4 April 2013
The Green Party is currently distributing thousands of newsletters to residents in Witham highlighting the priorities for the town that Green County Councillors would work to if elected on May 2nd.
District Councillor James Abbott, the Green County candidate for Witham Northern said
"These priorities are based on years of campaigning work, talking to residents and local groups and also putting forward projects which are realistic. Some of them have been backed at district council level for years - but with little progress - with a growing town its time to get a move on.
We agree that Witham and surrounding villages have not had their fair share of investment, but that does not need a major re-organisation of local government as some have claimed - which would be hugely expensive in itself.
Despite the sharp cuts in funding handed down by the Government, there are still resources available to invest. As the Greens uncovered, Essex County Council made £ millions from the sale of land at the Maltings Lane development, yet has put back very little of that money into the town. That high-handed attitude needs to change.
We particularly need to get a cross-party concerted move behind essential investment in health and transport which will be good for Witham and surrounding villages."
Green Priorities for Witham:
A community hospital - to take the pressure off GP practices and so that people do not have to travel to Chelmsford or Colchester for non-acute care
Upgrades to the railways to improve services on the mainline and build a passing loop to double capacity on the Braintree branch line
New commuter bus links - peak time travel buses so that commuters can get to the railway station from across Witham and nearby villages without having to drive and park; start-up funding from developer contributions from planned new major housing developments
Completion of the cycleway network - giving residents sustainable transport choices
Improve the town centre - refurbish the Newlands precinct and work with landlords to achieve more realistic rents for traders
Provide more affordable housing for local people - using brownfield sites and converting unused offices (BDC has agreed to a number of unused office sites being used for housing as proposed by Green councillors)
All new development should be built to high standards with renewable energy from the start - this will help the environment and keep energy bills down
Plan for a Witham recycling plant, (part of a network of district scale plants across Essex) including an enclosed processor for local food waste - this will generate local jobs and help ward off the threat of a waste incinerator at Rivenhall Airfield
Replace old streetlights - modern low energy shielded lighting is better for people and the environment such as proposed on the Templars estate
Greens also want to keep whats good:
Keep the Fire Station where it is - the site should not be sold off
Protect remaining greenspaces in the town from development - such as Bellfield and the River Walk Corridor (including the Gimsons land)
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