Green Party Local Elections in Reading 1 May 2008

PUTTING PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT FIRST

Despite local opposition and petitions, our authorities close post offices, build supermarkets, and continue to overdevelop Reading. This causes increasing strain on resources, most noticeably congestion. We collected about 1000 signatures in a petition against it, but Reading Borough Council decided to allow Tesco to build a huge store in Battle. Labour councillors spoke up on behalf of Tesco, and the other parties didn't object, so in effect the greens are the opposition on this and many other issues.

On the proposed town centre Civic Centre/Hexagon/Library development, and also the third Bridge, the three big parties are in agreement, despite evidence that these schemes will cost the town money and increase emissions. The Green Party believe in sustainable transport; investing in buses, trains and cycling facilities to reduce emissions and congestion. More roads or bridges cause an increase in traffic, see what happened in Newbury. The Council haven't done enough research into upgrading the civic centre, adding insulation and shading would make it greener. Knocking them down has a large cost in emissions and money, and we will be paying the mortgage for generations, is this the legacy for the future, they will be paying for our mistakes? We need to ask in whose interest they are acting, putting corporate profits ahead of the towns citizens.

THE GREEN PARTY BELIEVES IN:
Taking immediate action on climate change, locally, nationally and internationally. We must reduce the amount of energy we use, make the polluter pay, and invest in renewable energy resources.
Making public transport the easy choice, so that we can choose to leave our cars at home.
Making education more flexible, with smaller class sizes, less testing and more trust in teachers as professionals.
Putting new life into the NHS, and helping people to lead healthier lives.
Allowing ordinary people a say in key decisions by devolving power to the most appropriate local level, and defending individual freedoms against controlling politicians.


GREEN SUCCESS IN CAVERSHAM: READING BRIDGE REPAIRS
The state of the pedestrian pathways across Reading Bridge has got worse and worse over the past year. As the months passed, a total of 11 concrete slabs broke and began to sag. In response the Labour-controlled council merely put metal plates over the broken pavement, rendering it unsightly and dangerous, but after a vigorous campaign by the local Green Party the pavement has now been repaired and is once again safe for people passing to and fro between Caversham and Reading. We are now pressing the council to release all the money they say they have earmarked for the complete refurbishment of the bridge.

RAIL TRAVEL COSTS AN ARM AND A LEG!

The fare increases brought in by First Great Western in January were unacceptable. Commuters and leisure travellers both ended up paying more, while the service is as overcrowded and unreliable as ever! To make this point, local Greens gathered at the station and publicly presented the FGW managers with an ‘arm and a leg’. Thanks to this, and pressure from other groups, FGW has agreed to make its compensation scheme more generous. There is still so much to do, but the Green Party are on the case. We are committed to campaigning to keep public transport affordable, so that there is a real alternative to using the car.


REMEMBER LAST SUMMER?
Reading was lucky, this time. When the region was flooded by freak downpours and bursting rivers, Oxford, Maidenhead and Pangbourne were all badly hit. Flooding is a normal part of the English weather, some people say – but that is in the winter, not in the middle summer. And don’t forget that the last few summers have seen droughts and hose-pipe bans – those weren’t ‘normal’, either. The summer floods were a wake-up call. We must have policies that would prevent this extreme weather from becoming a ‘normal’ yearly event. Only the Green Party is prepared to take the tough decisions that would prevent this climate chaos from becoming worse and worse.

CANDIDATES
This year, as last year, the Green Party is fielding a full list of candidates for the Reading council elections. See the candidate list at: www.readinggreenparty.org.uk/node/299




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Reading Green Party will help you tackle any issues that are of concern. Please contact us at www.readinggreenparty.org.uk

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Promoted by Adrian Wndisch, 18 Kent Rd, Reading RG30 2EJ. 01189 567190 07802 671606