• Prevent the use of water cannon by police in mainland UK
    The use of water cannon would be a violent and excessive use of force to combat protests on the streets of the UK. The right to protest is one of the most important aspects of our free and open democracy and I believe that the threat of this weapon will be an inhibitor to people of all ages from exercising that right. My concerns are twofold. 1 - ACPO's own report into water cannon states that: "the full-pressure jet from a water cannon is capable of causing serious injury or even death and says there are also possible injuries from the impact on the body of street furniture or other debris." http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jan/22/police-home-secretary-approve-use-water-cannon-austerity-protest We have seen all too frequently instances of police abusing their power, and using unnecessary force to break up protests. Be it the death of Ian Tomlinson, or the assault on anti-fracking campaigner Sean O'Donnell, elements of the police force would prefer to use violence and aggression to silence peaceful protest. I don't believe allowing them access to this weapon will lead to less unprovoked aggression, but more. 2. This leads to my second point. The police are not the government's armed guards, hired to subjugate the will of the people. Increasingly I fear they are becoming so. ACPO argue that they would like water cannon in their arsenal "because austerity measures are likely to lead to continued protest" http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jan/22/police-home-secretary-approve-use-water-cannon-austerity-protest For starters that is presumptive, and is not representative of their own report: "The report says there is no intelligence to suggest there is an increased likelihood of serious riots within England and Wales." If, however, they are right that increased austerity measures will need to further protests, then so be it. The people have a right to protest against the actions of the government that they do not agree with. It is not the job of the police to suppress this feeling with threat of serious injury, or even death, through the use of water cannon should people wish to protest. The police are for the protection of us all, not to maintain the establishment status quo. Water cannon are dangerous to the public and reinforce the notion that the police may use excessive force to quell the will of the people.
    23,835 of 25,000 Signatures
    Created by Neal Parsons
  • Proposal for crossing person/pedestrian crossing on Wheel Lane, Lichfield
    We feel this is an important step to ensure optimum safety while crossing what can be a busy road. It is en route to shops and schools, and more recently a Post Office. From personal experience it can be a tricky road to cross at school run times and I believe having a crossing would make it significantly safer and easier to cross, particularly for children who are able to walk to school by themselves. Although it is a 20mph road, I have seen many motorists exceeding the limit and think a crossing would help slow traffic down. I have spoken to a few parents who agree it would work well. My husband tells me there used to be a crossing lady at this point when he was a child. A pedestrian crossing was installed on Beacon Street where the Post Office used to be so I think a crossing on Wheel Lane would be well used by customers of the Post Office and shops also.
    158 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Mia Webb
  • Retaining our Leisure Facilities in Corfe Mullen
    The Virgin Active East Dorset club has been a really important part of the Corfe Mullen community. Many people, young and old, depend on it for not only keeping fit, but as a place to meet, talk and laugh with friends. Without transport and extra funds, many would find it hard (if not impossible) to travel to another club. We desperately need to keep this facility as an asset for our community.
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    Created by Jane Adams
  • Save Bradford Libraries
    Bradford Council are currently conducting a "Libraries Review" and are proposing removing this vital service from some communities and reducing this in others. Libraries serve a vital educational purpose and provide access to anyone in the country. People from all ages and backgrounds use the service and it is a disgrace that the Council can cut this. The government says it is keen on improving education of young people but still allows Councils, like Bradford, to destroy the library service. Local libraries are the backbone of many villages and provide a fantastic range of books, both fiction and non-fiction, internet access and an information service on various things. Many are used as meeting places for local people and serve their communities well. The council have proposed branch libraries be run by volunteers and moving the location of these to much smaller impractical places including places of worship, community and private buildings. This could be as small as a few bookshelves in a local church or shop which could also be unmanned. This would seriously damage the education of both young and old by reducing access to books and educational material. These plans also include the complete removal of mobile and housebound services, both used by the most vulnerable and disabled people in the district. Without this service many residents would have no access to any books, the service is a lifeline to them. The mobile library also visits areas where local libraries have been axed in the past, so the loss of this would result in no library access in that area. The library service is a service we cannot afford to loose and we cannot stand around and let these highly paid MPs walk all over it. This is about loosing a necessity that our ancestors fought to have, it is about mass job losses and most importantly it is about the damage it will have on education of the people in the district. Do not let this happen. Sign our petition today and SAVE YOUR LIBRARY!
