Gloucestershire Bike Project: volunteers, newbies and bikes wanted

I recently have heard about the Gloucestershire Bike Project which was set up earlier this year. I thought I'd give them a quick plug here. They have two aims: helping people from all walks of life get on two (affordable)wheels, and reducing unnecessary waste - healthier people and healthier environment.

They run workshops teaching people the skills needed to repair and maintain their own bikes and those of family and friends. They are a social enterprise, completely run by volunteers and rely on bikes donated by the public and the time given by their volunteers, who they train. Those that go on their courses can work on and keep one of the bikes or can choose to work on a bike of their own.

The project are currently looking for volunteers with a little time to give and who are interested in any aspect of the project. They also need bikes. Without the generosity of local people this project would never have come into being, and couldn't survive. Bikes which they can't use are carefully stripped and recycled safely and as cleanly as possible.

The course tutor is trained to Cytech L3, and can train others to Cytech L2, both nationally recognised vocational qualifications. Not that that means much to me! The project runs workshops with people from many backrounds including the long term un-employed, people with mental health difficulties, people on probation or recovering from addictions. They also have a dedicated young people's group where children and young people learn bike safety and repair, working alongside their parents.
They are trying to broaden the scope of the project and make it accessible to people right across the Gloucestershire area.

They are hoping to set up new groups in the Autumn and anyone interested in learning to maintain their own bike can contact them. The courses usually run for 4 - 6 weeks, but wthey also do one day
workshops if people just want to learn the basics. The courses and workshops are very reasonably priced and include the bike and parts. They do run some courses for free, but have to charge for
some to keep the project going. They can also bring the workshop to a site of your choosing, or arrange for groups to come to their workshop.

Contact them Maureen or Matt on 01453 7500 45 / 07858 416220.

Lastly some might be interested in the Back2Bike project - I edited a video earlier this year - see here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy9pHXNj42k

Stroud's Edible Open Gardens: the videos

I've been meaning to blog here the 5 videos we made regarding the Edible Open Garden event last month - plus the one about our allotments. I am still getting lots of positive feedback about the event - the main video has had over 340 views but actually one of the Edible Open Garden organisers likes the second look best of all. Certainly Cyril's photos are great in it.

Photo: press coverage of the event

Stroud's Edible Open Gardens weekend taster video - meet some of the people, 37 gardens and workshops: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk0NVJ2orNM

A second look at some of Stroud's Edible Open Gardens with some great photos by Cyril Laffort and others plus a few video clips: http://youtu.be/jqoKH8Wu8yY

Composting demonstration workshop from Stroud's Edible Open Gardens: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z8ALUtNt2w

Chicken Keeping workshop at Stroud's Edible Open Gardens weekend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Slpg0DE_jMY
 

Edible Open Gardens launch before weekend: a talk with local food organisations: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBSlhrGMYWI 

Whiteshill and Ruscombe Allotments - The movie! See the opening of this wonderful new community project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnmveLQNX3E 

Save Our NHS - Stroud meeting

Wednesday 31st 7-7.30pm at the Subscription Rooms in Stroud there will be the 'Save our NHS' meeting that will include a UNISON speaker and our MP. It looks set to be very interesting. Meanwhile below is the text from our local Green Party leaflet that we have been handing out over the weekend.

In 2006 3,000 people marched to save Stroud Maternity Hospital but we lost other key services like Weavers Croft. It is vital that these changes do not go-ahead. Please join the meeting and voice any concerns.See copy of my latest email to our MP here.

What’s happening to the NHS?

The sell-off of the NHS started under the Thatcher era with cleaning, catering and portering. We got MRSA! It was continued under Blair with ‘outsourcing’ of clinical services, hospital building and management. It is now known that billions of pounds have been lost to the NHS through inefficient PFI (Private Finance Initiative) projects. Now under Cameron/Clegg the trickle has become a torrent with the NHS ‘reconfigured’ from the top down as a ‘service buyer’ rather than a ‘service provider’.

Privatisation pushes costs up….

Private companies earn money for their shareholders, directors and advertising to win more ‘customers’. The extra costs will come from your taxes. Private companies ‘cherry pick’ easier, more profitable treatment, leaving the complex or time consuming treatments of the elderly, obese or those with mental health needs to the public sector – a two-tier system is created.

Our NHS is efficient…..

A recent study showed our NHS to be the second most efficient in the world, far more efficient than the American system that Cameron is trying to copy.

You have seen what can happen….

The collapse of Southern Cross Care Homes shows what can happen when essential services are left to the private sector. They can be asset stripped and go bankrupt. The poor, young and old will be most vulnerable if the local hospital goes bust.

A broken promise….

The Conservatives promised before the election there wouldn’t be another top-down re-organisation of the NHS. We now have the largest top-down re-organisation of the health service since it was started in 1948. The re-organisation is due to cost at least £3billion and cause years of chaos. We need the NHS to be left to do what it does best – treat patients!

What’s proposed for Stroud?

It is proposed that our general hospital and nearly all other NHS services in Gloucestershire be taken out of NHS management and be managed by a so-called ‘Community Interest Company’.  3,000 staff currently working for the NHS would be transferred to this new company. These changes are being pushed through incredibly fast:

·      Why has there been practically no consultation with staff (as they are expected to run it)?
·      Why is there is no indication how ‘the community’ (you and me) will be able to exert our ‘interest’ in this company? How will there be accountability to patients?
·      Even if transferred staff keep their employment rights, what about any new staff employed by the company?
·      Will the company be able to be taken over or sold?
·      Why are these changes being proposed – what is wrong with the present service?

The Green Party believes the NHS should be:

·      Publicly owned and run for the benefit of patients, not shareholders – our health should not be treated as a market;
·      Free at the point of use – abolish existing charges for prescriptions, eye tests and dental treatment and ensure NHS chiropody is widely available;
·      Provide free social care to the elderly – if the Scots can do it so can we in England and Wales. This would cost about £3bn in 2011 – about the same as the current re-organisation! It would also create 120,000 jobs.
·      Accessible, local community health centres - providing a wide range of services, including out of hours care, and as an additional tier of healthcare rather than a replacement for your GP.
·      Focus more on preventing ill-health - including tackling unhealthy lifestyles and environmental pollution.
·      Patients should have choice, but not phoney choice – most of us simply want good treatment at our local hospital.
·     Treat patients with dignity – patients have both rights and responsibilities, they are not customers who can come and go.
·      We support social enterprise as an alternative to private enterprise – not as back door privatisation of public services.

