As Swanscombe residents, we know only too well that parking in the local area can be extremely challenging on a daily basis. With an ever increasing population due to mass development in the surrounding areas, bringing an increase in commuters using the local train station and an increase in use of local amenities, the demand for parking has never been higher.  With on-street parking at such a premium, residents, businesses, employees, community groups and visitors regularly rely on our local car park in The Grove, Swanscombe to alleviate the issues surrounding the frequent lack of on-street parking. Many local residents, businesses and community venues in the immediate vicinity to The Grove, do not have the luxury of private off-street parking and will often utilise The Grove public car park, particularly overnight and at weekends.  If Swanscombe and Greenhithe town council's proposal to introduce a significant increase in daily charges, new overnight and weekend tariffs, all managed via ANPR cameras, go ahead, we fear that, not only will further demand for on-street parking increase dramatically, resulting in residents having nowhere to park due to the car park becoming an unaffordable option, but we also risk - * Public safety, particularly for more vulnerable groups in our community and particularly after dark. *Accessibility risk - for emergency vehicles, for refuse collections due to increase in on-street parking. *Increase in illegal and dangerous parking due to lack of space to park safely and legally. *Negative community cohesion due to disputes over parking. *Businesses and community groups suffering as a result of staff, customer and visitor parking issues. We realise that SGTC need to raise funds, with their finances falling into disarray, however this should NOT be at  expense of local residents, businesses, community groups, visitors etc. We ask that SGTC re-evaluates this proposal with the time, care and consideration it deserves and not to make knee-jerk decisions over something so potentially impactful and detrimental to the local area and it's residents.  Thank you.

Also resurrect the idea of a Water grid to not only alleviate areas of prolific flooding but allow the areas of high rainfall to provide water in areas of low  rainfall and drought like conditions. This could be done using rivers, large streams and canals. We're an island surrounded by millions of litres of water.  Scientists advise that climate change is causing the ice caps to melt, thus sea levels are increasing. Building reservoirs requires using farmland or land that can be built upon.  Desalination plants could help alleviate the lack of water for building but also help with the continued demand once the houses are built. Farmers and Nurseries would be more efficient and produce more in the way of crops etc., thus reducing the need (and air miles!) to import produce from abroad. It's not rocket science, the UAE, Israel even Malta & Gozo already have desalination plants, even Navy ships and Cruise liners have them! So it's not like having to re-invent the wheel, the technology is already here.

We are calling for the unused space above the changing rooms at The Stadium on Church Road, Folkestone to be properly utilised for the benefit of the local community. After learning more about the situation from the Council, we understand that the space has been largely unused for around five years, since the facility was built by Taylor Wimpey. The MOD currently controls the space and, as we understand it, only uses it around once a week, while retaining access to offices and a large shared area that are otherwise largely unused. Previous attempts by the Council to utilise the space have also been unsuccessful. What is particularly frustrating is that the space also goes to waste every Saturday and Sunday when football is being played at the stadium. Even a small business running a café and providing refreshments for players, parents and supporters could make an immediate difference. But in the long term, the large shared space could be so much more — supporting welfare and community meetings, yoga, drama, art, children’s activities, family events, local clubs and community groups. We believe this is a wasted community asset, and we are asking Taylor Wimpey, the MOD, the Council and other relevant organisations to work together to find a practical solution and finally put the space to use. Please sign this petition to show your support for turning an unused space into a genuine community asset for the people of Folkestone.

The framework should cover beaches, coastal slopes, inland commons and mountain land, including the Preseli region, and should allow restrictions to be activated when defined wildfire-risk conditions are met. The aim is to prevent avoidable wildfire ignitions while allowing recreational campfires to continue during ordinary summers when conditions do not warrant restrictions. I am deeply concerned about the growing risk of wildfire to Pembrokeshire's extraordinary coastline and open countryside. The cliffs, coastal slopes, heathlands, grasslands and beaches of Pembrokeshire are among the most beautiful and distinctive landscapes in Wales. Once a wildfire takes hold in these dry landscapes, the damage can be extensive, and in some places it can take many years for vegetation and habitats to recover. Recent wildfires have shown that this is not a theoretical risk. We have seen serious fires in the Preseli region and elsewhere in Pembrokeshire, while the wider region has experienced increasingly severe wildfire incidents. In August 2026, the UK Government went as far as issuing an emergency alert across England and Wales warning of the very high risk of wildfire and specifically asking people not to use disposable barbecues and fire pits. I believe we should do more to prevent avoidable fires before they start. I am not calling for an automatic annual ban on campfires. I recognise that many people enjoy a properly managed recreational campfire, particularly at campsites, and that this is part of the experience of visiting the coast and countryside. What I am asking for is more practical and proportionate: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority should do the legal and consultation work now so that it has the power to introduce a temporary prohibition on campfires and barbecues when conditions become exceptionally dry and the wildfire risk becomes dangerously high. That could include beaches, coastal slopes, inland commons and mountain land, particularly in the Preseli region. Clear criteria could determine when restrictions are activated, allowing them to remain unused during ordinary summers and to be brought into force when genuinely necessary. I don't want to see the beautiful Pembrokeshire coastline scarred by wildfire because of an entirely preventable recreational ignition. I don't want to see wildlife habitat, heathland, grassland and coastal vegetation destroyed, or firefighters placed in danger tackling fires that could have been avoided. We have the opportunity to prepare before the next extreme wildfire occurs. We should use it. I am asking people who care about Pembrokeshire's coastline and countryside to support this proposal and show the National Park Authority that there is public support for a sensible, precautionary approach to wildfire prevention.

