Welcome to your Lewes District Green Party Website

Just in Lewes we have seen the closure of vital post offices, like the one on Landport, leaving residents with increasing difficulty in accessing postal services, while most of us will have noticed that there are now fewer collections and later deliveries. Royal Mail management – and the government – call this 'modernisation'. In our view, Royal Mail workers and management have been on a collision course since the private sector has been forced on the service. By removing profitable parts of the business for the benefit of speculators and investors, the Government has created an environment in which the interests of the population of the UK as a whole - as well as postal workers – have been ill-served. It is of especial concern that this Labour Government is not content with overseeing the dismantling of this vital service, but now appears to be colluding with Royal Mail management to undermine the rights of the Union and its representatives, and condoning the side-lining of the CWU in working towards the completion of the agreement from the last period of industrial action. The Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has offered the CWU the Green's full support in the coming days, stating that "...we hope that any action is swift and positive in its results. As it did two years ago, the Green Party will lobby at every level to support the CWU cause." I know that the current strikes are inconveniencing all of us, but I want to see postal workers fully engaged in a fully accountable pubic service, which is modernised to our benefit and not to give greater profits to private companies. That is the fair system that my party believes is worth fighting for.

Greens Want Town Council Pledge - 27th October 2009

Green Town Councillors have recently submitted a motion to Lewes Town Council to sign up to the 10:10 Campaign by making a firm commitment to reducing its emissions by 10% between now and the end of 2010

Perhaps Ann de Vecchi can be forgiven for taking such a parochial view of the recent elections extolling Lib Dem success and crowing over some supposed collapse in the Green vote. We took the realistic view that most people would be pretty happy to see Ruth O'Keeffe returned as their County Councillor, whereas the Lib Dems threw themselves at the division and suffered a catastrophic decline in their support. Instead Lewes Greens put all our effort into getting increased support at the European level and were handsomely rewarded. Indeed the Lewes District counting area saw the Green Party with the fourth highest percentage (15.67%) of the total vote out of all counting areas in the entire South East.

Consider Voting Green in the European and County Council Elections - 22nd May 2009

HELP SAFEGUARD LOCAL JOBS AND COUNTY HALL - JOIN THE GREEN PARTY

Frustrated by the current behaviour of MP's undermining the shape of British Politics? In a recent poll, 34% of people said they would 'either definitely be voting Green or would consider voting Green' (Click on Logo). And you? Please take a moment to read our Green County Manifesto and consider downloading a poster to put in your window to show your support. Thanks!!

Greens Disappointed by Lewes Flood Plain Application - 15th May 2009

LEARN ABOUT THE ORIGINAL GREEN NEW DEAL

"I think it is regrettable that the Environment Agency's conclusion on the flood risk goes against the concrete experience of many living in the area and to say that a 1-in-200 year defence is in place misses the point that this concerns protection from the river - not run-off from the Downs."

Greens Keep Up Lewes / Uckfield Rail Link Support - 13th May 2009

THINK ABOUT VOTING GREEN IN THE FUTURE. SEE WHY

20mph Zones - Greens have led the way - 21st April 2009

In and around Lewes your local Green Party has pressed for safer streets. Currently there is no commitment from ESCC to introduce a 20mph zone throughout Lewes Town and its neighbourhoods.

Lewes Greens Frustrated by Recycling Petition Response by LDC - 11th April 2009

In response to a recently submitted petition to Lewes District Council (LDC) calling for comprehensive domestic and commercial recycling services, Lewes District Green Party (LDGP) were frustrated to be told at a recent meeting with LDC's Waste and Recycling Department, that recycling facilities in the foreseeable future will not improve due to the lack of funding and resources. However, LDC were exceptionally realistic about what the Council could achieve and prioritise given its £3million-a-year budget, a budget that is being continually stretched to subsidise other LDC policies. This limited budget falls in stark contrast to the escalating £100million Newhaven incinerator project that ESCC approved in late 2008. The recycling petition, that was submitted in early March 2009, after 9 months of petitioning and hundreds of signatures from residents and business owners alike, called for the following aims: • Roadside collection of cardboard, green waste and ‘Tetrapaks’ by the end of 2009 • Roadside collection of lower grade plastics and packaging by the end of 2010 • All street bins with specific sections for paper, cans, glass and plastics by the end of 2010 • To make Lewes District ‘Plastic Bag Free’ by the end of 2010 It was confirmed at a recent meeting in North Street, between Lewes Greens and LDC, that roadside collection services for green waste, Tetrapaks and lower grade plastics are not being considered. However, as LDC are looking to reduce the amount of food waste going to landfill, the Council are currently reviewing a draft report that recommends a combined food waste and cardboard collection between current domestic waste collections. As food waste accounts for a third of domestic waste, Lewes Greens believe that a local network of Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Sites should be invested by East Sussex County Council. The need to divert food waste from landfill should be seen as a priority as this could be used to produce local energy through anaerobic digestion. Matt Kent, Green County Council Candidate for Ringmer and Lewes Bridge Division said, 'As part of our County Council Manifesto [see below], Lewes District Green Party are committed to funding Anaerobic Digestion Sites across East Sussex, so that we can minimise food waste going to costly landfill sites whilst generating ethical local power for local communities. Each site would cost approximately £3million and compared to the £100million burner at Newhaven'. LDC also confirmed that due to limited funding and resources, new public waste bins with separate material collection would be difficult to implement. The Council were keen however to reinforce the hard work that many local organisations, including Lewes Greens, have been doing to reduce the amount of plastic bags in circulation. Susan Murray, Green County Council Candidate for Lewes Division said, 'Looking around the streets of Lewes I am delighted to see how many fewer plastic bags are visible since I took my motion supporting reductions in plastic bag use to the Town Council nearly two years ago now. There have been initiatives from other groups too, of course, but overall it just goes to show that people can and will change their behaviour given the right information and assistance.' She added, 'So time to go further. Waitrose, for instance, promised me that a plastic-bag-free checkout aisle was under consideration. Time surely to stop thinking and take this simple action.' A formal response to the petition is due by LDC at the end of April 2009.

Lewes Greens Release their County Manifesto 'Real Progress for East Sussex' - 3rd April 2009

European News

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Ward Contact Ashley Price (Priory Ward)