New Brewery Bridge - only part not renovated is the brewery

Yesterday I blogged on the great new cafe at the Brewery Bridge well today a bit of an update on some canal issues. This blog covers the Brewery windows, a brief update re vulnerable users and the path at Capel Mill.

Brewery windows.

Several people raised with me that they were surprised to see that the windows had not been cleared of rubble or plants before the water was returned to the canal (see photo attached). I have asked the Canal Manager as surely the water will make any future work more difficult? It would be slightly strange if the brewery part of the new 'Brewery Bridge' was the only part not to be restored.

The District Council said something along the lines of that the contract was let by the County Council and thus was not under their control. They note that they did manage to secure access for the volunteers early in the contract, to remove a large quantity of Victorian bricks, but doing so caused quite a few problems! They share concerns regarding the windows, but there was simply insufficient funding available; restoration of the wall was deleted from the contract very early on. Nonetheless, they are looking at possible solutions, which might involve excavating behind the wall to allow access. So all is not lost.

Vulnerable Road Users.

I recently covered the issue of the new Brewery Bridge on this blog and have to say I am still very frustrated by the developments there. My comments based on the work by the campaign group and County councillor Sarah Lunnon, include:

The Stroud Pedestrian and Cycle Forum and others have long raised concerns about the lack of improvement for pedestrians using the junction - the new underpass is one route but not sufficient. I have to say I am also concerned that this key entrance into Stroud seems to be designed for cars and not other users in mind. The road outside the Stroud and Swindon building has also been extended to take up an even bigger area. Can we be reassured that there will be real consultation over the road outside the Visitors Centre: as noted by many this could be a useful cycle and pedestrian entrance that is far more welcoming. Traffic going through there either way would be a disaster. In a brief poll at the visitors Centre and a few people at the cafe there was not one person in favour. It was also mentioned that the disabled access to the Visitors Centre that is planned will not be much use without disabled parking outside - again that huge area of tarmac near the roundabout has potential.
As a gateway to Stroud this is a sensitive area - as recognised in the Public Realm Strategy adopted by the County Council. One person in the visitors centre said they had heard that the through road will be opened again. I am very concerned that we will loose the opportunity to improve this site. I would support those who have recommended that an independent body with experience in reconciling the use of public places for vehicles and pedestrians is commissioned to undertake a study of the junction. They could provide some simple, easy to implement measures that will improve safety of junction for pedestrians and cyclists - and provide a public realm that benefits the gateway to Stroud Town and the Canal and enable vulnerable users of the junction better access.
 
The District have noted the issues are highway matters in which the canal team cannot become involved, though they note that they understand the issues raised. I have also raised the issue with GCC but am still waiting a reply.

Path route further down near Newtons Way. 

Lastly for this blog I've had comments regarding the replacement path being not straight and therefore feeling less safe to people walking it. The Canal Manager at Stroud District Council notes that their understanding is that the 'wiggly' path, being longer, is DDA compliant. Reprofiling of the site at this point and replanting should mean that it is not as heavily overgrown as at present - but they have asked the project engineer to recheck these assumptions and to look at any simpler alternatives. They will come back to me when they have some better information.

Visitors Centre

Lastly if you have not been down the the Canal Visitors Centre then do go - it has a wealth of information - andgreat knowledgeable people to talk to plus a a walk around the area that includes peeping through a hole into the Millikens factory.

Lockkeepers Café a great new addition to Stroud

It has to be said that Stroud has some great cafes well a couple of weeks ago I made it to the newly opened café next to the Canal Visitor Centre in Stroud.  The Lockkeepers Café at Wallbridge has had a total refit and is now selling cakes and light lunches using local bread and cheeses. Breakfasts are hoped to be on their way soon.

The service, coffee and cake were all good, there was also a queues of people when I went - already regulars amongst them. In this blog both photos are mine but the article below about the cafe is from Ruscombe resident Mike Gallagher for the Cotswold Canal Trust.

A report from Mike Gallagher

The Lockkeepers Café alongside Bell House at Wallbridge in Stroud is now open! The lock-side café… “Will become a daily necessity for local coffee addicts” says proprietor Wendy Townsend.

Wendy describes her vision for this unique waterside venue… “It will become a place to dream as you escape the daily stresses of life… a comfortable place to meet your friends or read a book. We will offer the best prepared coffee in the area. It will be complemented by cakes and light lunches. Customers will also enjoy free newspapers, magazines and wireless internet connection”

Quality food & drink

The café uses local suppliers including Walkers bakery, Hania cheeses and ales from Stroud brewery. The cafe is licenced to sell local beer, cider and fine wines. The work of local artists adorns the walls and the lock-side garden is shared with the adjacent Cotswold Canals Trust Visitor Centre.

Cafe Opening Hours

Monday – Friday 8.30am – 6pm
Saturday 10am – 4pm
Sunday 11am – 4pm

How it came about

Wendy received news in October 2010 that she was to be made redundant. Her response was characteristically positive and energetic.

“I became bored with being at home all the time and was determined not to turn the TV on during the day. I trawled the internet looking for work and applied for many positions. I had a few responses and two interviews. One day while out walking I noticed how much litter there was everywhere. I rang Stroud District Council and told them I would like to do some litter picking."

"Then I spoke to someone about doing voluntary work on the canal towpath – I went to the Thursday Drop in Volunteering days at the Canal Visitor Centre. I loved it!”

“The volunteers are a fantastic group of people. One day whilst we were eating our lunch on the lock side lawn Sheila, a friend I have known for years pointed out that the former Lockkeeper’s bar was vacant. Sheila encouraged me to open the place up as a café. I jumped at the chance!”

Wendy explains, “The place needed a total refit. So, I became a Project Manager. My sons Lee and Matthew (pictured right with Wendy) did the construction and fit out. They have been absolute stars for their mum!”

Randwick carpark for housing?

