here. - Plymouth Green Party

2015 Local Elections Manifesto
The Plymouth Green Party believes that life
is best shared with others. It is the
communities that we belong to that give us
purpose, as well as support us in times of
need, and provide us with the chance to
share in moments of celebration and joy. It is
communities that effectively fight for what is
right and create positive change for one and
all.
The Plymouth Green Party understands that
to ensure that local communities develop,
survive and grow, their local authority must
provide key public services and be supportive of community based initiatives, such as: the
preservation of large outdoor public spaces; the delivery of sustainable and highly accessible
public transport systems; the supporting of local businesses before large corporations; and the
provision of warm and affordable homes for those who need them.
Sadly, this is not an understanding that is shared by other political parties that make up our city
council. Profits are placed higher than people and the community space they live in. For example,
there are plans to sell off public green spaces for housing, even though almost 3,000 homes stand
empty in the city.
With the impacts of climate change, the threats of
extremism, and the growing cost of living all looking
to unbalance our lives, there is a real need for us
all to stick together as a community, no matter what
our individual backgrounds are, so that we can
tackle these challenges head on in a fair and
cohesive manner.
The Plymouth Green party recognises this. It is not
the large business owners, the city council or the
city’s academic institutions that make Plymouth. It
is people who make Plymouth and the communities
they form. That is who the Plymouth Green Party
shall fight for in the elections of May 2015.
#VoteGreen
Plymouth Green Party
@PlymouthGreens
What will the Green Party do in Plymouth?
The Green Party has radically different policies to any other major or minority party in the UK in
a whole range of policy areas. The Green Party will address all major areas of concern with a
determination to ensure social and environmental justice.
land for housing, which would only put further
strain on our local transport systems, amenities
and environment. We will protect open spaces
from building development, recognising that
We seek to adjust taxation regimes so that land
they play a vital role in individual and community
and resources are taxed, rather than labour. We
health and wellbeing. We will:
want to put local people and local business first,
rather than large multinational corporations. We
 Ensure brownfield sites take precedence
will:
over green spaces for development.
 Prioritise the filling of the 3000 homes
 Promote the food and renewable energy
standing empty in the city before sanctioning
sectors as being the most viable future
any new housing development.
options for the local economy and as

Investigate applying increased charges on
guaranteed sources of jobs requiring people
landlords should their properties stand
with all kinds of skills and inclinations.
empty for extensive periods of time.
 Support a living wage of £10, so the
ridiculous situation of people being worse off  Survey the city centre for empty buildings,
before
revamping,
restoring
and
in employment can never happen.
redeveloping those that are empty into
 Push for a maximum differential between the
energy efficient, affordable and attractive
highest and lowest paid worker to be agreed
living spaces.
and stated for each company operating in
 Use local talent and craftsmanship, and
the area.
involve apprentices and students in any
 Push for the adoption of a Land Value Tax
redevelopment work, in order to keep the
to reduce profiteering and speculation in
local economy vibrant, upskilled, and
land.
sustainable.
 Promote and invest in Plymouth’s Indoor  We would welcome and support full
Market, and scope supporting other
community engagement with any plans for a
occasional local trader based markets.
new Civic Centre.
 Tax out-of-town businesses to stop big
corporations coming to Plymouth to make
profits without giving anything back to the
City. The scheme has been already
WARM, AFFORDABLE HOMES
developed in Derby City Council and many
other local councils in England.
 Pilot a project with the Plymouth Pound, a A secure and warm home which does not lead
local currency to be exchanged between to debt is a basic need for everyone, and one
that can be provided using all possible energy
local people and local traders.
efficiency and renewable energy options.
Reduction of profiteering and speculation in the
PRESERVATION OF OPEN GREEN AND
land and property markets can be addressed
PUBLIC SPACES
using tax and fiscal measures. We will:
SECURE EMPLOYMENT AND VIBRANT
ECONOMY
One third of Plymouth City Council’s 
jurisdictional area is occupied by green spaces
and parks. The Plymouth Green Party feels this 
is a factor of our great city that should be 
treasured. In areas of already high population
density, it makes little sense to sell public green
Encourage
community-led
housing
development and co-housing.
Lobby for full use of empty buildings.
Encourage the highest possible energy and
cost-saving measures and highest possible
level of renewable energy generation.
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT

Success in creating a sustainable transport
system depends on significantly reducing the
use of private cars to get to work, schools and 
shops. We will:






