AT NUCLEAR
7. GREENS URGE SUPPORT FOR CAMPAIGN TO DECRIMINALISE HOMOSEXUALITY
8. THAMES WATER: GREENS URGE RETURN TO PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
9. GREEN SPEAKS AT INLAND WATERWAYS DEMO
10. GREENS SLAM JURIES WHO BLAME WOMEN FOR ‘DRUNK RAPE’
11. 'ABOLITION OF PARLIAMENT' BILL TAMED
12. COUNTY FARM SELL-OFF, SCHOOL DRUG TESTING, SOCIAL ENTERPRISES, GLOS GAS PIPELINE AND MORE
13. NEW ON 'BIG ISSUES'
14. WEBSITES THAT MIGHT INTEREST
15. NEXT COFFEE HOUSE GATHERING

Back issues are also available on the website - and a search engine to find particular topics.

Nativity Parish Council Play

No that should have read Nativity Play and Parish Council....Randwick School had their Christmas Nativity Play (see photo) - "The Whoopsy-daisy Angel" - not sure if I spelt that right but it was a charming, entertaining and even toe-tapping and wet-eye making performance mainly from the Reception and Year One's - some brilliant dancing snowflakes, great angels and a star performance by a boy in year one as the Whoopsy-daisy angel - other years also did readings and singing - the choir also - infact a great evening that left enough time to get to Whitshill and Randwick Parish meeting...

The minutes will soon be on the website - see under 'links' opposite on this Blog - but as usual lots talked about from siting the interactive speed sign to the Family Boxing Day Whiteshill walk - some 40 people setting off from the playing field at 10.30 each Boxing Day for a 4 mile walk and pub. Plus the 20 mph latest (see elsewhere on this Blog), the walking bus proposals for Whiteshill School, getting kerbs dropped for disabled people, signing the petition re the closure of Gloucester Mail centre (see elsewhere a Blog entry and interesting discussion anout this), news that the Village Sprng failed it's fit-to-drink test, the three solid oak benches that have been ordered - people needed to dig holes - always amazes me how hard many Parish councillors work for the community - instead of upping the precept they get out there themselves, paint varnish on the noticeboards, dig holes etc.

Anyhow we finished at 9.30 for Christmas drinks - and serious nibbles - all very nice and a chance to meet the new Clerk, Julie Masters who takes over from Wendy Maddison - looked like it could be very hard to replace Wendy's excellent service but if this first meeting is anything to go by I need not have worried - Julie looks set to be very efficient, helpful and all good things!

Anyhow it is too late again to write more....

Green meeting tonight: Transition Towns and the canal

Not the usual Green party meeting in Woodrufts organic cafe - business was kept to a minimum then two discussions - the first on Transition Towns and the second on the canal.

Transition Towns - whats that then? Well I am a member of a new group that is looking at this idea - two other Greens at the meeting this evening were also supporters - Martin Whiteside and Molly Scott-Cato - we wanted to share the exciting developments with other members - infact this evening a website about it goes live here. Mind don't get too excited as the Stroud entry has not started yet.

In a nutshell the idea is to explore how to prepare for a carbon constrained, energy lean world.

Totnes is the first example in this country - see more about that here. It originally comes from an idea from Kinsale in Ireland - this is a wonderfully exciting project that I came across well over a year ago when I was asked to help with Cainscross Parish Plan - some of the ideas were included in that Plan which is still to be published.

It will be great to take this project forward and I would urge anyone interested to get in touch - this is not a Green party initiative although clearly a fair few Greens are involved - this is more about involving and reaching many different people. It is at a very early stage but talk is about setting up sub-groups to look more at particular issues. Here were some first thoughts of groups:

1. Energy group: this could focus upon conservation, the potential for local renewable generation and energy security. It could also look into ways of improving access to more sustainable transport fuels, such as biodiesel and bioethanol. It is possible that these fuels could be provided via a co-operative enterprise.

2. Food: this group could draw on a wealth of initiatives and knowledge already having an impact in this area. Local food links are good in this area, but they will need to be improved further.

3. Money: this group could explore the potential for a “parallel” currency in this area and develop the “timebanks” idea

4. Education/training/skills group: this group could be involved with carrying out a skills audit (to assess what we already have), facilitating educational events around the theme of climate change, peak oil and relocalisation, etc, as well as investigating the potential to develop new skills and areas of expertise in this area.

5. Building group: this could look at ways of driving up standards for new-build as well as retrofitting existing housing stock, etc.

6. Consumption audit: we are currently looking to develop a consumption audit that would highlight the energy use – both direct and embodied – associated with day to day activity. This could act as a useful tool sourcing activities with a lower energy (and carbon) footprint.

7. Textiles: local food is relatively easy to obtain, but clothes and other fibres are not. A group has already met to look into ways of reusing and recycling textiles in this area, as well as processing new materials from a sustainable (hopefully, Hemp) source.

8. Local authority liason group: the local authority could both help and/or hinder the transition process. This group could work with the local authority in key areas, i.e transportation and planning, etc.