As you may be aware Stroud District Council is undertaking a review of its 34 car parks across the district. The online consultation finishes on 9th September. A paper outlining the background to the car parks service, the District Council's proposals and online questionnaires can be found at www.stroud.gov.uk/parkingreview

The District has a challenge in balancing the need for income, not encouraging folks to drive to Cribbs Causeway, enhancing the local economy and trying to help cut carbon emissions. Among the current proposals are charges to be introduced at Nailsworth, Dursley and Wotton car parks with some settlements like Minchinhampton, Berkeley and Cainscross remaining free. However the proposal for our Randwick car park of 11 spaces is that it is either owned or managed locally, sold for private parking spaces or considered for other uses such as housing development. Well there are complications re access to the garages - could those be overcome? Would that be the best way forward? Parking, I am told, at that site is mainly for some residents and their visitors? Is this true? If so should we be subsidising those residents or should those permits be introduced?

The Parish Council will be making it's views known. I have submitted initial thoughts but I would also welcome hearing more what people in the village have to say.

One issue already raised relates to Nailsworth where at one of the schools there is no drop off point so parents are using car parks. The changes could have significant implications for children being dropped off and picked up as the minimum charge will be 50p in Nailsworth car parks. Some families make the trip three times a day. Will charges encourage more unsafe drop offs?

I would urge others in the village to also complete the questionnaire if they haven't already.

'20 is Plenty' set to return

Well as the '20 is Plenty' signs look set to return to both Randwick and Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parishes for six months we are still lobbying the county to take action on our long term request for a mandatory limit. Click on the label below to see more but I did want to note that yet more evidence grows for mandatory 20 mph in residential areas - see below. Indeed to me, as I've said before, the evidence is overwhelming, why are the County failing to act??

Yes finances I hear you cry but some Parishes have already said they would pay and savings in accidents etc are well documented. Plus if you do whole areas the cost comes down dramatically. We need to change the culture and start making residential areas places to live not traffic sewers! Anyhow Brake say that the average motorist breaks the speed limit an astonishing 18,000 times during his or her lifetime. It also wants motorists to drive at 20mph or below in built-up areas to help reduce road deaths. Read the Daily Mail article here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2018283/Fast-loose-law-Average-Briton-break-speed-limit-18-000-times-life.html

At last some sense on riots

I have only briefly mentioned the riots here on this blog but have followed some of what has been written elsewhere - it was great to at last find some sense with the Green party’s statement on the aftermath of the riots. It was in the Guardian’s commentisfree pages earlier this week:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/22/recover-riot-rebalance-inequality-society

Where are Stroud's drinking fountains?

Last year I blogged about drinking water fountains in our parks - see here - well while I was away earlier this month a new campaign was launched to improve the public’s access to free drinking water.

The ‘Find-a- Fountain’ project has been developed by Guy Jeremiah and is now part of the 1859 Drinking Fountain Association. It aims to record all publicly accessible drinking water fountains across the UK via a specially designed interactive website - starting a renaissance in the use of drinking fountains in order to reduce the UK’s reliance on inefficiently produced bottled water, and lessen its negative impact on the environment. This blog has covered lots on the horrors of bottled water....the average person in the UK buys 85 bottles of water a year and a typical local authority in the UK has to dispose of up to 10 million bottles a year, at a significant cost to tax payers.

Once the fountains are recorded they hope to then facilitate the installation of new drinking water fountains around the country and the restoration of old fountains which have fallen into disrepair

The www.findafountain.org has so far logged many hundreds of the nation’s drinking water fountains and is now calling on volunteers to upload details of their own local facilities or free public drinking water sources. Already three of Stroud's best cafes are listed please consider adding more to the website....

Eco-Renovation Open Homes coming soon

We've just had our latest leaflet printed and it will be going out across Stroud. See video of last years event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObXbgMlwuyw

You can see about this years 20 plus homes, eco-fair and workshops at: http://www.stroudopenhomes.org.uk/

The weekend 10th/11th September in Stroud is looking set to be lots of fun with other festivals also going on incl walking, Nature, food and drink and the Fringe. Anyhow we are now putting out various press releases for the weekend. Here's one of the quotes followed by some useful articles re feed in tariffs etc:

Philip Booth, who initiated the Eco-Renovation Open Homes project three years ago and has helped organise this fourth event, commented: "This is the fourth year Transition Stroud have organised this event and there is ever more people interested in eco-renovating their homes. This weekend is a chance for people to visit local home-owners and learn from their successes and mistakes. It is about both tackling the crazy rising fuel prices and climate change. We are, as ever, hugely grateful to the home owners who all share their knowledge and passions voluntarily. We also have a series of workshops including on the new feed in tariffs, LED lighting, renewables, green roofs and getting the best deals from your energy company."

Some useful articles:

DECC grants incl solar thermal £300, air source heat pump £850, Biomass boiler £950: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn11_064/pn11_064.aspx#

More than half of the coverage of renewable energy solutions in the mainstream British press is negative:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2011/aug/05/uk-newspapers-renewables

Households looking to install renewable heating systems are now eligible for up to £1,250 from the government:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14358659

"A 20%-25% collapse in the price of rooftop solar power units in recent months has turned the government's feed-in tariff scheme into one of the most lucrative financial propositions for households with the right sort of property":
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/jul/22/solar-power-installation-homeowners

North Kestevan and Epping Forest councils are building straw homes:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jul/26/straw-council-houses-fuel-efficiency

Randwick Parish meeting, Guide Hut, allotments and sycamores

A lovely morning. Earlier this week we had a Whiteshill and Ruscombe allotment meeting in The Star. It is great to see how the project has progressed - we are still learning together - and several more allotment work parties have been established to tidy the site. We have had a recent donation of wood chips which has improved the paths but more is needed as we only managed a rather thin spread when we first got started....

