Successful Campaigns

On 4 November we handed in our petition to NSDC's Castle House, along with an envelope of the Sycamore trees' seeds and a letter from the trees asking for their legacy to continue. We had a huge crowd chanting 'FREE THE TREES' as local children handed in our total 6,081 signatures. It was a real magical community moment. Just twenty minutes after handing in the petition, NSDC formally voted to preserve the trees and Library Garden for good at an Extraordinary Council Meeting. Newark residents and visitors are in huge relief from the outcome. It's been such an emotional rollercoaster for our community, but team spirit, love and passion prevailed.

UPDATE 24/10/18 - After a long search the Feminist Library has found a new home! We couldn't have done this without the help of everyone who supported our campaign - visit our Crowfunding page to watch a video on our upcoming move and our plan to raise £30,000 to create a beautiful new space for the Library with the help of feminist architects and designers: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/help-the-feminist-library-build-its-new-home

Success! Liverpool libraries are safe once again. Elysce's campaign and a “love letter” to Liverpool’s libraries from an army of major writers has been answered by the city’s council: all 18 of Liverpool’s libraries will stay open. Read more here: http://38d.gs/Liverpool-libraries

The museum is saved! After more than 45,000 people signed petitions to protect the science museums in the north of England, Culture minister Ed Vaizey announced that the museums would not be given the proposed 10% budget cut and that there was "no question of them closing." The MP for York Central said: "All the campaigning and all the warnings sent to the government that it would be an act of cultural vandalism if one of these museums were to close appears to have been heeded." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22948171

We're ending the campaign because we were successful in getting all but one of the high-street chains listed to reverse their ban on reusable cups and containers. Mc Donalds is the only one still not accepting reusables and we have been in contact with them and are aware its because its global policy ATM so there is nothing we can do in the UK for now.

Buglife is delighted to confirm that the London Resort project has officially been terminated. This decision follows a High Court ruling to liquidate London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) due to financial and contractual disputes, bringing an end to a decade of uncertainty and environmental concern. The High Court’s ruling not only signals the definitive end of the London Resort plan but also lifts the shadow of doubt that has loomed over local businesses and the community for years. It ensures that this critical natural space remains safeguarded for future generations. Furthermore, the Planning Inspectorate has held LRCH accountable for its "unreasonable behaviour" throughout the planning process, awarding legal costs to a number of organisations, including Buglife, National Highways, Kent Wildlife Trust and others. This recognition of wasted resources underscores the importance of due diligence and respect for environmental regulations in major development proposals.

13/10/17 Fantastic News! - Basement Swimming Pool Application Dropped! To let everyone know that our neighbours have decided to drop both Appeals and both Planning Applications for their proposed basement development! We are so relieved and so incredibly thankful to all of you who have supported us over the last couple years. Every musician, artist, composer, client, music fan, engineer, producer, the local community, film and tv company, record label, other recording studios, local government, other government agencies, industry bodies and all our brilliant staff- Your efforts have played such a huge part in helping to get to this resolution. We cannot thank you enough! Currently there is nothing to stop new applications of a similar nature but if they do we hope we can count on your future support if required! We will of course update you all with more news as and when we get it. Again- thank you, thank you, thank you! You have been amazing AIR Studios

01/02/18 - We Won! On February the 1st, I presented full council with the 5,623 signatures of the ‘Open Brighton's Homeless Shelters 365 days a year’ petition and made an appeal to the room. After some debate, there was then a vote on expanding the provision of services to those already homeless. In a stunning repeat of last year’s unanimous vote, the council have now agreed - without abstentions - to send an extra £25,000 for night shelters, bringing the total to £160,000. This is an amazing result, and you played a key part in it. I’m so proud of what we achieved, as you should be.

18/10/17 We won! We are now pleased as punch to say that you succeeded. You saved Hove. It will not be wiped off the map. Thank you! This morning, the Boundary Commission for England announced that it had withdrawn its proposals to end historic Hove as an independent constituency. Here's an extract: "The Hands Off Hove campaign, opposing our initial proposal to transfer Hove Park ward to a Brighton North constituency, was signed by 4,515 individuals during our initial consultation period. As they said, ‘Brighton and Hove may be partners in the formation of the city but they vigorously maintain their separate and distinct identities.’ These sentiments were reflected across the bulk of representations mentioning Hove." So thank you again for signing this petition, writing all those letters and emails and supporting the Hands off Hove campaign. Sometimes public consultation and big campaigns work, and this time the strength of your feelings won the day.

UPDATE: 25/10/18 Your support has helped gain concessions from government with the creation of a £60,000 fund to complete the mapping of pollinator habitat in England. Buglife welcomes this as a first step towards securing the future of our pollinators. This is real affirmative action in the battle to preserve the buzz of life. Once mapping is completed more resource will be needed to deliver the on-the-ground action to turn the maps into landscapes full of wildflowers for pollinators.