That allowed a Palestinian family to remain in Britain, says the Morning Star. The letter was signed by Labour, independent, Green and Lib Dem MPs, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer. It said: “The family in question is a mother, father and their four children aged 18,17, eight and seven who were displaced from their home in Gaza in September when it was destroyed by an Israeli air strike. As you know, there is still no resettlement route for Palestinian fleeing the bloodshed, starvation and bombardment that has devastated Gaza for over 15 months.”

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Greens win extra protections for Arun waterways

On 30 January, the Environment Committee of Arun district council (chaired by Green councillor Sue Wallsgrove), passed a motion to explore ways to improve river health, water quality and biodiversity.

This motion was originally introduced to the council by Green councillor Steve McAuliffe, who was also invited to speak in support.

All the main rivers in Arun, including the River Arun, are currently classed as having moderate or poor condition by the Environment Agency. Likewise, our streams and rifes face daily pressure from sewage pollution, urban and agricultural runoff and fly tipping.

Although there are limited legal powers for district councils to improve rivers, there are many things that can be done at department level. This motion now means that officers, committees and council partners will be encouraged to come up with a wide range of simple ideas for positive impacts.

What next for county council elections?

Thank you to all the concerned members who have contacted us about the upcoming changes to local government. Although we have now had confirmation that Sussex will be a ‘fast-track’ area, the actual details of this are still to be worked out. Please be wary of some of the scare-mongering that is going on in various places!

As your local Greens, we will be pressing for local voices to be heard throughout the process. We’ll be working hard to ensure that we can all benefit from a more positive and democratic vision of devolution, rather than being subsumed into a huge unitary authority.

The May 2025 elections will NOT be going ahead. But we will continue to campaign, and encourage members to get involved in their local areas too. Please get in touch for more details:

Local litter pick and social meet

On the last Sunday of every month, local members join the regular litter pick on Littlehampton beach. This is followed by a coffee and a chat in The Beach Cafe, Sea Road, Littlehampton (opposite The Wave leisure centre).

The next meet will be: Sunday 23 February

To join us on the beach clean, please meet at 9.30am by the Shack, where the grabbers, gloves and bags are all provided by the Cafe (as part of Surfers Against Sewage). A member of the Beach team usually leads the clean. Afterwards, we’ll be in the cafe, from around 11am. Please RSVP so we know to look out for you!

Members updates and events

Each month we hold an online policy discussion for members. It’s a chance to look at an important and topical area in more depth, in a relaxed and respectful setting. On Friday 21 February our next topic is: solar power and we are delighted to have Tom Broughton (from Meadow Blue) and our own councillor Tim Young talking with us. They both have a wealth of experience and knowledge on this subject. Solar is an important topic locally, with controversial plans for the South Mundham Solar Farm. It’s important that we understand and discuss these issues as a local party. Please click here to register.

Local councillors and members will be helping to plant a new wildlife hedge in Bognor Regis on Wednesday 19 February. This is to celebrate the fourth year of the Arun district council’s tree planting strategy, and will help increase wildlife corridors and biodiversity in the area. More details on the council website, or please contact us.

Our next branch meeting will be on Monday 10 March, 7pm on Zoom. All members are welcome to join us, and non-members can also be admitted by prior arrangement. We look forward to seeing you there.

As spring slowly arrives, members are getting involved with their nearest Toad Crossing Patrols. Would you like to help? More details here, or please contact us.

We were very sorry to hear of the sad loss of local campaigner Philip Davidson. Many of you will have known him for his activism and support for green causes across our local area. Our thoughts are with his loved ones.

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, Threads and NEW: now on BlueSky!

Help us grow: We rely on one off donations or regular standing orders to help us cover the cost of our local campaign work. All support is very gratefully received. Please always include your last name and postcode as a reference, so we know who to thank.

The post February 2025 Newsletter appeared first on Chichester & Arun.

See the following for more information on the Green Party view, while we wait to see Labours detailed plans:

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The Independent reports on Ellie Chowns’ grilling of Ed Miliband over airport expansion at the Environmental Audit Committee yesterday. Ellie asked the energy and climate change secretary: “Would you agree that major infrastructure investment decisions or permission decisions such as, for example, airport expansion should not be taken before we get the forthcoming advice this month from the [Climate Change Committee] and that such policies such as airport expansion are, as the [Climate Change Committee] previously said, incompatible with meeting the targets we already have?” After being pressed further, Ed Miliband said: “I just want to provide this element of reassurance to you, which is, 100% any aviation expansion must be justified within carbon budgets, and if it can’t be justified, it won’t go ahead.” The exchange was also covered in the Mail and the Telegraph.

The post Ellie Chowns grills Ed Miliband over airport expansion appeared first on Chichester & Arun.

Changes planned for local democracy

In December, the government published a ‘devolution’ white paper, which would see sweeping changes to how local democracy is organised. These include abolishing district councils (e.g. Arun and Chichester), to be replaced by one much larger authority.

Is it happening here? West Sussex County Council recently decided to volunteer our area for the fast-track version of these changes. This decision was made by the cabinet, not the full council.

