Wakefield Council have told me to remove Ceasar - the 4ft gorilla statue outside my home - as he doesn't fit in with the area. People come from miles to see him and children love him, but I could be fined up to £20,000 in court if I keep him there! Please help me save Caesar the gorilla. We all want to make our mark on our own home. Caesar might be a quirky choice, but he brings joy to the local community. A huge petition could be enough to make the council reconsider - but we only have until 9th June before the council forces Caesar’s removal. Saving Caesar means standing up for the quirky, fun, and whimsical little things that bring happiness to everyday life. Let’s not let the council killjoys win: Please sign my petition today, and share with everyone!

We urge the councils to respect the six-year history of these spaces, the considerable investments made by local businesses in good faith, and the true consensus of the public consultation. Why This Matters 1. Total Council Involvement and Six Years of Good Faith These outdoor dining spaces were not built secretly or unlawfully. During the pandemic, Stevenage Borough Council actively removed parking bays, installed barriers, and allocated the space to restaurants. • Legitimate Expectation: Businesses were formally instructed by the Council to apply and pay for pavement licences. • Undermining Investment: Relying entirely on the Council’s ongoing encouragement, licensing, and enforcement, independent businesses acted in good faith. They invested massive sums up to £130,000 per structure to build high-quality facilities. To force the removal of these structures now, at an additional cost of up to £25,000 to the business owners, is a devastating U-turn based on a bureaucratic dispute between the Council and Hertfordshire Highways. 2. A Flawed Consultation Overriding a Proven Safety Record Throughout six years of continuous, highly visible operation, not a single pedestrian has been harmed by these outdoor seating arrangements. Despite this perfect safety record, and despite the Council’s own consultation data showing 76% of the public explicitly support outdoor seating, policies are being changed. Issues with the councils survey design • Survey not designed to support outdoor dining: The consultation did not include outdoor dining as an option in the “favourite things about the High Street” question, despite its relevance. • Mismatch with actual High Street use: Eating and drinking were recorded as the second‑highest main use of the High Street, yet this was not reflected in the survey’s priority options. • Desired improvements ignored outdoor seating: Respondents expressed interest in keeping or expanding outdoor seating, but this was not represented in the survey’s improvement categories. • Activity categories excluded outdoor dining: When asking about desired types of activities, the survey again omitted outdoor dining, despite its proven popularity. • Survey wording aligned with political aims, not consumer needs: By excluding outdoor dining from key questions, the survey appears structured to support a predetermined policy direction rather than reflect genuine user preferences. A recent Facebook post demonstrates that 33 out of 59 comments all in favour of the dining seating returning. Noting that 8 of the comments, were sub comments not an actual request for it to return. The consultation gave no warning that these vital spaces would be stripped away, or the question actually being asked. The current compromise is driven by anecdotal, non-factual feedback rather than the clear public mandate. 3. The Real Parking Issue: Inefficient Management, Not Seating Capacity The argument that outdoor dining must be dismantled to claw back a few parking bays fundamentally misunderstands how the High Street operates. The issue is not a lack of spaces; it is the mismanagement of existing parking rules: • Dwell Time Realities: The Old Town is powered by service and hospitality businesses, including pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, beauticians, and solicitors. A typical visit to these establishments requires a dwell time of 90 to 120 minutes, yet the Council allows up to three hours.  • The Parking Flaw: The current free parking allowance on the High Street is poorly optimised. Because the free duration is too long, it encourages drivers to "block" prime on-street bays for extended periods, preventing the rapid turnover of vehicles that short-stay retail needs. • The Delivery Culture: Additionally, deliveries and fast-food collections result in cars parking in the road whilst they drop off or pick up. Reclaiming outdoor dining spaces to create a handful of extra bays will not fix this; it will simply allow a few more vehicles to sit idle for hours, whilst actively destroying the vibrant spaces that attract visitors to the Old Town in the first place. 4. Direct Impact on Local Jobs The hospitality sector operates on incredibly tight margins. Outdoor capacity directly translates to staff rotas. Removing these spaces forces a direct reduction in operating capacity, leading inevitably to fewer working hours for local front-of-house, kitchen, and management staff, and threatening the very survival of independent businesses. What We Are Asking For: • The Reversal of Space Removals: That the Council immediately reinstates the outdoor dining allocations that have been scaled back or removed. • Honouring Public Consensus: That the Council stands by its own consultation data (showing 76% support) and stops compromising public spaces based on non-factual, anecdotal complaints. • Honouring Public and Financial Good Faith: Recognise that businesses invested heavily based on formal council guidance, and suspend all enforcement action whilst a fair solution is negotiated. • A Smarter Parking Review: That the Council addresses parking availability by reforming the free-parking time limits to encourage vehicle turnover, rather than dismantling the alfresco economy. 5. Massive Housing Growth Demands More Community Spaces Stevenage is undergoing a significant residential expansion, with thousands of new homes being built across major developments like the SG1 town centre regeneration, the massive expansion at housing sectors to the north and west, and surrounding local plans. • The Numbers: With the borough and surrounding areas accommodating an influx of thousands of new residents, the infrastructure of the town must expand to support them. • The Need for Dining: A growing population does not just need houses; it needs social infrastructure. New residents naturally look to the historic charm of the Old Town High Street for leisure, dining, and community connection. Restricting or removing outdoor dining capacity at a time when consumer demand is dramatically increasing is completely counterproductive. The High Street needs more dining space to accommodate this growth, not less. We already see a burden on Infrastructure with examples like 9 Yards, it was and never will be feasible to accommodate the demand with the limited parking available. 7,300 new homes (houses + flats) by 2028 and most of these areas and restaurants are going to be inundated.  