Communities around Heathrow airport are already suffering with drought and excess temperatures. The development covertly happening in Hillingdon is unsustainable and damaging to our communities. Anti-datacentre sentiment is growing from across the political spectrum in the US. More than a dozen states have considered moratoria on datacentres. New York became the first US state to enact a temporary ban last month. If they can say no, so can we. Hillingdon is one of Londons greenest boroughs. However we are already classified by the Environment Agency as "seriously water stressed". Data centres heavily exacerbate this pressure.  The data centres will raise local temperatures making already raised climate crises temperatures even hotter and more unbearable, also putting us at further risk of wild fires in our parks, gardens and green spaces.  I’m a keen gardener and in the ten years I’ve lived in the area I’ve seen my garden go from wet clay most the year round to now parched and thirsty most of the year.  The water and electricity consumption of these centres will no doubt lead to raised utility bills at a time when people are already struggling to meets rising costs of living.

This ten minute crossing is famous around the world - and is believed to be the last turntable style ferry anywhere. It's an iconic part of Skye's history, but it's under threat thanks to a wealthy landowner - Edinburgh-based retired corporate financier Richard Oliphant of that Ilk - forcing the community to follow archaic land laws. These laws mean that the Glenelg to Skye ferry and tearoom - who employ a large number of the local population - have to give millionaire land owner 5% of it's annual income. But it gets worse; these outdated laws also say that the payment for each new year can't be less than the previous year. It means that even though bad weather lowered earnings this year, Oliphant of that Ilk will still receive £10,000 because a great tourist season last year meant they had to pay him that much. It's an absolutely ridiculous situation, that is putting this amazing community asset at risk. As a Skye resident that first used this ferry crossing back in 1958 I'm appalled that these historic laws are putting it at risk. I'm calling for Scottish politicians to step in and change the rules to support this incredible ferry. Image credit: Mike McBey, used under licence Attribution 2.0 Generic

“If music be the food of love, play on.” — William Shakespeare Music at Blackminster isn’t a recent initiative. The school has a remarkable musical tradition stretching back at least to the 1970s and beyond. Former pupils remember Mr Page and the Blackminster brass band, which competed in the National Brass Band Championships. Albums and LPs still exist featuring Blackminster children singing at schools’ festivals, including recordings associated with Songs of Praise. For more than half a century, children have walked through Blackminster’s doors and found music waiting for them. Different children. Different teachers. Different decades. That tradition continued into more recent generations. At its height, more than half of Blackminster’s pupils received peripatetic instrumental tuition. Children played in a brass band, three choirs, a ukulele group and a drumming group. They took part in musical theatre, Arts Award, community performances and Local Authority pyramid concerts alongside other Worcestershire schools. Visiting musicians and bands brought the wider musical world into Blackminster. Pupils travelled to experience live music, including the National Brass Band Championships, and performed at venues including Worcester Cathedral, Birmingham’s NIA and Wembley Arena. Imagine being ten or eleven years old and standing on a stage like that. And the impact lasted. Children progressed from Blackminster to GCSE Music; an entire generation of the school brass band did so. Former pupils continued performing into adulthood, and some became music teachers themselves. That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because children are given access. Over decades, teachers, pupils, parents and the community built the infrastructure that made it possible. Grants were secured, money raised and instruments donated. The PTA supported concerts and productions. Peripatetic teachers taught successive generations. Instruments, music technology, stands and sheet music were accumulated and cared for. We now understand that Blackminster’s discrete music provision is coming to an end, with music instead forming part of a wider Performing Arts rotation. Instruments from the music department are also being offered to others in exchange for donations. Once those instruments are dispersed, they are gone. Once ensembles disappear and resources are broken up, a musical culture that took generations to build cannot simply be recreated later. We are asking Blackminster Middle School and its Governing Body to: • reconsider the closure of discrete music provision and explore sustainable alternatives; • pause the disposal of instruments and resources while their provenance, funding and future use are reviewed; • commit to meaningful, progressive music education, including opportunities to learn instruments, sing, play together, compose, perform and experience live music; • protect instrumental tuition, ensembles and extracurricular music wherever possible; and • consult pupils, parents, alumni, peripatetic teachers, receiving schools and the wider community before making irreversible changes. Blackminster still proudly celebrates former pupils who have achieved remarkable things in music. They are evidence of what happens when children are given an opportunity. Somewhere in Blackminster today may be another future musician, teacher, brass player or singer — or simply a child who has never held an instrument and has no idea yet how important music might become in their life. For more than fifty years, Blackminster children have been given that chance. Today’s children deserve it too. Please sign and ask Blackminster Middle School and its Governing Body to protect meaningful music education and a musical tradition generations have spent decades building. Because you cannot celebrate yesterday’s musicians while taking the instruments out of the hands of tomorrow’s

