Andrew, Author at Three Rivers Green Party

We are prophets but we are also agents of change

Andrew — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 18:15:00 +0000

By Mary Chabrel, Green Party member.

Thirty years ago this month, I finished my GCSEs, Geography being one of them. I was already a conservation volunteer in the Colne Valley and in the lower sixth I founded ‘Help Earth Live Peacefully’, a still applicable maxim I think! The group collected cans in separate bins, squashed them in the woodwork rooms and sold them to an aluminium merchant. These days schools don’t have can machines, and the recycling is provided through identified commercial waste bins installed by the contractors. However, I am still the person who distributes labels for in-class recycling bins at the beginning of each academic year. The thing about being an environmental campaigner is that the problems are so vast and the chance to do things differently seems so ‘effortful’, that it can be hard to carve out a role in which you can sense that you are making a meaningful difference.

As a teacher, I am used to the idea that “We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water the seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.” But – 30 years!!?? And, of course, when I joined Friends of the Earth in the 1990s, they were 20 years old already….. The ‘environmental movement’ had started with organisations that we recognise today as being the ‘movement’ in the 1970s. So, how is it that the awareness has been raised over these years but society has not embraced longer-term solutions and systemic change? Partly because (to quote a 14 year old I taught once), “oh, but that’s effortttttt”! The limits we put upon ourselves: to limit our own imagination to do things differently, to valuing resources differently, to appreciating people differently; but also the environmental movement contains an ‘inconvenient truth’. As Al Gore’s documentary was entitled, based on the scientific message that he spread about climate change, near and far in 2006. We live ON a finite world, we live IN a finite world. Al Gore was so concerned that the world didn’t realise this, he produced another film, ‘An inconvenient sequel: truth to power’! The day the Paris Agreement was signed, he looked so relieved and joyous, yet of course, the work continues.

So, yes, we are prophets, speaking truth unto power, but we are now also agents of change as the scientific reality becomes part of wider vocabulary. For example, Terminal 5 was built at Heathrow Airport, but the decision to build the third runway was ruled unlawful by the Court of Appeal, on 27th February this year, because ‘it did not take climate commitments into account’. What joy, what victory, what reward for the hard work of campaigners across West London, some of whom I know have been campaigning on this issue, across those 30 years.

Of course, we still have work to do. The environmental crisis is also a crisis of power and oppression and will impact those the most who have contributed the least to the cause of climate change, and this encompasses different races, ethnic backgrounds and levels of food security to varying degrees. Until we address issues on inequality across the globe we cannot truly tackle environmental breakdown. As a teacher, I am frequently in awe of my students’ ability to imagine a better future, understanding that we are all connected and must work together to achieve our common goals.

The post We are prophets but we are also agents of change appeared first on Three Rivers Green Party.

Green Party stands with Black communities

Andrew — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 18:29:00 +0000

22nd June marks Windrush Day, a day which commemorates the Windrush Generation and their legacy. The first generation of workers came to the UK by invitation to help rebuild Britain after World War II but many were met with hostility and intolerance when they arrived.

Since then, Black individuals have been wrongly detained, denied legal rights, threatened with deportation, and, in at least 83 cases wrongly deported from the UK by the Home Office. In 2018 the Home Office admitted they had wrongfully detained at least 850 people between 2012 and 2017.

A study found Covid-19 related deaths of British black African background to be 3.5 times those of the white British population, even after accounting for differences in age, sex and geography. Examining the possible reasons, it says that a third of all working-age Black Africans are employed in key worker roles, 50% more than the share of the White British population. 63% of the first 106 health and social care staff known to have died from the virus were black or Asian, according to the Health Service Journal. The Green Party has backed calls for an independent inquiry into the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on Black, Asian and minority ethnic people.

Greens of Colour chairperson, Azzees Minott, said: “The government’s inquiry into the impact of Covid-19 on BAME people has let communities of colour down. It has been clear from the start that this review simply was not going to go far enough because it was never going to address the institutional racism that affects people of colour, particularly in the context of Covid-19.”

