Croydon Greens

Linking to a newspaper article is a crime??

2012-02-01T08:38:00.008Z

Jean Lambert MEP and yours truly at the Brussels parliament. Picture taken in 2006

From time to time a press release from the European office really catches ones attention......

Controversial anti-counterfeiting agreement must be dropped, Green MEP
demands*


Green MEP for London, Jean Lambert, has reacted with dismay at the
signing of a controversial agreement by the EU and 22 of its Member
States which could potentially impinge the freedom of electronic
communication and innovation worldwide.


The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement was created with the aim of
establishing international standards on intellectual property rights
enforcement, yet will deal with tools targeting internet distribution
and information technology, meaning people could be prosecuted for
merely sharing a link to a newspaper article or posting a video on YouTube.



The Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament have criticised the
decision to proceed with the signing, highlighting persistent concerns
about the legality of the deal and its compatibility with EU provisions
on fundamental rights [1].  The agreement will now be handed down for
ratification by Member States and the European Parliament.



Commenting on the agreement, Jean, a member of the European Parliament
Civil Liberties Committee, said: “The Greens in the European Parliament
remain absolutely committed to ensuring that this so-called ‘agreement’
is not adopted at the expense of the rights of citizens – ACTA is a
threat to our civil liberties and must be rejected.  As the European
Parliament and national parliaments now have their say as part of the
ratification process, the Greens will push to ensure that ACTA is
consigned to history.”



Notes to Editor



1. Critics have raised serious doubts about the compatibility of ACTA
with EU law, particularly provisions on fundamental rights.  For
example, ACTA encourages its signatory states to step up
co-operation with private actors, such as internet providers, for
intellectual property enforcement in the absence of any minimum
standards for legal procedures.  This opens the door to
undermining the basic rights of individuals with no protection for
those affected.  Experts have also pointed out that ACTA could
undermine access to medicines, particularly in developing
countries, which are more independent on generics but were not
even part of the negotiations.


--

Anna Rutter

Media and PR Officer to Jean Lambert, Green MEP

Can Mezzanine

49-51 East Road

London

N1 6AH



Office: 020 7250 8417

Mobile: 07917 881648

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Tags croydon, greenparty

All winners and losers - South London Waste Plan

2012-01-31T05:24:00.015Z

Katherine Street, Croydon - 30.01.12

As I cycled towards the town hall I noticed a police van just yards from the entrance to the building. Was the van stationed there for the protesters outside the town hall? What are the authorities expecting us to do?

Since the handcuff protest, the Council have installed a new turnstile system by the Reception desk. Surely this can't be a reaction to the handcuff protest?

The lobby area was already brimming full of members of the public, eager to get their points across and observe democracy in action!?! There were supporters from Save The David Lean Cinema, Save Upper Norwood Library and of course the Stop the Incinerator campaign.

As usual I handed in my placards at Reception, upon entering the building. However, this time a very tall broad shouldered man was there to meet me at the new turnstile, flanked by security. He asked me if I had any handcuffs in my bag? I didn't have any handcuffs in my pannier but I explored his reason for asking. He then advised me that if I attended to do anything to disrupt the meeting I would be arrested. I was taken aback. I pointed out that I wasn't planning on disrupting the meeting and that I had a right to peaceful non violent protest.

The exchange continued for a little while longer, during which I established he was Head of Security at the Council, and that he was absent on the evening of the handcuff protest. He made it absolutely clear to me that I would be arrested if I attempted anything, and upon request produced several pages of relevant public order law from his pocket. In addition, he pointed out I would have been arrested if he was in the building at the handcuff protest.

After giving him assurances that I wouldn't disrupt the meeting I was allowed in.

The meeting was fairly predictable, Labour councillors making speeches opposing the South London Waste Plan and incineration; Tories pointing out Labour's hypocrisy and also sidestepping every question asked by Green Party members from the public gallery.

A summary:

Conservatives

WON the all important vote 35 - 33 to adopt the South London Waste Plan
LOST effectively their Waddon seats and probably control of the Council at the next local elections in 2014. There is no doubt Labour will remind voters constantly how promises made by the Tory councillors Hoar, Harris and Hilley in that ward were broken.

Labour

WON the opportunity for the public to see the Waddon councillors ignominy when asked to raise their hands to vote for the South London Waste Plan. The show of hands was a specific request by Labour leader Councillor Newman. Labour can also look forward to winning Waddon, and if all other things are equal - the Council. Privately, they know their return to power is that much nearer after last night.
LOST all credibility because, as the Tories rightly pointed out, they had only got involved in the process at the eleventh hour when they realised votes could be won. Also accusations of hypocrisy were manifold, including Labour councillors in Merton voting for the Plan and Malcolm Wicks MP actually forcing through an incinerator in Belverdere when Energy Minister - despite near unanimous local opposition.

Lib Dems

Nowhere. None present.

Green Party

WON the praise of the Conservatives on a couple of occasions in the debate for at least attending the Inspectors Public Hearing, something Labour failed to do.
LOST the vote, although our campaign and petition of 900 signatures opposing the South London Waste Plan (submitted by Gordon Ross) shows we are the third party in Croydon.

Me, personally

WON, in that the handcuff protest raised the profile of the issue and the lack of transparency.
LOST any anonymity I have/had. Suddenly, I am a marked man! To be expected I guess. However, I also felt the Mayor deliberately chose to disrupt my supplementary question very early on for 'time', thus causing me to miss crucial lines - something he didn't do to others.

