Press Release: Sustainable Communities Act - Petition with 846 signatures delivered

Additional comment:

I am pleased that the council have finally come to their senses and listened to what shopkeepers, local people and the Green Party have been demanding.

However, by leaving it to the last minute to pass the motion, the council has left itself with an impossible task. Their own motion requires the council to set up a Citizens Panel (or panels) of local people across the borough who can develop potential proposals which would promote sustainability by 31^st July!

It’s difficult to comprehend what the councillors were thinking. This debacle implies that the Act was not taken seriously all along and belated attempts to embrace it were an afterthought.

We hear Conservative leader David Cameron constantly talking about a ‘bottom up’ approach to government and who can forget “vote blue go green”? But people that want to see sustainable decisions that secure the vibrancy of our communities, can now see this Tory council is all about ‘top down’ power and to “vote blue is to get blue.”

21.07.09 for immediate release

PRESS RELEASE – “ACT NOW! PART II” Photo Opp.

Photo opp. details:

22^nd July. 3pm outside Town Hall, Katherine Street, Croydon

CROYDON SHOPKEEPERS AND LOCAL CAMPAIGNERS WILL BE ASKING CROYDON COUNCIL ONCE AGAIN TO JOIN OTHER COUNCILS AND ‘OPT IN’ TO THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ACT.

Croydon Green Party campaigners will again stand alongside local shopkeepers calling again on this council to ‘opt in’ (1) to the Sustainable Communities Act (2). This time they will be presenting their petitions with a covering letter to the Town Hall.

This Act of parliament gives communities the opportunity to support local shops and improve the social wellbeing in their area. Individuals from across the borough form a ‘Citizens Panel’ to come up with suggestions to the council. In Birmingham the Citizens Panel proposed that small businesses should be promoted by increasing business rate relief (3).

Supporting the campaign is Esther Sutton, a local licensee. Her pub the Green Dragon was recently voted best pub in Croydon. Esther said:

“Small businesses are vital for local communities. Pubs in particular often double as ‘community centres’ where people across social strata can socialise, play sports be entertained, do business or gather for important events. The sad fact is that 52 pubs a week* are closing in this country, possibly forced out of business by huge supermarket chains retailing alcohol at impossibly low prices. The Sustainable Communities Act creates more of a level playing field by helping to preserve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of local communities.”

Despite the pressure on Croydon council to ‘opt in’ and ‘Act Now’, the Conservative council has been stalling and even suggested, “the Act doesn’t go far enough.”

Commenting on the council’s recent response, Shasha Khan said:

“Shopkeepers and campaigners read the council’s response in your paper with disdain. Other areas are using the Act to support local businesses. In suggesting that the Act doesn’t go far enough the council are giving a clear signal that their priorities lie with supermarkets and out of town retail parks and they simply do no value local shops.”

Green Party campaigner Amelie Boleyn added:

“The petition gives worried customers an opportunity to express to the council how important local shops are for our communities. Croydon Council must act now so we can give more say to our communities”

Ends

Notes:

(1) http://www.localworks.org/?q=node/5#5

(2) http://www.localworks.org/

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Letter on Sustainable Communities Act

Dear Editor,

In response to your inside story covering our campaign to ratify the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 in Croydon, I reply with fustration at the council officials comments regarding the apparent ‘weakness’ of the Act. Let us not forget that this is the same council, which grants the unsustainable development of out of town superstores as well as their conglomerated counterparts such as Tesco Metro’s, surfacing ownership more or less on any spare piece of brown-belt remaining. It seems to be with immense regret that our council have allowed big business to overrule and dictate the path of economic development in Croydon in favour of shareholder returns in place of the livelihood of butchers, greengrocers, fishmongers, to name but a few which were once upon a time part of the back-bone of the once many vibrant communities, which entwined Croydon only to be replaced by a multitude of takeaways and fast-food outlets - we are surely spoilt for choice, no need to source our food locally when all we need to do is grab some deep-fried pre-incarcerated chicken drumsticks and genetically modified potato wedges and head straight home in time to catch the next episode of Big Brother? Are our lifestyles really guided by personal preference or are we now living in a society which is governed by what our chosen politicians gift wrap as democracy? And let us move on to our public services. The few remaining local post offices struggling to provide a value added service against all the odds in a climate fighting centralization. Police stations are centralized, reduced to part-time or closing completely not to mention our local fire stations. Is it at all surprising that the word ‘local’ doesn’t seem to register on our radars any more? To many of us, shopping and working locally involves getting in the car and driving to the nearest out of town shopping complex, motorway, or train stations and even our children’s schools if we can find a space! Infastructure goes deeper than simply adding roads. Community and locality is the key to improving our quality of lives, and it seems the only piece of legislation designed to encourage the return of our vibrant past is being excused as too weak. Could it be that council officials are concerned that the community are not capable of deciding how to contribute to decisions which benefit the vibrance of our town? The petition says it all LBC, the community disagrees. We call on LBC to appoint a Citizens Panel, sit up and Act Now and sign by July 31^st.

