The worsening water quality, related to faecal pollution, has happened despite assurances from Southern Water that they are taking action. And while Southern Water continue to pay large bonuses to executives.  BBC covered the story that Lawrence Gosden CEO of Southern Water got a £183,600 bonus in July 2024 although this water company has announced plans to increase household bills by 73% between now and 2029.  On 5^th Sept 2024 we wrote to Dover and Deal MP Mike Tapp asking him to attend a meeting in parliament on 10^th Sept organized by anti-sewage groups who want much more action from the new government on the water pollution issue and we urged other to write too. The link is on our facebook page.  

In early 2024, Green councillors on Walmer Town Council (Pete Findley, Sarah and Mike Eddy) persuaded their colleagues to approve a ‘Motion for the Ocean’ and consequently WTC sent strong requests to DEFRA, to KCC and to DDC to take urgent action to stop sewage spills on Kent coasts, to clean up waters,  stop fecal, plastic and chemical pollution and restore marine biodiversity. 

Back in Oct 2021, when she was a cllr on Deal Town Council, our parliamentary spokesperson Christine Oliver, initiated a resolution by Deal Town Council, “Deal Town Council condemns in the strongest possible terms the decision by the MP for Dover and Deal to vote in favour of allowing water companies to continue to discharge raw sewage into the sea and water courses at levels above EU regulation standard. 
View article: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/deal/news/amp/perverse-in-the-extreme-256480/

Members of your local Green Party will continue to keep a close eye on the reports of the Environment Agency and to campaign for a clean up of coastal waters and rivers in East Kent, and support all local campaigners on this issue.  We were also part of the Save our Seas rally at Ramsgate with national campaigner Feargal Sharkey in February 2023. 

Christine Oliver, parliamentary spokesperson for the Green Party in Dover and Deal said: ‘It is not surprising that campaign groups will be demanding much tougher action on Tues 10^th Sept and again on Sat 26^th October when there will be a March for Clean Water in London. Raps on the knuckles from Ofwat will not solve the problem caused by the failed privatization of water treatment and supply.   

Sources of information:

• https://www.kentonline.co.uk/deal/news/do-not-swim-warning-would-kill-our-town-309612/
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4ngjj733j7o
• https://inews.co.uk/news/labour-no-real-plan-fix-uk-rivers-3237514

The post Speaking up for cleaner seawater in Dover District appeared first on Dover & Deal Green Party.

Many of us Dovorians know what a welcoming venue the Old Endeavour is on the banks of the Dour and our quiz night was certainly a lot of fun. The Dover Pantry is a membership store or social shop that helps people struggling financially. It is located at the Charlton Centre, London Road, Dover. 

Keep an eye out for our next fundraiser! Join us so that our little team of activists can do more for Dover district. https://join.greenparty.org.uk

The post Raising funds for a great Dover cause  appeared first on Dover & Deal Green Party.

The minutes show that Walmer Town Council on 5^th July 2023 declared an ecological emergency. The proposal with details of how policy could be implemented with a Local Nature Recovery Strategy was prepared by Green cllr Pete Findley (photo: on right), and item 146 was proposed and seconded by Cllrs Pete Findley and Mike Eddy.

On 31^st Oct at Deal Town Council, a similar proposal was on the agenda, and an ecological emergency declaration, again initiated by Cllr Findley, was voted through by 5 Labour and 3  Green councillors thus  8 of the 12 councillors present at the Halloween meeting in Deal’s Council chamber.

Dover & Deal Green parliamentary spokesperson, Christine Oliver (Photo: on left) said, “It’s great to see colleagues picking up on the 2021 environment Act. Three endangered species that our Deal & Walmer community is taking steps to recover are swifts and the sussex emerald, and bright wave moths. Swift boxes are being constructed in Deal by a committed volunteer. They need to be installed high under eaves and a volunteer who is safe using ladders is being sought. Rare moths and other insects, will benefit if we protect our foreshores, and keep our green spaces pesticide-free.  The draft DDC Green Infrastructure Strategy is out for consultation with the public until 14^th Nov. The more of us who comment the better!”

See the DDC website for details; comments can be emailed to biodiversity@dover.gov.uk

Sarah Waite-Gleave, another of our 10 Green town councillors, said, “We Greens will also be urging the Planning Inspectorate to reduce fuel poverty this November by amending the DDC Local Plan, requiring new homes to be low or zero carbon to protect people now and in the future, from soaring fuel bills. The Local Plan should change to require roof-top photovoltaic on all new builds, and homes oriented to the sun in a way that make them cool in summer and warmer in winter. We’ll push for genuinely affordable homes, close to amenities so transport costs can be saved, on land unlikely to be flooded, on the retention of mature trees that sop up sudden extreme downpours, and shade us in heatwaves. We expect more extreme weather events like Storm Ciaran”.

The post Congratulations to Green Town Councillors in Walmer & Deal on 2 Ecological Emergency Declarations appeared first on Dover & Deal Green Party.

The installation has been pushed through by Councillor (Cllr) John Lonsdale, who has served as one of the 3 Green Party councillors on the mostly Independent 2019-2023 Walmer Town Council, (15 cllrs in all). John carried the responsibility of chair of the WTC Climate Change Working Group. He is a Dover District Council (DDC) Green Party candidate in Guston, Kingsdown and St Margarets in the May 2023 local elections.

The work at Walmer station has been two years in the planning with John keeping in close contact with Nina Peak and Steve Cross of Southeastern. It was originally planned as an outdoor hub within a secure cage, but the plan was later changed for the hub to become part of the original station building.

The project will cater for 24 bikes. Users will get a key fob access for a yearly fee and the facility will include a bike pump, repair kit, lock rings, CCTV and lighting.