9. Communication: reaching others

The other topic for the evening was a lively discussion re the canal regeneration: many issues raised including:
- concerns about the route near Capel Mill (see photo) - either it has to go through a costly landfill or a cheaper route that ruins a beautiful river cliff
- the need for a multi-user trail that included cycling: there was a strong determination that this must go ahead
- the fact that the boatyard has been asked to leave the site by British Waterways and told it can't come back
- the potential loss of other employment land/small businesses etc
- plus lots about the potential and advantages

An action plan was formulated to take some of the issues forward - then it was down to the pub and plenty more talk.

Council webcasts

Where are you? Only 36 people watched Development Control Committee live yesterday - I suppose we are competing with daytime TV schedules.

Infact I reckon those figures are great - especially if we consider the handful of people who usually attend a Council meeting - and it's only been going a month! This is great and hopefully will encourage more accountability, democracy - and fewer CO2 emissions if people can stay at home and watch - and good for councillors or officers who missed a particular item due to illness or whatever - and of course an improvement for people who find reading stuff hard - infact so many advantages...

The only downside is that these meetings can become much more a platform for political point scoring rather than actual business - you can already see this happens in Council - with an audience at home I can see there will be more of this.

November webcast stats show 492 people watched - 151 watched them live. Most popular was the Council meeting on 9th November with 221 viewers while DCC last month got 154 hits - no doubt more will watch this months DCC and more as people realise it is happening.

Watch Council webcasts here.

Planning today

Photo left of the valley on Sunday - was drizzling and raining - but lovely to be out walking - and pleased to see all the sewers seem to be behaving themselves in the valley at the moment! Anyhow traffic in Stroud yesterday was terrible - took me 75 mins to go into Stroud and back yesterday afternoon due to a burst water main - and today was nearly late for Development Control Committee meeting at 10.00 this morning due to a huge volume of cars trying to get out onto the Cainscross roundabout.

The papers for todays meeting took over 4 hours to read over the last days - you can see the whole meeting on the webcast on the Council's website including picking out the various applications for which you are interested. Some councillors literally don't speak during the meeting, others ask many questions and debate lots. You'll see I had a fair few questions...I've not quite got used to the webcast as it is delayed slightly - the mike comes on quickly so we start talking but picture comes later so often misses a whole sentence or even the question - I'll have to be more patient!

You can also see all applications online - an excellent facility - but here is a flavour of some of the applications:

I have to say I am disappointed with the decision to approve the development of 7 houses on the Land Adjacent to Sunny Ridge, Townsend, Randwick. This site already had Outline Planning Permission granted in March so there was very little we could object to - it has no affordable housing, no renewable energy, is on a piece of land that I think should be part of the green seperation between Randwick and Cashes Green, isn't a great design...I could go on but this application has now been passed.

Also in this area the renewal of outline planning permission was given for a detached bungalow at the end of Field Road in Whiteshill - again passed - little had changed since original. More interesting was the application for 9 houses on land adjacent to 222 Westward Road, Cainscross - this was recommended for permission by Officers but was rejected - Highways and the Parish Council had recommended refusal - this is due to the relationship, as noted by the County, of the parking places of the proposed western terrace of the properties is likely to result in parking in the vicinity of the junction of the access road with Cedar Close - this area is already very difficult.

There were various other large developments discussed like 36 flats in London Road, Stroud near Waitrose that got passed and the development at Ebley Saw Mills off Westward Road, Cainscross.

One of the most depressing aspects of this 'job' is that these houses are largely still being built without renewable energy - and being built with only bog-standard insulation etc. We are meant to be building houses for a future without oil and we are meant to be cutting back CO2 emissions dramatically. Other Councils have for more than 10 years been putting renewables into new developments - I've said this all before - yet because we do not have it written into our Local Plan we cannot insist on it for developers.

Greens have been pushing this every which way and at last we have movement - on Tuesday next week we have a meeting to look at how best to proceed - Greens will be trying to ensure we get the best standards not spin - developers in many cases seem to be having a far too easy ride - we need to start looking at the economics long term - renewables pay back in only a few years - it is crazy that they are not being insisted on by Government, Councils and all. It should not be only a few of us having to shout about this....

After the DCC meeting, at 4 I then with Martin Whiteside attended a briefing with senior Officers of Aston Down - a potentially 'Major Development' at the old airfield near Aston Down. It was good to get up to date on the site - we were told it is likely to come to DCC in February, the County have already objected, but there maybe ways to mitigate their objections. As a member of DCC I cannot comment on the development - will have to see all the facts at the meeting.

...enough here... time for a cup of tea and the last bit of chocolate cake bought at the Randwick School bazaar last Friday - very yummy indeed!

Folly farm footpath - to DCC in January

Just got an update on this footpath - see photo of farm that it runs through - see also previous Blogs like 1st August 2006 for reasons for objections (use search facility):

"The current situation is that I am preparing a report to be considered at the January DCC meeting. A total of 17 valid objections were made. At this stage there are three options open to the council; 1) we can decide not to proceed any further 2) we can attempt to overturn the objections or 3) we can refer the matter to the Secretary of State (SOS) for his determination. These three options and their implications will be explained in full in the report. The letters of objection will be included with the report for consideration and if the council decides upon the third option the objections will be sent to the SOS as part of our submission. Either way the objections will be given full consideration before any final decision is made. At this stage the applicant has indicated her desire to continue with the present application notwithstanding the objections. The committee meeting is on the 9th January 2007. I will write to inform all the objectors of any decision made at that meeting. In the meantime if you need any further information or clarification please let me know."

