Including 'fierce' opposition to third runway and Gunnersbury Park funding

Hounslow Green Party have thirteen candidates standing in the local elections for Hounslow Council. Dr. John Hunt is also standing as Parliamentary candidate for Brentford and Isleworth Constituency.

Key points of their Local Manifesto includes:

1. Fiercely oppose a third runway at Heathrow.

2. Increase the use of 20mph zones in Hounslow. These have been proven to reduce casualties, particularly for children. We recognize that they are not suitable for every road in Hounslow and will involve local residents in these decisions.

3. Put forward a robust case to London Transport for Piccadilly line trains to stop at Turnham Green tube station throughout the day.

4. Ensure that walking and cycling become safer and more pleasurable.

5. Fight to keep neighbourhood policing from cuts.

6. Match Ealing Council’s funding for Gunnersbury Park to prevent the sale of 5.6 acres of woodland in the park.

7. Adopt the 10-10 campaign for a 10% reduction in Greenhouse Gas for Hounslow Council in 2010.

8. Hold Thames Water accountable for odour and mosquitoes from the Mogden Sewage works and force them to take any remedial action necessary.

Dr. John Hunt, “We believe that the public services the council provides are fundamentally important to the well-being of our communities. They are part of our essential infrastructure. We should be proud of them and fund them properly. Our policies will make the Borough of Hounslow a safer and more pleasant place to live and work in.”

Hounslow Green Party Local Manifesto

Transport

Heathrow Airport

• As Greens we are totally opposed to a third runway at Heathrow. Noise from the airport already blights the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in West London. Pollution is too high near the airport and any expansion would draw in more traffic.
• We want to see the quality of people’s lives improved. Let’s clean up the air, not fill it with fumes from aviation.
• The Green Party will promote good jobs in this area that don’t depend on the fortunes of Heathrow as an airport.
• The Green Party is very clear that airport expansion is not the way to a better future.
  20 mph speed limits
• We will increase the use of 20mph speed limit zones in Hounslow. These have proved to save young children from death and injury. In December 2009 the law changed so that councils can put in place 20 mph limits in a whole zone without also needing chicanes and speed-bumps. We recognize that they are not suitable for every road in Hounslow, and we would ask local residents first.
• Pedestrian injuries were reduced by a little under a third and cycling casualties by 17%.

Turnham Green tube station

• Nationally Greens will work for a properly integrated national public transport network. As part of this work we will put forward a robust case to London Transport for Piccadilly line trains to stop at Turnham Green tube station throughout the day.

• We will ensure that walking and cycling become safer and more pleasurable. Streets should be public spaces, not race tracks. We will enhance local cycle routes and add more cycle racks near shops and stations. We will spend more money on sustainable transport officers to encourage walking and cycling and carry out cycle training in schools.

Crime prevention

• Safer neighbourhood teams have been one of the most direct and visible improvements in policing for Londoners. As part of your council tax you already pay to get a dedicated team of one sergeant, two constables and three community support officers walking the streets in your ward. This "1-2-3" model was introduced as a minimum for every ward and some town centres. We will fight to keep this model from Conservative cuts by the Mayor of London.

Environment and planning

• Gunnersbury Park
  The Green Party will oppose the sale of 5.6 acres of woodland in Gunnersbury Park to fund the refurbishment of listed buildings there. Ealing council have passed a motion to prevent residential building on the park and have approved a £5m capital budget to refurbish the listed buildings. We will match Ealing’s funding.
  We will ensure that selling parkland is not considered as an option in the future.

Climate change

• We will increase the Greenhouse Gas reduction target from the target of 8% set in the Local Agreement for 2008-2011 from 8% to 20%. We will adopt the 10-10 campaign for a 10% reduction in Greenhouse Gas for Hounslow Council in 2010.

Recycling and waste disposal

• We will hold Thames Water accountable for odour and mosquitoes from the Mogden Sewage works and force them to take any remedial action necessary.
• We will improve the penetration of the existing recycling scheme through advertising and making recycling easier for people who live in flats.
• We will oppose further expansion of incinerators.

Business

• We will support small, local shops through planning policies such as business conservation areas.
  Leisure
• We oppose the sale of school playing fields to developers. It is very important that young people have access to proper sports facilities. We will encourage youth clubs and improve sporting facilities so young people have something to do.
• We will support local allotments, and investigate if more land could be made available, to reduce waiting times.
  

April 12, 2010