Xtra Column piece for local Guardian newspapers

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

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.

• 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

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:

1. We can't breathe - Increased pollution will mean more people will die prematurely.
2. 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.
   
3. 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

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.

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?

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

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