The County Council has a legal duty to provide waste disposal free of charge for waste created in the household and through this delegated decision the Conservative leadership is ignoring its legal responsibility to the communities of Staffordshire. The Council should use its discretion to charge directed to business traders and identify these specifically to charge for waste generated from their commercial activities. These new charges have been hidden in County Council paperwork from two years ago and did not receive any meaningful public scrutiny. Further the Council took felt sufficiently concerned about their legal position that they obtained specific advice and concluded that “consultation….is not necessary.” The County Council has a duty to consider the impact of any decisions a cabinet member takes and of particular note is that they acknowledge that the charges will have a detrimental effect on the most vulnerable in our community stating clearly the “…greatest impact on low income households.” They have pressed ahead regardless with this discriminatory practice. Secondly, the Council acknowledge that there could be “a small increase” in fly-tipping. We think they have underestimated the increase in fly-tipping which is costly to clean up for the District Council. The Council think that people won’t be tempted to put soil, hardcore and plasterboard in their own bins. We think residents are likely to try and avoid these charges and this will mean less recycling. The Council do not care that they anticipate “some complaints” in the short term because they believe the issue will blow over and we, the residents of Staffordshire, will continue to accept their ill-considered and flawed decision making to the detriment of communities. All quotes from http://moderngov.staffordshire.gov.uk/documents/s87805/Review%20of%20Household%20Waste%20Recycling%20Centre%20non-household%20waste.pdf

France has recently committed to this cause and we should follow. We don't have time to wait, the planet and it's inhabitants l - including humans - are dying, drowning in plastic and we need to stop our own slow demise.

Scientific evidence links our routine exposure to BPA to a range of diseases, including breast cancer. Scientific studies have found that an important route of exposure to BPA is via our food and drink. BPA leaches from the packaging and into the products, especially when they are scratched or heated during cooking and in the dishwasher. As diet continues to be our main route of exposure to BPA, lets call for it to be removed from all food and drinks packaging and replaced with safer alternatives.

There is Way to much traffic constantly polluting Brighton with fumes and the noise level is deafening all day and night.

GM crops are a monopoly. They are heavily contaminated with pesticides either as part of the genetic make up or as a result of pesticide sprays which cannot be washed off. They have an effect on pollinating bees, on the livestock that eat them eg soy for pigs and ultimately on human health either for the people that live in proximity to where the crops are sprayed and for the people that consume the animals fed on the crops or the produce itself. There is some evidence to suggest that the rise of gluten intolerance is due to pesticide residues and genetic alterations in wheat.

Plastic cotton bud stems are the number one item of plastic, sewage-related debris on our beaches and rivers [1] - yet retailers could help prevent this by switching the stick from plastic to paper. In the marine environment, plastics can be eaten by marine life, often with fatal consequences. Plastic is found in the stomachs of Loggerhead Turtles, Seabirds and many species of UK-caught fish. And pieces that don't get eaten break down into microplastics, forming part of a dangerous plastic smog in our seas. Retailers are listening - earlier this year, Waitrose and Johnson & Johnson announced they'd make the change to paper, and the Coop and Marks and Spencers sell paper-stem buds. Now we need to make sure the others do the same. Tesco, Sainsburys, Boots, ASDA, Morrisons, Lidl, Aldi, Superdrug and Wilko are currently reviewing their policies on cotton buds ... which is why we need to show them how many of us support the switch to paper! Even paper stem cotton buds shouldn’t be flushed down the loo. But if they are, they're less likely to pass through sewage filters and will quickly biodegrade if they escape. So please sign and share our petition to ask the remaining retailers to Switch the Stick from plastic to paper. Your voice will be heard! Thanks, Natalie and the City to Sea Team [1] Beachwatch Report 2015, Marine Conservation Society