We will encourage the expansion of cycle
routes throughout Plymouth, and of a city
wide “Safe Routes to School” programme,
enabling far more schoolchildren to walk or
cycle to school.
We will encourage more priority bus lanes
on all major routes into the city and extend
the park and ride to surrounding
settlements.
Put a cap on bus fares and introduce a
coherent fares and discounts system.
Create night-time services, running between
21:00 and 6:00 especially between the City
Centre and specific locations around the
City in order to support mobility of those
working on night-shifts.
Introduce a Plymouth top-up card system,
similar to the Oyster Card in place in
London. This will reduce queues at bus
stops and the system will become more
flexible and easy to access.
Pedestrianise/restrict traffic flow through the
Barbican and around the Hoe. We would
hold open discussions with traders and
residents of these areas to work out how this
would operate.
Adopt a 20mph vehicle speed limit for
residential and amenity areas.
Support improved rail connections to Exeter
and onwards, rather than the campaign to
reinstate the airport.
RESILIENT AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
Using the planning system, we want to ensure
that each of the 43 neighbourhood areas have
a sense of identity, and contain shops, schools,
open spaces, public amenities and jobs for local
people. We will:


Encourage the council’s early work on linked
communities to become the central focus of
local planning.
Foster a sense of neighbourhood identity
and community spirit by supporting vibrant
open public spaces and centres and the
community events they will hold.

Make it easier for communities to hold
events in public spaces.
SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
 Support
community
integration
and
cohesion in areas of the city where there is Plymouth lies within one of the most vibrant
a significant growing transient population agricultural landscapes of the country.
(e.g. students).
Production of food locally is becoming much
more important as the costs and fragility of
globalised food production systems become
RESPONSIBILITY FOR WASTE
more evident (e.g. unstable oil supplies,
The city council and council tax payers will no droughts, flooding etc.). We will:
longer subsidise the throw-away culture, while
manufacturers avoid responsibility for the  Aim to provide allotments for everyone who
disposal of their products. The only real long
wants one, as is the statutory duty of any
term solution to this problem is to reduce the
local authority. We will support urban farms
amount of waste we produce. We will:
and community gardens wherever possible
so that people can learn about the food they
 Encourage everyone to buy goods with
eat.
minimal packaging.
 Increase the availability of facilities for repair  Develop links with local food producers, with
and reuse of products, and support those
the aim of providing as much local food as
businesses, charities and organisations that
possible for schools and hospitals.
do so.
 Encourage food retailers to source as many
 Promote food waste reduction at home,
of the products they sell as possible from
working alongside local agencies such as
local producers.
the Devon and Cornwall Food Association.
 Explore and support methods to reduce  Invest in information and training to
supermarket wastage.
encourage local production, processing and
 Increase levels of composting through
retailing, leading to jobs, in the Plymouth
neighbourhood composting facilities that
food sector.
include kitchen waste, with the resulting
compost then being used to replenish local
environments.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY GENERATION AND
 Actively
promote
and
improve
USE
communication of our existing recycling
scheme more widely.
Oil and gas are becoming scarcer and no
 Retain and enhance the Weston Mill economy can afford nuclear power or the risk it
Recycling Centre, rather than sell it off for involves. We need to invest more in renewable
sources such as solar, tidal, heat-pumps and
housing.
 Employ council officers that advise wind - bearing in mind that wind farms in
households on how to lessen their beautiful settings are not wanted or needed. We
ecological footprint, from improving the can use the energy supplies we have far more
amount they reuse, to installing energy efficiently. We will:
saving measures and utilising sustainable
 Encourage energy efficiency and microtransport measures.
generation in all public buildings.
 Ask for lease agreements for the city centre
to stipulate energy efficiency measures and
for lights to be switched off when shops and
businesses are shut.
 Support and develop the Plymouth Energy
Community project.
IMPROVING EDUCATION
We will need to educate the next generations
nearer their homes and in a way that bears
more relation to the reality of our lives and
times. We will:
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Encourage the development of a truly local
education system so all children can attend
schools within their neighbourhoods.
Ensure that everyone is given the
opportunity to learn how our most basic
need, food, is produced, and how to
develop personal lifestyles that do not harm
people or environment.
Ensure that everyone is given the
opportunity to learn social skills, and how to
live well with others - in communities,
neighbourhoods, cities, regions and
countries.
Encourage education that enables people
to live a full and creative life, developing the
skills needed for meaningful livelihoods,
rather than for just passing exams and
working in soulless environments.
Representation
PEOPLE MAKE PLYMOUTH!
Help us today make this great
city more fair, open and
sustainable for all.
RECREATION AND LEISURE
A diversity of recreation and leisure
opportunities is needed for different ages and
preferences, with a major motivation being
seeking respite from the 24/7 city life we live
in. Public and open spaces are crucial for all
ages to provide individual and community
health and wellbeing. We will:


Encourage neighbourhood development of
facilities and spaces for young people to
pass time in.
Encourage the development of free open
access culture – such as fairs and plays in
parks, community cinemas and centres.
Get Involved Today
If you can affiliate yourself to our policies and
ideas, then please get in touch.
www.plymouth.greenparty.org.uk