Tragically, transport worker, Belly Mujinga, was assaulted whilst on duty ultimately leading to her contracting Covid-19 and to her death. Employers must implement changes to protect workers in order to prevent deaths like Belly’s happening again. We demand justice for Belly Mujinga.

After the unjust and brutal death of George Floyd, that has caught the attention of the world, and the following attacks on protestors and demonstrators, almost 1 million people have signed the petition for a halt to sales of tear gas, rubber bullets and riot shields to the US.

As a party whose membership is predominantly white, we recognise that we still have work to do to make our spaces more accessible and inclusive to all. We pledge to listen to minority and marginalised groups and we welcome you to join us. Where possible, we will amplify black voices, educate ourselves and join the fight for a better world for people of colour everywhere.

The post Green Party stands with Black communities appeared first on Three Rivers Green Party.

Damning national statistics and the role of local authorities in Public Health

Andrew — Tue, 12 May 2020 08:11:00 +0000

Boris Johnson’s confusing messages to the nation mean lots of working people will be feeling anxious about what to do right now. The Government hasn’t yet published guidance on how workers will be kept safe.

The latest slogan “Stay Alert” leaves it up to individuals to figure out what they should do and puts the responsibility of safety on individuals as the Government tries to hide from its failures.

A report by the Office of National Statistics on COVID-19 deaths by occupation was released the morning after Boris Johnson’s address, encouraging people to go back to work.

It shows that people in the lowest paid jobs are at highest risk of death from COVID-19. These jobs include retail, construction factory/processing plants, cleaners, taxi/bus/coach drivers, security, chefs and, of course, care workers.

Shockingly, there is a significant difference between the risk for social care workers and health care workers, with people working in social care being placed at greatest risk. This highlights the failings to provide adequate support and equipment to care workers. An MP who returned to her job as a carer was fired after speaking out about the supply of PPE.

Other reports by the Office of National Statistics show that Black individuals are 4.2 to 4.3 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than White individuals. The mortality rate of deaths related to COVID-19 in the most deprived areas of England was more than double that of wealthy areas. This is a damning indictment of our unequal society.

What next?

The Green Party is pushing for a network of community-based protection schemes, or “community shields”, to be set up. These teams will detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact. These “shields”, coordinated by Public Health England’s regional Outbreak Management Teams, would use systems including the NHS 111 phone service, GP surgeries and local authority public health teams to identify those with symptoms, arrange for their testing and then trace all their contacts in order to stamp out outbreaks of the virus in the communities where it’s happening.

To make this happen, investment is needed at a local level as well as a total reversal of the cuts to public health funding over the last ten years. Local councils should have a key role in recruiting and employing skilled people with local insights. Environmental health officers, health visitors, school nurses, and others have suitable skills which could be deployed to a new locally-based, public health workforce of case finders and contact tracers. We need joined-up thinking between the County Council’s Public Health Team and the workforce in the District Council. Staff understand they should be mobilised for this.

While extra funding is being made available to community groups across Hertfordshire through Councillors’ ‘Locality Budget‘, two questions remain. Is our local Public Health Team doing enough to support the 30,000 people working in care services across Hertfordshire? What measures are the local councils putting in place to deliver contact tracing? Hertfordshire County Council has cancelled all scheduled meetings and has held two meetings a month since April. These can be viewed online via webcast.

Advice

Important information for workers to be aware of is Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 which provides employees with the right not to suffer a detriment or be dismissed for refusing to work in circumstances where they believe they would be in serious and imminent danger. Do seek legal advice from a union if this affects you. There is also a handy Guide about Coronavirus and Health and Safety dismissals published by Gus Baker at Outer Temple.

There are ways for organisations to get financial help through this tricky period. You may be eligible for business rate relief, emergency loans and grants for charities and community groups so do check the guidance.

