• Make Louth Road Safe for School Kids
    Greater safety for Primary School Children in Horncastle has been a stated priority for parents, school heads, and the Town Council for a considerable time. Responses from the County Council to these requests in the past have indicated that there is no money for these changes, and/or there is no 'suitable location' for the crossing on this 'A' road. We believe that this is wrong, and that no price can be put on the safety of Horncastle's school children. We demand that Horncastle residents are listened to, and the changes are implemented immediately.
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    Created by Dominic Hinkins
  • Free period products in NI schools #MenstruationMatters
    Unlike England, Scotland and Wales, NI still does not have a budget or scheme in place for free period products in all school toilets. Yet again, we have been left behind. Schools already provide free toilet roll, hand soap, hand towels and sanitary waste disposal bins in toilets. What makes period products any different? We firmly believe that any toilet that requires toilet roll, requires period products in exactly the same way. In June 2020, a Plan international UK study showed how 3 in 10 UK girls have struggled to afford or access sanitary wear during lockdown, with over half (54%) of these girls having used toilet paper as an alternative. There is no doubt that period poverty has been exacerbated as a result of the current pandemic and the need to maintain good hygiene has never been more important. Due to extensive job losses, an increase in people using food banks, and many other local support services being cut, families have been hard hit and are under more financial pressure than ever. At the Homeless Period Belfast, we have seen an exponential increase in demand and requests for our own period packs. In April – June 2020 we received 3 times the demand than previous years. Now, more than ever, a free period products scheme in schools across NI will relieve the financial pressure on parents and students purchasing these items. It will also alleviate the pressure of school students having to remember to carry period products in their bags when there are many other things to worry about and remember to bring (exams, books, homework, hand sanitiser/masks, bus passes etc.), meaning students can go about their daily lives without getting caught out. Free period products in schools will ensure that every young person can learn and be their very best, without the worry of their next pad or tampon holding them back. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/northern-ireland-behind-as-rest-of-uk-signs-up-for-free-sanitary-products-in-schools-38022610.html
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  • Bring Back Debden Library to the Broadway
    Local people tell us the library is poorly placed for many of the potential users - we support a move to the Broadway where it could be a true library for the community and provide much needed support to that local centre. After a successful campaign involving thousands of Essex residents, Essex County Council (ECC) U-turned on its plans to close a third of its libraries, including Debden Library. However, in its place ECC proposed establishing so-called 'community libraries', where libraries would not just be run by volunteers who would even need to supply the building, with little financial support. This is a closure plan by stealth. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RJgKuJocWd9h6ylE72C0inYmGBLOgM43/view?fbclid=IwAR3mBwFszgO-PDcYWPMPqydTqsDYoRw29arF_bQA8_2CxsZGd8K07wdmoEM). Debden Library was the first confirmed takeover bid for an Essex library - the good news is that this plan was withdrawn with no agreement between the New City College and Essex County Council. Essex County Council are setting up "community libraries" to fail. The lack of groups coming forward reflects this - people are unwilling to take on costs when Essex have a statutory obligation to deliver the service. Communities all contribute towards the universal provision - why should some have to pay again through volunteering and fund raising? Essex County Council should be led by what the local community wants and continue with its statutory duty to provide a professionally staffed library service on an accessible site. You can still please sign and share this petition to say we have a more positive vision - a library on the Broadway remaining in the accountable control of the Council.
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    Created by Alan Fricker
  • Give residents fair access to Hatfield Park
    Access to Hatfield Park is a privilege that’s been granted to local residents for more than 400 years. The new 'Friends' scheme is the first time in history the Gascoyne-Cecil estate will charge local residents for access*. At £50 per person (or £75 for two) payable upfront, by every over-16, with no concessions, the charges will be out of reach to many in our community. It means Hatfield Park will effectively be out of bounds to everyone except the wealthy. That's not fair. We all know how important access to greenspace is for our health and wellbeing. The beautiful grounds of Hatfield Park are an asset the whole community treasures. They must continue to be an asset the whole community can use. We would like the Estate Director, Anthony Downs, and Lord Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, the Marquess of Salisbury, to - postpone the launch of the scheme until we can agree on something that's fair - revise the price structure so no-one in Hatfield will be excluded because of cost - guarantee that the fees will not rise year on year *Up until now, residents have had to pay a small admin charge, which was to cover the costs of the ID cards and key fobs. Recently, that charge was £15 for a 2-year pass. As it says on the passes themselves, ‘this pass must be produced on request to ensure that free access to the park is reserved for the people of the Parish of Bishop’s Hatfield’. Free. Access. It says it right there!
