• Don't cut funding for children's school buses
    In September Thetford Academy are cutting funding to Lewis Coaches so that they no longer run the bus service for our children to get to school. I have no other way of getting my 12 year old to and from school. And many other parents are in the same position. Please don't compromise the safety or education of our children.
    181 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Amanda Walton
  • Save Strongroom
    Founded by Richard Boote in 1984, Strongroom stands as one of Shoreditch’s longest running establishments, enriching a then-sparse area of London and aiding its evolution into the arts & technological center we know it as today. Built as a single studio out of a disused zip factory, the Strongroom grew organically to become 12 world-class music studios, 6 edit suites, 8 offices and an award-winning Bar & Kitchen, serving the community as a shared gathering point with an open courtyard dense with foliage planted by Richard himself. In recognition of his contributions to the regeneration of Shoreditch, Richard was awarded the Mayor of Hackney’s Businessman of The Year award in 2006, and Strongroom has been nominated for and awarded countless studio accolades in its 30+ years as a commercial facility to the likes of Spice Girls, The Prodigy, Nick Cave, Radiohead, Björk, Depeche Mode and many more. On Strongroom, music producer Ben Baptie says: “Strongroom Studios is where I work from all of my creative output. From the moment I first started working here I realised that this was a special place, and not just for me, but for recording artists too. The cultural relevance of Strongroom is one that cannot be ignored when looking at the musical output in the UK. From the original Jamie Reid artwork to the huge outside area to the characteristics of each studio within the building. This is a place where art is made. It is a creative space. It is not something that can be planned or purposefully created, as, like all great art, it is inspired, refined and a one off. Making records is not an easy or quick thing but Strongroom is a place where you feel comfortable doing that, and that is not to be ignored. It takes so much hard work from so many talented people over a long period of time to make that happen, and with each record made here it's importance only grows.” The application to redevelop a small warehouse space into a six-storey office block estimates a continuous construction period of 18+ months. Dust and debris from any construction operation near a recording studio would be deleterious, but for something on this large a scale along the adjoining wall to the premises the noise and vibration alone could put the studios completely out of business. It would also disastrously impact the communal courtyard, and the final construction cast the amenity into complete shadow. The planning application as submitted can be found here: https://bit.ly/2MFQkHB This development may well lead to the closure of Strongroom Studios, and significantly affect trade for the Strongroom Bar and Kitchen, as well as potentially displacing the 18 other businesses based on site, therefore planning permission should not be granted for the following reasons: 1. As a recording studio, and therefore a noise-sensitive environment, any long period of construction in the vicinity would be detrimental but the proposed 18-months of work along the joining wall would ensure constant loud-level and low-frequency leakage into studios that would be picked up by acoustic instruments and microphones. This would render recording services unusable. 2. The constant loud-level and low-frequency leakage would make critical listening impossible, therefore rendering any mixing services also unsuable. 3. This would not only result in loss of earnings for Strongroom studios but would affect, and almost certainly displace, the many other music companies based onsite in studios and offices. 4. The risk to extremely rare and fragile equipment, such as vintage microphones and recording consoles, is a serious concern. As recording equipment, particularly those in studios sharing a party wall, will be incredibly vulnerable to the structural vibration through the ground and walls of the building. 5. Any continued construction work to a building along the party wall would create huge amounts of sustained noise, constant low frequency vibration, dust and debris into the courtyard and other open areas. Both unattractive and unsafe for dining customers of the Strongroom Bar & Kitchen in the courtyard amenity, this threatens a fundamental attraction of its business. 6. The 6 storey building would throw the sunny, leafy, vibrant courtyard amenity almost completely into shade, leaving a major attraction of the complex to onsite offices, studio residents and Strongroom Bar & Kitchen customers by the wayside. 7. Rising rents and redevelopments of this kind are pushing creative industries out of Shoreditch. Strongroom has fought hard to push back against this trend of gentrification and strive to keep our studio and amenity spaces inviting and affordable for creative companies. 8. It is imperative and part of the stated policy of Hackney that creative industries are an important asset to the development and continuation of cultural growth in the area. Developments such as this will kill culture. 