Trying to resurrect the 20 mph zone

Here are the minutes of a meeting I organised today to try and move the 20 mph zone forward - readers of this Blog will have heard it fell recently due to police objections - this is not satisfactory. The whole community wants to improve traffic safety here - we must have a 20 mph.

Meeting re 20 mph zone for Randwick, Ruscombe and Whiteshill 11th December 2006

Present: Philip Booth (District councillor, Over Stroud), Richard Cornwell (Highways), John Rogers (Chair, Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish), John Taylor (Chair, Randwick Parish). Minutes by Philip

Apologies: Katie Griffiths (Highways)

1. Discussed a brief history noting:

- the request for a 20 mph zone dates back over 20 years
- residents and councillors were given to believe that the most recent request for a 20 mph zone was going to happen (see plan above).
- residents have expressed anger at the objections made by police - particularly as we understand that they were made at the very last minute only several days before the consultation period closed.
- we are aware that the latest look at the possibility of a crossing near the school concluded the same as before that it was not possible.
- Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish are at the early stages of considering a 'Shared Spaces' approach for the Main Road and 'Village Green' area (at front of Woodcutters Arms). The Parish have done considerable consultation over how to improve that area and what people would like - these ideas could be fed into a Shared Spaces approach for the area.
- we are aware that the school is looking at possibilities of a Walking Bus scheme (Philip has been in contact with Head teacher and the County) plus possibility of moving the school entrance to allow pick ups in the Village Shop car park. This could be an improvement but concern was also noted that this could lead to even faster speeds on the main road if we are not careful.
- both Parishes have booked to join the interactive speed sign programme with SDC.
- traffic calming/20 mph are a high priority for both Parishes and they were both prepared to consider some funds to assist. Parents at the school have also said they would be prepared to raise money to improve road safety.
- Philip noted he had a letter of support for 20 mph from an A & E Consultant at Gloucester Royal Hospital (*).

2. Proposals:

(i) Local councillors viewed a blanket 20 mph zone across the villages as the most desirable way forward. This would lead to:
- only 5 'gateway points' (ie Bus turning point at top of Randwick's Church road, just before the point where Humphrey's End and Church Road meet, the Maypole, the first build out on The Plain and the entrance to the village at the top of the Main Road). In the scheme that has faced police objections there were more entrances. These Gateways could be improved to indicate entrance to a village area (like Bibury and other villages have done).
- most of the whole area was seen as only possible to travel safely at 20 mph. However it was envisaged that 4 areas in that scheme would possibly need traffic calming. Up to Bread Street from Puckshole and past Ruscombe Farm were two areas possibly needing minor changes to ensure that traffic speeds would keep to a 20 mph as current speeds often get close to 30 mph. Church Road is dangerous and also needs attention. Lastly the Main Road in Whiteshill which is perhaps the most complex of the 4 areas.
- Councillors expressed in the most strongest terms the need to tackle speeds. It is hoped that a 20 mph across the area would help lead to a change in behaviour and how people viewed the area. At present the villages are regularly used as short cuts by people traveling too fast.

(ii) Councillors would prefer to see even the current scheme go ahead than to lose the possibility of at least something being done.

3. Action:

(i) Richard to report to Katie Griffiths and then let us know next step: councillors were all happy to attend further meetings with Police and/or Highways to make this happen.

(ii) Katie Griffiths to arrange separate meeting early in New Year with Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish to discuss Shared Space approach.

(*) See also comments at my Blog on 15th August re advantages of a 20mph

Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish website launched

The Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish Council website is now live. This is great to now be able to have minutes of meetings accessible to all plus agendas of the next meetings - hopefully will encourage more people to participate and come along to the Parish meetings to listen and share their thoughts.

The site is still under construction but I was very pleased to see that my photos (like the one above) have been used to set the site up - click on 'pictures' to see views - all but the last two are mine. Hopefully they will add more photos - am sure the Parish would be very interested if you have photos of the Parish - please send them to me or direct to the Clerk.

Randwick School bazaar and Green party's Christmas meal

Got roped in at the last minute to run a stall at the school bazaar - lots of fun with giant cards and "Play Your Cards Right" - 20p a go - we had 11 winners and many runners up - all got prizes and I've got no voice left after the stall and making announcements like the arrival of Santa, hot dogs and all - lots of other stalls, face-painting and raffle - the village hall seemed to be a permanent throng of people milling around (see photo)...

Later in the evening it was off to Star Anise to join 40 others for the Green party's Christmas dinner - a great evening with wonderful food - waitresses even dressed in green for us and one member had made the most amazing Christmas cake with the Green party sunflower logo on - it was raffled off (see John presenting winner) - sadly I missed it by one number - think that should have meant a slice for me...then again I did buy a large chocolate cake at the bazaar earlier today.

Stroud's Housing Need Inquiry

The Council's Scrutiny committees have been looking at housing needs in the District in relation to affordable housing. A provisional strategy was presented to Cabinet last night - various comments were made - as it is at a provisonal stage it is too early to see what might or might not be accepted.

Photo: view across to Whiteshill

My own comments re this report are enclosed below - I am concerned that we will not move fast enough towards higher targets of affordable housing. We are looking to move from 25% to 30% while others in Gloucestershire are already at 40% and 50%.