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    Created by Mary-Ann Ochota
  • Stop 'Trail Hunting' on the Hurtwood
    PLEASE ALSO READ A SERIES OF UPDATES HEREUNDER WHICH HAVE OCCURRED SINCE THE LAUNCH OF THIS PETITION. It has recently been reported nationwide that the Hunting Office held a series of 3 webinar Zoom meetings back in August last year with over 100 Hunt Masters in attendance. From this meeting evidence was leaked that there was indeed conspiracy by hunters to commit perjury and actively flout the 2005 ban on hunting with hounds. Throughout the three hours of talks, hunts were clearly and repeatedly incited to engage in mass criminality and shown how to present a smokescreen to anyone watching. Further to the publicised leak there is now a police and CPS investigation going ahead to ascertain all the facts from these meetings. Given the recent media coverage focusing on the admission of senior representatives of The Hunting Office and Hunt Masters, that they use trail hunting as a 'smokescreen'. We expect that local police forces across the country will be policing hunting activities more diligently and no longer turning a blind eye to illegal activities. The police, along with the other large organisations are now keen to distance themselves from hunt groups. In addition, Hunt Saboteurs Association, have seen an increase in their membership, fuelled by public awareness that these leaked webinars have brought. The National Trust, The Forestry Commission and now United Utilities have announced that they will be suspending all ‘trail’ hunt licences for the rest of the entire season. Also the law states that under the Hunting Act of 2004 Section 3 (i) A person commits an offence if he knowingly permits land which belongs to him to be entered or used in the course of the commission of an offence under section 1 – Section 1 being hunting wild mammals with dogs. Whilst the investigations are going on I call to the trustees of the Hurtwood Control that they see fit to suspend all trail hunt licences which have been issued for this current season and/or perhaps the next until the outcome of the investigation is finalised. In view of the above we really hope now that the Trustees of The Hurtwood Control finally make the right decision and revoke any licences with haste.
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    Created by Sally Goble
  • Don’t cut UK aid
    The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced that he would cut around £4 billion from the UK aid budget from 2021. This money represents just 0.2% of UK’s Gross National Income (GNI), but tens of thousands of lives could be lost, and countless more livelihoods impacted, because of these cuts. UK aid saves lives. Every year, UK aid ensures an estimated 5.6 million women and girls can access clean water and better sanitation. It means an estimated 18.6 million children are immunised against serious diseases and helps over a million girls go to school. [1] UK aid is linked to UK income. So when times are tough and the UK’s gross national income falls, so too does the amount of aid we give. This means UK aid has already been cut by nearly £3 billion in 2020 due to the economic impact of Covid-19. This extra £4 billion marks a double blow for the world’s most marginalised people, at the worst possible time. Boris Johnson needs to know that the British public won’t stand for a cut in UK aid. This is not building a “Global Britain”. This is turning our backs on millions of people, particularly women and girls in marginalised communities, who are struggling to survive. Will you sign the petition urging Boris Johnson not to cut UK aid? [1] UK Parliament: Departmental Update 28 October 2019: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2019-10-28/HCWS44 *Photo: Jenifer uses a handwashing station provided by ActionAid at her school in Burundi. Credit: Salvator Cubwa/ActionAid
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    Created by ActionAid Picture
  • Save Muskham's Remembrance Wood
    Muskham Wood is an Ancient Woodland and Heritage Parkland under Natural England's definitions. While this Wood is our focus, we are making a case for the fundamental protection of Ancient Woodland to save the Planet. Ancient Woodland is unrivalled as a Carbon Sink and Biodiversity Bank. Ancient Woodland is key to our survival as a species. Every village has a right to its own Ancient Woodland for this purpose. We are calling on Nottinghamshire County Council, the home of Sherwood Forest, to spearhead a National Campaign to protect Ancient Woodland and to call a halt to invasive and damaging planning decisions, like this one, which cuts through a long-standing Area Tree Preservation Order without due diligence. In the middle of the village of North Muskham stands an Ancient Woodland, a Bluebell Wood with Veteran and Ancient English Hardwood Trees, nationally rare Liesler's Bats, red data list Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and Tawny Owls. It hosts one of the tallest Oak Trees in the County complete with a 40-bird, 20-nest Rookery. Dormice and Great Crested Newts live in and around Muskham Wood, which adjoins a