------------

There have always been two parts to this incinerator saga. The South London Waste Plan is now adopted in Croydon. The focus of attention is now the planning application itself.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Waddon councillors hide behind semantics

2012-01-30T11:16:00.010Z

One of the most appalling parts of this incinerator saga, and there are many to choose from, is the continued pretence by the Tory councillors that the planned waste plant is not an incinerator. They continue to describe it as an 'energy from waste' facility. This despite Anjum Amin from Environment Agency explaining they will be issuing a permit for an incinerator at the recent Beddington meeting.

Our recent press release, which received coverage in both local papers:

http://croydon.greenparty.org.uk/localsites/croydon/News/2012_12_Incinerator-A-broken-Conservative-pledge.html

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Beddington residents speak out against incinerator

2012-01-25T22:29:00.004Z

Representatives from Viridor, including their Communications Manager, Victor Perez-Mares, gave a presentation to the Beddington residents on the 18th January.

The community in Beddington have been treated appallingly by the authorities. For decades promises and pledges have been broken. This video, recorded on my mobile phone, doesn't really illustrate enough how vociferous the residents were at the meeting regarding these latest plans.

Cr7 Green's blog explains the situation in his own inimitable way here.

Green GLA candidate Gordon Ross wrote a piece for the local Guardian's Xtra column, discussing his thoughts on the meeting:

Croydon Xtra: Proposed Beddington Incinerator.

Beddington Lane on the Sutton/Croydon border is the location for a proposed waste incinerator by the company Viridor, which if built will cost the taxpayer £200 million to build, and a further £700 million to operate over 25 years.

The South London Waste Plan which has allowed this proposed incinerator is flawed, and was skewed towards incineration from the start. The Councils involved have simply gone for the quickest easiest way to get rid of the waste, which is also the most profitable route for the waste companies, it is far from the best option for people’s health and the environment.

The public consultation never really allowed alternatives, such as waste reduction, increased re-use and recycling, composting to be discussed, nor did it allow discussion of the health and environmental impact of incineration. These important issues should be part of the waste plan, but they are not.

Viridor and the Councils call the incinerator “an energy from waste facility”, but burning waste is a very dirty and inefficient way to generate electricity, not to mention a waste of resources that should be recycled instead. The £200 million cost of building this facility would have been better spent on waste reduction, re-use, recycling, composting and anaerobic digestion facilities, which have much less impact on the environment and people’s health.

Burning rubbish produces toxic ash, carbon dioxide (the green house gas), dioxins and over 200 other toxic chemicals. Composting and other biological processes are harmless in comparison.

On Wednesday 18^th January Beddington residents met with representative of Viridor, the waste company, Council officials, to find out about the proposal.

The mood of the residents was one of frustration and anger, that their problems with pollution, noise and heavy lorries from existing waste sites on Beddington Lane still haven’t been resolved, and now they are told they are to get even more lorries, noise and pollution from a vast new incinerator. The incinerator will have to be supplied by lorries transporting the 375,000 tonnes of rubbish a year they plan to burn. The noise and pollution from these lorries is an unacceptable burden to expect the people of Beddington to put up with. Enough is enough! The council needs to address the real problems facing the residents, not heap more rubbish onto their community.

I doubt very much that Beddington would have been chosen as the site for an incinerator if it had lots of well-off residents, who could afford expensive lawyers to mount a legal challenge to this plan.

Gordon Ross

Sutton & Croydon Green Party

GLA constituency candidate for Sutton & Croydon

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Front page coverage: MONEY TO BURN

2012-01-24T16:37:00.005Z

One would have probably assumed that burning South London's waste in Kent would be more preferable to local councillors than Beddington Lane (borders of Sutton and Croydon). WRONG; money Money MONEY is more important than a) nimbyism and b) recycling.

Instead, what our councillors have ensured is that in 15/20 years time when we as a society will have no choice but to reuse, recycle and compost all our waste, because of increased demand of raw materials from emerging economies, we will end up sending our recyclables to the local, all polluting, incinerator OR import waste from elsewhere to feed the beast.

Of course, the correct solution is not to incinerate anywhere - as my comment states (link to online version).

Just to clarify, they could have taken the ultra attractive option of basking in the glory of sending all of South London's waste outside of South London for another county to manage BUT they choose not to. I am incredulous that they have taken this decision.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Jim Duffy's excellent letter in the paper

2012-01-13T14:23:00.006Z

Dear Sir

Sutton Council's environmental credentials will go up in smoke if it gives the go-ahead to the proposed Beddington incinerator.

It's ironic that Viridor will be testing a means of reducing particulates from its predicted increased lorry movements in Beddington (1) while the proposed incinerator itself will blast out billions of particulates, linked to a wide range of illnesses from asthma to cancer (2). Although from 2016 it will be illegal to emit PB15 and larger particles, it is the smaller ones down in size to PM5 which more easily enter the blood system through our lungs and are considered dangerous.

Astonishingly the South London Waste Plan also gives permission for Viridor to burn radioactive and toxic waste (3). Viridor has said this clause was 'accidentally' added after publication (4) but Sutton's Executive did not deny it at its meeting on 12th December. One 'plume map' commissioned by Croydon Green Party shows much of the pollution from particulates, dioxins and low-level radiation will disperse to areas as far as Carshalton Beeches, Wallington, Morden and even Beckenham and Dulwich (5).