CPRE and others note that the Government appears to believe that the need for affordable housing can be met through a massive increase in private sector housing. This is not the view of Barker or myself: considerably more funding for social housing is needed - but that of course is an issue beyond the remit of this report....

I am also concerned that there appears to be reluctance from some about having much higher environmental standards for affordable housing - I hope that doesn't translate into poor policies further down the line. We must wait and see.

To read the paper download item 12 here.

Comments re Housing Need Inquiry'

Firstly many thanks for this thorough report. The recommendations are to be very welcomed. Here are a couple of quick comments as requested:

1. Re: Thresholds

The uncertainty around levels of public subsidy to bring forward affordable homes, is of concern: as noted in the report the 30% threshold is out of line with other local Councils -and out of line withwhat is needed locally. The review of this figure within a year is welcomed and it will hopefully be possible to increase it as suggested.

2. Re homelessness and the shortage of affordable rented accomodation

In the last section of the report there is a request for views on these issues. I would like to strongly recommend that they are looked at as a matter of some urgency.

Numbers ofaffordable rented accommodation (both social and privatesectors) becoming available are going down. This is of considerable concern when we also see the figuresfor homelessnessrising.

I know that most will agree that the problems faced by those living in temporary and/or poor accomodation cannot be underestimated. Indeed there is much research to show the devastating lifelong consequences that families and children can face from bad housing and homelessness.

Stroud can be proud of it's current work in difficult conditions - I know the Council is already looking at efficiency improvements in this area and also have a visit planned by regional champions, Plymouth, who will help draw up an action plan.

However I think this whole area could benefit from a full inquiry by one or other of the Scrutiny committees. I am sure there are improvements that can be made. I understand oneCouncil, for example, has considerably improvedtheir situation by being an agent for the private-rented sector.

3. Re Environmental standards of new homes

While I welcome further work in this area as suggested, it is quite clear that we need to be building houses that will last well into the future - even some large oil companies are saying we may only have 20 years left of using oil as a main source of energy - not to incorporate the highest standards would not make economic or environmental sense. Indeed it is building problems for the future. Any higher costs in build will quickly be paid off in energy savings.

Brown budget even worse than expected

Many including ourselves predicted that the budget would be poor on green issues despite the hype by Blair and Brown. This is however a much deeper disappointment than expected. It really is only tinckering at the edges. Friends of the Earth have done a good analysis of what it means. See their report here.

However locally more good news that finally things are moving forward with Stroud District Council - on 19th there will be a Policy Panel to look at planning regulations re insisting on renewables/efficiency measures in larger planning applications. Greens have been banging on about this for years - Councils like Merton have had policies in place for 10 years or more - at last we will be moving towards that here - all those Green votes at the last election plus the growing awareness nationally are all helping to push this issue up the agenda - Greens will be ensuring that they are serious measures and not just spin.

Lots can be achieved - some Greens recently visited Woking to see the successes there - and in Kirklees one Green councillor has led the way and the District now has 5% of the country's solar panels! We can make Stroud a leader too. We will together!

Why airport expansion must be stopped

The Master plan for Bristol airport is out for consultation - I would urge all to at least send a brief statement before 22nd December. A personal response will carry more weight but, if you feel you don't have the time, please use the campaign website: http://www.stopbia.com
...and click on the link to "respond online".

Meanwhile I've just completed the Green party's response to the consultation - it has taken a while over the last couple of weeks to collate the info and views from others in the party locally - it is good to sent it out along with a press release - as I say in that release "This expansion runs counter to any sane view of economics or sustainability. Why should we in Gloucestershire have to make deeper emissions cuts just to allow profits at BIA to grow?"

I would strongly urge everyone to oppose this expansion. It really will have an impact on us here in Stroud.

New Stroud Blog: Gaian Economics

Molly Scott-Cato (see photo), the Green party's Economic spokesperson, has just arrived to live in Stroud - great news - she's also started a Blog with some interesting thoughts - her latest is on a Parliament of All Beings.

Her Blog is entitled 'Gaian Economics' and she writes "All other green campaigns become futile without tackling the economic system and its ideological defenders. Economics is only dismal because there are not enough of us making it our own. Read on and become empowered!" See her Blog here.

Budget, 'drunk rape', singing and Cabinet...

I forget to update this site with Glos Green news releases over the last few days - have been too many items recently - anyhow see them at our website - comments from me re the budget stuff and re juries blaming women for 'drunk rape'.

This evening I went carol singing with Woodcraft Folk (6 to 10 year olds - see photo) at Paganhill Sheltered housing where we all sang then distributed gifts to the residents - not sure I'm quite in the festive mood yet but did wrap some tinsel around to help me get there - then in a serious gale I managed to drop my partner's granddaughter home before getting to Cabinet meeting at Ebley Mill for 7pm.

I was going to write some of that meeting up here but it is all on the District Council website - it is in some ways a strange meeting as it is really about the Cabinet making decisions - other councillors can ask questions but it is not really the place for debate - more about getting info - and for the Cabinet to make some political points which they always do - some of it seems a little staged like questions from councillors designed to illicit responses from Cabinet members that put them in a good light and the Government in a bad one....fair enough perhaps as some of the criticisms were valid.

