Welcome to the monthly newsletter from your local Green Party. Including updates on our Councillors’ hard work, members’ campaigning, dates for your diary, and all things Green!
We have all been shocked and saddened by the tragic events in Southport, and the exploitation of this by far right groups across the country. Please see here for the national Green party’s statements from Amanda Onwuemene (Green Party Spokesperson for Policing and Domestic Safety) and Sian Berry (MP for Brighton Pavilion).
In response to the growing toxicity in some areas of social media, we have recently taken the decision to remove our local party’s X (formerly Twitter) account. Please find us instead on Facebook, You Tube, TikTok and Threads.
Locally, our councillors and party officers have released a full Unity Statement on our website.
Local news and campaigns
After the excitement of the general election, we are now focusing on the 2025 West Sussex county elections. We’re hoping to build on our recent successes, and continue to increase the number of representatives from the Green party. The more Greens elected, the stronger the voice for our environment! If you’re interested in getting involved, please contact us.
The new government are running a consultation on reforming the National Planning Policy Framework, with a deadline of 24 September. Our local councillors are looking closely at the proposals, and are particularly concerned about statutory housing targets – as both Arun and Chichester have real difficulties finding land for new builds. In addition, we want to emphasise that inadequate social housing cannot continue – we need sustainable, future-proofed and affordable housing for everyone.
Our councillors are also concerned about the government announcement on dropping the Winter Fuel Allowance unless you have claimed a means tested benefit. This is likely to cause an increase in poverty amongst pensioners, as being just £1 over means you miss out on the whole Allowance. In addition, about 1 million pensioners do not claim – so will also miss out. When you are older or recently bereaved it can be hard to understand the complex system and make a claim. We will continue to push for a better and fairer system, including a universal basic income.
We were pleased to hear that the long proposed and delayed A27 bypass plans have now been scrapped by the new government. Our local councillors and members have fought hard against this proprosal, and we champion both sustainable, affordable, active travel schemes and the re-nationalisation of public transport. We’re pleased that this expensive and damaging road-building project has finally been cancelled.
Events
Over the coming months we’ll be getting our positive Green message out to as many local people as possible. Can you help? Our councillors, members and volunteers will be delivering leaflets, distributing 60 second surveys, and canvassing across all our wards. If you can help, please sign up here.
We also have two social events coming up, to encourage members – new and old – to come and say hello. Why not join us Adrian, we’d love to see you!
Sunday 25 August, 9.30am / 11am.
Social meet-up in Littlehampton.
Come and join us for a coffee and chat in The Beach Cafe, Sea Road, Littlehampton, BN16 2NA (opposite The Wave leisure centre). Some of us will also be helping with their monthly litter pick along the coast beforehand. To join, please meet at 9.30am by the Shack, where the grabbers, gloves and bags are all provided. A member of the Beach team will lead the clean. After the beach clean we’ll have a coffee in the cafe, from around 11am. It can get busy, so please sign up to let us know to look out for you!
Friday 20 September, 7pm.
Social meet-up / Green policy discussion online.
Join us from the comfort of your own home, via Zoom. We will choose a different area of Green interest to discuss each month, and this will be a relaxed and welcoming space to get together. The topic for our next discussion is: housing and planning. Our local councillors will provide some relevant context on issues in Arun and Chichester, and everyone is welcome to contribute their ideas and experience. Please sign up here for the Zoom link.
And some Green events further afield:
Friday 6 – Sunday 8 September.
Green Party autumn conference in Manchester and online.
Find out more details, and book your tickets on the national party website. This will be a great chance to get together with other national members, following our fantastic election results.
Saturday 14 September, 10am – 4pm.
“We need to talk about water” in Havant.
Event organised by our friends in Havant Green Party at Havant Pallant Centre, The Pallant, Havant, PO9 1BE. To engage, inform and facilitate networking between groups who are concerned about the various challenges around water from the pollution and over abstraction of the Ems, on the Hampshire / West Sussex border, the project to build an effluent recycling water treatment plant and the pollution of the three harbours, Chichester, Langstone and Portsmouth. More details and tickets here.
If you can, please plan your journeys on public transport. If you are able to offer / require a lift share to any of the events, please contact us.
Next branch meetings:
Monday 9 September, 7pm on Zoom.
Tuesday 8 October, 7pm on Zoom.
Wednesday 6 November, 7pm on Zoom.
All members are welcome to join us, and non-members can be admitted by prior arrangement.
Can we help you? Want to join us? Have skills to share?
Keep in touch with your local Chichester and Arun Greens
Join the party: join.greenparty.org.uk
Ask a question: contact@chichesterarun.greenparty.org.uk
Keep up to date: Find us on Facebook, You Tube, TikTok and Threads
Help us grow: We rely on one off donations or regular standing orders to help us cover the cost of our local campaign work. If you can help out, please click here or follow the QR code.
All support is very gratefully received. Please include your last name and postcode as a reference, so we know who to thank.
A big thank you again to everyone working so hard on the Green campaign!