The planned 'Energy from Waste' incinerator, designed to produce electricity, requires large volumes of paper and wood as well as plastics to keep the turbines spinning. But Friends of the Earth say these materials should be recycled not burnt (6), a view endorsed in a recent EU directive on resource management (8).

Regarding the local economy, a point raised by Councillor Hall to support the incinerator, recycling produces ten times more jobs per tonne of waste than incineration. He might also take note of twelve current campaigns against incinerators run by Lib-Dem groups across the UK (7).

The Government is right to encourage councils to manage our waste better and move away from landfill but Sutton should consider adopting a less polluting approach alongside improved recycling, including small-scale 'anaerobic digesters'. These produce electricity from our food waste and are approved by UK environmental groups (6). They are already successfully used in Belgium helping to clean up old landfill sites.

Hackbridge and Beddington people may wish to air their concerns at two council-led meetings discussing the incinerator: Hackbridge Primary School at 7pm on Thursday 12th January and at Beddington Park Primary School at 7.30pm on Wednesday January 18th.

Jim Duffy

Notes:

1. Sutton Guardian report on pollution prevention measures for waste lorries:

http://www.suttonguardian.co.uk/news/9451290.Incinerator_site_trials_anti_pollution_measure/

2. The Health Effects of Waste Incinerators, British Society for Ecological Medicine:

http://www.ecomed.org.uk/content/IncineratorReport_v3.pdf

3. "Policy WP2 states that planning permission for additional facilities for other waste streams including construction, demolition and excavation waste, hazardous waste, agricultural waste, radioactive waste and waste water will be permitted."

Paragraph 4.60a of the South London Waste Plan Proposed Submission 2011

(My highlights in yellow of contentious wastes)

4. Viridor meeting with Beddington Farmlands committee, 12th December 2011.

5. Pollution Rose for 100 ft incinerator stack at Beddington:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_E3cyJewnuJA/ShEWH6Hr_xI/AAAAAAAAAAM/LbhD0mSkRP0/s1600-h/Rough_Pollution_Rose_for_100ft_stack_in_Beddington.jpg

6. Friends of the Earth press release stating Energy from Waste 'green' claims are a myth:

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/green_incineration_claims_02052006.html

7. Twelve Lib-Dem anti-incinerator campaigns found in a google search. Incineration is against national Lib-Dem policy.

Spelthorne, Surrey

St Albans, Herts

Marston Vale, Bedford

Tewksbury, Glos

Rookery Pit, Nottingham

Cross Green, Leeds

Avonmouth, Bristol

Costessey, Norfolk

Kings Lynn, Norfolk

Newquay, Cornwall

Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales

Suffolk County

8. Extracts from new European Commission guidelines on resource management:

The EC report, "Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe" was published on 20th September 2011, the day the second stage of the South London Waste Plan consultation ended, so unfortunately could not be considered in that process: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/resource_efficiency/pdf/com2011_571.pdf

A key goal, under 'Milestones by 2020' is: "Energy recovery is limited to non recyclable materials". The Commission makes a strong case for preserving materials such as paper and wood for re-use and recycling that otherwise (in the SLWP scenario) would go to feedstock for incineration.

I have reproduced the key paragraphs from the report below in italics with some points highlighted in yellow:

3.2. Turning waste into a resource
Each year in the European Union we throw away 2.7 billion tonnes of waste, 98 million
tonnes of which is hazardous. On average only 40% of our solid waste is re-used or recycled,
the rest going to landfill or incineration. Overall waste generation is stable in the EU,
however, generation of some waste streams like construction and demolition waste, to sewage
sludge and marine litter is still increasing. Waste electrical and electronic equipment alone is
expected to increase by roughly 11% between 2008 and 2014.

In some Member States more than 80% of waste is recycled, indicating the possibilities of
using waste as one of the EU’s key resources. Improving waste management makes better use

of resources and can open up new markets and jobs, as well as encourage less dependence on
imports of raw materials and lower impacts on the environment.

If waste is to become a resource to be fed back into the economy as a raw material, then much
higher priority needs to be given to re-use and recycling. A combination of policies would
help create a full recycling economy, such as product design integrating a life-cycle approach,
better cooperation along all market actors along the value chain, better collection processes,
appropriate regulatory framework, incentives for waste prevention and recycling, as well as
public investments in modern facilities for waste treatment and high quality recycling.

Milestone: By 2020, waste is managed as a resource. Waste generated per capita is in
absolute decline. Recycling and re-use of waste are economically attractive options for
public and private actors due to widespread separate collection and the development of
functional markets for secondary raw materials. More materials, including materials
having a significant impact on the environment and critical raw materials, are recycled.
Waste legislation is fully implemented. Illegal shipments of waste have been eradicated.
Energy recovery is limited to non recyclable materials, landfilling is virtually eliminated
and high quality recycling is ensured.