However it was nice to hear a specific acknowledgement and thanks from the Cabinet for the Green party's contribution to the debate on the Environment Green paper - the next consultation document is out and we already have a team of Greens looking at it before the next deadline on 15th January - a brief look would seem to indicate that the paper has taken on many of our ideas and hopes - will have to look closer!!

Leaves on The Plain

Leaves on The Plain in Whiteshill are making it difficult for some to walk the footpaths - they've congealled (spelling?) into 'a mass of slippery slidy goo' (7 year olds description). I've phoned Highways who are usually pretty prompt but if you spot something in Gloucestershire that needs attention you can phone direct: 0800 514514

Anger at Trident renewal: Sign up to Mayor's for Peace

In May 2005 Stroud Town Council voted unanimously to enroll in Mayors for Peace which was started by Mayor Araki of Hiroshima and comprises of towns that have expressed support to abolish all nuclear weapons. Now with the intensification of the debate about renewal of the UK's Trident nuclear weapons system and a Parliamentary vote promised in early 2007, I have been pushing to extend the project in Gloucestershire.

More than 1430 other Mayors from 120 countries have signed and Stroud Green Mayor Kevin Cranston has now written to all the other Gloucesetershire Mayors - over 20 of them - to encourage them to sign up.

It was surprisingly difficult to get hold of the Mayors addresses, but with help from another Green party member we have trawled records and made phonecalls - amazingly no one keeps a list! Anyhow to see our letter and more info about our opposition to Trident see our news release. The story has already been covered in The Citizen but despite opposition from many Labour MPs like Charles Clarke and the odd Tory, it looks set to be voted through with Conservative support - this is so totally crazy!

Lib Dems estimate it's lifetime costs will be £78 billion - yes £78 BILLION!!!!! Think of what we could do to help create a fairer world by tackling climate change not just here but for the millions who starve and go to bed hungry - that would really help create a more peaceful world. I cannot express how disgusted I am by this Labour government to be doing this. It is not just the money - it is just plain immoral!

The plans to replace Trident with a ‘scaled down’ nuclear arsenal might appease one or two wavering Labour MPs, but will still place the UK in breach of international law, cost billions – and threaten British security. 3 nuke submarines instead of 4 will leave us with a capacity 1280 times greater than that which devastated Hiroshima instead of 1600.

The real security threat we face today is climate change. Trident's replacement will do nothing to help this.

Greens expose nuclear graphite problems on Radio Four

Radio 4's flagship investigative programme File on Four last night presented a sturdy assault on British Energy's safety record, throwing doubt on its abilities to keep crucial fully trained staff against its cost-cutting agenda.

I had several phone calls with the reporter Julian O'Halloran regarding this programme - at times it has felt like I was the only one campaigning on this issue locally otherthan Jim Duffy of the Stop Hinkley campaign - the SNJ has hardly ever covered this story as it is seen as not in their catchment area - yet Oldbury is only 16 miles from Stroud - it is great to at last to get wider recognition for this serious issue that is not being addressed. See previous Glos Green party news releases on this issue here and by using search engine.

Julian O'Halloran also had a team come and interview Stroud's Green Mayor Kevin Cranston re Oldbury nuclear power station (see photo above) - in the end the concentrated on Hinkley for the story.

Here's how the BBC advertised the show:

"The shut down of six nuclear reactors has dealt a massive blow to British Energy. Twenty-four percent was knocked off the company's shares when it emerged earlier this year cracks had been found in the pipes at Hinkley Point power station in Somerset, England. Leaks were found also found in the cooling system pipes at a plant in Hartlepool, England and cracks were discovered in boiler tubes at its Hunterston BR3 power plant in Scotland. But the effects go far beyond the stock market. Some analysts fear that the current shut down puts the UK at greater risk of power cuts and outages especially if there is a winter cold snap. The government maintains it has spare generating capacity to cope with any shortfall. But some observers claim that ministers are less confident in private."

BE's response was defensive and formulaic and in some cases they even admitted they should have done better. On critical boiler tube failures at Hinkley and Hunterston a spokesman could not say when any BE nuclear power station had a full boiler tube examination except one reactor a full four years ago!

Interviews included Dr John Large, nuclear consultant; Chris Ballance Scottish Green MSP; Rita Holmes, Hunterston campaigner; a myriad of technical and economic experts and Jim Duffy, the tireless and hugely knowledgeable Stop Hinkley campaigner.

You can hear the 37 minute documentary for one week through the File on Four website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/file_on_4/default.stm

Safe Water Campaign for Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire

This is a non-party political group I helped form several years ago - we still meet monthly - usually in Stroud - to build our campaign - over 1,500 signatures locally - and a member who regularly comes up from Bristol where he has a group of local supporters.

Todays' meeting we updated ourselves on the latest info, planned more for our next newsletter and AGM in Spring, planned another stall in a local town to collect more support, completed a submission to a review of water fluoridation - plus refined a lengthy letter that challenges key scientific health personnel re fluoridation - we are lucky to have three members in the group who have more than a little scientific knowledge - they completely loose me when they are off on the details - great to have them - especially as they are able to challenge directly info we have been given.