There’s a range of different services available for people who need support with mental health and wellbeing.

There are many local groups helping the community. Find these ones nearest to you through COVID Mutual Aid to get help or volunteer if you can, If you know someone who needs help with shopping, personal care or simply a chat with someone, you can also contact HertsHelp which is a network of community organisations in Hertfordshire working together and should be able to put you in touch with the right group or service.

The post Damning national statistics and the role of local authorities in Public Health appeared first on Three Rivers Green Party.

Reflections from ’30 Under 30′

Andrew — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 08:19:00 +0000

In early March, as part of a group of 30 Young Greens from across the country, I headed to Birmingham, to take part in a weekend of training workshops, in an attempt to learn more about, and become engaged with, Green politics. For me, and many others selected for this year’s Young Greens 30 Under 30 programme, this represented my first true exposure to both the Young Greens, and the Green Party in general: whilst I have been a member for around a year now, taking the first steps took some time. It’s safe to say that, spending three days following a full-to-bursting schedule of talks, workshops and Q&A sessions with a group of bright, passionate, and inspirational young activists left me coming away feeling energised and determined to continue my participation with the Green Party.

The weekend kicked off with a session of icebreakers — something which, it seems, the Young Greens EC is renowned for —, before throwing us in at the deep-end, with an afternoon of talks about Green politics, its roots, key events and figures, and its reality today. Having the opportunity to then participate in Q&A sessions with a whole host of key names in the Green Party, on topics covering a range of policy areas, was an incredible way to begin exploring our interests. On reflection, conducting some of these over video conference now seems to have been something of a practice run for our current situation!

The Green Party, and Green politics more generally, was born from social movements and campaigns, in the UK, Europe, and beyond: the day workshop — a crash course in campaigning — allowed us to explore how we could have an influence on a local level, between election cycles, to create, empower, and ensure a successful social campaign. This all culminated in a final day, during which Natalie Bennett, recently appointed to the House of Lords and ex-leader of the Green Party, came to speak to us about her experiences, campaigning, and elections. This fed into our final day, focussing on local elections, and the Target to Win strategy, in preparation for what were the upcoming local elections in May 2020 — although all relevant information for next spring, with the benefit of additional time to prepare!

Of course, it wasn’t all work — the evenings were a brilliant opportunity to socialise, get to know each other, and reflect on what we had done that day and how we could take it back home with us. Simply being surrounded by such incredible people was an opportunity in itself and not one I took for granted. The programme was planned to continue with five more training days in the weeks and months to come. Due to Covid-19, these have been moved online and opened up for all Young Greens. Additionally, there are a whole host of political education talks in the pipeline, open to all Green Party members and allies/friends. It’s wonderful to see that, whilst our initial plans may have been disrupted due to current circumstances, there are always learning opportunities to be found, and the Young Greens, for their part, are seizing them with enthusiasm.

I’m excited to be a part of this movement, to bring what I’ve learnt home and to see how we can make Three Rivers a Greener place to live.

Kelsey Trevett

The post Reflections from ’30 Under 30′ appeared first on Three Rivers Green Party.

Litter heroes assemble at the Aquardrome

Andrew — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 08:36:00 +0000

Litter heroes were out in force at Rickmansworth Aquadrome on the morning of Saturday 14th March. Local residents were invited to litter pick in a bid to keep Britain tidy.

The litter pick was organised by the local Green Party as part of the Great British Spring Clean initiative which hopes to mobilise faith groups, schools, community groups and businesses to get involved in keeping public spaces clean. Equipment, such as gloves, high vis vests and litter pickers were borrowed from Three Rivers District Council.

“The Aquadrome is a beautiful part of Rickmansworth. I visit most days and I’d noticed that there was a bit of rubbish around so I thought why not organize as a group to clean it all up before the plants start growing back in Spring” said Paul Dawson, Green Party Councillor at Batchworth Community Council.

