Policies

Click on the icons below to learn about some of the Green Party’s key policies

Click here for a more detailed look at the Green Party’s national policies

Local Policies

LOCAL DEMOCRACY

Locally we work towards:

•        An elected regional government & devolution from centre not from local councils (1971 Radcliffe Maud Report)

•        Devolving power to lowest level practicable

•        Creating a framework to encourage/support Parish & Town Councils

•       Proportional representation for local elections

LOCAL ECONOMY & TAXATION

Locally we work towards:

•        Local production for local use by promoting small scale local businesses with appropriate subsidies

•        Publicly owned community banks, credit unions

•        Taxing land owners for the rental value of land to replace council tax & business rate

•        Encouraging farmers markets & cooperatives

•        Liaison between local industry & community for better understanding & involvement

•        Local audits of community facilities/services/assets

•        Participatory budgeting with local communities

WASTE & RECYCLING

Locally we work towards:

•        Separation & collection & biowaste treatment as an alternative to incineration

•        More recycling & treatment of biowaste to feed into allotments

•        Discouraging packaging etc (production of waste)

•        Education & inducements for waste reduction

•        Use of recycled goods & materials

ARTS & LEISURE

Locally we work towards:

•        Encouraging School, College & University facilities for community use

•        Maximising availability of parks to the community

•        Encouraging participation as well as spectatorship in arts/sports

•        Promoting bandstands & community music, encouraging live music

•        Providing arts & leisure opportunities for improving mental & physical health

•        Supporting maintenance & extension of public footpaths & bridle ways

•        Promoting & maintaining village greens & green spaces

•        Building/creating cycle paths & lanes

•        Encouraging awareness of the history & fabric of the city

•        Supporting good and well thought out community led initiatives and transfer of assets to community control (e.g. HEART)

•        Supporting activities in the theatre and arts which encourage participation and community involvement.

•        Encouraging crafts and providing more neighbourhood workshops, instruction and tool loan facilities.

•       Exploring the possibilities of extended and flexible opening hours for Council amenities

EDUCATION

Locally we work towards:

•        Education for life – e.g. support University of the Third Age, support return of adult education (e.g. WEA, etc.)

•        Encouraging universities & colleges to open up to the community

•        Lobbying to scrap tuition fees & SATS & league tables

•        Scrapping academies & PFI for construction (long term costs)

•        Supporting more education on conflict resolution & problem solving, & more education on development & democracy

•        Maximising local control over curriculum (through abolition of SATS & national curriculum)

•        Providing smaller class sizes

•        Promoting more local schools – less travel

•        Promoting more school buses (real & walking)

COMMUNITY, SAFETY & CRIME

Locally we work towards:

•        Improving the design of our streets and public spaces to provide a safer environment

•        Ensuring universal access to high quality youth facilities

•        Repairing damage done to public amenities and spaces promptly

•        Increasing resources for caretakers, attendants and staff on estates, railway stations, parks and other public areas

•        Viewing drug-taking as a health rather than a crime issue

•        Opposing national ID cards

•        Supporting an increase in community policing, more local police stations & more accountability to elected local government

•        Supporting independent police complaints procedures

•        Establishing mediation & conflict resolution & local law advice centres (inc restorative justice)

•        Encouraging local police to work with the local community to maintain & improve quality of life

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE

The Council does not have direct responsibility for professional health care, but it does have many responsibilities with regard to maintaining an environment which fosters physical and mental health.

We are opposed to the ‘opting out’ of NHS hospitals to become self governing Trusts, but where this takes place we would press for the maximum of accountable local representation on Trust boards.

Locally we work towards:

•        Establishing an Environmental Health Unit to co ordinate environmental health with housing, leisure services and education to ensure optimum living conditions and promote health education. This unit would also take responsibility for the occupational health of the City Council employees and endeavour to demonstrate to other local employees what can be achieved.

The Outdoor Environment

We work towards:

•        Monitoring levels of environmental contaminants and publicising results.

•        Taking action on road safety, with financial support for local road safety initiatives.

•        Taking action against dog fouling in parks and on verges with special dog free areas and strong enforcement of byelaws.

•        Setting up a system of Neighbourhood Caretakers who will co ordinate local voluntary and official action on the local environment   litter, pavement repairs, vandalism, dog fouling, dumping   and carry out minor odd jobs.

•        Encouraging regular rubbish collections by local people, organised through Neighbourhood Caretakers, and seeking to make communities take on more responsibility for preventing and clearing litter.

A Healthy Indoor Environment

We work towards:

•        Taking action on food and diet within the City Council and the canteens and other food providers it has responsibility for.

•        Displaying warning notices about drinking and driving wherever drink is consumed on council premises and provide a range of soft drinks as well as alcohol at all Council functions.

•        Asserting the right of all employees to refuse to work in a smoky atmosphere.

•        Helping employees with problems overcome their addiction to tobacco, drink and other drugs which affect their health.