Cartoon: Russ' cartoon for the last WaRbler edition

....anyway this week also was a Randwick Parish Council meeting and one of the items was the plans there for allotments. It was agreed the plans would go on noticeboards and in the Runner for consultation with residents. The plans are for a small corner of the playing fields to be fenced and turned into a mini-allotment site like in Whiteshill and Ruscombe. There is one large British Sycamore tree that may have to come down - such trees are considered invasive weeds in Norway, New Zealand and other places - indeed it is considered a non native species in Britain. From the Royal Forestry Society of England, Wales and Northern Ireland’s site:

"[Sycamore] is not native to Britain. Its real home is high ground in southern and central Europe extending northwards to Paris and east to the Caucasus. When and who first introduced sycamore to Britain is uncertain. It may have been the Romans but it was still scarce here in the 16th century and has only really become established over the last 200 years."

However it is still in my view a beautiful mature tree that adds positively to the local landscape. I do think it will need to be removed to make way for the allotments. If this is necessary there are plans for planting of trees at another more suitable site. There may also be a new additional hedge planted but which ever way it is looked at, I think that the allotments will increase the biodiversity of the site - and of course mean more local food. More discussion will be necessary but it is great there is enthusiasm for more allotments.

At the Parish meeting I also raised the good news re sewer repairs to Ruscombe Brook (see here) and the Stroud Eco-Renovation Open Homes that I am helping organise - it includes a home in Westrip (see details here).

Another big discussion was the old Guide Hut - several residents came to express concerns of it's concerning use by young people. What can be done? This is not a new discussion - see my blog in 2007 here. Indeed the last time the Parish discovered a covenant was on the site that restricted use but it is wholly unsatisfactory to continue in it's increasingly derelict state. Well the Parish are contacting the Guide Association again - they own it but I do think as a community, this is another opportunity for us to come up with an alternative positive use for the site. What about a community orchard? Or what else?

Of course lots more discussed at the Parish but you'll be able to read all that in the minutes on their website.

Petition: incineration tax

The Treasury should introduce a waste incineraton tax at 50% of the rate of Landfilling tax. Such a tax would prevent waste incineration undermining recycling. The tax could also raise around £200m a year.  Please sign to help get this issue noticed.
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/2642

Photo: protest at Javellin Park

Write to MP to stop privatisation of NHS

I am getting more and more uneasy about this health bill - it really is dire and a significant leap towards privatisation - there is no other way you can look at it. I like many local people have written to our MP re the NHS. Here is my latest email below.

Dear Mr Carmichael,

Thank you for your reply re the NHS. Despite what you note I urge you to vote against the health bill. It will lead to privatisation of the NHS. Even if this is not the intent, the health bill will lead to private sector companies taking over many services from the NHS, even after the commissioning and competition plans have been revised.

There remains a huge risk that the health bill will open up the NHS to the EU rules on competition. Private health providers have already stated that they will use these to force NHS services into competition. The Health bill does not protect NHS services it exposes them to further financial risk and many could close as a result.

The government has already announced that 1£bn worth of contracts will soon go outside the NHS. Yet we already know that the NHS is among the developed world's most efficient health systems according to the new report in the Journal  of the Royal Society of Medicine. The biggest shakeup of the NHS is happening at the same time as the biggest ever savings (£20bn), which are creating cuts in staffing right across the NHS. The health bill will add further pressure. The NHS needs stability not chaos.

Please reassure me that you will not support the health bill.

Yours sincerely, Philip Booth

You too can email Neil  Carmichael at: Or contact your MP here. See more re the campaign to save the NHS at: http://www.nhscampaign.org/ Click on NHS label below to see recent blogs re the NHS.

Petition: we need a resolution on Burma

Since the rigged election held in Burma last year, there has been a significant increase in human rights abuses. Many see that these are likely to be considered war crimes and crimes against humanity. Crimes committed by the Burmese Army include the mass use of gang-rape of ethnic minority women and girls, recruitment of child soldiers, and deliberate targeting of civilians, including mortar bombing civilian villages without warning. 

Later this year the UN General Assembly will meet and vote on a resolution on Burma. The European Union always drafts this resolution.  The EU is currently discussing what should be in the resolution and will have to decide whether or not to include establishing an inquiry in the resolution. Please join me in sending an email to EU governments urging them to ensure the EU supports a UN Commission of Inquiry. Take action here:
http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/index.php/campaigns/actions/crimes-against-humanity/crimes-against-humanity

We are losing £18bn every year to tax havens

Tax havens - many of them British - are robbing the UK and developing countries alike of billions of pounds in government revenue every year.  Last month a new report by War on Want, civil service union PCS and the Tax Justice Network calculates that the UK exchequer loses up to £18bn in revenue annually to tax havens, while developing countries are deprived of up to 10 times that sum every year. Caroline Lucas MP was at the launch - it is extraordinary how little noise other parties are making about this key issue.

See the report here. See also my 6 videos of the excellent talk re Tax Havens in Stroud earlier this year here.

Superfast Broadband: a reliable connection would be a start

Over a year ago I called for better Broadband in the district - see here and here - since then Neil Carmichael and others have also made calls. Indeed for some years, people have been saying how dire our service is here. There have been news reports about improvements to the exchange in Painswick and hopes in Nailsworth.... a map highlighting rural broadband here shows 70% take up of broadband in Gloucestershire with only 35% with superfast availability.

Certainly we've not seen any of that superfast or even slightly fast here. Infact I still face a dodgy slow line that drops the connection every now and then.

The Guardian reported at the weekend that "High-speed internet access soon to include broadband-starved communities as government unveils £530m fund". This is to get us all to a minimum speed of 2Mbps within 4 years.  That would be more than double what I get now. If all goes to plan, 90% of homes will also be able to get even faster speeds of over 24Mbps. But can this money help reach the third or more households who have not access to the superfast broadband?


Broadband expert Ian Watt, quoted in The Guardian article, believes the government funds will only get broadband to three-quarters of homes. "It's more likely that high-speed broadband will be available to the centre of the village, for example to a school, library or post office. We don't see the subsidy being enough to get it to everyone."

So where to now? Well Neil Carmichael MP in a recent column in the press asked folk to email him re their broadband. Please do. I emailed some time ago - we'll have to see if it makes a difference.

Unemployed? Fancy work experience at Tesco?

I just read an article in Corporate Watch saying that unemployed people are being sent to work without pay in multinational corporations, including Tesco, Asda, Primark and Hilton Hotels. Jobcentres and companies administering the government's welfare reforms are setting up the placements with some people working for up to six months while receiving unemployment benefit of £67.50 a week or less!