All bona fide building companies must pay for this insurance via the scheme before they can be allowed to practise, and will cover their clients for up to five years from the date of a formerly agreed handover for any problems, such as (but not limited to) subsidence or ingress of damp arising as a result of their work. This insurance scheme will cover customers of building companies of all types  after work has been completed at a customer's domestic property.  The guarantee must also include any company used by the builder as a sub-contractor, and any architect involved with the planning of new work or upgrade work for the builder. This insurance scheme will form a guarantee for the customer and will enable them to knowingly choose a builder or architect who is regulated and insured.  They will still have a cast iron guarantee covered by the scheme for any post handover remedial work required for any reason, and particularly in the case of a builder retiring and closing down the company.  People will still have the choice to choose a properly regulated and insured builder over one who is not. I had an extension built and concluded three years' ago which has developed damp issues through walls and ceilings.  Different subcontractors were used by the builder, example, a roofing company to fit roof tiles and lead flashing between the existing and new buildings, a flat roofing installer to fit a new flat roof over both new and existing buildings, and a patio door/window company to fit a new system to the new extension. Three years since handover, there is ingress of damp as mentioned above.  The builder has subsequently decided to retire and close the business and is not at all interested in these issues. The builder's son has become a builder (he worked with his father in his company); the son has started a new company and is not at all interested in the issues.  I have contacted the architect, who has made enquiries with the sub-contractors, none of whom seem particularly interested in these issues and have implied that they will not necessarily pay for the remedial work.  It is therefore incumbent on me to pay which, I firmly believe, should not be the case.

For many of us this church is more than just a building; it holds sentimental value and stands as a historical testament to our village’s past. Unfortunately this once vibrant building has fallen into disrepair and become a safety hazard rather than the community sanctuary it was once. It presents numerous hazards, especially to children who are naturally curious and some keep breaking in. We are looking for support from the Council to urge the owner to transform the site into a building our village can be proud of once again.

Redbourn Pitches for Redbourn Children:   Redbourn Recreation Ground is undergoing re-development. Creating a new 3G football pitch and grass pitches.   This has in part been funded through £1.78m offered by a local housing developer in return for being able to build on the playing fields.   This was only given planning permission on the basis the improvements would be utilsed by the local community.   Unfortunately the Redbourn Playing Fields Trust ( the charity responsible for looking after the playing fields) have decided they will let these pitches to football clubs from outside the village.  As it stands Redbourn Rovers, the only local football club in Redbourn, representing over 200 local children and 150 adults will not be allowed to play matches on these pitches.   We believe the Trust is in breech of its primary Charity Mandate which is to represent the interest of Redbourn and its residents.   We have tried to engage with the Trust for over 12 months. They have shown little interest in helping our local club and ensuring Redbourn children are allowed to play on their local pitches which has meant we've no choice but to raise awareness of this situation with the local Redbourn Community and pursue legal action.   Please join our campaign, sign our petition and ensure the voice of Redbourn children is heard.  They have a right to play on their local playing field and we must fight for their fair allocation of football pitches.      Redbourn Pitches for Redbourn Children   

