Press Release: South Norwood trees

Press release: Trees in South Norwood are being ‘stumped’

Croydon Green Party contacted the council several months (almost one year) ago to find out why trees were being cut in Archer and Lonsdale Roads, leaving stumps. A resident on Archer Road had notified the local party of this extreme action. Croydon Green party were informed by the council that the tree in Lonsdale Road was cut to a metre high stump because fruit falling from the crab apple tree was causing a hazard as the pavement surface was becoming slippery. The tree on Archer Road was cut to a metre stump level because of subsidence claims.

Shasha Khan pointed out, “I was told by the council that these trees would be replaced but the resident has told us that this has not been the case. Furthermore, I was under the impression that trees needed to be removed completely to satisfy subsidence claims. I think a full explanation should be given to the local residents.”

He continued, “Urban trees have a range of benefits, including promoting habitat for wildlife, improving the street aesthetically and combating the effects of global warming. Yet, they are disappearing due to insurance claims, the majority of which are probably unjustified. We should be exploring funding and sponsorship from private developers through planning agreements and even consider root pruning where appropriate.

Leaving these trees as stumps has created a different type of hazard, especially for those residents parking their cars after dark.”

Ends

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Tags croydon, greenparty

FOI Letter sent to local papers

Link to story

Dear Sir,

I am dismayed but ultimately not surprised that all three Croydon MP’s backed the bill which makes them exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. This latest contemptible action is indicative of the ‘self serving’ nature of Wicks, Pelling and Ottoway. Over the last few years MP’s have increased their pensions and secured £25 million from taxpayers to cover a shortfall in their pension fund. This latest episode further displays their selfish motivations.
This exemption from the Freedom of Information Act means that the Croydon Guardian cannot scrutinise on our behalf the ‘expenses’ of our elected MP’s, and lets not forget - its taxpayers money that they are spending! If the MP’s have a concern regarding the confidentiality of letters received from their constituents then what is wrong with amending the Data Protection Act? It’s a no brainer!
By securing this exemption to the Freedom of Information Act, constituents will wonder where the MP’s interests lie. Is it with serving the people of Croydon or is it with serving themselves?

Yours sincerely

Mr Shasha Khan
Croydon Green Party


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Tags croydon, greenparty

Protect Brownlow Road & Park Hill

Yet more proposed demolition of houses in Croydon to make way for blocks of flats, this time in Brownlow Road, in Park Hill, Fairfield.

Local Resident Erik has set up a web site Protect Brownlow Road & Park Hill and we (the local residents) are fighting the proposals.

The proposed development would see two houses replaced by a block of 13 flats. The two large gardens would be tarmacked over to create a car park, removing a substantial amount of wildlife habitat from the area.

One of the issues is the presence of badgers in the area, and the probable existence of an active badger set in one of the gardens. This video from last year shows a badger in one of the adjacent gardens.



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Tags croydon, greenparty, Badger

Croydon Meeting

Monday May 28th at the Spreadeagle 39, High St, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 1QD - map.

The meetings will start at 8.00pm, upstairs in the function room at the back which faces the Town Hall.

This is a Sutton & Croydon Green Party meeting.



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Tags croydon, greenparty

FREE CYCLING LESSONS

FREE CYCLING LESSONS

FOR YOU & YOUR FAMILY

Winterbourne School, Winterbourne Road
CR7 7QT 2 – 5pm

SATURDAYSon 19 & 26 May, 2 & 9 June

This is a pilot scheme and if successful, will continue every Saturday.

- LEARN TO RIDE A BICYCLE

- IMPROVE & GAIN CONFIDENCE

- CYCLING ON THE ROAD & PLAYGROUND

- CYCLING WITH CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, ETC.

- 8 YEARS UP WITH ADULT CONSENT

- CYCLE CHECK & MINOR REPAIRS WITH

Dr BIKE 2 TO 4PM

Limited places. You may book on 079040 21944 / dezoysa@aol.com or otherwise just turn up.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Beulah Hill Fun Day

Beulah Hill Fun Day at Beulah Hill school on Saturday 19th May was by all accounts a success. However, there was a shadow over the event with news that there had been a fatal knife attack on nearby Parchmore Road the night before. With the local Sergeant being called away, the local Police Community Safety Officers for the Bensham Manor ward filled in for the day.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Press release National Veggie week