The Commission will:
• Stimulate the secondary materials market and demand for recycled materials through
economic incentives and developing end-of-waste criteria (in 2013/2014);
• Review existing prevention, re-use, recycling, recovery and landfill diversion targets
to move towards an economy based on re-use and recycling, with residual waste
close to zero (in 2014);
• Assess the introduction of minimum recycled material rates, durability and reusability
criteria and extensions of producer responsibility for key products (in
2012);
• Assess areas where legislation on the various waste streams could be aligned to
improve coherence (in 2013/2014);
• Continue working within the EU and with international partners to eradicate illegal
waste shipments with a special focus on hazardous waste;
• Ensure that public funding from the EU budget gives priority to activities higher up
the waste hierarchy as defined in the Waste Framework Directive (e.g. priority to
recycling plants over waste disposal) (in 2012/2013);
• Facilitate the exchange of best practice on collection and treatment of waste among
Member States and develop measures to combat more effectively breaches of EU
waste rules (in 2013/2014).

Member States should:
• ensure full implementation of the EU waste acquis including minimum targets
through their national waste prevention and management strategies (continuous).

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Tags croydon, greenparty

What I wish for in Croydon

2012-01-10T18:02:00.006Z

Croydon Advertiser 30th December 2011

"I hope job losses are kept to a minimum and that , instead of negative virals*, we get positive news items coming from Croydon.

"As a Croydon Athletic season ticket holder, I also hope a new club can be formed that bring back the good old days, a club serving the community that is on a good financial standing. "

*riots and my tram experience

What else I wish for (that didn't get published):

An excellent result for Gordon Ross in the GLA's, easily saving the deposit and closing in on third place.
And personally, my push bike remaining well serviced throughout the year. I can go much faster, from A to B, after a service.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

The political power hierarchy for the waste incinerator

2012-01-09T11:17:00.015Z

Outside the recent Sutton Executive meeting

Duncan Clarke - South London Waste Plan Project manager

Frank Smith - Director of the South London Waste Partnership

Whilst departing the Sutton Civic offices, after the protest at the Executive meeting, we bumped into South London Waste Plan Project Manager, Duncan Clarke, and Darren Edwards, Environment officer on Sutton Council. They were talking in the corridor outside the meeting. Probably for the first time throughout this whole sham consultation process we were able to get some answers from those who possessed them. For the passed three years, the individuals responding to our challenges have been councillors. I am sure the councillors would concede they are being kept in the dark, simply taking advice from council officers when required to comment.

Therefore, it is important for residents in the four boroughs of Sutton, Kingston, Merton and Croydon to recognise who the drivers at the wheel of this waste incinerator juggernaut are.

The South London Waste Partnership have consistently used terms like "protect" and "safeguard" in their communications about the purpose of the Plan (see notes below) .

All along we have been told that the South Waste Plan is there to guide the four councils, and that the four councils were "technology neutral.

This is why it is astonishing that the individual conveying the arguments for incineration in the recent two page special in the Advertiser is the Director of the South London Waste Partnership, Frank Smith.

Maybe we shouldn't be surprised, there is a distinct overlap between waste companies and the SLWP. The previous SLWP Project Manager, Emma Smyth, is now working for waste company SITA.

All this brings me to Table 1: I have knocked up this political power hierarchy based on the above observations. The waste hierarchy is forever being used by the SLWP to give an environmental best practice sheen to the waste incinerator, so I thought it appropriate to produce a comparative table.

Notes:

"The South London Waste Plan contains policies to guide the determination of planning applications for waste management facilities and identifies existing waste sites to be safeguarded and areas where waste management development may be suitable" - taken from SLWP web site

"The South London Waste Plan protects the Council when planning applications are sent in by waste companies." Darren Edwards, Sutton Council Environment officer

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Saima Raza's letter in the local papers

2012-01-04T18:12:00.009Z

From Croydon Guardian - Nov 30th 2011

Our local party continues to grow at a great pace. One of our newest members Saima Raza (above) had a letter published on fuel poverty in both the Croydon Advertiser and Croydon Guardian.

23.11.11

Dear Editor,

The combination of the dire economic outlook and energy prices hikes, it does not bode well for Croydon or the whole of Britain for that matter. A recent found almost 21,800 persons in England (over-65) passed away as a result of ‘adverse conditions’, these so-called ‘winter deaths’ occurred across just four months between December 2010 and March 2011. People are having to make dire choices between staying warm or staying full, a sacrifice that no one ought to be subjected to. London is not short of initiatives to alleviate fuel poverty, ranging from promoting a low carbon economy, to home insulation to energy saving schemes. The Rural Services Network (2010) found there were 133,287 households in Croydon alone living in fuel poverty, as one of the more densely populated boroughs of London this constitutes almost 10% of all households.

Energy companies intent on putting prices up are undermining efforts by people to lift themselves out of fuel poverty. Croydon residents need to ensure Croydon Council makes good on their fuel poverty alleviation pledges by working to reduce carbon emissions and live up to the ‘Keep Croydon Warm’ scheme which offers free home insulation measures to improve energy efficiency for certain residents. With fossil fuels diminishing, an investment in energy efficiency and renewables will create jobs and help boost the economy.

Yours sincerely

Saima Raza

Croydon Green Party

She also has written pieces for various newspapers around the world:

The Coming Tide,

Analysis: A New Kind of Uprising

Humanitarian Intervention

Welcome Saima!

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Tags croydon, greenparty

TWO PAGE INCINERATOR SPECIAL

2011-12-31T11:35:00.009Z

Croydon Advertiser - December 23rd

Full marks go to David Churchill for his two page report on the incinerator. PROPOSED BY VIRIDOR - THE SUCCESSFUL CONTRACTOR - IT HAS FINALLY BEEN REVEALED THAT A 275,000 TONNES ENERGY FROM WASTE INCINERATOR IS PLANNED FOR BEDDINGTON LANE.