Our website has been, to say the least quiet - and no reflection on what the group has been doing - I am hoping to keep it a little more up to date - do feel free to leave comments:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/actionnetwork/G1697

More info can be found at the NPWA website. One bit of news of concern was that Professor Bedi who has led the charge for fluoridation in the UK has retired now but the news is that he ahs now taken a top post at UNESCO looking at child health - not good news if he plans to further push fluoridation.

Bewick swans at Slimbridge

I was just sent this letter which apparently appeared in the Bristol Evening Post on Saturday - nice to get a mention - often find myself answering questions from members of the public - or quite often seeking someone else to help answer a question like in this case!!

Haven't been to Slimbridge for a while - it maybe too late for the Starlings - around November time a 100,000 of them fly in beautiful waves across the skies there at dusk - don't miss it if you haven't seen it. Give Slimbridge a call it really is amazing!

And Slimbridge like many organisations working with the natural world know how climate change is already having huge impacts locally. The swans are just one small change.

I Went to see the Bewick swans being fed at Slimbridge five years ago with my granddaughters. It was one of the most magical things I have ever seen.There were so many swans gliding about on the ponds it was like a real-life Swan Lake.

Fortunately for us, there were only about 15 people in the hut so we could watch the feeding and hear about the families of the swans that went to the same place in the pond year after year, and were actually recognised by the keeper as he fed them.

It was all the more amazing as it can take a team of scientists weeks to find even one pair of swans in their summer feeding grounds on the tundra.

I went again last January and it was not a very pleasant experience - the hut was packed out, lots of people had tripods and cameras sticking out all over the place and, worst of all, there were hardly any swans. We were told that they hadn't arrived yet.

I heard that the swans were now wintering further north because of climate change and so I contacted Philip Booth of Gloucestershire Green Party, as Slimbridge is in that area, and asked if he could verify what had been said.

He quoted Dr Simon Pickering: "The number of migratory Bewick swans and migratory white-fronted geese wintering at Slimbridge has declined over the last few years. They are wintering further north in Europe due to the milder winters ... a stark reminder of climate change."

Christine Prior, by email.

Councillors reading material

That pile of papers in the photo is just two envelopes of post this week - admittedly the fattest 2 envelopes, but photographed yesterday to give Blog readers a taste of the reading material councillors get! Here's a brief look to give a flavour of the issues they raise:

- Development Control papers for next week's meeting with all the planning applications - they usually take quite a few hours to read - managed to read some earlier in the week and send off corrections to the previous minutes - need more time later this week to look at the applications in detail. The papers don't include the weekly lists of decisions that are delegated - they come on email - pages of them to read as well.

- Cabinet meeting on Thursday is responsible for several inches thick of papers - and can (in my view) only be read with espresso and chocolate croissant. I'll go to Cabinet this Thursday evening but it is really only a time to find out stuff - maybe to ask questions - other meetings are for looking more at the details - for example 'Scrutiny' will be looking at the details of the next stage of the Environment Green paper. Nevertheless there are issues to take up with the Cabinet papers - for example the recent Housing Needs Inquiry is on the whole very good but in my view does not look properly at the private rented sector - the final report does include this point I made but I think it should go further and I'll be urging the Council to look more at this - our waiting lists for Social housing are growing and the availability of homes is shrinking - we need more private rented to fill the gap.

Yesterday I started reading some of this post - and in the afternoon had a Green party councillors meeting - a chance to look at a whole range of issues and how we will respond to them - like the Regional Spatial Strategy, canal regeneration, the White paper local gov reorganisation, the hopes for an SDC Ethical Investment Policy (after the Green amendment), Sustainability Appraisals, the County waste strategy, Stratford Park's contract renewal, SDC's Budget and Aston Down - and much more.

I did also have to go to Nailsworth first thing in the morning - I lived there for some 10 years and very much loved the town - it has changed though - more of those lifestyle shops but still great - usually go to Green Spirit but ended up in Hobbs for a coffee (see photo) - they have just extended upstairs - very nice and a great coffee. And talking of Nailsworth we have a Green party meeting here later this week - starting to look at election next year and whether we want to set up a Green party group in Nailsworth that will meet more regularly seperate from Stroud - would be good as we can have 20 people now at the monthly Stroud party meeting - do call me if you are interested in seeing what they are like!

And dear oh dear re the photo of me in Citizen today at the film event - see left - caught off guard by camera with a mouthful of popcorn - how unfair! But great popcorn - and who will recognise me anyway in that!

An Inconvienient Truth - film in Stroud

Al Gore's documentary, "An Inconvienient Truth", on global warming showed in Cheltenham over a month ago. Green party colleagues were out every showing handing out leaflets to film-goers to raise awareness about what actions people can take. I missed the film then so was therefore delighted to be at the showing last night at the Apollo cinema put on by Ecotricity.

Before it began I was surprised to find myself, as the lone councillor present, dragged out for a photo with Dale Vince and Stroud District Council's Head of Planning Barry Wyatt.

Anyhow the film was considerably better than I had expected - infact with Al Gore's reputation I had thought the film might be boring but I would strongly recommend it - indeed it should be mandatory viewing!

The film effectively demolishes any doubts about whether or not catastrophic climate change is real. It completely dismisses the nonsense we've seen from climate change deniers (see my blog on 18th November 2006).

