In past years, many have paid lip-service to “Care for the Environment” but now is the time for action. Liberal Democrats include green issues in all our policies, including those for Ealing Council.
This is an era for responsibility and more care for the environment in which we live. We are determined to dispose of waste more safely, to keep our streets and parks cleaner and to maintain our home environment.
Ever-increasing waste is polluting the air, the soil and possibly the water supplies. In 1995/96 Ealing Council was recycling only 7% of its waste (compared to 22.9% in Sutton, where the council is run by the Liberal Democrats). In 1999/2000, Ealing recycled only 10.7% of its total waste, an increase of only 3.7% in three years. In the light of the global publicity which environmental issues have received in recent years, Ealing’s record is disgraceful.
We will bring together concerned individuals, community groups, businesses and the Council to launch a new and more responsible outlook on environmental issues. We will act now. We will learn from the success of councils like Sutton, and collaborate closely with neighbouring councils to minimise costs. Detailed policies follow:
Currently, most waste is sent to landfill sites, which are major polluters of our environment. Ealing Council has no way of recycling the mountain of paper which businesses and schools throw away each day. Blocks of flats have been totally excluded from the green box recycling collection scheme. To reduce this burden, we will:
Did you know that Ealing still sends most of its green waste to landfill sites? Such waste can be composted and, therefore, recycled very easily. We will increase the collection of garden waste from homes and parks. We will hire contractors to shred the waste as necessary, organise composting stops and provide the compost to allotments in the borough, and organise composting stops, for example on allotments. This will allow plotholders and residents access to a valuable, otherwise wasted, resource.
People are taking an interest in allotments again. They are enjoyed, not only by plotholders, but the many passers by as well - young and old. Allotment gardening is a healthy activity providing opportunities for exercise, and access to fresh, organically grown food. It is also a valuable, and recommended, therapeutic activity for people in difficult circumstances, for example those suffering ill health.
Allotments are highly valued by Liberal Democrats as an important part of our environment. Allotment gardeners in Ealing grow a wide variety of vegetables and fruit not otherwise seen and enhance the biodiversity of the borough. We will vigorously promote the use of organic and other sustainable methods of cultivation by all gardeners in the borough.
The infrastructure and facilities of Ealing's 45 allotment sites have been shamefully neglected over the past fifteen years. They have deteriorated to such an extent that otherwise enthusiastic, new, plotholders are reluctant to take up the activity. Existing plotholders are very dissatisfied with the poor facilities, especially the fences, which provide little protection against vandalism. Liberal Democrats will bring all the sites up to standard by empowering the Ealing Allotments Partnership to urgently, and fully, implement the Borough's existing Sustainable Allotments Strategy. We will allow plotholders to further improve the facilities by fully supporting self management schemes, such as those at Pitshanger and Blondin. In other parts of the country such schemes have been able to access funds not available to Local Authorities.
We will ensure that all trees removed during street works are replaced and improve publicity for the tree sponsorship programme.
Published by Martin Tod on behalf of Ealing Liberal Democrats all at 23 Fairlawn Court, Acton Lane, London W4 5EE. Printed and hosted by freenetname, 113 - 123 Upper Richmond Road, London SW15 2TL