This is a complicated issue but his piece is easy to read and understand. It's available online here and here.

I was asked to provide 250 words 'against the incinerator'. It wasn't easy because the various points need detailed explanation.
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Tags croydon, greenparty

Newspaper report on Sutton Council demo

2011-12-23T12:32:00.005Z

From Sutton Guardian Wednesday 14th December

Campaigners fighting plans for a waste facility in Beddington continued their protests against the councils involved. Campaign group 'Stop the Incinerator' protested at a Sutton Council executive meeting on Monday night, as councillors voted through a planning brief which would allow the facility to be built in Beddington.

South London Waste Partnership is expected to soon unveil plans to build a major waste management facility, including an incinerator, in Beddington Lane.

It is understood the facility could not only burn rubbish from the four boroughs, but from further afield. Campaigners told the meeting they had concerns the centre was one of the most harmful energy-from-waste facilities for the environment that existed.

Jim Duffy, from the campaign group, said evidence also showed incineration reduced recycling rates as paper was needed to keep an incinerator burning a high level. They also raised concerns radioactive and harmful waste could also be burned at the facility.

Outside the Sutton Civic Offices on Monday, and during the meeting, protestors carried banners and taped money across their mouths. Waddon resident Dave Pettener said the money symbolised how democracy was being gagged as residents concerns were dwarfed by the demands of big business in the £1bn waste deal.

Leader of Croydon Green party Shasha Khan said: "Social and environmental costs have to be given preference over the bottom line."

The protestors were told by council bosses the planning brief safeguarded both the environment and residents, and did not mean a facility was definitely going to be built.

Councillor Sean Brennan said: "Since 1986 we have been at the cutting edge of environmental issues. We will not relinquish that lightly."

The protestors action at the meeting followed Mr Pettener and Mr Khan handcuffing themselves to council chamber railings at a meeting of a Croydon Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee on December 6, when it went into private session to discuss documents, believed to be the plans for a new waste facility site in Beddington Lane.
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Tags croydon, greenparty

Xtra Column piece for local Guardian newspapers

2011-12-20T17:14:00.002Z

I was invited to write the online Xtra Column on an issue covering Sutton/Croydon. Hmmm. Here are 300 words:

What we have witnessed over the last three years is a process where the concerns, fears and demands of the people in Croydon and Sutton, have not been heard - at any stage of South London Waste Plan (SLWP) consultation. Why are the neighbouring councils of Croydon and Sutton behaving in this manner? The answer is money.

This year the tax on sending biodegradable waste to landfill is £56 per tonne. Over the next three years it will rise by £8 per tonne per year. When you consider councils send hundreds and thousands of tonnes of waste to landfill each year, the projected costs could even result in an increase in council tax, potentially resulting in the lead group on the council (Lib Dems in Sutton and Conservatives in Croydon) losing power.

Running concurrently with the SLWP consultation is a procurement contract to manage the waste. The winning waste contractor will present a planning application that meets the criteria of the SLWP - whilst maximising their bottom line - and the most profitable way to dispose of the waste is incineration.

Fortunately for the waste contractor, ‘incineration’ appears on the procurement contract. However, given the public perception of an incinerator is a wholly negative one – and rightly so – the South London Waste Plan uses the euphemism, “Modern thermal treatment including Pyrolysis and Gasification.” These “thermal treatments” use high temperatures to break down the waste and can produce energy in the form of heat and power. Yes, they are not the same as the traditional mass burn incinerators but they are still unproven technologies.

Unsurprisingly, both the Conservative opposition in Sutton and the Labour opposition in Croydon are campaigning against such an incinerator, which for them is manna from heaven. Yet, if the boot were on the other foot, and they held power, they too would build an incinerator. Why? Well, because of the landfill tax bill coupled with the complete absence of a guiding principle that prioritises, social, ethical and environmental best practice.

The solution is quite simply to price out incineration as the alternative to landfill. One such way is to introduce an incineration tax of around £45 per tonne of waste. This will leave councils with a greater incentive to recycle and compost as much as possible, rather than allowing recycling to stagnate, which will happen, as there will be a need to provide continued waste to feed the “thermal treatment” plant.

By Shasha Khan

Leader, Croydon Green Party

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Gordon launched for 2012

2011-12-17T12:24:00.003Z

Green candidate Ross launches Croydon and Sutton London Assembly campaign with call for fairer pay

The Green Party’s Gordon Ross on Tuesday launched his campaign to become London Assembly member for Croydon and Sutton with a call to make London a ‘fair pay city.’

The Green Party’s Mayoral candidate, Jenny Jones, joined Ross at the event on the steps of Croydon Town Hall to launch the party’s 10:1 Campaign in the two boroughs. The campaign aims to reduce inequality in the capital by calling for businesses, councils and other employers in London to ensure that their highest-paid employee earns no more than 10 times the wages of their lowest-paid.

Gordon Ross, standing for the Greens in the Croydon and Sutton constituency, said: "The Green Party is campaigning for fair pay for Londoners.

“We want a 10:1 pay ratio, so that no-one in an organisation gets paid more than ten times the wage of the lowest earners. We went to ensure a Living Wage for Londoners, so everyone who is working has a decent standard of living.