Amelie Elisabeth Boleyn

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Tags croydon, greenparty

You tube video of the Sustainable Communities Act demo

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Photos and press cuttings from Sustainable Communities Act demo

Shasha Khan and Amelie Boleyn - highlight the emergency

Croham Road, South Croydon

Brigstock Road, Thornton Heath

Lower Addiscombe Road, Addiscombe

Online versions of story can be viewed here (Croydon Advertiser) and here (Croydon Guardian)

PRESS RELEASE – “ACT NOW!” Photo Opp.

For Release on Wednesday 1^st July:

CROYDON SHOPKEEPERS AND LOCAL CAMPAIGNERS CALL ON CROYDON COUNCIL TO JOIN OTHER COUNCILS AND ‘OPT IN’ TO THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ACT.

Croydon Green Party campaigners today stood alongside local shopkeepers in the north, centre and south of the borough (see locations and time below) in calling on this council to ‘opt in’ (1) to the Sustainable Communities Act (2). This Act, would give the council the opportunity to charge business rates on the car parks of out of town retail parks. The money that is collected could be given to shops on our local high streets in the form of a discount on their business rates. Local shops that have yellow lines or red routes outside their premises are presently disadvantaged.

This Act of parliament gives local communities the opportunity to improve the quality of life and social wellbeing in their local area.

Commenting on the council’s failure, Shasha Khan said:

“Having spoken to many shopkeepers over the last few weeks, I am now acutely aware that local shops – which define our communities - need support to get through this recession.

“Unfortunately, local shops can’t compete on a level playing field and this Act addresses the situation.

“We all realise the importance of thriving local communities with local shops and services. Thanks to this piece of legislation, which was championed by groups such as the National Federation of Postmasters and Help the Aged, councils can put forward proposals to government which assist the economic wellbeing of a community.

“However, time is running out for Croydon council to ‘opt in’. The London borough’s of Lambeth, Lewisham, Sutton and Kingston have joined the process and so should Croydon. 31^st July is the deadline so today marks the start of the final month.

“The last time I spoke to a council official about the Act, I was told they were thinking about it.

“I am forever seeing Conservatives mourning the loss of local shops and post offices but I am beginning to think that these are just gestures. By not ‘opting in’ to this Act, Croydon Council will fail to help local businesses. The reality must be that Croydon Conservatives are signed up to the big business agenda and champion the unrestricted growth of supermarkets and cloned retail parks. Local shopkeepers regularly identify these developments as the main reason why they are closing down.

Green Party campaigner Amelie Boleyn added:

“We have started a petition because it gives worried customers an opportunity to express to the council how important local shops are for our communities. Croydon Council must act now so we can give more say to our communities”

Customers can sign the petition where they see the Croydon Council Act Now! posters. An online version is available at:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/sustainable-communities.html

Three separate protests will be held in the north, centre and south of the borough on 1^st July.

• 10.30am outside Bouquet Florists 21-23 Croham Rd South Croydon, CR2 7PB
• 11.15am outside Gibson Butchers 301 Lower Addiscombe Road, Croydon CR0 6RF
• Midday outside Roberts Greengrocers 50 Brigstock Road, Thornton Heath, CR7 8RX

Ends

Notes:

(1) (2) http://www.localworks.org/

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Letter on Sustainable Communities Act

The text of the letter is below. Please support our petition regarding Sustainable Communities Act

12th March 2009

Dear Editor,

A few of your readers may have noticed the Conservative PPC for Croydon North’s ‘Save Our Shops’ posters in shop windows north of the borough. Any campaign to support local independent retailers is worthy. As many shopkeepers in the Thornton Heath and Norbury area know, the Greens have been leading the way with a “Support Your Local Shops” poster campaign over the last three years. The idea is to remind shoppers to support their local independent stores. Indeed the Federation of Small Businesses indicated that the Green party manifesto in 2008 was the most sympathetic to small enterprise. So, I am pleased the Tories appear to have come round to our way of thinking.

Greens recognise that a local economy built on thriving independent shops improves the vitality of the community and crucially keeps profits in the area, rather than benefiting some remote corporate headquarters.

However, I am concerned that the Conservative party’s campaign is not principled and merely posturing. If the Croydon Conservatives are really keen to support local shops then this Conservative council can do something right now by ‘opting in’ to the Sustainable Communities Act.

Thanks to this piece of legislation, which was championed by groups such as the National Federation of Postmasters and Help the Aged, councils can put forward proposals to government which assist the economic wellbeing of a community.

For example, councils can pressurise central government to abolish uniform business rates – coincidentally introduced by the Conservatives in 1990 – which has a negative impact on small businesses. Lambeth and Lewisham councils have signed up to this Act, so why not Croydon?

I can only conclude that the Croydon Conservatives must be ‘signed up’ to the big business agenda resulting in the unrestricted growth of supermarkets and cloned retail parks which shopkeepers regularly identify to me as the main reason why they are closing down.

Yours sincerely

Shasha Khan
Croydon Green Party

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Tags croydon, greenparty