Biodiverse Ancient Pasture and is part of a Nature corridor running East-West for many miles on both sides of the River Trent. Yet today the Woodland is threatened with planning permission granted by Newark+Sherwood District Council to fell some trees and severely prune many others. This will result in a reduction and retrograde change to the appearance and nature of the Woodland and will severely impact the existing local habitats of rare species. This Woodland is protected by an Area Tree Preservation Order, yet planning permission 20/01325/TPO was granted in October 2020 to alter the nature of the woodland without any impact survey, biodiversity survey or bat survey, and without any public notice being posted, in contravention of case law under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, the Conservation(Natural Habitats,etc) Regulations 1994, the European Habitats Directive and Natural England's Standing Advice on Licensing to move protected species and the Council's own consultation procedures. This legislation relates to all European Protected Species and makes it illegal to intentionally or recklessly kill injure or disturb them. In this case no-one has considered or even looked for them, although the trees are all between 150 and 400 years old, between 35 and 70 feet high, and we have collected evidence of species' roosts and habitat over the last 30 years. The council has not even involved its own locum tree officer. No surveys have been done. The felling and pruning were applied for to "increase aesthetics, make grass cutting easier to maintain and prevent trees taking over the area." This is a protected Woodland with a Bluebell floor, for Heaven's sake. It has also been adversely affected this year by dumping heaps of waste soil, removing the underwood and burning it in situ, burning building waste, spraying herbicide, driving and parking commercial vehicles on the protected tree roots, bluebells and ground-dwelling bats, building a workshop and running a construction/vehicle maintenance business in the woodland. Please revoke this Planning Permission. It isn't the first attempt at warfare on the Wood. Since 2007, various parts of the Woodland TPO has been attacked by tree fellers acting for developers. We are sure the present case is no different. The Woodland has fallen into different hands, although it was meant to be an amenity for the housing estate built on its central pasture in the 1980s and was a condition of that planning. We fought the felling of ten trees at the west end by a developer in 2007-9. We fought the felling of ancient Yew Trees, Holly Trees, Ash Trees in 2007 at the north end by the County Council's maintenance team. Here we are again, with the Tree Preservation Order being flouted at the east end of the Wood. Yet we also bought part of the Woodland in 2001. It came with substantial clauses against development. So what exactly is going on in the rest of the Woodland, apart from profiteering? Honour the Woodland TPO, reinstate this valuable ancient wooded area, retain its existing Veteran and Ancient Trees. We would like to return the whole Woodland to its rightful state as a Remembrance Wood for the men who preserved it in the 1970s. Geoff Chadd went through World War 2 as a Lancaster Navigator in RAF 613 Squadron. His air crew went down in the North Sea and only he and one other of the six crew survived. Although his health was badly affected for the rest of his life, Geoff Chadd took solace from the great trees and the peace of this ancient place, remembering his friends and the many brave men who didn't return. We are looking to our County Council to remember them by: 1) Saving Muskham Wood and its ancient trees and all the other Woods in our County from damage by inappropriate management 2) Saving other species by preserving their woodland habitat and obeying the Spirit of the Law on Nature, not looking for loopholes into profit 3) Renaming Muskham Wood as Muskham Remembrance Wood to help our Servicemen and other people experience Peace in Nature. Please remember them, honour their familiar woodlands and save their trees 4)Taking the lead on the preservation of Remembrance Woods across Britain as great habitat for other species. Biodiversity is important to Nottinghamshire County Council and to all of us. Please help us to keep it that way
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    Created by StGeorge's Trust
  • No to Car Parking Charges in Alsager!
    Car parking charges would be devastating for our already struggling high street, people would choose to shop out of town at places with free parking instead. Visitors would also potentially shorten their stay in town - because of the charges. You can always find a space to park in Alsager - so no need to create extra capacity by charging people so they move on faster. Capacity of car parks is not an issue. Residential streets near to town would also get clogged up with cars parked on street to avoid the charges, meaning residents would find it difficult to park outside their houses. Please also complete the consultation when it opens - we will share it on the NO to Car Parking Charges in Alsager, page on Facebook.