We basically face an uninhabitable planet unless we pay attention to the folly we are committing, and take the necessary urgent steps. The film is a very loud call to arms for us all to act now.

Al Gore provides all the statistics: out of 925 recent articles in peer-review scientific journals about climate change, there was no disagreement. Not one. Gore says that although there is "100 percent agreement" among scientists, a database search of newspaper and magazine articles shows that 57 percent question the fact of global warming, while 43 percent support it.
These figures are the result, he says, of a disinformation campaign started in the 1990s by the energy industries to "reposition global warming as a debate." It is the same strategy used for years by the defenders of tobacco.

The 10 warmest years in history were in the last 14 years. Last year South America experienced its first hurricane. Japan and the Pacific are setting records for typhoons. Hurricane Katrina passed over Florida, doubled back over the Gulf, picked up strength from unusually warm Gulf waters, and went from Category 3 to Category 5. There are changes in the Gulf Stream and the jet stream. Cores of polar ice show that carbon dioxide is much, much higher than ever before in a quarter of a million years. It was once thought that such things went in cycles. The Larsen ice shelf that scientists said, even with climate change, would be around for another 100 years has completely gone already.

Gore stands in front of a graph showing the ups and downs of carbon dioxide over the centuries. Yes, there is a cyclical pattern. Then, in recent years, the graph turns up and keeps going up, higher and higher, off the chart - infact Gore has to use a lift to reach the point where the graph will be in 2050 - gimick yes but effective.

Al Gore's book of the film has been described to me as very depressing - this film is less so although certainly could make you weep in places - but at the same time shows there is a way forward. If you haven't switched to a green energy company do it now. We really haven't got time. We all need to pull together on this one.

After the film there was a chance to talk in the bar with others and more popcorn - some great talk with other film-goers - good to feel that those of us trying to push this issue are not alone! The good news is that if you missed the film, the cinema are hoping to show it again here in Stroud.

Petitions galore

Had the most wonderful walk in Standish woods along Ash Lane Sunday - in the rain - and came across a load of those mountain boarders - crazy folk who dash down the hillside getting covered in mud (see photos). Anyhow anyone connected to the internet probably gets sent various emails re petitions - these last few days seem to have been exceptional - heres a sample of the ones I've been sent - you may also like to sign:

Stop Icelandic whaling : I was the 719th signature - they are aiming for 50,000 signatures.

Help climate change by tackling waste: email David Miliband, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. They always call it waste - we need to shift thinking and start seeing it as utilising the residue resources of human activity!

Stop Trident renewal: a Downing street e-petition also linked from Glos Green party website.

Get UN to pass resolution to decriminalise homosexuality: via Green party news release and link.

Petition against roadbuilding: "We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to scrap the £12 billion road building programme and invest the money in public transport and making cycling and walking more attractive to reduce CO2."


Keep government open - defend the Freedom of Information Act: Journalists and groups like Road Block and many local groups find the FOI Act essential for getting hidden information from government, councils and quangos. The government is proposing to limit the time spent on answering FOI requests, and the number of requests anyone can put in.

Stop the expansion of Stansted Airport: Although Uttlesford Council have rejected Stansted's proposals, the fight does not end there. BAA are proposing to force a public inquiry into the expansion plans, hoping that the Government will overturn UCs decision.

County farm sell off

News that Tories are possibly planning a sell off of our County farms has angered many - including me! In a letter to press I make a suggestion to consider alternatives like Community Land Trusts - there is a project in Stroud exploring this as a way forward (read my Blog entry for 8th July) - read my letter to local press here.

Photo: last of autumn colour from last week in Randwick woods

Mark Purdey dies - campaigns against pesticides and chemicals will continue

It was with sadness I read a couple of weeks ago about the death of Mark Purdey - the campaigning farmer who was deeply convinced that pesticides harm cattle.

Photo left: Godsells dairy cows

Mark was an extraodinary man who stood on at least one occasion for the Green Party. He was a dairy farmer in Elworthy, Somerset and long challenged the orthodox line about the origins of the BSE outbreak in cattle first recognised in 1986.

The Guardian writes last week:

His life changed one day in 1984 when a Ministry of Agriculture (MAFF, as it then was) official told him he had to comply with a warble fly eradication order and treat his herd of Jersey cows with an organophosphate (OP) pesticide. "When she arrived, it was as if my whole life became focused," he explained. "Prior to that, I knew what was happening in farming, and I was concerned, but I hadn't been actively campaigning."

Purdey refused, arguing that the suggested dose was far too high and in any case his natural treatment for warble fly was perfectly effective. The battle lines with the agricultural bureaucracy were drawn; before they had a chance to prosecute him, Purdey took MAFF to court and shook administrative complacency by winning his case.

In the following years, BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) became widespread in British cattle. Mark began ordering scientific papers from the British Library and elsewhere. He turned his fierce intellectual curiosity to the study of pesticides, neuro-degenerative diseases in humans and animals, and multinational chemical companies: was there, he wondered, any link between them all?

MAFF attributed BSE to contaminated meat and bonemeal (MBM) products fed to cattle, and banned the feed in July 1988. As the 1990s unfolded, however, thousands of cattle that had not been alive when the feed was used went down with the illness. Purdey also noted that no home-reared cattle on fully converted organic farms had contracted BSE. He believed that the onset of the disease was associated with the over-use of chemicals on the cattle.

