I’ve been skating at Highfield Park for over ten years. It’s the only place that provides an outdoor space for families and young people to enjoy. We’ve raised funds that have enabled us to install skating facilities and floodlights so we can use the space in the winter. But now we have 13 years left on the lease. This makes it hard to apply for any other funding to improve the area – benefactors will only invest in something they see being around for the foreseeable future. Lease needs to be over 25 years for funding. It also makes us concerned that the next generation of families and young people won’t be able to enjoy the space that we have. If it wasn’t for the park there would be nowhere in the area for young people to go – we’d end up back on the streets or sitting indoors playing computer games. We already have the support of Councillors, Thompsons of Prudhoe, James Dolan and Bespoke Concrete. – who often helps with digging and putting in new facilities – but we need you to grant us our wish to extend the lease. Highfield Park is a great place for the family and if we continue investing in it then it could be even better. Please help us save Highfield!

We now know that the setts/ Yorkstone pavements, kerbs and gullies in Saturday market will be retained as part of the ERYC's revised scheme for Saturday Market. We have to be thankful that unlike so many councils in this country, ERYC listened to its residents and reacted appropriately. Beverley is a wonderful town and our campaign has shown it has some wonderful people living in it; a true community effort. Let's hope that with goodwill on all sides the future for the town as a whole, will be decided in the same co-operative spirit and will evolve into the vibrant, place we all want it to be, without losing sight of the things that made it "One of the most beautiful towns in England". Thanks to all of you! Adrian Stokes, Richard Armstrong, Barbara English

* Aesthetic reasons- not to cramp the historic site of the Abbey itself. * Historic reasons - there has always been an hotel there for centuries. * Archaeological - the hotel is in the grounds of the historic Abbey complex. * Social and Economic - UK tourism began in this area and it continues to attract tourists from all over the world. The first part of Tintern they see is the Abbey and the hotel.

Corruption in planning is rife, the system can be very biased. Currently there is no recourse to reports and advice that is clearly against the planning law, except by a very expensive legal route that the majority cannot afford.

A very big thank you to everyone who helped in our fight against Tesco. Now we need to fight Round 2!! This green lung, just to the east of Halstead High Street comprises woodland containing 9 Trees under Tree Preservation Orders and natural springs that provide a wetland environment for amphibians. There are also 16 WWII air raid shelters, 9 of which are listed: as a group this is a very rare thing. Braintree District Council plan to ‘regenerate’ the site, to build more roads, properties and shops and demolish all but one or two of the shelters. We want this land to be conserved for present and future generations, to be a green haven, a heritage site and something that the town can be proud of. Thank you again for your continued support - let's see if people power can win again!!! Eileen Penn Halstead 21st Century Group 'Preserving our past for the future' This is a large area of natural woodland, with several very mature trees, full of wildlife: deer, bats, owls, hedgehogs, squirrels, rabbits, newts, frogs etc. It is also home to one of the largest collection of Air Raid Shelters in the country, sixteen in total, which are of a huge historical importance. The many bats are also known to roost in them. These shelters were for the use of the mill workers (Courtaulds Mill was nearby) in Factory Lane East and the Mill Managers who lived in cottages in Vicarage Meadow. It would be lovely if this could all be retained for the people of Halstead and others to visit. All the mature trees could be retained and some of the grassy areas made into parkland, with the rest being maintained as a nature reserve.. Each air raid shelter could have an information board, with likely items from the war years on display. And the many deer and other animals could be allowed to continue roaming free. Alison shea

The independent documentary that was screened on BBC 2, "You've been Trumped" made the case that land belonging to the residents of Menie has been stolen by Donald Trump by way of forceably taking over land that does not legally belong to him. The documentary showed the bullying tactics that were used and that the local council, Grampian Police force and the Scottish Government allowed this to happen without any intervention. Nobody, regardless of how much money or influence they may have, should be allowed to forceably take over anybodies land or property.

Bees and other insects rely heavily on our roadside verges for their food and habitat. There is very little meadow land left and the verges should be providing much needed food. I notice that the cutting goes as far back to the banks or hedges as far as possible, often twelve feet or more. I cannot see a reason for this. One cut in would be sufficient for any motorist to see the edge of the road. I have no doubt that it costs a considerable and unnecessary amount in council tax, not to mention the pollution entailed by the cutting machines.