What does this mean locally? We’re still waiting to hear if the County Council elections scheduled for May this year will be postponed. If so, the Conservatives will cling to power locally for at least another year – and way past their mandate. We’re concerned that important decisions about the future shape and structure of our local government will then be led by an out of touch, unpopular council.

But is the reorganisation a good idea? Some parts of the White Paper look promising e.g. control over local transport and cycle lanes, and community rights to purchase local facilities. But there’s little detail at this stage, and we’re worried that changes will be rushed through without proper scrutiny and important public debate.

Don’t the Greens support devolution? The Green party are strong supporters of local, grassroots action – as can be seen through our network of parish, district, town and county councillors across England. We stand for:

• taking decisions as close as possible to the people most impacted;
• trusting local communities to know what is best for them;
• supporting them with investment to deliver real change;
• and fair voting for local elections using proportional representation.

But these plans risk moving power away from local councils to huge remote super councils and regional mayors. And we want the May elections to go ahead as planned!

What are Greens doing locally? We continue to encourage all our members and supporters to get involved in their local areas – whether this be parish councils or neighbourhood groups. So we’re still campaigning and getting the Green message out as enthusiastically as ever! We’d love you to join us, Adrian, please get in touch to help out:

Come and meet other Greens on Littlehampton beach

On the last Sunday of every month, local members join the regular litter pick on Littlehampton beach. This is followed by a coffee and a chat in The Beach Cafe, Sea Road, Littlehampton (opposite The Wave leisure centre).

To join us on the beach clean, please meet at 9.30am by the Shack, where the grabbers, gloves and bags are all provided by the Cafe (as part of Surfers Against Sewage). A member of the Beach team usually leads the clean. Afterwards, we’ll be in the cafe, from around 11am.

Please note: We won’t be meeting if there is a weather warning in place!

Members updates

Each month we hold an online policy discussion for members. It’s a chance to look at an important and topical area in more depth, in a relaxed and respectful setting. Our next topics are: solar power (21 February), and local rivers (21 March). You are welcome to join in our members’ discussion by registering here.

Our next branch meeting will be on Wednesday 12 February, 7pm on Zoom. All members are welcome to join us, and non-members can also be admitted by prior arrangement. We look forward to seeing you there.

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.

All support is very gratefully received. Please always include your last name and postcode as a reference, so we know who to thank.

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Thanks for your support in 2024… See you in 2025!

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported the Green party this year. Every action makes a difference: from talking to others about the green issues that matter, to being one of our local volunteers or councillors.

This year we’ve seen a record-breaking FOUR MPs elected, and huge increases in Green votes. What’s next, Adrian? It’s clear that we desperately need more Green voices in the rooms where it matters most… Could you make it a new year’s resolution to get more involved with your local party? Why not come along to a social meet, online talk, or branch meeting – you can be sure of a warm welcome.

Climate and Nature Bill – please contact your MP

In 2020, Caroline Lucas introduced the Climate and Nature Bill to parliament. Written by scientists, experts and campaigners it put forward the measures we need to properly address the climate and biodiversity crises. Finally, the CAN bill is heading to its Second Reading on 24 January 2025.

After a devastating year that the UN Secretary General called “a masterclass in human destruction” we have a chance to make 2025 the year that the UK adopts this world-leading legislation. The CAN bill will make the UK’s existing international agreements on climate and nature (made at the Paris climate COP in 2015 and the Montreal biodiversity COP in 2022) legally binding and ensure that we achieve these key commitments by 2030. At present we’re not on track and this government is the last one that can deliver them before the deadline.

In order for the cross-party Bill to succeed on 24 January it needs 102 supporting MPs to vote for it. Please email your MP and ask them to attend the debate and back the Bill. To tell us more, and answer any questions, we’re delighted to have a guest speaker from Zero Hour at our webinar on Friday 17 January.

Please come and join us – let’s make 2025 the year the CAN Bill becomes the CAN Act.

Come and meet other Greens

Storm warnings permitting, on the last Sunday of every month, local members join the regular litter pick on Littlehampton beach. This is followed by a coffee and a chat in The Beach Cafe, Sea Road, Littlehampton (opposite The Wave leisure centre). To join us on the beach clean, please meet at 9.30am by the Shack, where the grabbers, gloves and bags are all provided by the Cafe (as part of Surfers Against Sewage). A member of the Beach team usually leads the clean. Afterwards, we’ll be in the cafe, from around 11am. Please sign up below – see you there!

Members updates

Each month we hold an online policy discussion for members. It’s a chance to look at an important and topical area in more depth, in a relaxed and respectful setting. Our next topics are: the CAN Bill (Friday 17 January), solar power (February), and local rivers (March). You are welcome to join in our members’ discussion by registering here.

Our first branch meeting for 2025 will be on Tuesday 14 January, 7pm on Zoom. All members are welcome to join us, and non-members can also be admitted by prior arrangement. We look forward to seeing you there.

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.

We are currently fundraising for the May 2025 county elections
– please give if you can:

All support is very gratefully received. Please always include your last name and postcode as a reference, so we know who to thank.

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