6. As yet there has been no consultation with the applicants on any issues facing Strongroom and no compliance with the Party Wall Act. They are already over 250 letters of objection with Hackney and letters of support will follow from industry organisations as well as further objectors. The purpose of this petition is to widen out the issues and let people have their say. There is a point of philosophy here to be explored which is, to what extent should a development be allowed if it will seriously and deleteriously impact the livelihood and success of a business such as a recording studio which brings not only revenues and employment but also kudos to an area. We feel that the planning application and the process being followed is unjust and we would invite you to record your agreement by signing the petition. Please keep signing and sharing the petition! We will keep you informed of progress throughout. Many thanks The Strongroom Team
    6,157 of 7,000 Signatures
    Created by Jake Murray
  • Wetherspoons Royal Pavilion fails on disabled toilet facilities
    Ramsgate's new super-sized Wetherspoons, Britains biggest, can hold up to 1,400 people. They have spent a whopping £4.5M on refurbishing the building and is located over three floors. The most stunning of which is a 6,500 sq ft sun terrace, on the top. On Friday 22nd June, my husband and I, plus another lady in a wheelchair, had a lovely meal on the top floor sun terrace. When we went to use the toilets, we were astounded how small and ill equipped, the disabled toilet was on this floor. How did it ever pass at planing, when a person in a wheelchair cannot fit inside? The main toilet area is so spacious, 40 people could stand inside it without any difficulty. It also has a dedicated bar stool area for women to touch their makeup up. It is a state of the art toilet, yet it does not have a fully functional wheelchair accessible toilet. My husband helped my friend and I with the doors, external and internal and someone actually reported him for being inside the ladies toilet, even though two wheelchairs were present. He felt so embarrassed and was only trying to help two ladies reach the toilet. Wetherspoons clearly have more than enough room to build an outside, independently accessed, disabled persons toilet. As it stands, there is only one accessible toilet on the lower ground floor, bearing in mind there is a capacity of 1,400 people at any one time. Just the one?, really. It is shameful that a large company like Wetherspoons has not considered the size and location of these toilets more adequately. Realistically, one is needed on every floor. Disabled people cannot always wait in a queue for the lift. Wetherspoons need to urgently remodel the one on the top floor, amalgamate it with the cubicle next door and make them both deeper, to allow a wheelchair to turn around inside and for the person to be able to lock the door. The external door also needs an electronic button to open the door automatically. After all, it might help them from finding someone else's husband inside, needing to keep a guard on their wife's toilet door. When I approached Head Office, I received the following reply. "It appears the toilet you visited was one of the general toilets but has one cubicle with a hand rail in". Which in basic language means this is not a disabled persons toilet. How can they say a toilet where the door is wider than the others and has a distinct handle plus a large visible symbol of a wheelchair in the outside of it, is not a disabled toilet but a general one? Even the single grab rail is far too low to be of any help to anyone. Maybe Wetherspoons were trying to get away with making people think they had two accessible toilets, when in fact they only have the one, located on the bottom floor. Having it down there prevents all disabled people from enjoying the sunny terrace on top. I believe every disabled person should have equality and the opportunity to enjoy this amazing sun terrace. In a building of this size there should be more than one accessible toilet and they should not have to use a lift to get there. Come on Wetherspoons, make some changes now please.
    268 of 300 Signatures
    Created by Tracey Seal
  • Prevent the closure of Marks and Spencer in Clacton On Sea Town Centre.
    Marks and Spencer has served the people of Clacton since the 1930's, it is a stalwart of our town. The store is used by a vast age group of people due to the fact that it is easily accessible by bus, car and on foot. Closure in line with the opening of the new foodhall in Walton should not be an option. Marks and Spencer will lose a great number of customers as many will not travel to the Walton store or place orders online, as there will be no collection or return point locally. Please sign this petition and get the decision of the closure reversed. SAVE OUR MARKS AND SPENCER!
    598 of 600 Signatures
    Created by Leeza Crampton
  • Save Lincoln House of Fraser (Binns)
    This is a profitable, long-standing, socially important resource for the local community. It provides a good range of products and services, owns it's own lease, and is a much-loved part of a vibrant city with great staff who always make people welcome. There seems to be no economic or social case for its closure.