”At a time when low wage earners are facing pay freezes, we think it’s only fair that there is a cap on the wages of top earners.”

Speaking about the Green campaign for the GLA, Ross said: “Greens want a fairer, cleaner, greener London.

”In this election every vote for the Greens counts. Getting more Greens elected would help improve life for all Londoners. I've seen what Greens have achieved where they've been elected, and like them I want to promote fairness, reduce inequality and help protect the environment."

Mayoral Candidate Jenny Jones said: “Many Londoners have seen their wages fall in real terms over the past few years. At the same time pay for those at the top has spiralled higher and higher creating vast inequalities that damage the economy and society. The 10:1 campaign is a simple, practical way of addressing this problem that many people are rightly concerned about.”

“Gordon has the energy and determination to bring Green ideas to the forefront of this election campaign. His tireless campaigning on issues such as waste and recycling, education, transport and against the South London incinerator is testament to his commitment to making London a cleaner, greener and fairer city.”

Ends

For further information please contact Joe Williams, the Green Party’s 2012 election campaign press officer, on 0207 549 0219 or joe.williams@greenparty.org.uk

Notes to editors
1. Gordon Ross is an editor for a national business and culture magazine. He has previously stood for Parliament as the Green Party candidate for Croydon South. He has been campaigning on social justice and environmental issues in Sutton and Croydon for the past three years, since moving to the area from Islington.
2. You can find out more information about the 10:1 campaign here: http://www.jennyforlondon.org/fair-pay-city/
3. Photos of Green Party candidates, including Jenny Jones, can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/gplondonphotos
4. A list of Green Party London policies can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/greenpolicies2012
5. A full list of Green Party candidates for the London Assembly elections can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/greencandidates
6. A list of achievements by the Green Party in the London Assembly can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/GPLondonachievements
7. The Green Party of England and Wales promotes the policies of ecological sustainability, a fairer more stable economy, a more equal society, a higher standard of democracy and accountability of politicians to the communities they serve, and social justice on the global level as well as in our own country.
8. Caroline Lucas became the UK’s first Green MP in the 2010 General Election.
9. The Green Party is now the largest party on Brighton and Hove Council.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

D15 - Occupy LSX 60 days old today.

2011-12-15T10:53:00.011Z

A flyer I picked up from the Tent University

Walls and pillars across from St Paul's are covered in political art

St Paul's at night

Occupy London Stock Exchange is 60 days old today, December 15th. Hooray! Many happy returns! None other than Rev Jesse Jackson is addressing the protesters today!!

One evening, a couple of weeks back, I visited Tent City outside St Paul's. It was a cold evening and my first thought was how tough these activists are to cope with such low temperatures day in, day out. It just goes to show their commitment. You wouldn't get an angry Daily Mail reader camping outside the House of Commons campaigning for longer prison sentences. We live in a market forces dominated authoritarian society, and it is the progressives that are left truly exasperated by the 1% screwing the 99%.

My second thought was how wonderfully set up the whole place was. I popped into one of the larger tents which seemed to be a feeding station. Whilst there I noticed a couple of men - city types in suits - having a look around. One said to the other,"It's very well organised." He wasn't wrong!This has been for me the overarching achievement of Occupy LSX. What at first to many commentators seemed to be a bunch of hippies getting ahead of themselves, is now a protest that has gained legitimacy, partly because it is so well organised.

There was much discourse taking place in the larger, more communal tents, that evening, covering the big social, economic and environmental issues of the day. This is another achievement. The memes and solutions that are offered by Occupy are being discussed in the mainstream media and on the world wide web. I had some enlightening conversations with lovely people....the kind I would have probably have met at a rave in the early nineties.

The final thought, that I actually took away from visit, was: inspiration. I sat on the steps of St Paul's and listened to the various announcements relating to business matters of the camp itself. One activist from the Finance Working group announced that funds were now at £10,000, and that donations had now dropped below the £1500 per day mark for the first time. He pointed out that the running costs for Occupy LSX were about £1500. How about that for transparency! Take a leaf out of this book Croydon Council! Green Party leader Caroline Lucas correctly highlighted how genuine the democracy was at the camp when she made a speech at Occupy LSX recently.

A recent Com Res poll pushed by Londons' Bigots Conversation (LBC) noted that when asked:
"whether the protesters should be allowed to stay outside the cathedral for as long as they chose," - 56% disagreed. Turned on its head, 44% did not disagree with this premise. This poll actually reflects the level of public support for change. Long live Occupy LSX.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Away day to Sutton Council for another protest

2011-12-12T22:04:00.010Z

Despite the cold, wet and windy evening, there was still a fantastic turnout by Greens, residents and environmentalists for the Sutton Executive meeting at the Civic Centre in Sutton. Activists posed for the cameras outside the Civic Centre, but it was inside the meeting where another powerful statement was made.

When the Chair of the meeting called item 5. South London Waste Plan - Adoption we stuck £5 and £10 notes over our mouths and stood up in silence, but the impact was deafening. One by one the councillors looked over at us, trying to keep their composure. Notes taped over our mouths symbolises three key factors:

We can't breathe - Increased pollution will mean more people will die prematurely.
Our voices are not being heard - Our submissions to the consultation are never published on the SLWP web site, whereas submissions by the waste companies are in plentiful supply.
Profit (and money) is more important than the well being of the people - Landfill tax at £56 per tonne for biodegradable waste is the stick forcing councils to find an alternative as soon as possible......incineration. Equally, incineration is the most profitable method to dispose of the waste for a waste company.