Purley Sports Club application for outdoor music and alcohol license  Purley Sports Club have applied for a license to play live and recorded music outside (live bands or disco amplified), 7 days per week between the following hours: Sun to Thurs 12:00 to 23:00 Fri & Sat 18:00 to Midnight  01:00 Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve They have also applied for a license to sell alcohol outside between the following hours 6 days per week: Mon to Weds 11:00 to 23:00 Fri & Sat 11:00 to 23:45 01:00 Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve We will be challenging this application as a potential Public Nuisance and require your support.  We believe it will cause a significant increase in noise and disturbance to the local and wider neighbourhood. Please sign for your vote to be validated. • Public Nuisance: Potential for excessive noise from music, patrons leaving the premises, or increased traffic congestion. Also covers concerns about litter or odor.

Bethnal Green Gardens is a rare open space in London that supports free, informal community use. The recent construction of padel courts has reduced the area available for people to gather, be active, and socialize. Losing this space would affect a wide range of people who rely on it for exercise, leisure, and community connection.

We need a change to the Local Growth Fund so it protects existing frontline community services in Northern Ireland by ensuring adequate revenue funding to deliver people-centred support for vulnerable people, rather than prioritising capital projects that do not meet current community needs. Northern Ireland has the highest economic inactivity rate in the UK, driven by long-term illness, disability, and people not in education, employment, or training who need specialist support.  UKSPF-funded community services currently support over 11,000 people each year into better mental health, skills, and employment. The proposed Local Growth Fund is capital-heavy and risks ending vital services when UKSPF ends in March 2026, putting vulnerable people and skilled jobs at risk.

The Ospreys have produced 17 British and Irish Lions players over the last twenty years. So even if you're not Welsh remember this will affect the future quality of the British Lions. 

The current weekly closure is causing severe disruption, isolating vulnerable residents, and damaging local businesses. Prestwich is a thriving community built on accessibility, independence, and a strong local economy. The ongoing regeneration works promise long‑term benefits, but the current closure of Fairfax Road, a major route into the village, is causing serious and avoidable harm. The impact is already being felt: 👵 Elderly and vulnerable residents are being cut off • Many older residents rely on short, direct routes into the centre for shopping, appointments, and social contact. • The long diversions and reduced parking options make it significantly harder for them to access essential services. • This risks increased isolation and reduced independence. 🍽️ Local bars, cafés, and restaurants are suffering • Reduced footfall due to access issues is leaving businesses quieter than usual. • Prestwich’s hospitality sector already recovering from difficult years is now facing another blow. • Some venues are reporting noticeable drops in trade directly linked to the road closure and parking disruption. 🚗 Traffic congestion and delays are worsening • The diversion routes are creating long queues, delays, and confusion. • Residents, workers, and visitors are spending more time stuck in traffic and less time supporting the local economy. 📢 What we are asking for We call on Bury Council and the regeneration developers to: Review the midweek closure of Fairfax Road and open every night to allow residents to access Prestwich village more easily and ease the damage to the local businesses  The full closure of Fairfax Road is having a serious impact on everyday life in Prestwich. This route is one of the main ways people access the village, and without it, many elderly and vulnerable residents are struggling to reach shops, services, and social spaces. Local businesses are also seeing a drop in customers due to long diversions, reduced parking, and confusion about how to get into the centre. Prestwich deserves regeneration, but it must be done in a way that keeps the community connected and protects the businesses that make our town vibrant. We are calling for urgent action to restore safe, practical access during the works.