    506 of 600 Signatures
    Created by Stephen Wilkinson
  • Save Central Youth Theatre Wolverhampton from the Funding Cuts
    Over 30 years 1,800 young people have participated in workshops, performances, international tours. We provide apprentices, work experience and employment. Many of those young people credit the youth theatre for changing their lives, helping them to develop their careers - not just through skill training in the arts but also through confidence building, increased self esteem and team work. These young people are ambassadors for our city, they can help to build it's future. Wolverhampton needs creative talent in these dark days.
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    Created by Jane Ward MBE
  • Stop Fracking in Norfolk
    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. 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.
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    Created by Jonathan Hill
  • Stop Naming the August Bank Holiday as Margaret Thatcher Day
    The bill is about to have its second reading on the 28/2/2014. The general public are not aware of this occurring and I as an individual of this so called democracy would be highly offended if they took to renaming the bank holiday after such a destructive and demoralising woman like Thatcher. Not everyone in this country lives by her values, far from it. Caring for others and being part of a large society is not a weakness. It's an insult to Miners, socialists, families of the Hillsborough Disaster and too many more to name.
    149,082 of 200,000 Signatures
    Created by Louise Wallace
  • Save Our Westwood
    This is not a scare story: Beverley's beloved common, Westwood, is under threat. There is a proposal to allow temporary access across a portion of the Westwood to permit the developers easy access to the old Westwood Hospital Site. If this were to happen this would set a precedent that could then be used by other developers to access other potential development sites adjacent to the Westwood, such as the Grammar School, Minster School, Archery Field, East Riding College, Longcroft Lower School, Longcroft Higher School and potentially Grosvenor Place. If any such access is granted, it is unlikely that it will ever be removed completely and damage will be done to the integrity of the Westwood as well as its fauna and flora: trees will be cut down, hedges broken through and grasslands compacted and altered forever. This, over time, will result in the loss, piece by piece, of the Westwood we know: a Westwood we have a duty to pass on to our children in the condition we inherited it. Beverlonians have protected our commons for centuries, are we really going to throw this away for the sake of six or so lorry movements per day over 18 months? If we do, we would be betraying those who fought for these commons in the past. There is a vociferous, ill-informed campaign promoting the idea of access across the Westwood, however, the emotive campaign they are running is full of omissions. The facts of the case are set out below. Town Route: Problems Congestion in the narrow streets; Increased traffic movements on these streets; Increased noise for the residents. Westwood Route: Problems The route of this access road will cross and damage ancient common land; The route will damage the existing grassland; The route will involve the removal of a section of species-rich hedgerow; The route will involve the removal of a small tree; There will be increased traffic movements on the Westwood; The temporary road will set a precedent. Town Route: Mitigation Measures The developers have said they will limit lorry movements to 12 per day during demolition ( c. 2 months); The developers have said they will limit lorry movements to 6 per day during the construction phase, 16 months; The developers will use a small lorry; There will be no lorry movements during the rush hours nor at school pick-up and drop-off times. Westwood Route: Mitigation Measures The developers say they will re-instate the grassland; They will replant the hedge; They will replant the tree. It would appear that the problems associated with the town route can be easily mitigated against and the very small number of lorry movements per day is more than reasonable, especially when you take into consideration the number of movements there used to be when the Westwood Hospital was open and when the new housing estate is built. These movements included ambulances, delivery vehicles, skip lorries, gritting lorries and patients being picked-up and dropped-off. Concern has also been raised regarding the danger to schoolchildren at Minster School. The developers appear to have taken this into account in their plans and will schedule no lorry movements during the rush hour or at school pick-up and drop-off times. In truth the biggest risk to school children is local residents speeding along The Leases or rat-running up Central Avenue and Thurston Road to get to Cartwright Lane. In terms of the access across the Westwood, there appears to very little that the developers can do to mitigate against the damage they will cause. Whilst they have said they will reinstate everything they damage, in ecological terms this is easier said than done and, in most cases, is impossible. Their route will destroy a species-rich hedge which cannot be replaced in our lifetimes. The problem of precedent cannot easily be undone, once the access route has been constructed. This will encourage other developers to do likewise in order to develop other sites, more difficult to access than the old Westwood Hospital site, by insisting on temporary access across the Westwood. This would open-up areas, such as Grosvenor Place and Minster School to development pressure.