It was clear that none of the councillors had read the South London Waste Plan because they weren't aware of paragraph 4.60a. It was only when fellow campaigner Jim Duffy spoke about the issue of radioactive and hazardous waste being managed without the need for planning permission did councillors - probably for the first time - reach for the 100+ page document.

Paragraph 4.60a was added to the Plan after the original publication. Council Officer, Darren Edwards spoke in defence inside and outside (we found him talking to SLWP Project Manager, Duncan Clarke in the corridor) the meeting, stating that inserting the clause protects the council. What about people? Who will protect the people?

4.60a
Policy WP2 states that planning permission for additional facilities for other waste streams, including Construction, Demolition and Excavation Waste, Hazardous Waste, Agricultural Waste, Clinical Waste, Radioactive Waste and Waste Water, will be permitted provided there is an identified need and the proposal meets the other policies of South London Waste Plan.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Handcuff Direct Action at Council meeting

2011-12-07T22:05:00.006Z

24 hours after the night before, and I am completely overwhelmed by the messages of praise and support. Thank you! The Tory Chair of the Scrutiny Committee swiftly called for an adjournment, and moved the secret meeting to another room - entirely expected by the way - so our attempt to stall the Waste Procurement process was thwarted.

However, it is fair to say that a lot more people are aware of how commercial sensitivity is being used to hide the truth about what is being built. Just look at these examples:

Protestors handcuff; Protest over incinerator plans; Protestors Handcuff; Croydon Campaigners Force Meeting Move; Railing Against Incinerator Plans

My co-handcuffee, Dave Pettener, explained how big business has been calling the tune (throughout the process) in his submission to the most recent stage of the South London Waste Plan (SLWP) consultation:

The consultation process for the SLWP has NOT been inclusive or clear, it has been long and complicated and absolutely the reserve of specialists. I feel it has ignored the concerns of local residents rather than try to address them. There has been no attempt to present the plan in plain English and it is unfair to expect an ordinary member of the public to decide whether or not the SLWP is good or bad when you are not being told what will be built or where. It feels as if more consideration is being paid to the needs of the potential bidders than the local residents who the SLWP is supposed to be helping.

What ifs?

Whilst it was entirely predictable that the councillors would move to another room, what wasn't clear is how security at the Council would react. Would they call the police?? Would they be aggressive towards us?? As it turned out they spent much of the time looking for a pair of bolt cutters. Friendly dialogue was maintained throughout, and we even discussed the incinerator issue with them. Thanks also to Brendan, Barry and Chris for staying behind with us when the meeting adjourned.

One scenario that ran through my mind, was what if they thought I was an Islamic terrorist?!! An amazing thought I know but, having been stopped and searched for looking like a terrorist before, I couldn't eliminate the possibility. A friend, with experience in direct action, even suggested I wear a T-Shirt and trousers - no layers! Certainly if it was December 2005, rather that December 2011, I would have worn a T-Shirt. What a thing to have to consider.

The key was to point out from the start that:

This was a peaceful non-violent protest in order to highlight how Croydon Council, along with Sutton, Merton and Kingston councils are secretly planning to build a health damaging incinerator. The way the councils hope to build this incinerator is by simply ensuring as few as people as possible are aware of their actual plans; and one such example is this evening, where they are using "commercial sensitivity" to stop the public knowing what is to be built.

Arguably, the financials about the Waste Procurement could be kept private BUT the remaining documents must be made available to the public. It was an appalling move by the Chair of the Committee, Councillor Hollands, when he said he was "comfortable" with the decision to keep the discussion in private. WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Democracy in action.

2011-12-06T15:30:00.005Z

My supplementary question was:

"As it turns out, I won't have to write to the Leader of the Sutton Conservative Party. Just to remind people here, he said he had "grave concerns" about the Beddington Waste Facility - otherwise known as an incinerator; this is because it has been brought to my attention that the restricted documents that Julie Belvoir (Council Solicitor) referred to earlier, refer to Incinerator Bottom Ash being sent to landfill. Incinerator Bottom Ash is the residue left in the chimney after the waste has been burnt. So, my question is this: Does the Council still believe an incinerator won't be built?

Answer from Councillor Thomas:

Mr Khan knows that we cannot discuss blah blah blah. The Green Party in Germany blah blah blah.

He was heckled from the gallery throughout his answer. I called out to the Waddon councillors, who actually pledged they would oppose the incinerator if elected (see here), "You're going to lose your seats." I caught Councillor Claire Hilley looking up at the gallery, I shouted out, "You're going to lose your seat Claire." She appeared to mouth, "So what!" After Councillor Thomas managed some inane reply, he got a round of applause from his fellow Tories.
NOTE: Our tweeter Brendan has been tweeting about Incinerator Bottom Ash being leaked from the document [not from the chimney].
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Tags croydon, greenparty

What to do with low energy light bulbs?

2011-12-01T21:43:00.003Z

I'm guessing that many of us are stock piling used low energy light bulbs. Thankfully, Sainsbury's Purley Way now has a bin for them, situated in their recycling point within the car park.
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Tags croydon, greenparty

Racism in Croydon

2011-11-30T15:30:00.008Z

Croydon is trending globally again. Just 3 months ago it was news and imagery relating to the riots, and now its racism.