Volunteers gathered at Café in the Park before they set off for a litter pick around the two lakes. Covering 41 hectares of land, the Aquadrome is one of Rickmansworth’s largest local nature reserves with a range of wildlife and plants. Visitors can enjoy wooded walks, lakes and large green open spaces ideal for picnics and family days out. Despite its natural beauty frequent visitors means that rubbish can get left behind and accumulate.

“The worst offenders are soft plastics like food wrappers and dog bags. Whether by accident or not, they can get blown into the bushes and are hard to spot. They can quickly break up into small pieces which are almost impossible to fully recover from the mud and leaves. It is
worrying to think that wildlife might be adversely affected by this.” The prize for the oldest piece of litter went to a retro Pepsi can which the design suggests is from the 1980’s!

Community organizing made sense to Paul: “Looking after our green spaces is something we can all get involved in and why not make an event out of it so we can have some fun too. I’m pleased that lots of people wanted to stop and chat and thank us for doing a good job”.

The post Litter heroes assemble at the Aquardrome appeared first on Three Rivers Green Party.

Freedom of information request shows extent of glyphosate use

Andrew — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 08:49:00 +0000

A Freedom of Information request has shown that glyphosate weed killer is being used by all councils covering Abbots Langley.

Below is the response to Hertfordshire County Council, Three Rivers District Council and Abbots Langley Parish Council sent by Belinda Phillips of Abbots in Transition (ALTTA). The letter is published with Belinda’s permission:

Dear Councillor,

It would seem that all councils covering Abbots Langley are using glyphosate (Roundup) weed killer (see table below). This is a known carcinogen and is being used as such levels it is entering the water supply and human bodies. It has a negative effect on the human gut bacteria and therefore a negative effect on human health.

It is an indiscriminate herbicide and kills plants that our wildlife need to thrive. These non-target organisms may experience direct toxic effects from the herbicide, or be indirectly affected by changes to ecosystems or food availability. We are seeing a rapid fall in insect biomass and this chemical, as well as our habit of overcutting and strimming, are implicated in this.

On behalf of ALTTA (Abbots Langley in Transition Association), we ask you to halve your use of this chemical over the coming year and continue to halve it year on year until use is so low it can be eliminated.

Alternatives are:

Leave the grass to grow and treat like a hay meadow
Actively plant wildflowers
Allow so-called weeds to grow in the grass. They look pretty and have a beneficial effect on soils and the ecosystem.
White vinegar soap and salt mix
Mulching
Hand weeding
Strimming
Boiling water
Alcohol
Grazing animals – goats, ducks and hens are great weed clearers.

Please, would you pass a motion to take the use of glyphosate out of your system and encourage more biodiversity especially meadow flowers? While you are cutting back on glyphosate please would you introduce a policy of labelling where the product is sprayed so those of us that are concerned about our health and that of children and animals can steer clear.

Please, would you let me know what your plans are?

Many thanks,

Belinda Phipps
ALTTA

The post Freedom of information request shows extent of glyphosate use appeared first on Three Rivers Green Party.

