The clock is ticking and we need your support. This land is earmarked for development and we have until the 27th March to persuade Braintree Council to change the designation to a Local Green Space. We believe this site, comprising the natural assets of woodland; springs and wetland; and heritage assets of 16 WWII air raid shelters; and the remains of a Victorian landscaped garden; should be safeguarded for the enjoyment and education of the local community and visitors for generations to come. Green spaces are recognised as a precious resource by national and district policies because they promote healthy populations and help develop stable and growing economies. As a green space, our park would contribute to the quality of community life and reap wider social, economic and environmental benefits. The park would also serve as a permanent reminder of our community's sacrifice during World War Two and Halstead's unique relationship with the nationally important Courtauld family and company and our industrial heritage. Once any part of our history or green space is destroyed it is gone forever. So please help us.

Green Fields and Wild Life habitats will be lost forever. Local people want to preserve the countryside for future generations, their wishes should be respected, the Localism Act should be honoured. Impacts on local communities are being ignored by Planners who have complete dis-regard for others, value of land is at a premium, greedy people are making money at the expense of the environment and the people that live there.

Richmond Park is a National Nature Reserve, an SSSI and a Grade 1 Listed landscape. The weekend closure would not only enhance the experience for cyclists and other users but would also promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the natural and physical environment of the Park, and its peace and natural beauty for the benefit the public and future generations. The park is a great asset for SW London, it should be a safe place for families to explore and for people to ride bicycles around without having the roads jammed up with cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tky42vHUHlI Just 6 months after granting a Tree Preservation Order on this London Plane Tree, Mendip has received an application to fell. Unfortunately the TPO will not save the tree from Pangmore Development's application if approved by Mendip District Council. This is one of the last trees in the town centre and certainly the last tree of note in the Kingsway precinct. It is a specimen town centre tree and plays a major contribution in the character of the Conservation Area, and its felling would be a major loss to the aesthetic quality of the town.

The recent flooding in Southern England and Wales has highlighted the need for a more holistic approach to flood management, rather than blocking with sandbags and concrete. Reintroducing managed ditches to control standing water that work alongside hedgerows will also prevent soil erosion. Not only will it create valuable habitats for the dwindling song bird population, it would help increase biodiversity as a whole, and create a more permanent source of sustainable employment through the reintroduction of traditional rural crafts.

Over 200 riders a week use the site, and around 50 of these are part of a Riding for the Disabled group. Based at Throstles Nest Farm for 35 years, the site is also home to a pony club.

In March 2013 in the face of a great deal of opposition from local residents the London Borough of Enfield agreed to allow L&Q Property developers to build 231 dwellings on a heritage site in Cockfosters, North London. This site is 10 acres of Ancient Woodland containing Ancient Oaks and other trees hundreds of years old. It is also home to two European protected species, 6 species of bats and great crested newts. Other animals including badgers and foxes also make their home here. There are stag beetles, hedgehogs, water fowl, butterflies (one of which is on the endangered list), there is protected flora. There are two ponds, both of which are mentioned in the Domesday Book, and a Roman well. The planning consultation was flawed but we did not have the money to take on such large corporations in the High Court. Now, despite conditions being placed on the developer, they are already felling trees and planning demolition of the existing buildings next week. Natural England placed a condition on them when they granted the licenses for the bats and newts that NO work could be undertaken until a rigorous search of the site was undertaken between March and May. The developer and Enfield Council are clearly circumnavigating this condition and doing as they please. Enfield Council and Natural England MUST enforce these conditions.

Given that the Scottish Government is currently undertaking a planning review, this petition is evidence of public disaffection and the need to ensure public faith in the planning process faithful to the spirit of the recently legislated Community Empowerment Bill which states: “Scotland’s people are its greatest asset, and best placed to make decisions about their future... Our belief in local self- determination, through a strong Scottish Parliament, strong local authorities and strong communities, is the key principle... At its heart, community empowerment is about communities taking their own decisions about their futures”. The exceptional natural landscape and outstanding World Heritage architecture of Edinburgh is cherished by locals and visitors alike, yet the City today faces the greatest assault on its heritage since the failed Abercrombie plan for massive city-centre redevelopment of the late 1940s. Numerous large developments have taken place in recent years such as the Waterfront, Fountainbridge, Quartermile, South St Andrew Square, which have courted much criticism, most notably in the damning article “Scotland’s decaying capital city...” published Feb 2013 in Foreign Policy by Professor Richard Williams in which he stated, “Edinburgh has some of Europe's shoddiest attempts at urban regeneration”. In spite of a stated commitment to “co-operation, fairness, accountability and responsibility” and a pledge that, “this is a Council that will listen to, and work with, local people.... there needs to be strong process for looking at the quality of how the Council has reached decisions so that there is genuine scrutiny and questioning of the actions it has taken", widespread disillusionment continues to undermine the credibility of the Council. In the case of "Caltongate/ New Waverley" the Council showed flagrant disregard to the concerns of the local community and wider objectors, flouting local and national planning guidelines. The cumulative effect of controversial 'developments' is now putting the City's most prestigious accolade at risk, the World Heritage Status: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/31/edinburgh-world-heritage-status-in-peril-developers Rather than uphold their duty to the City and Her Citizens it is evident that elected representatives and officials are beholden and enthralled to an unsustainable, discredited system of speculation and endless economic growth, on a finite planet, showing favour to large private interests who appear to hold considerable sway over policy and decision making rather than reflect actual public need. Such a reality is an affront to democracy and does much to damage public faith, divide communities and undermine long term social well being. Two hundred years ago the legacy of our ancestors was the New Town of Edinburgh. How will our descendants 200 years hence judge us? “Think Global, Act Local" Patrick Geddes