LOCAL GREENS RISE TO THE VEGETARIAN CHALLENGE

To mark the 15th annual National Vegetarian Week, the Vegetarian Society is asking politicians to match environmental taxes and carbon trading policies with a personal commitment to a greener way of life, by going vegetarian. Vegetarians’ meat and fish-free lifestyle reduces their impact on the environment. Almost a fifth of climate-changing greenhouse gases come from livestock production. Animals reared for meat are a major source of water pollution and the majority of deforestation is carried out to clear land for livestock pasture and the growing of their feed crops. (1)

Local Green Party spokesperson, Shasha Khan, said: "To meet the challenge I am going to go fully vegetarian for a week. I am technically a pesco-vegetarian as I occasionally eat fish. I am afraid my mum’s fish curry beats me every time! "

I think everyone would benefit in a super sized world from cutting back and I am hoping other politicians take up the Vegetarian Societies challenge of giving up meat for a week. The range of tasty alternatives to meat is ever growing, so its easy to make the switch. ”

Local Green Party spokesperson Bernice Golberg said: "I am fully vegetarian every week! It’s great that that so many are joining the growing numbers of vegetarians.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

(1) http://www.vegsoc.org/vegweek/reasons.html

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Rhinocycle latest

Andy Lindsay is building a new rhinocycle for his ride up the
country. Above is a glimpse of what the finished article will look like. Andy has agreed to keep us updated during his epic journey by forwarding photgraphs from Internet cafes en route. Watch this space!

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Croydon Greens join residents campaign

Norbury residents invited Shasha Khan to join them to

protest against plans to erect storage containers on the

green triangular space where Semley and Hatch roads

meet (opposite the church).

The containers will store bathroom suites for 12 months whilst

urgent work is carried out to former LCC housing nearby.

The residents have not been properly consulted and have

raised several objections:

1) The area is known to be hallowed land that was used as a

burial site for victims of the bubonic plague.

2) The storage containers will be subject to vandalism.

3) There are no guarantees that the land would be

returned by the workman to its present condition.

4) The green space is used by the church for events.

The residents all agreed that the work needed to be carried out

BUT an alternative storage location must be sought.

Link to story in Croydon Guardian

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Local Green camapigner in the local paper!

Link to article
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Tags croydon, greenparty

Press release: Election Round Up

Press release: Greens make dramatic council gains

Whilst Croydon was election free this year, town halls around England were a hive of activity for the council elections in the first week of May. The Green Party now has 111 councillors - an increase of almost 20 per cent. Local party spokesperson, Shasha Khan said,

“Whilst other parties continue to squabble about who polled how much and how well, relatively speaking, they have done; the Greens, without question, continue to grow in England. Significant gains were made in Brighton, which doubled its number of Green councillors to twelve, plus Norwich and Lancaster. The evidence is clear: wherever Greens get elected, the electorate like what they see and want more!”

Even though London was election free this year, local members took the train to Redhill to assist Green activist, Jonathan Essex, in his campaign to get elected on to Reigate and Banstead council. Shasha Khan continued,

“We are all thrilled for Jonathan because he polled 22% per cent of the vote and finished second in Redhill East. It just goes to show that even under the archaic first past the post system, the electorate is not dissuaded from voting for what they believe in – that is genuine ethical and sustainable policies.”

Ends

Link to Green Party election round up
Link to Reigate and Banstead election results


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Tags croydon, greenparty

Historic Green wins in Brighton and Hove Council

The Green Party is celebrating a doubling of its councillors on Brighton and Hove City Council today, Friday 4th May.

With twelve city councillors, it makes it the largest single unitary Green councillor group in the country. The party won more than 20% of the vote across the city at the election.



It gained two seats in central Brighton’s Regency Ward and another in Hanover & Elm Grove Ward, with 22 year old Vicky Wakefield-Jarrett taking a seat from veteran Labour councillor Joyce Edmond-Smith.

The Greens also took three council seats in Queens Park Ward from Labour, doubling the total number of Greens to twelve out of 54, only one less than Labour's 13.

Green councillor Keith Taylor thanked the voters for what he called a historic result which he said proved that voters in the city were ready to trust the Greens to develop a greener, fairer vision for the city in the long term.

Greens also have the largest number of council seats of any party in Brighton Pavilion parliamentary constituency, a top target for the party at the next general election. They now hold nine seats in the constituency to the Tories' six and Labour's five.

The council remains in no overall control.

Full party results:

Conservative 26 (+6)
Labour 13 (-10)
Green 12 (+6)
LibDem 2 (-1)
Independent 1 (-1)

http://www.brightonandhovegreenparty.org.uk/

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Tags brighton, greenparty

Video: CTC Mayday rally

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Tags croydon, greenparty