Press release: Three Rivers District Council declare a climate emergency

Andrew — Thu, 23 May 2019 08:00:00 +0000

On Tuesday night (21 May 2019) at its annual meeting, Three Rivers District Council declared a climate emergency. Three Rivers Green Party support this declaration. A similar climate emergency motion was proposed to Hertfordshire County Council in March 2019 but was amended by the Conservative group so that it no longer declared a climate emergency. Emma Brading, newly elected Green Party Councillor for Batchworth Community Council, said: ”There is a lot of work to be done. The climate emergency should be declared at all levels of government, allowing new policies to be formed in line with climate change targets as set by international climate scientists. “Hertfordshire County Council now needs to follow Three Rivers District Council and the UK Parliament in making this declaration. As a Community Council, we are developing the Batchworth Neighbourhood Plan over the next two years and the Green Party will ensure there is a focus on sustainability.” Councillor Alex Hayward, leader of the Conservative group at Three Rivers District Council, stated during her speech that pressure from the local Green Party has moved them to act. Recent events which have highlighted the urgency of tackling the climate emergency include the non-violent, direct action undertaken recently by Extinction Rebellion which achieved unprecedented media coverage. The BBC documentaries ‘Climate Change – The Facts’ and ‘Our Planet’, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, revealed the devastating impact humans are having on the natural world. Bobbie Curran, Election Agent for Three Rivers Green Party, said: “Three Rivers Green Party would like to thank all Councillors at the Three Rivers District Council annual meeting for declaring a climate emergency.“ “We have now acknowledged this as an emergency, so we must act quickly. The Green Party are willing to work with local Councillors to bring forward scientifically proven methods of reducing carbon and protecting the environment. We urge the Council to bring forward the action plan as soon as possible.”

The post Press release: Three Rivers District Council declare a climate emergency appeared first on Three Rivers Green Party.

