We will also get DDC to adopt the ‘Kent and Medway Air Quality Partnership’ so that air quality assessments are part of the planning process and developers take practical measures not to worsen air quality.

DDC should plant more trees and work to ensure there are more electric car points and car clubs.

DDGP will also work for a better local bus service with buses using less polluting fuel.  We would extend air quality monitoring throughout our area. Poor air quality kills 50,000 people per year in the U.K.

Poor air quality means more greenhouse gas emissions.

The local Green Party has tested air quality and found that 4 schools in our area have pollution levels exceeding WHO standards.

Children are especially affected by air pollution.

We would introduce solar canopies in many council parking areas and direct income to providing electric charging points and replacing council vehicles with electric cars.

This article covered one of the 14 Themes of Dover and Deal Geen Party Action Plan:

1. Action on Climate Emergency
2. Open Government
3. Improving Democracy
4. Value for Money
5. Policies to Support Local Business
6. Planning Policy that Works
7. No to Fracking
8. Yes to support for electric cars
9. A Plastics Free Council
10. Ending Live animal exports
11. Better Air Quality
12. Support for Bus Transport
13. Better Amenities – Especially For Young People
14. Universal Credit and Other Benefits

The post Better Air Quality appeared first on Dover & Deal Green Party.

Deal Town Council recently passed a motion to address the issue of engine idling around schools at pick up and drop off times, which contributes to air pollution.

Poor air quality is responsible for approximately 40,000 premature deaths in the UK every year, with children and older people are especially vulnerable to the negative health impacts, which include asthma, heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.

This is an issue in Deal and Dover’s windy corner.

Green Party campaigners carried out air quality monitoring as citizen scientists outside 4 Deal and 4 Dover primary schools in November 2017, and showed the results to Prof Peckham of University of Kent’s Centre for Health Service Studies.

We learnt from Prof Peckham that the maximum levels for nitrogen dioxide is 20 micrograms/m3, the World Health Organisation’s recommended maximum levels to avoid harm to health. Two schools in Deal and two schools in Dover indicated higher than these levels.

On 12 March 2019, Deal school leaders and councillors were encouraged to adopt a range of initiatives to help reduce pollution. These included:

• raising awareness amongst parents and carers
• ‘green screens’ and ‘living walls’ around schools
• closing school streets to vehicles at school drop-off times
• expanding the cycle network
• additional tree and shrub planting in public spaces.

A small action that all drivers can take to improve local air quality is to turn the engine off when stationary – for example when waiting at level crossings.

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/deal/news/green-partys-plan-to-improve-157894/

The post Action on Air Pollution near Deal schools appeared first on Dover & Deal Green Party.

Environmentalists held a small demonstration in the car park on the proposed new Aldi store in a bid to save nine mature trees.

The German chain plans to remove the features to make way for its brand new 1,254 sqm supermarket and 128 space car park on the current Co-op site in Park Street, Deal.

In a stand against this, members of Deal and Dover Green Party held a “love-in” where they tied messages to the trees and handed out leaflets to shoppers.

Green Party parliamentary candidate for the area, Beccy Sawbridge, said: “It’s not about not wanting the supermarket there but making sure these trees aren’t unnecessarily taken away.

“Trees do so much for us to protect our increasingly fragile eco system.

“Given that these mature trees already have Tree Preservation Order’s on them, people were astonished and rather angry that Aldi seemed to feel justified in chopping them down.

“It’s important to remember we share this earth.”

The activists argue that the mature trees currently in existence – one oak, two lime, two beech and six sycamore – are not only loved for their visual amenity but because they all also help clean the air, contribute to people’s health, help save energy and benefit wildlife.

They feel in the rush for development, Deal would lose some of its character.

An Aldi spokesperson said: “We agree that trees have many benefits for an area, and where possible we will maintain existing trees and plant new trees within our proposed development in Deal.

“As part of the planning application submission we will provide an assessment of the existing trees on site. Whilst nine trees are proposed to be removed to allow the Aldi development to come forward, Aldi will be replacing these with 13 mature specimens throughout the site, w’hich will be supported by the required infrastructure to allow them to grow successfully within the car park and ensure their longevity.

“Overall, the additional trees and landscaping proposed, in addition to the introduction of a modem and highly sustainable Aldi building, will regenerate the site and enhance the local Conservation Area setting. We are delighted that an overwhelming number of local people have already shown their support for the proposals and can’t wait for Aldi to open.”

Aldi will submit a planning application to Dover District Council this month. If it is granted the store will open during 2019.

The post Green party campaigners protest to save trees at Aldi site in Deal appeared first on Dover & Deal Green Party.

“We are very aware that deaths attributable to air pollution in the UK, at 8% of the annual death rate, are higher than in neighbouring countries, it is an issue that we need to work on together.” Commented campaigner Liz Hayes.

The campaigners had a very constructive meeting at Whitfield on 18 December. The DDC environmental protection team keep careful records of the two Air Quality Management Areas in Dover:

• along the A20 from Aycliffe to the Gateway
• and outside the old Town Hall.

Both areas continue to show levels that breach legal limits.

The DDC team are preparing to consult and draw up a new action plan to improve air quality in Dover in early 2018. Details will soon be available on how local groups such as  local Green Party campaigners can participate in the consultation.

On behalf of the local Green Party, Sarah Gleave / Christine Oliver / Liz Hayes said,

“Our one-off sampling is not the same as longer-term sampling, and none of our readings were above the legal limits, however our highest four readings were above the 20 micrograms /m3 that are the World Health Organisation’s recommended maximum levels to avoid harm to health.”

Three of these four higher readings are from primary school streets which are outside the AQMAreas that DDC monitor.  Our four highest readings were from:

• Barton Road, near Charlton and Barton Primary schools, 32micrograms /m3 ;
• London Road, Sholden, Deal, outside Sholden Primary school, 26micrograms /m3;
• St David’s Road near Aycliffe Primary school, 22 micrograms /m3
• Western Road, Deal outside Sandown Primary School, 21 micrograms /m3   

Two of the measures recommended to reduce air pollution caused by traffic:

• speedy replacement of diesel cars, lorries and buses with better scrappage schemes
• the introduction of no-idling zones.

In Dover the number of freight vehicles who keep their engines running while stationary, in cold or hot weather adds significantly to air pollution in the town. Also, the lack of good public transport and zero emissions transport options on new out-of-town developments are making pollution levels worse.

Tom Clother, of the local Green Party said,

“The Port of Dover could help by:

1. making the lorry parks on the port, no-idling zones and
2. by replacing their commercial fleet with electric vehicles. 

Many private car owners are aware that children’s lungs are particularly vulnerable and switch the ignition off to protect young lungs. 

Many of our supporters are parents of young families and have said they would buy plug-in electric cars if only there were some electric charging points in the District.

Another form of protection for schools with playgrounds on busy roads is to plant street trees as a living barrier.  We’d be very happy to work with community groups and across party lines to lobby for some solid improvements on this issue; prevention is better than cure!”. 

The post Let’s work together for better air quality in the Dover District appeared first on Dover & Deal Green Party.

We spoke to Dover District Council back in March 2017, to discuss ways to reduce car use and encourage a switch to low emission vehicles.

Dover district has no working electric charging points for cars – Maidstone has 14. Canterbury Green Party with Canterbury Clean Air have taken effective action recently and we’d like to take a leaf out of their book! Please help us if you can – thank you!

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