We understand the need for Sellafield to routinely cull animals on site in an effort to contain the spread of radiation. However, if as Sellafield says the deer have not entered the site and are not contaminated in any way then surely a more humane solution would be to permanently remove the new double fencing in the woodland area and instead reinforce the original fence another way. As well as preventing the "need" for a cull, this would be a goodwill gesture and would benefit the whole ecosystem of the woodland. Roe Deer ... are native to this country and part of Europe’s Rewilding project. The roe became extinct in England during the 18th century, but survived in parts of Scotland. Now they are back and are a joy to see with their velvety eyes and elegant forms. They do exaggerated leaps high in the air (pronking) when running but not high enough to scale the new Sellafield fence trapping them. There is a season for shooting animals. But Sellafield propose to cull these deer out of season in February/April over 15 days, shooting approximately one deer a day. In other words this cull will take place when the females are likely to be carrying young. The New Fence... costing millions of pounds encloses woodlands previously open and accessible to deer . The government, through the Department of Energy & Climate Change, has ordered the second fence in, they say, the face of a rising threat to “sensitive” installations worldwide from Al Qaeda. The “new” fence stretches 11 miles around the Sellafield plant. Rather than culling the deer a solution would be to remove the double fence at the woodland allowing the deer free access. The original fence could then be reinforced another way instead of being double at that point. Sellafield Reprocessing Plant is... the reason for the Government’s extreme nervousness with 120 tonne stockpile of plutonium. Quite rightly the UK Government gets hysterical if other countries want to produce plutonium. Plutonium is the material necessary for nuclear bombs. Reprocessing is a toxic liability producing ever more plutonium requiring these expanding fences manned by armed nuclear policemen. The bleak and awful plight of the wild deer is a metaphor for the rest of us - the nuclear industry will give us nowhere to run. Please Sign the Petition to Free the Sellafield Deer Lets Work to Contain and Cull Nuclear - and Free the Deer British Deer Society - Close Seasons for Deer http://www.bds.org.uk/close_seasons_for_deer.html Security fence at Sellafield http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/news/extra-security-at-sellafield-1.964864 Plutonium Mountain http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qm4pt Roe Deer Pronking http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng0xOhP69Gs Sellafield Statement http://www.sellafieldsites.com/2014/01/sellafield-ltd-statement-wildlife-management/ Sellafield's Running Deer - Nowhere to Run http://mariannewildart.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/sellafields-running-deer-no-where-to-run-on-cumbrias-unearth/

Peter Lilley has been accused of lying and making deliberately misleading statements regarding fracking and its safety on national television (Channel 4 news 26/1/14). He was unable to adequately defend his statements. It is vitally important that any minister involved in such a sensitive area be trustworthy. He also has a conflict of interest as he is employed by Cayman Islands-based oil and gas company Tethys Petroleum and so has a vested interest in promoting fossil fuels and not investing in their alternatives.

Horizontal hydraulic fracturing, ‘fracking’, is a way of extracting oil and/or gas. Water, sand and toxic chemicals are injected at high pressure into underground rocks to shatter them. This releases the gas/oil which can be collected. But investing in carbon-intensive fossil fuels is a distraction from the need to decarbonise our electricity supply. And it's hazardous. Studies show that fracking pollutes water supplies (with arsenic and lead), causes earthquakes, and spoils local communities. And there are nightmare stories coming form the States. Like in the town of Dimock, PA, residents have reported their water turning so brown that it stains crockery. Their water was later found to contain methane, and a host of toxic chemicals. But it gets worse. "My son had sores up and down his legs from the water." " My daughter... would have to get out the of the shower and lay on the floor." Those are the words from Greg Saunter, a local resident, whose water supply was shut off for his own good. He cannot shower in his own home. Or drink water out of his taps. Fracking has ruined his life. It cannot happen here. We call on the council to preserve the quality of life of its residents, and reject all planning applications for fracking.

Described as the most considerable development in the area “since the 12th century”, the "Caltongate/ New Waverley" development of the Waverley Valley represents one of the finest inner city real estate opportunities in the country. Having suffered as a blighted gap site for almost 10 years development is well overdue, yet the proposed plans have been marred with widespread opposition and controversy, falling well short of a fitting exemplar vision. Those individuals and local interest groups that have thus far objected to this masterplan have been ignored and subjected to a process of attrition, in spite of the Council's stated commitments to “listen... and work together with local communities” and “conserve the City's built heritage”. Hundreds of documents have had to be considered without clemency shown by the Council for extending public consultation. This has put great strain on those members of the public engaged with the process which significantly contributed to the recent collapse of the Old Town Community Council. The extensive grounds for objection are as follows: The proposed development represents a grave threat to the UNESCO World Heritage status of the Old Town due to inappropriate and insensitive design that is contrary to local planning guidelines. Inexcusable neglect of listed buildings within the World Heritage designation, including council housing fronting on to the Royal Mile and the Canongate Venture building. Threatened demolition of previously well used and valued public listed buildings. Significant loss of revenue from public buildings which have lain empty for over 5 years in favour of private speculative interests. Failure to achieve 'Best Value' in the transfer and sale of public assets. E.g. The Jeffrey Street arches which are to be “sold by way of a 125 year internal repairing and insuring leasehold basis on a peppercorn rent”. Due diligence has not been satisfactorily demonstrated. The proposed development will lead to fundamental 'leakage' in the local economy, compromising existing local businesses, in particular the City's many small, independent guest houses. An over provision of hotels, offices, pubs/clubs and retail outlets. Controversial planning decisions, granted in the face of overwhelming public opposition, lapsed but subsequently extended in favour of private economic interests, in contravention of policy. Sale to previous developer deemed “illegal” by European Commission. Failure of developer to honour bond that would have mitigated against the adverse affect of blight from this proposed development.