Canterbury District Local Manifesto
Our top priorities for the May 2019 local council elections are:
·
Improving congestion and parking
·
Providing affordable housing
·
Reducing plastic pollution
Our key concerns for the District focus on:
1.
Reducing traffic congestion and air
pollution
·
a park-and-ride for
Whitstable and North Canterbury
·
extend residents’
only parking in busy residential areas
· a non-profit-making
electric hopper bus service in Canterbury linking cross-town points such as
Canterbury West and East stations and the bus station, and going through the
Westgate Towers
·
20 mph speed limit in
all residential areas
·
encourage the installation of charging points for electric
vehicles in public car parks and housing developments
2. Affordable housing for all
·
building
genuinely affordable homes, such as social and co-operative housing, preferably
on brownfield sites, and encouraging self-build and custom-build that directly
meet peoples’ needs
· setting up a living rent
commission to make rents no more than a third of local median incomes, ensuring
secure tenancies and the Right to Rent if a householder falls behind on
mortgage payments
·
making sure all Houses in Multiple Occupation are
registered and inspected so they provide high-standard accommodation
3.
Reduce plastic pollution
- support the activities of ‘plastic-free’ campaigns
in Whitstable, and across the District.
- make sure the Council carries out its commitment to
banning single-use plastic on its premises and by its contractors and licensees.
- install double compartment waste/recycling bins for
beaches and parks. These are increasingly used in other areas, leading to
disposal of less plastic and other recyclable materials in landfill sites.
- campaign for an
alternative to the thousands of disposable takeaway cups and glasses being used
by cafés, pubs and festivals.
- increase the number of free public
water dispensers
4. Providing better health services
- campaigning for better community health services
4. Providing better health services
- campaigning for better community health services
· campaigning for more doctors, dentists, mental health specialists,
district nurses and midwives
5. Maintaining open space
·
fighting planned development on Chaucer Fields and other amenity
sites
6.
Improving recycling rates and cleaning up our streets
·
returning waste collection to the Council as a non-profit-making service
· carrying out an intensive campaign to educate all residents on recycling
and disposal of all kinds of waste
· providing multi-compartment bins on
high streets and beaches
7.
Helping independent small businesses and cooperatives
· promoting and expanding local
producers’ street markets, co-operatives and directories of local businesses,
encouraging independent shops
8.
Preventing flooding
·
reducing Council carbon emissions
·
encouraging use of renewable energy
·
secure the funding and measures necessary to protect people from the
increased risk of flooding in future years
9.
Improving local democracy
- campaigning
for more powers to be devolved to local councils and elections using
proportional representation
· campaigning to introduce higher bands of council tax for larger
properties and making the tax paid more proportionate to the value of the
house in order to generate more income for public services and reverse cuts
For more detail on our policies, read on:
1. Parking, traffic
congestion and air pollution
Parking is a problem for many, leading to a waste of time and increased
costs, pollution and carbon emissions as cars drive around in search of a
parking spot.
Traffic congestion and the air pollution it causes have long been
problems in Canterbury and Whitstable. They not only affect residents’ health
and quality of life but are also bad for business and tourism. We were
instrumental in commissioning a Sustainable Transport Blueprint for Canterbury
from sustainable transport expert Dr Lynn Sloman and have been highlighting
ways of cutting congestion for several years, aiming to make it easier to
cycle, walk, share cars and use public transport.
If elected we pledge
to:
·
ensure permanent park-and-ride services
for Whitstable and North Canterbury.
· extend residents’ only
parking in busy residential areas, such as Whitstable town centre.
- fight the
building of a multi-storey car park on Station Rd West and champion a
genuine transport hub at Canterbury West instead.
- put forward
plans for a non-profit-making electric or biofuel hopper bus service in
Canterbury linking cross-town points such as Canterbury West and East
stations and the bus station, going through the Westgate Towers.
- fund more comprehensive
monitoring of air quality in all parts of the District, taking action if
it doesn’t meet EU and UK standards and poses a long-term risk to health.
- prioritise funding for
sustainable transport.
- extend pedestrian and shared
vehicle-pedestrian zones.
- extend bus lanes on routes
into Canterbury.
- provide frequent bus
services from all surrounding areas.
- complete as soon as possible
all cycle routes identified in the Council’s Transport Strategy.
- introduce 20mph speed limits
in all residential areas.