Tesco have 3,000 'work placements' - these are not volunteers but mandatory work placements - campaigners argue this arrangement provides companies with free labour, undercut existing jobs and that people are “bullied” into them. See interview here with someone who 'worked' at Primark. What a world we live in.

Retain the ban on capital punishment

There have been calls for the return of capital punishment by the Daily Mail - well I am delighted that a counter petition to the restore petition currently has almost double the signatures - http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/1090

Please do sign and encourage others - and also see the new website: http://retaintheban.co.uk/

Retain the Ban’s campaign aims are to be the first petition on capital punishment to reach 100,000 signatures, to dispel any myths about the ineffectiveness of sentencing policy and challenge any notion that there is a ‘regressive majority’ in the UK. Very good luck indeed.

Badger petition

There are now some 20 petitions regarding badgers on the government's new petition site but I understand this one was one of the first. It is now hard to know which one to sign when we have little time to check them out.....This link was sent to me by a local person so I've signed that: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/1904

Photo: Pic of campaign some years ago with me in that badger outfit

As regular blog readers will know a badger vaccine is being trialled near Stroud - the only trial in the country -for more on this issue please click on the label.

Chevron/Texaco: you'll never want to buy their petrol again

I have previously blogged on Chevron and the amazing 20 year legal case regarding Ecuador (see here) - amongst the horrifying revelations they dug nearly 1,000 unlined pits into which they would pour for permanent storage (by 1990) over 18 billion gallons of inadequately treated, carcinogenic, toxic waste, such as benzene.....an estimated 30,000 victims.....

For those wanting a useful summary go to Car Talk blog here. It is worth a read - I am sure you will never buy their petrol again!

Quiet week of meetings: Open Homes, Randwick Allotments and Parish

I don't think I've had such a quiet week for a long time - apart from work there were only three this week...

Randwick Allotments - I am on the working party to see where and how we can get allotments set up in Randwick Parish. We have already done a fair bit of research and work - the Parish is being very supportive and there is one particularly wonderful and enthusiastic potential allotment holder - she has managed to get 8 folks on the waiting list to date - Whiteshill and Ruscombe was similarly very slow to start then when it got going loads of people came forward. Do write to Randwick Parish Clerk if you want to get on the list! I reckon they will be very popular....

A quiet corner of the playing field is looking the most likely option but this will all need agreement by the Parish. Lots of issues and consultations first. See film of the Whiteshill and Ruscombe allotments opening - it tells the story of how we got that project going:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnmveLQNX3E

We are also looking at some low cost measures people can take and have a series of workshops planned. It is also the first year that we are working with the other festivals to share publicity. So it is not just open homes but also the Festival of Nature, walking, food and drink and the Fringe - 5 festivals for the 5 valleys. The leaflet is out for that and we have another 2,000 going out soon re the open homes themselves. Also if you have not seen our film last year do take a look - it has had over 460 views: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObXbgMlwuyw See also many previous blog posts here.

Stroud Eco-Renovation Open Homes - well I met Helen Royall to look at the last bits and pieces that need to be done for this year - Helen has really been doing it mostly on her own this year - yes there is some money but it is mostly voluntary - a huge thanks to her indeed - anyhow we have 21 homes I think - see our website: http://www.stroudopenhomes.org.uk/

The Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish Council meeting - well the minutes etc will all be on their website soon - plans for improving the playing fields were discussed, putting up the '20 is Plenty' signs again, improvements to verges and the Parish Plan working groups look set to be launched in the Autumn. 

There will be a woodfuel group as one of the groups. I have this week been putting together emails etc and dates for the Randwick group which I started last year in partbnership with the National Trust - 27 emails on the list there - see my film of the project for more info: '12 Go into the Woods with Loppers':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7xjHnME3z4

Petition for Stroud Hospitals to stop commercialisation of them

I've blogged before re NHS but just wanted to add that there is a new petition just launched today. See:
http://www.petition.co.uk/stroud-hospital-concern/

Tank clears bike lanes - not suitable for Brewery Bridge in Stroud?

Remember Cllr Sarah Lunnon's 'Pedestrians on Pavements' campaign (POP) and the plonker award to cars parked on pavements in Stroud - see here. Well Mayor of Vilnius is a little more dramatic and takes out Mercedes parked in a bike lane - with a tank. See film here. Joking aside it sometimes takes such a statement to get folk to wake up?

Photo: Tulip earlier this year - nothing to do with this blog entry but looks nice!

Greens are still trying to sort the dire new Brewery Bridge in Stroud - see campaign here - Sarah Lunnon wrote in a blistering attack on the proposals in Stroud Life while the Town Council are also seeking answers. It does seem the Glos County Highways are sometimes a law unto themselves and totally ignore locally democratically elected bodies. Well Sarah has also written to theCommisioning Director with responsibility for Highways to draw a number of concerns to their attention.

These concerns centre on two areas, the incremental difficulties added to using the junction on foot or by bike and the lack of thought in the design process given to this sensitive gateway area. Here is some more detail:

Vulnerable Road Users

When the plans for the bridge where first submitted for consultation with the Stroud Pedestrian and Cycle Forum maybe three years ago, major reservation were voiced about the lack of improvement for pedestrian using the junction (although a new underpass provides one route from Cainscross Rd to Wallbridge this was not accepted as a direct useable pedestrian route). The Pedestrian and Cycle Forum made repeated and sustained responses to the plans and continued in their response that the proposed work made the junction incrementally more difficult for vulnerable road users.

The main response to these concerns and concerns raised by a District Councillor for a neighbouring ward was that any changes to make the junction more pedestrian friendly would detrimentally affect the vehicle flow and that the usage of the junction by pedestrians and cyclist was so low that there was no call for any major improvements. However one only has to be present the  morning and  afternoon when students attending Marling and the High School are walking to and from railway station to see there are significant peaks in pedestrian crossing  this junction, along with gradually increasing number of  local employees cycling and walking into Stroud

Given these responses, and the views of the local residents who have formed an action group because their views have not been taken into account, why was the carriageway outside the Stroud and Swindon building extended. This action has resulted in the area of green spaces being leased to Stroud Town Council to mange being substantially reduced in area, a zebra crossing extended meaning the pedestrians now have to spend more time in the carriageway and the area of black-top extended by even more.

