Think global, act local

Think global, act local

Wherever we’re elected, Greens promote local shops, post offices, schools, parks, better high streets, keeping jobs within communities, local food and more allotments. People should be able to walk to their local library or swimming pool.

The council’s parks and green spaces strategy contains a number of good elements to do with improving the quality of such space. However, it also contains proposals to sell off green space. Greens will campaign to reduce the amount of sell off, preferably to zero – or replace lost space with new.  Greens also oppose the loss of greenbelt around Bristol to massive house-building programmes.

Green councillor Charlie Bolton has proposed the setting up of a select committee on improving local high streets, especially in the time of a recession. He has supported a place management pilot in Southville and Bedminster, specifically aimed at getting the council to coordinate measures across North, East and West St and Bedminster Parade. He, with other local councillors, was successful in getting the council to extend the scheme. He has also supported funding bids for small measures to improve local high streets, such as for hanging baskets in Shirehampton.

He has further proposed a select committee to promote local food in and around Bristol. This could link take up of local food to health; it could see schemes to utilise space around Bristol for providing food in Bristol, and the setting up of distribution systems for them, thus creating local jobs.

Greens oppose the closure of Bishopsworth and Jubilee Pools and have campaigned for the refurbishment of Bristol South Pool . Greens also opposed the closure of Marksbury Road library, and local post offices.