17 February 2019
Welcome to the e-newsletter for members, supporters and friends of Witham & Braintree Green Party
If there is an event or news you would like us to include, please get in touch
Essex Libraries campaign
The number of people taking part in the campaign to stop Tory-controlled Essex County Council from closing dozens of libraries in Essex is now in the tens of thousands.
If you have not done so already, please consider taking part.
The consultation runs until 21st February 2019 (recently extended by one day) and can be accessed here:
https://libraries.essex.gov.uk/libraries-consultation/
Or you should be able to get a paper copy of the consultation form at a local library.
In Braintree District four village libraries are due to closed at:
Kelvedon
Silver End
Hatfield Peverel
Sible Hedingham
In Maldon District the libraries under threat are:
Southminster
Wickham Bishops
Other local libraries are also at risk unless volunteers can be found to run them.
The county-wide campaign is led by Save Our Libraries Essex (SOLE) and they have a group facebook page you can ask to join at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups
The SOLE rally in Chelmsford on Saturday 9th February was huge – estimates are that up to 1,000 people took part. There are lots of pictures and videos taken on the day on the SOLE facebook page and in the local press.
Green County Councillor James Abbott spoke at the rally along with other party representatives, local library campaign leaders, an author, a librarian with nearly 40 years experience, a headteacher and probably the best contribution on the day – 3 primary school children who addressed the crowd outside County Hall.
Local Elections Adoption meeting Thursday 14th February
We will be holding a final Adoption meeting for our candidates for the local elections and this will be on Thursday 14th February in Witham.
This meeting will agree our full list of candidates for the 2019 district elections due to take place on Thursday 2nd May.
Stop the Incinerator
More applications have been submitted by the Rivenhall Airfield waste site developers and it is now clear that the so-called "Integrated" waste facility could end up as just a huge waste incinerator with little or no recycling.
For 25 years local communities have battled plans for a major waste site at Rivenhall Airfield - which for the last decade has included a proposal for an incinerator, which has steadily crept up in size.
Developers Gent Fairhead recently submitted yet another application – this time for an environmental permit for a 35 metre high chimney stack instead of the 58 metre high stack they already have a permit for. But in December 2016 the Environment Agency refused a 35 metre stack because it was not best available technology to keep emissions within limits !
Local villages and towns would be downwind of the emission plume depending on the weather each day. So if built, the main impacts of the waste incinerator will be lower air quality – as well as more HGVs on local roads. There is also a great concern that given the pressure on council budgets, they may be tempted to just burn collected waste rather than recycle it.
You can comment on the permit application until 21st February 2019:
Quote application number EPR/FP3335YU/V002
e-mail:
pscpublicresponse@environment-agency.gov.uk
Green Drinks
We next meet on Thursday 21st February at 7.30pm at Fowlers Farm (just off the A120 at Galley's Corner roundabout Cressing, near Braintree).
Please join us – we meet every 3rd Thursday of the month – the following month Green Drinks will be on Thursday 21st March.
Contact Karin for more information at
karin@evansabove.us
NEXT NEWSLETTER: January 2019
Printed and published by Local Party Contact Cllr. James Abbott
1 Waterfall Cottages Rivenhall Witham Essex CM8 3PR
Tel 01376 584576 e-mail james.abbott@greenparty.org.uk
Local Party Agent Cllr. Phil Hughes Tel 01376 515518 e-mail cllrphughes@care4free.net
For national news and campaigns visit www.greenparty.org.uk
follow Essex Green Party on facebook for regular updates on meetings, campaigns, election results, reports from County Hall
and advance notice of Green councillors being on radio and TV:
https://www.facebook.com/Essex-Green-Party
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