Three Rivers Green Party success in improving cycle route proposal

Andrew — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 09:44:00 +0000

Three Rivers Green Party success in improving cycle route proposal In response to our comments and to wider public consultation, Herts County Council has decided to amend the Rickmansworth Ebury Roundabout Cycle Route Improvement Scheme: * By replacing the guard railing with new Visi-Rail guard railing which will improve the inter-visibility between pedestrians, cyclists and vehicle drivers. * By adding ‘Keep Clear’ road marking to the design at the entry to Nightingale Road * Have confirmed that the kerbs will be built out and the road markings have been designed to narrow the approach to the Uxbridge arm to one lane and that all dropped kerbs are cycle friendly flush kerbs 0-6mm. We have now asked the council to make the detailed plans for the amended proposal publicly available for further appraisal. Read below to see our comments in detail and the council’s response. Our consultation comments In general, we support the proposals in principle because they could provide a missing link in the existing route between Rickmansworth and Maple Cross and a step towards making this route safe for young or inexperienced cyclists who have only reached Level 2 of Bikeability training. The proposals could also provide a safe and convenient alternative route around the dangerous roundabout for more experienced cyclists who normally use main roads. The amended proposals support the Green Party’s aim to:
* Make walking, cycling, and public transport the main forms of urban transport.
* Reduce the need for private car usage and the air pollution it causes.
* Improve people’s health by creating more opportunities for physical activity in everyday journeys, such as walking and cycling.
* Make streets safe and friendly places where people choose to spend time. However, we have concerns that:
* The proposed crossings of the roundabout exit roads are not as safe as they should be.
* The new route is not fully accessible to experienced cyclists, so many will continue to use the dangerous roundabout itself. 2.1 Crossing Roundabout Exit Roads
Cyclists approach parallel crossings faster than pedestrians, but drivers need to give way to both. So, compared with a zebra crossing, drivers need to clearly see a longer distance of the cyclists’ approach path. We, therefore, support the removal of the existing guard rails but feel that more needs to be done to improve visibility. The latest accident remedial scheme for the Ebury Roundabout tried to improve the visibility of pedestrians approaching the existing zebra crossings by reducing the Riverside Drive and Uxbridge Road roundabout exits to just one lane. However the scheme just changed the hatching/white lines and added red tarmac, and so did not have the desired effect. But the new road markings do increase the safety of the roundabout entry points – they improve sight-lines by introducing a gap between the give way lines and the circulating traffic. 2.1.1 Exit from Roundabout onto Riverside Drive
* The roundabout exit onto Riverside Drive was originally designed to be used at 40mph. The speed limit of the roundabout itself and the first part of Riverside Drive was reduced to 30mph as part of an early accident remedial scheme, but without changing the geometry of the exit road. * The exit road narrows from two lanes into one on a bend, so drivers who are unfamiliar with the road may not be aware of the need to merge into one lane until the last minute.
* Motorists create an extra overtaking lane on the roundabout and the roundabout exit. They merge with the main running lane as close to the crossing as they can, very close to the parallel crossing. This distracts drivers in the main running lane and encourages speeding when approaching the crossing.
Suggestions:
Build out the roundabout side of the Riverside Drive traffic island near the roundabout exit, but leave the part near the roundabout entrance unchanged, keeping part of the existing cross-hatching. (So that the roundabout entrance give-way line does not need to be moved and so keeping the gap between the give way lines and the circulating traffic).
Build out one or other side of the roundabout exit (or both) to reduce its width to one lane before and after the crossing. 2.1.2 Exit from Roundabout onto Uxbridge Road
* “Keep Clear” road markings do not keep the entry to Nightingale Road clear, only the exit from it. So not all of the right turn lane can be used. So the right-turning traffic creates an extended right-turn lane on the approach to the parallel crossing. i.e. it becomes two lanes wide and encourages extra traffic to use Nightingale Road southbound, helping to make it a rat-run. The entry to Nightingale Road is mainly used by residents, not rat-runners.
* When there is no right-turning traffic, some motorists use this extended right-turn lane as an overtaking lane and merge with main running lane after the crossing. This distracts drivers in the main running lane and encourages speeding when approaching the crossing.
Suggestions:
* Build out the roundabout side of the Uxbridge Road traffic island near the roundabout exit, but leave the part near the roundabout entrance unchanged, keeping part of the existing cross hatching. (So that the roundabout entrance give-way line does not need to be moved and so keeping the gap between the give way lines and the circulating traffic).
* Move the “Keep Clear” road markings so that they keep the entry to Nightingale Road clear, not the exit.
* Build out one or other side of the roundabout exit (or both) to reduce its width to one lane before the crossing, but widen it again after the crossing to give a right-turn lane and a main running lane. 2.2 Experienced Cyclists
Often, the only way for an experienced cyclist to get from the main road onto the proposed shared-use path is to stop and lift their cycle up the kerb from the carriageway onto the path. Suggestions The proposals would benefit from dropped kerbs (flush with the carriageway and with metal bollards to deter pavement parking) to help with jug-handle manoeuvres from the carriageway onto parallel crossings, at these positions:
* On the Uxbridge Road approach to the roundabout, before the parallel crossing.
* On the Riverside Drive approach to the roundabout, before the parallel crossing.
* On the roundabout exit to Riverside Drive, before the parallel crossing.
Sometimes, because of missing dropped kerbs, the best way for an experienced cyclist to turn from the cyclists’ part of a parallel crossing onto the main road is by cycling across the zebra part of the crossing. This could cause conflict with pedestrians. The proposals would benefit from flush dropped kerbs (with metal bollards to deter pavement parking) from the
shared use path to help with jug-handle manoeuvres from parallel crossings onto the main carriageway, at these positions:
* On the Uxbridge Road exit from the roundabout, after the parallel crossing.
* On the Riverside Drive exit from the roundabout, after the parallel crossing. 2.3 Timing of works and school engagement
We hope that the scheme will be amended to deal with our concerns and will be completed, over the summer holidays, as soon as possible. (This would minimise disruption to traffic and give drivers time to become used to the new road layout before school pupils start to use the parallel crossings).
We hope that during the summer term the County Council will vigorously publicise the whole Rickmansworth and Maple Cross cycle route (and this improvement) to pupils of the two secondary schools on the route: The Reach Free School (which is moving to Mill End in September) and St Joan of Arc School, Rickmansworth. (This would change some trips to school by car into trips by cycle and so would help to mitigate the extra congestion and air pollution on the roundabout that will be caused by the move of The Reach Free School). Reply from Engineer of Integrated Transport Projects at Herts County Council: Thank you for your email regarding the Councils road safety improvement proposals for the A412 Ebury Roundabout. The improvement works are scheduled to take place October/November 2018. 2.1 * The majority of the guard railing will be retained for pedestrian guidance. * The shared footway will now be widened onto the existing verge to allow for adequate space for pedestrians and cyclists to pass more safely. *The guard railing will be replaced with new Visi-Rail guard railing which will improve the inter-visibility between pedestrians, cyclists and vehicle drivers. 2.1.1 Road markings for the entire Ebury Roundabout have been included in the design of this scheme: * The kerb has been built out and the road marking has been designed to narrow the approach to the Uxbridge arm to one lane. It widens again after the crossing to give a right-turn lane and main running lane 2.1.2 ‘Keep Clear’ road marking has been added to the design at the entry to Nightingale Road. 2.2 * All dropped kerbs are cycle friendly flush kerbs 0-6mm. * Bollards can contribute to street clutter and cause difficulties to other footway users, but we will keep your comments in mind when reviewing the scheme following completion. 2.3 We will do our best to engage with the schools to publicise the improved facilities and encourage sustainable journeys to school.