Public Realm

The restoration of the Stroudwater Canal has been undertaken to act as a major regeneration project for the Stroud District, the point  where the canal intersects most closely with Stroud Town centre is at the junction of Merrywalks and Rowcroft. This means that pedestrians in Stroud who wish to visit this major regeneration project, or canal users who wish to use the services of the town will use this area. As a gateway to Stroud this is a sensitive area, as recognised in the Public Realm Strategy adopted by the County Council.

Why then has the area been treated only as a road junction with the design process, signage and lighting being undertaken for a highway junction, the benefit of the road user and no thought been given to the visual impact of the area, eg, large directional sign on the remaining green open spaces, multiple signage on pathways, disproportionally high and bright lighting schemes.

Way forward

We now request that an independent body with experience in reconciling the use of public places for vehicles and pedestrians is commissioned to undertake a study of the junction and provide some simple, easy to implement measures that will improve safety of junction for pedestrian and cyclist  and provide a public realm that benefits the gateway to Stroud Town and the Canal and enable vulnerable users of the junction better access. We would recommend Ben Hamilton-Baillie Associates based in Bristol.

Maybe we do need a tank to make a statement?

What a summer: Norway, East Africa, Riots and financial collapse

Oh dear what a summer. It is hard to keep up with so much shocking and depressing news.... 

Norway. I was in Norway for a family celebration just after the awful events there - it was very moving to attend the memorial's following the horrific acts. Over 30,000 people in Bergen and four or more times that in Oslo plus many vigils in towns across the country.

Photos: Bergen- three photos of the vigil and march taken during my recent stay there

I cannot put words to the horror of it all - but I also cannot not express anger at some of the news reporting. Before the smoke even cleared the finger was being pointed at Al-Qaeda or one of its offshoots. Fox News were particularly bad - while The Sun called it Norway's 9/11 and name-checked Al-Qaeda. Even when the Norwegian press revealed that the killer was an 'ethnic Norwegian' pundits quickly raised the prospect of a brainwashed convert to Islam.

Since then Breivik is being painted as 'insane' or 'sick' - interestingly when jihadists commit an outrage there isn't usually such a rush to let their ideology off the hook. I don't believe we can dismiss his actions as those of a 'lone crazy' - there is too much at stake. In a time of economic crisis such ideas are dangerous.

East Africa famine. Oh my and what terrible times there - it was great to read in the local press of folks raising money to try and ease some of the suffering - go to Farmers Market tomorrow in Stroud for their stall. We must not forget that this famine was far from unavoidable. Of course it is debatable as to whether the drought was caused by human activity but that aside, the impact of western foreign policy certainly has played a big part. That region is rich with resources like gold, platinum and oil yet there is all this suffering. Developing nations have been forced to adopt neoliberal policies, opening up their markets to western multinationals while banning subsidies for their own producers.

SchNEWS write: "A trite solution to the 'African problem' would be to spend the money currently devoted to bombing the region on aid (UK has offered £52 million to relieve famine while the bombing of Libya has cost at least £200 million). Yet this view reinforces the idea that Africa is dependent on the west and ignores the root cause of the majority of the region's troubles. Western countries have spent decades propping up dictators, imposing free market 'reforms', bombing rebels, bribing officials and flogging military equipment. The aim of these policies wasn't to support rebuilding a continent ravaged by colonial powers and proxy wars, but merely to protect and further western 'interests' whether they be preferential access to resources, securing lucrative defence and infrastructure contracts, promoting stability (predictability) or holding back development. If these rich countries simply stopped enforcing foreign policy goals on Africa, the continent may stand a chance of healing itself. The west is just as instrumental in the oppression of ordinary Africans as it was in the days of colonies and empires, just in a less overtly racist manner."

UK Riots. The charity I work for has an office in Barton Street. It was shocking to hear there were riots there and indeed across the nation. Words again fail. As Monbiot tweeted it is too early to try and force meaning out of them - agree - although as this Independent article notes - care costs. There are no easy answers. What are the underlying causes of this terrifying breakdown in law and order? Cameron in 2006, as opposition leader, spoke about the need to adopt a new approach to integrating a marginalised underclass into normal society. He talked of the sort of low-level antisocial behaviour that escalated so horrifically this week and argued that "we'll never get the answers right unless we understand what's gone wrong". Yet now the PM seems more interested in draconian gimmicks than understanding what went wrong.

On a different tack there have been many comments on politicians 'vandalism' - perhaps not quite the same thing! See Nick Clegg's history of vandalism here and Camerons' here - plus comedy writer's letter to Cameron's parents here.

Financial collapse. The US outlook is worse than 3 months ago and that was bad - are these the throes of death or an unbearable burden of debt - while Europe seems to lurch daily from one crisis to the next with today French banks - last month I blogged on Michael Moore's film about capitalism and the threat to the Euro - well you can see Stroud's Molly Scott Cato's views here and here on what needs to be done.

Hope! But I can't leave blog readers with all that - I've just read an inspiring article in the latest Permaculture magazine about Polly Higgins who is creating laws to save the earth. See her website here.

NHS: still possible to save

At the end of July Greens joined the Stroud Against the cuts protest regarding the threats to our NHS - see below the 5 reasons outlined by the local campaign. 

The health secretary recently announced that in addition to all the other changes, £1bn worth of NHS services is to be opened up to competition. Why, why, why are we playing with the NHS when it is already one of the most efficient health care systems in the world?? See report showing that here. It can only be ideological reasons - see my recent letter to press here.

Worse still are the allegations like the favours to 'Tory' hospital in Bath - see here - a Government quango has ordered health chiefs across two counties to send more patients to a private hospital which is owned by two major donors to the Conservative Party!

My union, UNISON, have a good article that shows why we should worry about social enterprises for the NHS - see here. Neil Carmichael's column in the SNJ is concerning as he seems to not understand the risks or the huge costs in making these wholly unnecessary and damaging changes to the NHS. Greens have organised a public meeting to which Neil has been invited - it looks set to be 31st August in Stroud with an excellent speaker from UNISON. Click read more to see more.