    439 of 500 Signatures
    Created by Paul Jackman
  • Highland Council Pension Fund: Stop Funding War Crimes
    Highland Council Pension Fund currently holds £5.4 million of shares in US arms company, General Dynamics, manufacturer and supplier of the MK-82 1000-lb and MK-84 2000-lb bombs that were used with such devastating effect by Israel against the people of Gaza during ‘Operation Protective Edge’ in 2014. Because of their ‘wide area effect’, the use of these weapons was condemned by the UN Human Rights Council as violating ‘the prohibition of indiscriminate attacks’; more thn 2,000 people, including at least 500 children, were killed as a consequence of the bombing of one of the world’s most densely populated areas. Highland Council Pensions Fund acquisitions are subject to explicit 'social, environmental and ethical considerations'. It is the duty of public institutions to uphold international law and human rights norms, and it is completely unacceptable that, through its pension fund, Highland Council should finance their ongoing violation! It’s time for Highland Council to examine its conscience, put its principles into practice and follow its own guidelines on ethical investment by divesting itself of its shares in General Dynamics.
    300 of 400 Signatures
    Created by Highland Palestine
  • Come on Salfordians. A last attempt to tempt investors to revamp the Gas works
    There is growing Concern by a lot of Salfordians that this iconic cast-iron structures that many generations have grown up with will no longer be there!. There are many great examples around the UK of how they have been redeveloped into housing, public and community usage. In a sympathetic and artistic eye pleasing manner. Like the one in the photograph. In alot of Salfordians eyes they should be saved and redeveloped instead of just being demolished so the land can be built on for another high rised apartment block, in Salford So come on SALFORD, too many of our historic landmarks have been demolished to build high rise unaffordable apartment blocks , we need to join together and hopefully stop this from happening before its too late as this is a historic sites. This great historic landmark need to be saved for all of Salford to admire for generations to come.
    264 of 300 Signatures
    Created by Katrina Bell
  • Stop excessive use of plastic toys on magazines for children
    Aside from creating clutter around our homes, it's just another example of wasteful plastic filling up our world that we don't need and promotes a wasteful culture. The magazines themselves are creative and fun and the plastic toys they use are marketing ploys to make children nag their parents for them. The toys are obviously cheap and flimsy and rarely last long for playing. Most of these plastic toys will just end up in our bins, our landfill and clogging up the oceans. The magazines are good enough without having the cheap toys tacked onto them. Redan Publishing aren't the only children's magazine to do this but they publish popular ones such as Peppa Pig and CBeebies. Hopefully by targeting them we can create interest and public pressure to challenge the assumption that children's magazines need cheap plastic toys to sell.
    111 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Rosemary Bird-Hawkins
  • Force manufacturers to list ALL ingredients and a nutritional table on alcohol beverages
    This is incredibly important for consumers so that they can make an informed decision on whether drinking alcohol is something that they would like to do. At present we have no idea what they're putting in alcoholic drinks.
    6 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Russell Bishop
  • Display Carbohydrate value on front of all food packaging
    ALL carbs end up as sugar in our blood. To concentrate solely on 'sugars' (traffic-lighting) is misleading (and in some cases cruel) to many who strive for a healthy diet for themselves and their families. Clearly showing total carbs will help diabetics avoid serious complications. It may even guide the food industry to make ever better changes to prepared food. There is a growing low-carb movement (not just diabetics) as people are becoming aware of the links to weight management and other significant health benefits. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the UK (I am reg blind as a result of diabetes retinopathy) and reading the carb value can be difficult enough (even for those with great vision) as the writing is often so tiny. In most cases I end up taking a picture so I can then zoom in. This is very frustrating.
    1,278 of 2,000 Signatures
    Created by Emily Mackay
  • Boots to pay staff in London the London Living Wage
    I have spoken to many Boots UK staff, who are all struggling to pay their bills from month to month. I think it is awful that members of staff who work 37.5 hours a week, are in a position where they are struggling to pay basic bills. Some even have to go to food banks to support their families. This needs to change. Staff members who currently work in London get approximately £3000 less than the London living wage a year. Based on the 2016-2017 Government figures for social housing in London, this equals to around 26 weeks rent. This is half a year's rent that staff are having to find by making cuts to their already tight budgets.
    6,187 of 7,000 Signatures
    Created by Jenny Foster
  • Save M&S Newmarket
    It is vital the store remains because many elderly people without access or an understanding of modern technology live in the town and for them this is one of their main suppliers of basic groceries like bread and milk. When I was younger, my grandmother would buy me my favourite treats from M&S; therefore it too holds a special place in my heart. This is why it is so important the store must remain open!
    229 of 300 Signatures
    Created by Nasir Rahman