- campaign for more electric
vehicle charging points.
- make sure any
new developments are close to major public transport hubs and well
designed for access to public transport and cycling.
- take steps to encourage
car-sharing.
2. Affordable, decent housing for all
We reject the overall number of houses proposed in the Local Plan, which
has had to conform to central government's dysfunctional top-down targets for
housing and takes no real account of local need and demand.
Our own modelling would suggest that homes for around 16,000 adults may
be required (plus 1,400 supported housing places) and with the current
occupancy rate of 2.3 adults per dwelling, this equates to around 7,000 homes
over the period up to 2031 (not the 16,000 in the Local Plan).
Furthermore, the vast majority of demand is driven by internal migration
and we reject this as a driver of economic growth over sustainability. The Council
should plan for sustainability rather than being complicit with the national
strategy for economic growth at any cost.
We oppose building large-scale developments in a few places on
greenfield sites. We favour more smaller-scale developments of affordable and
lifelong homes on brownfield sites without the need for extensive and expensive
new infrastructure.
According to the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), there are 61
hectares of brownfield in the District. This provides the potential for 7,000
homes and therefore no need to allow any greenfield site building.
There are currently 443 homes in the District which have been empty for
over 6 months. There are over 2,300 on the waiting list for housing in
Canterbury District.
The impacts of poor-quality housing need to be considered. According to
Defra, 30.4% of heat losses in the South East come from poorly insulated homes.
We believe there is an urgent need to combat fuel poverty and waste of energy
by means of a District-wide campaign to make houses more energy-efficient.
We also believe the Council should build up a stock of social housing
and that these homes should always remain in Council hands.
To address the issue of unaffordable rents and rent rises, we will
campaign to set up a ‘Living Rent Commission’ which would implement a genuinely
affordable rent control policy dependent upon local median incomes and not upon
local market rents.
We will also campaign for a 'Right to Rent' policy, meaning that home
owners who are unable to meet their mortgage payments and are under threat of
repossession would have a right to transfer ownership to the Council, at less
than market value, in exchange for the right to remain in the home and pay rent
as council tenants.
If elected we pledge to:
- build genuinely affordable
homes, such as social and co-operative housing, preferably on brownfield
sites, and encourage self-build and custom-build that directly meet
peoples’ needs while empowering the builders/occupants.
- set up a
living rent commission to make rents no more than a third of local median
incomes, ensure secure tenancies and the Right to Rent if a householder
falls behind on mortgage payments.
· campaign to charge 200%
council tax on homes left empty for longer than 6 months and set aside the
extra revenue received to provide free roof and cavity-wall insulation to
residents in the District.
· make sure all Houses in Multiple Occupation are
registered and inspected so they provide high-standard accommodation.
- ensure all new housing is of
high quality requiring low energy and fitted with photovoltaic panels.
- oppose planning permission
for building on greenfield sites.
- use the Sustainable
Communities Act to lobby government for an end to the ‘Right to Buy’
council housing or housing association homes.
- support flexibly supported
housing options and access to intermittent high-need accommodation without
loss of tenancy rights.
3. Reduce plastic pollution
As a coastal area, we have a particular responsibility to protect the seas
from plastic pollution. Local action is needed to tackle this global problem
that so badly affects our living planet. We also need to protect the food
chain. Plastic that goes into the sea eventually makes its way into the fish we
eat. The Green Party promotes the culture of reducing, reusing and refilling,
and has a long-standing commitment to the circular economy.
If elected, we pledge
to:
- support the activities of ‘plastic-free’ campaigns
in Whitstable, and across the District.
- make sure the Council carries out its commitment to
banning single-use plastic on its premises and by its contractors and licensees.
- install double compartment waste/recycling bins for
beaches and parks. These are increasingly used in other areas, leading to
disposal of less plastic and other recyclable materials in landfill sites.
- campaign for an
alternative to the thousands of disposable takeaway cups and glasses being used
by cafés, pubs and festivals.
- increase the number of free public
water dispensers
Click here to read the
Green Party’s plan for #A protected environment
4. Providing better health services
Canterbury City
Council isn’t responsible for NHS services in the District but we would press
for better community health services with more doctors, dentists,
mental health specialists, district nurses and midwives.
Click here to read the
Green Party's plan for #Public NHS
5.