Green House Think Tank launched

The Green House Think Tank was recently launched by Caroline Lucas MP. The new think tank has been set up by a group of well known green thinkers and doers including Stroud's Cllr Molly Scott Cato. The think tank is backed by an eminent advisory group including Jonathon Porrit, Michael Meacher, Bea Campbell, Jean Lambert and others.  Its first reports, available online,  are on Sustainability Citizenship  and Mutual Security in a Sustainable Economy. The www.greenhousethinktank.org website was developed with the help of Stroud-based Ethical Internet.

Shop in Stroud Waitrose?

Village Shop

Waitrose in Stroud make a £1,000 donation spread over three local charities on a monthly basis. The amount given to each charity is based upon the level of support given to the individual charities by their customers during the month. During the month of August one of the charities featured is Whiteshill and Ruscombe Village Shop. Your help in supporting this cause by doing an element of your shopping in Waitrose this month and dropping your green token in our box, would be really appreciated by the shop team.

Better still do more of your shopping in the Village Shop - it also has the coffee shop - great cafetiere coffee and the best views of any cafe in Gloucestershire!

Fruit and veg today has less nutients

There is an interesting article in Grist about how selective breeding of plants means our fruit and veg have changed lots over the last 60 years. The studies show that as fruits and vegetables get bigger and more plentiful, nutrients get diluted. But as the guy says, nutrient depletion pales as a threat when compared to other aspects of our diets like refined sugar, fats, oils, and refined grains over fruits and veggies in the first place. See here.

Sewer repairs underway near Ruscombe Brook

The SNJ will report tomorrow news re the relining of our sewer - I've copied it below. I was generous in my quote with Severn Trent as at times it has been quite a battle to get things done - and as noted on this blog before, we, in the Ruscombe Brook Action Group, are not wholly convinced that relining is the answer. Indeed at one point in earlier meetings with STW they had said the sewer capacity was insufficient and it needed changing. Apparently remodelling shows relining will be sufficient - let's hope so - and as I said in the quote STW have on the whole tried to work with us.

Sewer repairs underway near Ruscombe Brook

SEVERN Trent has this week started works to repair and strengthen a stretch of sewer near Ruscombe Brook to reduce the risk of sewage flooding into the watercourse. Over the years the sewer which runs near to the brook has become infested with tree roots - cracking the pipework and allowing sewage to escape from the system.

Fine roots seek out small cracks in the sewer and push their way into the network where they can grow into a major problem. The most efficient and least intrusive way of resolving the problem is to remotely cut back the roots in the pipework then add a new lining in the sewer - sealing the cracks and preventing roots from pushing their way into the network.

The lining is specially strengthened to prevent further root intrusion for the next 100 years. Work is expected to continue on site until mid October.

Mark Broomfield, programme engineer for Severn Trent, said: "We know that Ruscombe Brook and the wildlife that depends on it is important to the community. Our aim is to ensure water quality in the brook remains high, while causing minimum disruption to residents. Even though there will be no road closures and customers will be able to continue to use the system as normal while work is going on, residents will notice more vehicles in the area. "If anyone has questions or concerns about the work that needs to be done they can contact Severn Trent on 0800 783 4444."

Philip Booth, a spokesman for the Ruscombe Brook Action Group, that was formed over five years ago in response to incidents of sewage seeping into the brook, added: "We are delighted that sections of the sewer are at last being relined. We welcome these moves by Severn Trent and their willingness to find solutions to the problems faced here. We look forward to further work in the future to continue to improve the outdated sewage system and at present we are also working on ways to further improve the biodiversity of the brook."

Fit to work tests are not fit for purpose

It is not news to many of us that many vulnerable people are living in "fear and anxiety" over facing "fit to work tests" - see my letter last year here. However I welcome that the cross party MPs in the Work and Pensions Select Committee have now also concluded this - see here.  

The MPs report concluded that it is "widely accepted" that the Work Capability Assessment introduced in 2008 was "flawed" especially since many seriously ill people have been refused support. The cost of appeals to the public purse is some £50 Million each year. The committee also highlights that there have been failings in the service Atos Healthcare has provided in carrying out the test.  The Government at least admits more refinements are needed but I fear these will not go far enough. Indeed with news yesterday that charities face £3bn in cuts over the next 5 years things cannot get easier.

Bus cuts

GCC bus review results are now out - see here survey results and here decisions re the cuts to buses made at Cabinet on Friday 5th August. I have long opposed cuts to bus services - we need to be expanding them in the current climate - now the service is set to get worse so that even fewer will use the services.

Update: See Green party comment re cuts nationally to bus services here.

We do need to think creatively now that cuts are coming - yes some routes are not sustainable without greater funding and changes to the way we provide public transport nationally - one way forward that I have supported is the extension of Demand Response services - see for example here -  these differ from conventional bus services in that customers book a seat either by telephone, text message or via the internet and arrange to be picked up at a specific time at their nearest village bus stop. People can book to travel to any other stop in the area served, not just the local town centre. Similar to our current Dial-a-Ride system.

Here are bits I've taken from the Council papers re our services although they don't make it very clear.....

In terms of this area the 93 bus from Nailsworth to Gloucester via Whiteshill there were 86 responses: 87% said that the current timetable for this bus service meets their needs. Daytime journeys are NOT subsidised. Last journey in each direction between Gloucester and Stroud is subsidised. Option 1: Extend Gloucester City service 9 from St Barnabas Church (will mean passengers will travel via Tuffley). Option 2: This service could be withdrawn and replaced by a flexible transport service. Depending on the type of service offered, you may need to book your trip in advance. Departure times and precise pick-up/drop off points will be confirmed when you make your booking. Change from November: The 7.35pm departure from Gloucester on Mondays to Saturdays and the 6.55pm departures on Monday to Friday, 6.40 pm on Saturday, from Stroud will continue to run.