UPDATE - January 2020: The planning application has been withdrawn!!! We do not have all the details yet as to why this has been withdrawn. UPDATE May 2019: we are still waiting for this application to be discussed at the East Oxford Area Planning Committee meeting, this campaign is still alive! We need as much support as we can muster to attend that meeting. We will find out a week before the meeting if it is on the agenda and I will notify supporters by email; hopefully, lots of people can make it to the public meeting to demonstrate our disapproval in person! Lets not give up the fight! A planning application has been submitted for a new build development that would provide 9 apartments (in a mix of 1, 2 and 3 beds) in a 21⁄2 storey building and 22 parking spaces. The proposed plan would also require an access road to be built at the end of Lewis close and along the boundary of the C.S Lewis Nature Reserve run by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. I spent my childhood playing in the C.S Lewis reserve and now bring my own children there to explore the wonders it holds. It truly is a magical place and C.S. Lewis based his writings about Narnia on it, although back then it was his back garden! The reserve comprises mature woodland slopes and two ponds. The larger pond is noted for spawning toads and giant horsetail surrounding it. The nature reserve and surrounding area currently supports birds, reptiles, badgers and roosting bats among other wildlife. The area is also suitable for protected species such as Great Crested Newts which have been spotted in the area. The proposed development and access road will create noise, light, dust pollution and many more negative impacts on the environment and wildlife. A preliminary ecological appraisal has been undertaken and although does cover some of the impacts on the potential wildlife others have been omitted. The report does make some suggestions to mitigate the impact such as a protective, closed fencing around the development area, a review of the design to ensure no light spill or disturbance post development, undertaking work outside the main bird nesting season etc. However I strongly feel that despite these measures to mitigate the impact the development will still have a detrimental effect the area and wildlife. One persons objection on the oxford city council planning webpage for this development also points out that a close solid fence could actually compound the danger to the animals. Lewis close leading up to the reserve is peaceful and quiet and safe for the many children that use it to access the reserve. It is such a wonderful place and the access road and property development that is planned to run along it will no doubt pollute the lake, increase the traffic making it unsafe for pedestrians and spoil this place of amazing magic and beauty. This area is of national and historical significance and should be preserved for generations to come. The nature reserve and the adjacent Lewis Close is peaceful and quiet. Many residents and visitors go there for the peace, tranquility and the inspiration it offers. The nature reserve and the house that C.S. Lewis lived in is of huge literary and historical importance and would be spoiled by this development. I felt strongly that this development should not go ahead and decided to start this 38 degrees campaign. Please help me to stop this development from happening so future generations can continue to be inspired by its wildlife and wonder.

Recent research has established direct links between traffic derived air-pollution and impact on human health. Nobody benefits when the only air for breathing contains sooty particles -but young children are especially vulnerable. Its a fact that impaired lung-development, respiratory disease and reduced life expectancy are all a consequence of regular exposure to traffic fumes. Now its time to acurately measure just what is in the air around Welsh schools.

It horrifies me to see diesel fumes being discharged into the faces of our youngest children in their buggies or toddlers walking with their parents, let alone at pavement level for adults to breath. If they were directed upwards to the highest level of the vehicle, it could make a significant improvement. It would not be difficult to extend the exhaust pipes of vehicles up the back of the vehicle; The older the vehicle, the more important to make this modification.

Many towns are now building enclosed fenced areas in existing parks, because they realise the benefit for dogs and the whole community. Chatham has recently built one in the sports ground on Maidstone road, Many dog breeds can't be let off lead such as Huskies for example, and a dog park in an existing park would give them the chance to socialise, train and exercise more. This is not a petition to enforce dogs only be in the enclosed area, who doesn't want to use it keeps walking their dog as usual around the park. Mote Park has the space and would thrive even more if dog owners knew they had the chance to take their dogs there without worrying they will run off. Sign the petition and share so we can get it to the council.

A rusty, dangerous and abandoned skate park sits on the park. A BMX track would be a perfect project for this area. Making the park a place where people can ride/race BMX. This would give kids through to adults a new experience.With local success from Connor Williams racing BMX in the British BMX championship this year. A track would be recognised as a home track for him and others that race from Calverton for training and potentially racing. ​A BMX track would bring people from all around the midlands and the country to race. Also there is a lot of interest and support from other local residents saying this would be a great idea giving the younger generation something to do and keeping them off the streets. With Hucknall and Bulwell having a track already why can't Calverton. To see the full story and keep updated on the progress visit our Village Website - http://www.calverton-nottingham.co.uk/bmx-track

By making the manufacturer take back and dispose of their product this will make them produce a better longer lasting item, this hopefully in turn will produce a lot less waste that goes to landfill. This can easily be achieved and afforded by the company because they just add a little extra to the initial cost of the products when they are new. This will also encourage the manufacturer to make their products to be more durable and sturdy, built from better and longer lasting materials and stopping the ludicrous amount of disposable plastic toys and other rubbish that last about half a second once they are removed from the packaging. While I'm on the subject we could also have food manufacturers make their products from vegetable protein like potato starch and will hopefully eliminate the vast amounts of plastic waste.