Maintaining open space
It is vital that every person in Canterbury District has access to open
space. All open space should be valued as a community asset; the walk to the
shops should be as welcoming as a walk in the park.
We support the preservation of Kingsmead Field, Chaucer Fields and
Duncan Down as community open spaces and the creation of a riverside walk/cycle
path all the way from Chartham to Sturry.
If elected we pledge
to aim for the following provisions for all residents:
- recreational amenity (exercise, dog walking,
sports)
- functional/social amenity (allotments)
- visual amenity (a still and empty green open
space has a value in itself)
· all within a 5-10 minute walking
distance from home
6.
Improving recycling rates and cleaning up our streets
We believe that public services should be in public hands, not using
taxpayers' money to provide profits for private companies and shareholders.
When the contract for District refuse disposal and collection comes up for
renewal, we would bring this service back into the public sector.
If elected we pledge
to:
- carrying out an intensive campaign to
educate all residents on recycling and disposal of all kinds of waste.
- providing multi-compartment bins on
high streets and beaches.
- ensure that bins and inserts
lost through no fault of the householder or tenant are replaced without
charge.
- make landlords and letting
agencies responsible for ensuring their tenants are familiar with and
comply with regulations concerning refuse disposal and collection.
· provide all houses in multiple
occupation with a red-top bin for paper and card (instead of the inserts in the
blue-top bins) at the landlord's or letting agency's expense.
7.
Helping independent small businesses and cooperatives
Greens support local
shops throughout the District, keeping money circulating in the local economy.
Large numbers of
visitors are important for our local economy. Many of them arrive on the
high-speed rail service to Canterbury West.
If elected we pledge
to:
- promote and expand local producers’ street
markets, co-operatives and directories of local businesses.
- protect visitor attractions and heritage sites.
- make sure the gateways to Canterbury, like St
Dunstan’s, are welcoming and attractive.
Click
here to read the Green Party's plan for a #FairEconomy
8.
Preventing flooding
Flooding blights
lives. The risk of more severe weather events, including flooding, is increasing
with global warming.
If elected we pledge
to:
- reduce Council carbon
emissions by conserving energy and making more use of renewable energy to
heat and power Council buildings and services.
- encouraging use of renewable
energy by making it easier for businesses and homes to move to solar and
wind power.
- promote a public transport
hub at Canterbury West, instead of a multi-storey car park which will put
more cars on the road.
- secure the funding and
measures necessary to protect people from the increased risk of flooding
in future years.
- implement a robust
tree-planting programme throughout the District (Trees absorb 67 times the
amount of water as compared to grassland.)
- promote the installation of
rainwater harvesting on all new builds and introduce a programme of
retrofitting to older buildings.
- promote the installation of
green roofs and sustainable urban drainage systems that reduce flooding
from storms.
Click
here to read the Green Party's plan for a #SaferWorld
9.
Improving local democracy
Local people know best how money should be spent in their areas. We
should have more control over the decisions that affect our lives.
If elected we pledge
to:
- campaign for more
powers to be devolved to local councils and elections using
proportional representation.
- campaign to introduce higher bands of council tax for larger properties and make the tax paid more proportionate to the value of the house in order to generate more income for public services and reverse cuts.
Kent Greens Manifesto
Kent Greens want to create a fair and sustainable society in Kent but what does this mean?
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." World Commission on Environment and Development - Our Common Future, 1987.
Fairness begins with taking responsibility for what we are doing. We do not have the right to live as if we could squander everything that Kent, or our country, or our planet has to offer. We have a duty, to our own children and future generations, to ensure that we pass on a better Kent to those who follow us, not one which continues to be damaged by Conservative misrule. In practice, this means having private and public sector activity contributing to the greening of life in general. A sustainable economy is our aim. We need private and public sectors working for the common good throughout Kent.
So why should you vote Green? The Green Party has consistently offered the best alternative policies of any Party in Kent to the current Conservative regime.
Transport: Make our air fit to breathe and keep the roads safe: 20's plenty
Education: Local schools for local kids under local control; good education for 100% not just 25%; better together
Social care: stop the cuts and support the vulnerable
Abolish KCC and set up unitary authorities: more local democracy
Local development: decided by local people
Youth Services: invest in youth not bombs
Ethical investments: reinvest in the local economy
Waste management: waste is resource - nothing will wasted