In terms of the 230 local bus there were 10 responses: 90% said that the current timetable for this bus service meets their needs. It runs Mondays to Saturdays. All journeys subsidised.
Option 1: On Mondays to Saturdays buses will run to cater for people travelling to work and school with another journey running during the middle of the day. Option 2: On Mondays to Fridays buses will run to cater for people travelling to work and school with two other journeys running during the middle of the day on three days a week. Change from November: A Monday to Saturday service will continue be provided but there will be 4 journeys instead of 5

Vote in Total Politics Blog Awards 2011

Vote here for the Total Politics blog award - last time I featured in the top 20 of both the 'Green politics' and 'Councillor' lists with a showing in the top 300 of left wing blogs. Since then the numbers of blogs have grown significantly and there are some excellent blogs out there - the competition is stiff but if you care to show your support for Ruscombe Green then please do. I still make the top 20 of the Wikio monthly top 20 Environment blogs - this month in at number 10. Look at those blogs and last years results here for other blogs to list.

Plastic bag use on the rise

Some 18 months ago I wrote a long blog entitled 'Should Stroud go Plastic Bag free?' - see here - well I've just come back from the Coop where I forgot my reusable bags and came away with two plastic bags - a rare occurrence and always one tainted with guilt - but made worse by the fact that this year plastic bag use is back on the rise after several years of falling away - see Guardian here.

Photo: Plastic bags in hedge - known to some as Witches Knickers

While in many ways plastic bag reduction is a sideshow - it is far more important what other stuff we are buying and throwing away - we need to look at the whole picture. Plastic bags are after all less than half a percent of our domestic rubbish - there are some concerns that it can lead to people purshasing different plastic for their rubbish or other unsustainable bags....but hey I've covered that in that blog 18 months ago. Anyway I welcome moves in Wales where shoppers will be charged 5p per bag from this October. Northern Ireland and Scotland are also looking at it. In Wales, the imminent charge may have helped to cut bag use – the total was down by 7% last year, compared with the rise in England and Scotland. But please let's not get distracted - we need to look at the wider picture of our waste and consumption. Reducing plastic bags is great but we have much more to do.

National Allotment week and edible flowers

Today is the start of National Allotment week (see here). So for this blog I want to re-visit the Whiteshill and Ruscombe Allotments movie with over a 140 views - See this wonderful community project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnmveLQNX3E 

See also below a great blog by Gem taken from here about edible flowers.  So let all your garden become edible!!

Incr-Edible Flowers

At this time of year, you may like to add variety to your recipes by harvesting flowers from the garden for the dining table. There are more edible flowers than most people realise, so take advantage of nature’s bounty and get picking! Spicy or peppery petals suit being added to salads and garlic butters or used as a garnish for soups and other cooked food while sweet blossoms can be floated in drinks, added to ice cubes or candied to decorate cakes and desserts. Some flowers, particularly courgette and daylily flowers apparently taste great coated in battered and fried up as floral fritters. Obviously, care needs to be taken when deciding which flowers are safe to eat and how to accurately identify them. You’ll also want to ensure that heavy traffic or pesticides haven’t polluted the flowers you pick. I would advise only eating flowers that you’ve specifically grown for the purpose. If you suffer from asthma, hay fever or other allergies, you may want to be extra cautious about eating flowers. In such cases, the petals could be used as a garnish only and not eaten.
The following flowers are all edible as long as you remove the stamens and use only the petals. Herb blossoms aren’t featured here, as there are so many of them but do remember that herbs have tasty flowers as well as leaves. Chive, chamomile, lavender and bergamot flowers are particularly attractive. Click read more to see list.

Thermilate: paint that insulates - or does it?

So what is this Thermilate paint that claims to insulate? Well I've struggled to find very much other than what the manufacturer says and the testimonials they have on their website. However they claim Coca Cola, IKEA, the NHS, MoD and more use the product. See more on their website here. I have to say the website is not great to navigate....

However it does seem this product is worth a look? You basically add it to your paint and then put on two coats - possibly with a top coat of just paint. It works by creating a thermal barrier which prevents heat loss when used internally in cold countries and prevents heat gain through walls and ceilings in hot countries when used externally. However it uses nano technology - something I am slightly wary of as there seems so little research into the effects on the environment and people using these products.

Anyhow I received a comment from a Whiteshill resident re the use of Thermilate and they say that they believe it has cut their heating bills. Is it worth the £20 or so per room? Well if it cuts energy use by even a small amount it could be? A local energy expert wrote: "On the thermalite paint... it may be better than nothing but would not be as good as insulation." If you know more please let me know - I would be very interested.

Lastly we are gearing up to this September's Eco-Renovation Open Homes weekend on 10th/11th September - more info coming soon but see more about what we have to offer at: http://www.stroudopenhomes.org.uk/

More quotes

View of Whiteshill from Ruscombe

Some more quotes that inspire and made me think, smile or cringe - for more click on the 'label' below.

"It shouldn't be called a localism bill...it's a centralism bill, because it contains so many powers conferred on the secretary of state...to interfere in local affairs." George Jones, Professor of Local Government, London School of Economics in evidence to the committee of MP's scrutinising the localism bill before Easter.

"The law doth punish man or woman Who steals the goose from off the common But lets the greater felon loose Who steals the common from the goose" 18th Centruy Anti-Enclosure saying

"Only a crisis - actual or perceived - produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around. That, I believe, is our basic function: to develop alternatives to existing policies, to keep them alive and available until the politically impossible becomes the politically inevitable." Milton Friedman

"Despite their emotional association with nature, ornamental horticulture and traditional landscape design contribute to resource depletion and simply provide a cosmetic cover over the disharmony and unsustainability of industria
l determined environments."
David Holmgren, Permaculture co-founder

"Only when the last tree has died,
and the last river has been poisoned,
and the last fish has been caught,
will we realise that we can not eat money."
Anonymous 19th Century Cree Indian

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves and under a just god cannot long retain it.”  Abraham Lincoln

“Humans are capable of a unique trick, creating realities by first imagining them, by experiencing them in their minds.  …As soon as we sense the possibility of a more desirable world, we begin behaving differently, as though that world is starting to come into existence, as though, in our mind’s eye, we are already there.  The dream becomes an invisible force which pulls us forward.  By this process it begins to come true.  The act of imagining somehow makes it real…  And what is possible in art becomes thinkable in life”.  
Brian Eno.