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    Created by Beate Willar
  • Help Save specialist day centre for people with Alzheimers in Portsmouth
    My Mum who has rapidly progressing Alzheimer’s disease uses the centre. It is a local lifeline for many local residents, as a caring unit which understands her condition and provides a friendly and stimulating environment, and for the carers such as myself to get some much needed respite. The proposal is to move the Patey clients to the Royal Albert Day Centre in the centre of Portsmouth which would be extremely detrimental for the majority of them. They are a close knit group of individuals who thrive on the familiarity and security of both their number and setting. The skilled carers provide stimulating activities which maintain their clients' skills, helping them to feel valued and promoting independence. The move to the much larger Royal Albert Centre and much longer journey would be frightening and hasten the progress of their disease as the unfamiliarity will cause confusion. Portsmouth City Council's own Dementia Action Plan 2013/14 states: “Objective one of the Portsmouth Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy is to enhance the quality of life for people with dementia” “2142 residents will have some form of dementia · 55% (1178) will be mild, 32%(685) will be moderate, 13% (279) will be severe” “Portsmouth aspires to be a dementia friendly city where people with dementia will be treated with respect and feel included in our local communities.” “There will need to be a shift away from acute care towards primary and community based service provision, including rehabilitation and reablement.” “Support for carers is key” By closing the Patey Centre there will be just 60 spaces for the 2142 sufferers of alzheimers and dementia in the whole of Portsmouth. Portsmouth NEEDS more spaces not less. The Council claim this is a cost cutting measure however this is only true in the short term. Longer term there will be: growing costs of caring for increasing numbers of isolated dementia sufferers in their homes for whom there are no day care spaces; an increased need for residential care as overwhelmed carers without specialist day care respite will reach breaking point faster; and additional costs transporting people to the Royal Albert. The Council's intention is to sell the land the Patey Centre is on to help fund a residential home for people with alzheimers in the north of the city, why doesn't this incorporate the Patey Centre? The 2142 sufferers of alzheimers and dementia in Portsmouth are vulnerable people, many with carers such as myself who are stretched to breaking point. Their needs are being ignored and their excellent day centre is being lost. Please don't close the Patey Centre in Cosham, without providing alternative specialist day care for people with alzheimers and dementia in the north of Portsmouth, put the needs of the people of Portsmouth first.
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    Created by Ellie Savidge
  • Increase the Bee population - Grants for beekeepers
    Bees pollinate 70% of our food crop and their numbers are dramatically falling. Over the last 100 years, the UK has lost over 75% of its Bee population but human population has nearly doubled from 38 million to 63.7! This will keep increasing and with their numbers falling, Bees cannot keep up with the task of pollinating our food supply which we rely on. We are asking the Government to provide financial support for farmers and beekeepers who in return will invest the money in their bees to encourage their maintenance and growth. Also, it may encourage others to take it up if there is a financial incentive. If we do not help bring back the Bees, our food will become more expensive as pollination of crops reduce. This is also a global issue so without our own Bees, what will we do when other Countries cannot pollinate enough crops for export to us? At present, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs provides free training for amateur beekeepers but this is not enough. We are asking you to sign this petition and share it with your friends. We need a 100,000 signatures for the idea to be presented in Parliament so financial grants for beekeepers can be discussed. Thank you for signing :) Carmen and Sam
    958 of 1,000 Signatures
    Created by Carmen Kerschbaumer
  • STOP THE RSPB KILLING GOATS.
    Hillside Animal Sanctuary has offered to re-home feral goats from the eastern shore of Loch Lomond to prevent them being culled. Hillside urged RSPB Scotland to halt the cull, which is being carried out to protect Pollochro Woods. The area is viewed as a site of special scientific importance. RSPB Scotland have previously said they would consider alternative solutions in March, but that the cull will continue until then. They are now saying that they will continue with the cull in September. Wendy Valentine of Hillside Animal Sanctuary said it had offered to give the goats a home for the rest of their lives rather than have them shot. Ms Valentine, whose sanctuary in Norfolk is home to more than 2,000 rescued animals, added: "It is a shame that an organisation that is set up to look after the welfare of animals should take a stance that goats should be culled. "We have rounded up herds of Highland cattle that have gone wild and Highland ponies, so goats would not be any different. We have 70-80 of them already. Hillside's offer to re-home the goats follows an approach from the Scotland For Animals charity, which has also enlisted the help of Humane Wildlife Solutions, a Borders-based company specialising in pest control without killing. John Patrick, from Scotland For Animals said: "We have presented a do-able option that is not going to cost them (RSPB Scotland) any money. "I would have thought they would have jumped at the offer if they really are pro-conversation, pro-nature and pro-wildlife."
    391 of 400 Signatures
    Created by Louise Rowan
  • Save the Mardyke Horses
    This area of land has been underwater for two months now Horses have died in the past on this land and others have had to be dragged out of the mud in conditions less wet than at present These animals are at risk and need protection
    9,888 of 10,000 Signatures
    Created by Sue Burton