The post Three Rivers Green Party success in improving cycle route proposal appeared first on Three Rivers Green Party.

Record-breaking number of residents standing locally as Green candidates

Andrew — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 09:52:00 +0000

Local residents have shown their dissatisfaction with the current district council by putting themselves forward as Green party candidates at the local elections on Thursday 3rd May. In a record-breaking year for Three Rivers Green Party, 8 out of the 13 seats up for election on 3rd May are being contested by residents demanding a more socially, environmentally and economically just local community. Local Green campaigner, Tom Pashby, said: “I’m standing because I want to work with local people to deliver clean air we can breathe, affordable housing and safer roads for everyone. “The Council have failed to address illegal level of air pollution and our traffic, parking and infrastructure crisis. Bickering between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives is putting them off politics. Lifelong voters for the other parties have said to me they are disillusioned and have pledged their support this time to a genuine alternative – a hard-working, Green Councillor .” Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, said: “The Green Party wants to see a Green on every council to build a better Britain from the bottom up. In these local elections people have the choice to add one more Labour or Tory councillor to already complacent councils – or choose a Green who can change everything. From ensuring everyone has a safe, secure and affordable home to cleaning up our air and tackling plastic waste, Greens are never afraid to speak truth to power. “Greens will always be a bold, brave voice standing up for local communities and challenging the status quo. One Green has the power to transform a community.” Three Rivers Green Party have been working hard all year round to engage with residents, hear their concerns and take action. This has included reporting potholes and overgrown bushes, pressuring the council into testing air quality and releasing figures, accounting for the destruction of trees and listening to residents regarding their concerns on the controversial parking charges in the town centre.

The post Record-breaking number of residents standing locally as Green candidates appeared first on Three Rivers Green Party.

Speed Sign To Be Installed Following Green Party Petition

Andrew — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 11:03:04 +0000

Following our petition, we are pleased to announce a smiley face, Speed Indicator Device (SID) will be installed on Harefield Road, near to St Mary’s Primary School. It will begin facing north, catching traffic coming from Rickmansworth, but can be turned to face the other direction. Installation should be within the next two months.

“Allyssa has been asking Hertfordshire County Council for over a year to consider the speed problem on this road. I am so pleased to be supporting residents like Allyssa and getting the results needed to make the area safer.” – Tom Pashby, Green Party candidate for Rickmansworth Town.

In January, we started a petition calling on Herts County Council to take action against speeding on Harefield Road. It has now been confirmed that a SID speed sign will be installed but we are still asking for further measures to tackle speeding, including:

• 20 mph limit on residential roads near to St Mary’s primary school,
• 40 mph limit on upper part of Harefield Road,
• a parallel crossing for pedestrians and cyclists.

Thank you to the 255 people who signed the petition.

At the time of writing, we are awaiting a formal response from Herts County Council.