Mark has lectured across the country and continued his research funded by donations - often by many ordinary people incensed by what they saw as the official line that ignores the possibility that many of these toxic chemicals are dangerous - at the time I first heard of Mark I was very seriously ill myself and sent a very small donation to his fund. Indeed as The Guardian writes:

What we do know about the BSE outbreak, among other things, are the following: that the animal feed which was so devastating in this country mysteriously had no ill-effects on cattle when it was exported; that the government has failed to prove its theory by replicating it experimentally; that no feed manufacturers or anyone else were ever prosecuted for having caused the outbreak (as defence lawyers would soon have picked holes in the official theory); and that, as those who got through all 16 volumes of the inquiry report found out, Lord Phillips, too, disputed the official theory as to the exact origin and timescale of the illness.

In any event, it is already perfectly clear that, in trying to awaken public concern about the adverse health effects of environmental chemicals, Purdey has been proved right.

But we still have a battle - as Georgina Downs, pesticide campaigner has shown there is still much we need to do. Our politicians are behaving in deeply irresponsible ways. Another example is last weeks vote in the EU - rules which could have banned the use of the most toxic synthetic chemicals look set to be dramatically weakened – putting public health at continued risk. The UK and German governments are bowing to pressure from the powerful EU chemicals industry, which wants to continue producing thousands of deadly chemicals for use in everyday items such as cleaning products, carpets, computers – and even children’s toys.

Euro-MP Caroline Lucas, the Green/EFA group’s ‘shadow rapporteur’ on the so-called ‘REACH’ regulations (standing for Registration, Authorisation and Evaluation of Chemicals), said they were putting these interests above those of public health and environmental protection with serious consequences for the negotiations and probable outcome. Dr Lucas said:

“We Greens had pushed for robust set of rules that would have forced the producers of toxic synthetic chemicals to tell consumers what their likely effects would be – and that would have banned the use of the most dangerous substances wherever safer alternatives exist, as well as replacing the millions of additional animal tests the new rules would have required. Although we didn’t win the argument on all of these points during European Parliamentary debate, we entered into ‘fast-track’ negotiations with the Commission and EU environment ministers to try and get something on the statute books as soon as possible – every day the new rules are delayed means more cases of terminal cancers and other deadly chemical-related diseases and more pollution. “But last night, in the face of sustained pressure from the UK and German representatives, these ‘trialogue’ talks were suspended – throwing the whole process into chaos. We Greens now believe the best chance of adopting a directive that sufficiently protects consumers and the environment lies in bringing the whole package back to the full European Parliament for a second reading – and we are pushing for exactly this.”

The UK’s permanent representative to the EU said the compromise being discussed last night went “too far for the UK” and recommended weakening the rules on substituting dangerous chemical for safer alternatives – contrary to the clearly stated wishes of MEPs.

It seems clear to anyone observing that the whole process has effectively been hijacked by the powerful chemicals industry – with the support of the UK Government – and it is consumers who will pay the ultimate price. Mark Purdey and his tireless campaign will be sorely missed by those of us who are trying to end dangerous chemicals in our environment.

You can read Tributes to Mark at his website.

Footpath changes

Three proposed footpath changes in this Blog entry.

First, Bird-in-Hand:the landowner at the Bird-in-Hand wants people to use the footpaths as marked on maps (see the photo on the left of new signs displayed along footpath). That is great - but a 'diversion' cannot take place if the new route will be substantially less convenient to the public than the existing one, and account must also be taken of the effect the diversion will have on public enjoyment of the path as a whole. I don't think this is the case here as the route follows the path on the map - but maybe regular walkers of this route will know better? Perhaps they used to cut across the field at a different angle for many years? Certainly the path is some 10 metres closer to the wall than it used to be in recent years. If you have any doubts please contact the highway department.

Second, the proposal to re-route the Cotswold Way around Ebley Mill: Cainscross Parish Council discussed the proposal at a recent meeting. They acknowledged that the towpath, which is already well used, will become an even more popular route once the canal is restored. This path, together with the newly modified (and soon to be diverted) route around Ebley Mill from the towpath to the cycle track, will be a recognised route in its own right. They were concerned that with further encouragement to use those paths instead of the current route across the meadows, the existing footpaths might eventually be lost. The Council is also currently trying to promote the meadows as an area of public recreation space and therefore feel that it would be of more benefit for the Cotswold Way to continue on its current route. If anyone reading this has views please let them be known.

Lastly the footpath near Folley Farm and Puckshole: nothing has happened - I still don't know if it will go to Secretary of State - See Blog on 31st August for background info. Correct legal advice is still being sought as to what options are available and how they can be pursued. I have already written two emails to try and find out latest - no reply so will pursue more - I am told by one of the solicitors at the District Council that I can "assure the local residents that no decsion has been taken so far and neither will it be taken until such time as their objections have been given proper consideration." I still want to know - this path had more objections than any other in the District and we would like to be kept informed.

Don't miss this exhibition

Last day tomorrow for wonderful exhibition in Stroud's Sub Rooms of Carolyn Whites' paintings and Jehanne Mehta's poetry - a wonderful marriage that brings to life Stroud's valleys.