In early August, a wildfire destroyed the ancient Dunwich Heath in Suffolk. This precious landscape, home to rare wildlife including nightjars, Dartford warblers and adders, and visited by 100,000 people each year, was devastated in a matter of hours. This is not an isolated incident. As climate change progresses, so does the risk of extreme weather. Wildfires are becoming more frequent and more severe across the UK, threatening communities, nature, and our future. In the hours that followed the fire at Dunwich, we saw the best of people. Farmers and neighbours supported fire crews on the frontline, local communities provided shelter and food for evacuees, charity groups rallied. And the same is true for fires that have raged across the UK this summer - from the Isle of Wight to the Mourne Mountains. People have done their bit. Now they need a Government response to match. Now, we are calling on the Government to make three commitments: 1. Make climate resilience a national mission led by a Cabinet-level minister with responsibility for preparedness across Government and long-term investment. 2. Invest in nature as essential infrastructure, including peatlands, wetlands, rivers, woodlands and heathlands that help communities adapt to climate change, reduce environmental risks and support wildlife. 3. Support Fire and Rescue Services with the funding, specialist skills, equipment and public awareness campaigns they need to prevent, prepare for and respond to wildfires and other climate hazards.

Growing up in Worcester, specifically on the west side of the River Severn, has always been a cherished experience. However, with the vibrant community's expansion, there is an urgent need for educational resources to keep pace. Christopher Whitehead Language College, currently accommodating a significant number of students from this region, is under substantial pressure. The potential population growth only heightens this issue, placing an increasing demand on existing school facilities. The absence of a second local high school west of the River Severn means that many families face the inconvenience of having their children bused to schools farther away, in areas such as Malvern and other parts of the county. This not only disrupts their routine but also disconnects these young learners from their immediate community. Establishing a new high school in this vicinity is not just a logistical necessity but a critical factor in fostering a cohesive, community-cantered educational environment. Implementing a plan for a new high school would relieve the current strain on Christopher Whitehead Language College and neighbouring institutions, providing a fresh start for incoming students. With proper planning and investment, we can ensure the new school opens within a reasonable timeframe to meet the educational needs of future students. Such an initiative would reduce travel times, increase local engagement, and ensure that the children of Worcester receive a quality education right in their community. Statistics underscore the urgency of this matter. According to data from the Worcestershire Education Partnership, student numbers west of the Severn River are set to increase by 10% over the next five years. This rise translates to hundreds more students who will need local school placements. Our children’s educational journey should be facilitated, not hindered, by overcrowded classes and needless travel to distant schools. We call upon Worcestershire County Council to identify a feasible location for this new high school, prioritizing the needs and convenience of Worcester's families. By investing in our educational infrastructure now, we can create a learning environment that nurtures our children's potential and supports their future. Your signature can help turn this vision into reality and ensure a brighter future for our community's youth. Please sign this petition to make your voice heard.

Tragically, Professor Jason Arday has died after a vicious and deeply personal campaign of press attacks over the last few weeks. The Government must urgently launch an inquiry into the culture and behaviour of the British press, and any role it had in the death of Professor Arday. Add your name now.

Forest Poultry Ltd is trying to build a battery farm near Ripon capable of holding 360 thousand chickens. We call upon North Yorkshire council to reject this application Alongside the objections to battery farms, this proposal would land a small village with problems of air quality, traffic, and  the impact on the landscape  We call upon North Yorkshire to consider the inconsistencies and missing information within the planning application; the environmental and animal welfare issues this proposal  They don’t want the stench of the ammonia of 2.7 million chickens on their doorstep, polluting their water, and neither do us.  They don’t want cheap chicken grown through cruelty in their neighbourhoods compromising our way of life; neither do we. Join us in saying no to battery farms near Ripon.  North Yorkshire is full of small villages at threat of having their green fields turned into factories for big companies.  We don't want their cruelty or them damaging our land and water.

We all campaigned for a new doctors surgery in the south of King's Lynn, after the town centre surgery, St James, said it would move out of town. After the town centre surgery moved out, it was more difficult and more expensive to get to from South Lynn and the town centre,  if you do not have a car. Funding was found, from the NHS,  for a new Primary Care Surgery in South Lynn.  The South Lynn Health Hub was built at a cost of £11.5 million and opened a year ago. But  still has no doctors in it. Out Patients from the local hospital, first time physios, Mental Health, but no doctors.  Now Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Integrated Care Board says it won't fund doctors in South Lynn Health Hub. This is about access to doctors and to NHS Dentists and Diabetic Nurses, in a community that's among the 20% most deprived in England. For better health outcomes.