Health Education

We work towards:

•        Promoting at school the idea of having time to relax and be quiet, and learning how to overcome stress and tension without drugs.

•        Encouraging pupils to seek a sport or activity which suits them and which they are likely to continue into adult life.

•        Supporting teaching about sex and family responsibility such as childcare, contraception, sexual relationships, sexual diseases, care of the sick.

HOUSING

Locally we work towards:

•        A tax on empty properties.

•        Greatly improving the efficiency of Council nominations to Housing Associations.

•        Seeking improved provision by the Universities for students to lessen the pressure on rented accommodation.

•        Seeking to control the height and location of large scale student accommodation blocks.

•        Supporting the rights of travellers to live in the way that they have chosen; meet the legal obligation, currently ignored by the City Council, to provide an adequate number of sites with proper facilities.

•        Carrying out a comprehensive housing insulation programme and encouraging passive solar heating and energy use reduction techniques

•        Giving preference to the renovation of existing properties. Where it is necessary to build new housing, giving preference to building on derelict land. Where rural housing is needed, putting the needs of the local community first; therefore  giving preference to low cost housing.

•        Strictly enforcing the current legislation relating to houses of multiple occupation.

•        Providing grants to help the disabled convert their houses where necessary.

TRANSPORT

Locally we work towards:

•        Working for an integrated transport policy that includes a priority for public transport

•        Developing a planning process that reduces the need for travel

•        Campaigning for more local control over public transport

•        Introducing more car-free zones, home zones, car clubs, bus lanes, etc.

•        Improving passenger information and ensuring everyone knows about their local services

•        Encouraging operators to improve the image of public transport

•        Encouraging the use of cycles

•        Addressing seriously the needs of pedestrians and disabled people as road users

Pedal Power

Bicycles are a healthy and efficient means of transport and in cities like Leeds are as fast and convenient as cars. However, most people are put off cycling simply because traffic levels in Leeds make it a dangerous way to travel. They turn to other methods of transport which cost users and the community more   for example buses and cars. Despite this, there are more bicycles than cars in the U.K. and as many new bicycles as new cars sold in each year. If the conditions were right, many more people could use their bicycles.

Local Policies

We work towards:

•        Ensuring all road modifications take account of cycle safety.

•        Making special provision for cyclists at dangerous junctions.

•        Developing a network of attractive routes and cycleways.

•        Giving maintenance of present road surfaces priority over building new roads.

•        Providing more and safer cycle parking facilities and committing the Council to a cycling budget that recognises that thousands of Leeds people use cycles.

•        Providing, protecting, maintaining and increasing public rights of way and leisure routes for walkers and cyclists.

Moves Afoot

The commonest way of making a journey is by foot. The emphasis given to motor traffic always leaves people on foot second best when it comes to crossing busy roads and walking beside them.

Local Policies

We work towards:

•        Reducing the amount of through traffic and the speed of traffic in all areas, especially in residential areas e.g. through the use of traffic calming

•        Pursuing selected pedestrianisation and road closure schemes in residential and commercial areas.

•        Providing more road crossings, keep subways clean and attractive, and generally providing safe and pleasant conditions for pedestrians where necessary at the expense of motor traffic.

ENERGY, FARMING & FOOD

There is very poor control over energy use in the City. We work towards:

•        Setting up an effective Energy Unit within the Council.

•        Developing a long term energy plan for the City.

•        Launching a sustained programme of energy education.

•        Improving the energy performance of all public buildings.

•        Encouraging Leeds people to improve the energy performance of their businesses and homes.

•        Supporting an energy and heating advice service.

•        Looking into ways of using waste heat in the City.

•        Providing support for community initiatives.

•        Discouraging light pollution by replacing inefficient and wasteful street lighting with energy efficient downward pointing lamps.

•        Ensuring that new buildings are designed and orientated to take the best advantage of solar energy.

•        Supporting micro-generation of energy, for example through small scale production, coppicing, etc.

•        Promoting and encouraging the use of allotments and production of local produce.

•        Promoting and encouraging local farmer’s markets.

THE LEEDS ENVIRONMENT

Local Policies

•        We actively support small ‘human size’ farms where animals are reared organically and, as far as is practical, allowed to roam free. Animals should also be protected from climatic conditions that would be harmful to them.

•        We encourage a reduction in the consumption of all animal produce and would actively promote the development and use of foods which are both more humane and healthy.

•        We aim to introduce a ‘hot line’ to enable citizens to determine whether individual trees and hedgerows are protected and, if not, to help them place Tree Preservation Orders quickly and efficiently.

•        We actively support the growth and development of urban wildlife and ecosystems, with special emphasis on the creation of wildlife corridors.

•        Forestry would be supported and developed, both for its own sake and as a renewable resource.

•        We support the extension and improvement of green spaces, including the river and canal environments.

•        We would enforce and strengthen the prohibition of car parking on grass verges.