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    Created by Jo Dale
  • Show of community support for The Flemish Weaver in Corsham
    Since Steve, Rob and family have taken over The Flemish Weaver, it has become a wonderful pub, but more than that...a community hub, especially since the COVID crisis began. They have worked tirelessly to adapt to the various changes in advice and legislation, made the pub COVID-secure and provided valuable takeaway services during lockdown. They have also given even more back to the community by donating proceeds to Wiltshire Air Ambulance and providing free meals for NHS/care workers and vulnerable people. Corsham is a small but vibrant community and The Flemish Weaver is a great asset to many of us. Please take this into consideration when negotiating the pub's future, so that we can keep Steve, Rob and the rest of the team in Corsham!
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    Created by David Klewin
  • Don't cut UK overseas aid: Retain 0.7% of Gross National Income for the Aid Budget
    The lives and wellbeing of some of the the world's poorest people depends on us. The government spends 0.7% of the country’s Gross National Income on foreign aid - that’s 70p for every £100 made in the UK. This is in line with the target set by the United Nations and works out at around £13 billion per year. [1] This money helps to create a safer, healthier and more prosperous world for us all. Millions of lives are saved and enhanced because of this money. Supporting other countries to resolve long term issues and in times of crisis or disaster is not just a humanitarian and moral issue - investing in the future of other countries is to invest in our own. [1] https://fullfact.org/economy/uk-foreign-aid-budget-what-did-government-spend-2017/
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    Created by John Nightingale
  • British airways direct to Sylhet, Bangladesh
    In England a huge parts of Bangladeshi from Sylhet. Most of traveler visit Bangladesh every year and all from Sylhet. It is very important British airways think about the issue.
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    Created by Ibrahim Ali khan Picture
  • Open Letter to Gareth Johnson MP to help save The Swanscombe Peninsula!
    Dear Gareth Johnson MP, As you will be aware, the consultation for a proposal to develop The London Resort on The Swanscombe Peninsula has now closed. Due to the development being declared an NSIP, the decision-making process has been taken entirely out of the hands of the local authority and straight to the Secretary of State to decide its future, with no regard to the country’s extensive planning laws. Unsurprisingly, plans to develop a theme park on this natural oasis have garnered huge opposition, on both a local and national level. The Swanscombe Peninsula is officially described as a brownfield site, but in spite of this, and in large part because of this, it is truly a wildlife gem to be treasured. Unlike some other brownfield sites that have been adversely contaminated, resulting in damage to the surrounding land, it is this unique mixture of wet and dry habitats and the specific industrial use ofthis land that has made this site such a uniquely biodiverse area. Like chalk downland and saltmarsh, the harsher the conditions for life, the greater the diversity of the ecology supported. You cannot recreate this artificially. Some may, at first sight, seek to dismiss this apparently, in parts, scruffy and barren landscape and see the marshes as ripe for development, however it is exactly this open mosaic land which is so rare and so valuable in this part of Kent, and almost unique in the country, supporting populations of rare invertebrates, breeding birds and numerous other creatures. The peninsula is currently home to 1,992 species of invertebrates (250 of which are of conservation concern). This includes the critically endangered Distinguished Jumping Spider, found in only one other site in the whole of the UK. There are endangered water voles and more breeding bird species (82) than at Rainham Marsh RSPB nature reserve, just across this same stretch of river, itself a designated marine conservation area for the species it nurture. The Swanscombe marshes act as a natural flood barrier and with climate change now an accepted reality, the idea of building a theme park on a site that is liable to flooding is questionable to say the least. Marshland is also an especially crucial asset in the absorption of C02. Swanscombe is already adjacent to an official air quality management area and air pollution will further be compounded by an increase in traffic. The local road network is already terminally congested, and coupled with Ebbsfleet car park about to become a lorry customs checkpoint, if this development does go ahead, it may well come to a complete standstill. Local natural spaces have become even more hugely significant during lockdown. Residents havelong sought sanctuary in the marshes and being able to escape to this nature-rich beauty spot has undoubtedly benefitted the physical and mental health of many over the past decades and especially during this challenging time. For the reasons stated above, and whatever the outcome of imminent change on national policy on infrastructure projects, we implore you to support us in stopping the wanton destruction of this wildlife haven. Not only will it be an act of vandalism against the environment, this area is simply not an appropriate site for a gigantic theme park & the local infrastructure could not accommodate it. As our local MP we hope that you back us in protecting the marshes before they are lost forever in a concrete tomb. Many Thanks, The Swanscombe Peninsula Campaign Group.
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    Created by Laura Edie