Grade I listed Leaden Hall was built for the C13th architect for Salisbury cathedral, Elias Dereham, to serve as a model for other canonries in the Close.  Although largely rebuilt in the early C18th, it includes elements from that original building.  It was probably the first residential building on Salisbury Cathedral Close and forms an essential part of that precious, protected setting. In the early C19th the artist John Constable regularly stayed at the Hall and painted many fine pictures of the house, its gardens and landscape, as well as his famous views of the cathedral, some of which include the house.  Extraordinarily, much of that garden - a rare example of a designed landscape for a smaller Georgian house - remains. Salisbury Dean & Chapter, having neglected the house for many years and allowing it to fall into a state of severe disrepair, have now applied to convert the building into a modern office block for themselves.  To get the insulation and floor loading levels required for a modern office, as well as some reconfigurations, substantial interventions would be necessary that would destroy or obscure historic fabric and alter the appearance of the building.  They would raise the ridgeline of the roof that faces the cathedral close and remove a chimney that forms part of its historic façade.  This will irreversibly change the appearance of the Hall, its setting and the other important historic buildings on Salisbury Cathedral Close. The application also includes a proposal to build a large-scale, new archive building immediately next to the house, in its kitchen garden.   This will destroy the Georgian kitchen garden - a very rare surviving example of one in an urban setting - which renowned artist John Constable painted.  The proposed new building will stand forward of the façade of the Hall, interrupting the established building line and impacting the protected setting of the Hall and other Grade I listed buildings on the Close.  The lofty single-storey building will abut, and in the next two decades be within the flood plain.  This means that the irreplaceable medieval manuscripts it is intended to house will be put at unacceptable levels of risk. If this application is approved it sets a extremely dangerous precedent for heritage protection in England.  The applicant has delayed urgent repairs to the important Grade I building seemingly in order to use the building's poor condition as an excuse to push through a scheme that causes harm to the historic building, but delivers no public benefit.   If the application succeeds, other owners of Grade I buildings might do the same. Please act now, by signing this petition to alert the Planning Committee to these serious concerns and urge them to do the right thing and reject this harmful proposal. Please note the donation button on this page funds 38 Degrees, not our campaign - if you are able to donate to our campaign work, please click HERE NON-UK SUPPORTERS 38 Degrees is a UK platform and requires UK post codes with signatures. If you are non-UK and would like to support our cause - please sign here instead https://saveleadenhall.org/sign-our-petition-as-a-non-uk-resident/

Blackpool Tower is not simply an attraction — it is the defining symbol of Blackpool and a nationally recognised heritage landmark. Under current management by Merlin Entertainments, the Tower has steadily lost the character, dignity, and sense of occasion that once made it special. Long-standing traditions that reflected pride and heritage have been removed, presentation has been standardised, and key parts of the Tower are no longer reliably open throughout the year. These decisions may reduce operating costs, but they have also weakened the Tower’s identity and diminished the visitor experience. The Tower’s decline does not exist in isolation. When its presence is reduced or hollowed out, Blackpool itself suffers — through loss of atmosphere, reduced off-season tourism, and damage to the town’s reputation. A landmark of this cultural importance should not be treated as a generic, seasonal attraction. We call on Merlin Entertainments, working with Blackpool Council, to: 1. Publicly recognise Blackpool Tower as a heritage landmark, not a standard attraction 2. Restore heritage presentation, atmosphere, and standards that reflect the Tower’s historic importance 3. Commit to reliable, year-round opening of core Tower experiences wherever safety allows 4. Engage openly with the public and local community about the Tower’s long-term future 5. Prioritise long-term cultural and economic value over short-term cost cutting Blackpool Tower matters. Protecting its heritage is not nostalgia — it is essential to the future of Blackpool itself. “Local issue with national heritage importance” Blackpool Tower is more than a tourist attraction — it is the heart of the town’s identity and a symbol recognised across the UK. Its heritage, traditions, and unique atmosphere have drawn generations of visitors, supporting local businesses, jobs, and the wider tourism economy. When the Tower loses its character, closes off key experiences, or strips away its historic presentation, it is not just the attraction that suffers — Blackpool itself loses a core part of its cultural and economic vitality. Protecting the Tower’s heritage ensures the town remains a place people want to visit, preserves jobs and revenue year-round, and safeguards a landmark that is central to Blackpool’s story and pride. This is not just about Blackpool though. This is a landmark and part of the heritage of the whole of the UK... Could you imagine the Eiffel Tower being taken over and run down so badly that it made Paris into what Blackpool has become?