Lead is highly toxic. We have removed it from fuel, from paint, but it is still used for shooting in the UK. A single shotgun cartridge sprays up to 300 pieces of lead shot across the countryside where it is eaten by birds. It only takes a few pieces of lead shot to poison a bird, causing suffering and death for thousands of birds each year. Non-toxic alternatives are readily available, yet many UK shooters still choose lead. In 1983 a Royal Commission recommended phasing out lead shot, but that hasn’t happened and it is still poisoning our wildlife. More details can be found at: www.wwt.org.uk/stop-lead-poisoning-our-birds/ SIGN THE PETITION TO STOP THE USE OF LEAD SHOT.

Communities, like Renton in West Dunbartonshire, have recreated themselves and regenerated their social, economic and physical environments through community-led development. We believe that the people of Irvine can do the same. We do not believe that the developments currently proposed by North Ayrshire Council and Irvine Bay Regeneration Company will achieve anything, other than to accelerate the decline of our town. They propose to destroy elements of our built heritage, compromise the setting of our historic Townhouse and slash the sports and leisure provision available to the people of the town and the West of Scotland (which will have significantly negative economic as well as health and social effects). We have a far better idea as to the actions which require to be taken. Irvine Action, a social enterprise based in the town, propose to help the community to develop its own development plan for the town. We wish the Scottish Government to review this plan in due course and, if acceptable, allocate resources to assist in its implementation.

(1) BEES ARE VANISHING FAST! Over the past few years one in three bee colonies has gone from the UK, and worldwide there has been a massive drop in numbers. We could be heading towards a global disappearance of bees. The mass decline corresponds closely to the release of a group of insecticides called neonicotinoids: http://www.soilassociation.org/wildlife/bees?gclid=CNSJosP50LICFSTKtAodRwwAMQ (2) BEES ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE UK ECOSYSTEM AND FOOD SUPPLY. A UK without the buzzing of summer gardens and meadows is a terrible thought, but the idea of losing our most important pollinators is truly chilling. Without bees, fruit trees and many other flowering plants could no longer reproduce naturally and would die out. One in every three bites of food in the UK is the result of bee pollination. The loss of such an integral player in our natural cycles is likely to result in unpredictable and far-reaching negative repercussions, and may risk a total collapse of our native ecosystems and food supply. (2) STRONG EVIDENCE LINKS CERTAIN INSECTICIDES TO BEE DISAPPEARANCES. There is a growing body of scientific and anecdotal evidence linking neonicotinoid pesticides to Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder. This evidence has been deemed sufficiently potent by German, French and Italian Governments to ban the use of neonicotinoids, and for many pressure groups, including Friends of the Earth, to push for their worldwide suspension pending a satisfactory assessment of their impacts. For a highly watchable overview of the evidence check out: http://youtu.be/oVuFvxjBbig (3) WHILST OTHER EU GOVERNMENTS HAVE IMPOSED BANS IN RESPONSE TO THIS EVIDENCE, OURS HAS DISMISSED IT AS INCONCLUSIVE! Astonishingly, in a report last week DEFRA dismissed this body of evidence outright, stating that there would be no ban until 'unequivocal evidence' was presented that neonicotinoids WERE harmful to bees: http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/23/09/2012/135352/DEFRA-dismisses-study-linking-bee-deaths-to-pesticide.htm#.UGBH-hySw0I.facebook DEFRA's priorities are unnervingly back-to-front. It is plainly obvious that to dismiss ANY evidence, however small, which links an operational pesticide to the potential for the collapse of natural / agricultural systems is completely insane. DEFRA need to be made to realise that the people of the UK value bees and long-term environmental integrity above a minor economic / agricultural inconvenience, and that we demand their decision reversed with immediate effect. We also call for DEFRA to implement clear policy that ensures the burden-of-proof of the harmlessness of new pesticides to our native ecology rests upon the manufacturer prior to release, and not upon the public and independent bodies whilst they are already in use. The vital importance of these issues cannot be overstated. For more detailed information about this issue and for other things you can do to help, please check out: http://bees.pan-uk.org/what-can-you-do

Local people want to be able to communicate their negative response to the extra planes more easily. The way the trial requests the community to respond does not work with the way people live today. People are in and out of their homes, busy with their lives etc and most aren't even aware of the quiet times presently. If BAA has a low response to the time trials and there are more planes more of the time, we know then the community will regret they didn't say more and it will be too late to reverse.

It is important to keep this site that has been used by and has been integral for the local community for many years. It has been a green space and been used since 1890 by the local community for various sports activities, including tennis, football, rugby, athletics, cricket, hockey, bowls, and even a rifle range.