I have received a number of texts and emails regarding the now infamous racist outburst by the lady on the Croydon to Wimbledon tram.

I first noticed that there was a vid attracting interest when I checked out the Croydon Advertiser web site for their latest news, this was day before yesterday. At that point the video had only around 3000 hits - now its just shy of 6 million. What can I say, I feel sorry for Emma West, she needs help.....in many ways.

By coincidence I was going to blog about a piece of racist graffiti (above) I noticed in Thornton Heath just last week. Its all the more thought provoking given the high proportion of Black and Asian folks in the area. In addition, I can distinctly remember a similar piece of racist commentary, a few years back, that targeted people of colour in the same location.

Just earlier this month, I posted about a film which asks the question, Is Croydon Racist? What a coincidence that 'My tram experience' hits the news the same month Runnymede Trust drop in on Croydon to find out if the borough is racist?

Poorer areas tend to be populated by immigrant communities; new entrants into this country will congregate where housing is cheaper, and where there is already a community of similar origin already present. Croydon is no different. What is different is the level of income inequality within the borough. Furthermore, given that social mobility is almost nil, it becomes increasingly difficult for those living in poorer areas to climb up the ladder and move away, all the while new migrants are entering an already populated area. Not a good mix.

Periods of austerity arguably correlate with periods of increased racial tension and economic rioting, so when we look back at 2011, should we be surprised that the two occasions Croydon went viral are actually symptoms of a recession? [Written on the same day nearly 2 million public sector workers went on strike]

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Letter to Evening Standard

2011-11-28T16:06:00.002Z

I don't think this letter has been/will be published. Oh well.....

Your article Help me make Croydon great again, says Boris reminds readers that small firms were the worst hit in the riots across London. Croydon was no exception. Whilst the chain stores in the pedestriansised zone enjoyed protection from the police, it was open season on the shops, the overwhelming majority independent stores, in the surrounding the areas. That is why I am stunned to read that the £23 million cash injection to help rebuild Croydon is earmarked for the town centre alone.

Yours sincerely

Shasha Khan

Croydon Green Party

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Comment on criminal children

2011-11-27T09:56:00.003Z

The Croydon advertiser recently interviewed me with my 'youth worker' hat on.

I should point that if I said 'interfere', I meant 'intervene'. As it was mobile phone conversation, the reporter probably didn't hear me clearly.

Link to online version which contains a lot of interesting comment.
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Tags croydon, greenparty

Boris Bikes, Boris Buses and now Boris Bungs??

2011-11-23T18:30:00.010Z

Yesterday's Evening Standard had a headline which read, "Help Me Make Croydon Great Again." The report said that Mayor Boris Johnson is investing £23million to improve Croydon's town centre and urging investors to do the same.

This morning I checked the wording of the press release on the GLA web site. It says that:

The money is a large chunk of the Mayor’s £70m Regeneration Fund set up to help repair the damage caused to high streets and town centres in the August riots

However, we all know that Croydon's town centre - in other words its pedestrianised zone with its shopping centres - was protected by the police and remained reactively untouched, whereas it was open season in the surrounding areas. Many shops and homes were burnt to a cinder.

Question: So why is riot money being used inappropriately?

Answer : Maybe its being used as an inducement to encourage the investment - like a bung....a BORIS BUNG

I'll attempt to explain: On November 10^th Westfield announced it was in “exclusive arrangements” with the Whitgift Foundation to be the development partner of the Whitgift Shopping Centre site. The Croydon Guardian headline stated that, “Million of pounds of investment at stake.”

The Mayor’s announcement is just twelve days after the Westfield announcement; too close in time not to be a coincidence?? Using the riots as a backdrop, Boris has been able to justify a town centre investment to improve the infrastructure around the Whitgift Shopping Centre.

What adds weight to this idea of a bung is the fact that in the aforementioned Evening Standard article, Croydon council leader Mike Fisher said:

"Croydon is committed to investing in major regeneration. The funding from the Mayor of London will help us realise many of our ambitions.Coming so soon after the Westfield announcement this shows there is a real buzz about Croydon right now."

Yes there is already money earmarked for Croydon (and Tottenham) BUT this £23million seems to be, at best, inappropriately used. There will be nothing left for victims of the riots who had their homes and businesses levelled on Church Street and London Road. The Mayor's press release makes this clear:

The Mayor’s investment will support work across the four following areas:

- £5 million to improve the key entrances to Croydon, making them welcoming with more space for pedestrians and improving the transport interchange around West Croydon station, and the junction of Dingwall Road and Lansdowne Road near the new East Croydon station footbridge.

- £7 million to repair and strengthen Croydon’s high street including its main north-south high street.

- £6 million to make Croydon better connected by removing barriers to walking and improving routes between key destinations with improved pedestrian crossings across the Wellesley Road at Bedford Park Road, Lansdowne Road, George Street, the Fairfield Halls and Edridge Road.

- £5 million to attract business with a three year package of support.

= £23 million

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Tags croydon, greenparty

City Council leader

2011-11-22T08:06:00.004Z

On a recent visit to Brighton I picked up a copy of the local free paper. The front page story was about a house on Chester Terrace that had remained empty for 32 years.

The striking thing about the piece - at least for me - was the comment made by the elected member on Brighton City Council:

City council leader, the Green Party's Bill Randell said....

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Tags croydon, greenparty