It was surprising to see a Conservative DDC candidate, and ex DDC councillor, in April 2023 implying on social media that the work of getting Walmer cyclists the security they need was his. The prospect of some losses by the Conservative Party that has had so very much control of DDC and KCC for well over a decade, seems to be causing some very wild untruthful statements to be made / implied this spring.

So for the record:

• Walmer Council 2019 – 2023 has been chaired by 3 people; Independent Cllr S Lechevalier (ex Conservative) 2019-2020; Independent Cllr J Murray 2020 – 2022; Green Cllr M Eddy 2022-2023.
• There has been considerable agreement from most (12 or 13) Cllrs out of 15. There has never been more than 3 Grn Cllrs on WTC and between Dec 2020 and summer 2021 it was 2.
• Walmer TC has not increased the parish precept by 97%. Careful maths show that if the precept is taken for the whole council tax increase (Conservative run KCC, DDC, Police, Fire and Social care Supplement) for 2019/20 this gives an increase of 83.98% between then and 23/24. Between 21/20 and 23/24 the percentage increase is 91.94%.  No wonder Mr Sunak is worried about maths skills.

The parish council tax precept for Walmer is less than that of Deal, Sandwich or Dover level 1 councils. If Conservatives say they will freeze the local precept while we have 10% inflation this implies a cut in services; which services will they cut?

• Walmer Councillors of all colours 2019-2023 worked hard and cooperatively to continue running fantastic events. How rude to imply they didn’t.
• Greens on Walmer TC have supported local residents who want to see a peace garden at York & Albany Close instead of building. There has also been evaluation by KWT of other sites, as prospective urban wildlife corners.
• There was a public town meeting on 19^th April 2023. Visibly most of the councillors had not resigned. It was a pleasant evening with a number of presentations, including to retiring ex Chair Sue LeChevalier, and a very civil and informative question and answer session. One of the presentations was to Mark Simpson, Conservative cllr on WalmerTC, representing the Royal Marines Association on the Strand.
• WTC councillors who served 2019-2023 should not be expected to apologise for not being a one-party dominated council or for upholding the Nolan principles generally and specifically on integrity “They [holders of public office] should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends.” Most (around 12 or 13 out of 15) of the public-spirited 2019-2023 Walmer Council have cooperated so that Walmer now has a publicly-owned asset, a functional set of offices with a separate committee room, instead of a non-functional office paid from public funds using an expensive lease that would never become an asset except for the landlady, who was one of the Conservative leaders of Walmer council in 2013, when the advantageous lease was set up.
• The 2019-2023 Walmer Council worked cooperatively to keep open green spaces; especially during the consultations on the DDC (Conservative-led) Local Plan. There’s no question of building either at York and Albany Close or at the Drill Field. How unkind to worry residents in the vicinity of these locations. Walmer Council objected strongly to Conservative-led DDC on the possibility of developing Ray’s Bottom on Liverpool Road and to the developments around Cross Road, and to other overdevelopment on greenfield sites. This overdevelopment authorised by Conservative-led DDC is seen by many residents as the cause of much of the dangerous traffic congestion on A258 and surrounding residential streets in 2023. The 3 Green Party candidates seeking election to Walmer TC, Pete Findley, Sarah Gleave and Mike Eddy, hope to be in a better position to continue supporting Walmer Road Safety Group if elected to the local council.

The post Good news for cyclists in Walmer : Well done independent-led Walmer Town Council 2019-2023  appeared first on Dover & Deal Green Party.

With the support of the Conservative election agent Keith Single, from the address of the Conservative Party on the Strand, he has produced a leaflet with accusations of the mostly independent Walmer Town Council of 2019-2023, and the 3 Green councillors on it.

At best cllr Jull and Mr Single have distorted reality, at worst they have contradicted the truth. As a member of the party who has long had a lot of control at DDC, why does Mr Jull want more control in Walmer?

Examination of cllr Jull’s text: the wording of the original is in italics. The reality is in bold type.

REALITY: The only information that identifies this as a Conservative leaflet is the blue in the title, the use, once in the text, of the word Conservative and the statement that it was promoted by Keith Single on behalf of Peter Jull, both of 54 The Strand.

Most people would not know that Keith Single is the Conservative election agent, that Peter Jull was elected a Conservative DDC councillor in 2019, and a WTC cllr in 2021 and that 54 The Strand is the Conservative Party office in Walmer. Why is this leaflet not more explicit about who it is from ?  

Quote: Since the last elections for Walmer dominant GREEN councillors have:

REALITY: There are three (3) Green Party councillors on Walmer Town Council out of a full complement of 15. There are three (3) card-carrying Conservatives and two (2) former Conservatives. The rest, 7, are Independent (1 ex-Labour). No party dominated between 2019 and 2023, there was a considerable degree of cooperation.

Quote: Ignored a parish consultation and borrowed £1/4million to buy a house which still needs another £100,000 spending on it to make it useful as council offices.

There was an advisory survey split 50:50; the whole Council saw the results and agreed to acquire a publicly-owned asset, a functional office with room for committee meetings; the whole council passed the full results of the advisory survey on to the Public Works Loan Board, which agreed with the purchase and approved the loan.

The loan was made at a rate of 1.5%, fixed for 20 years. The building had already been converted into offices by the previous occupant.

The figure of £100,000 is far in excess of reality.  Planned changes to the building will save on energy bills, improve security and fire safety, add a disabled access and provide a committee meeting room, all of which were lacking at the previous premises.

Quote: Incompetently mishandled the process of disposing of a commercial lease on the existing office leading to delays costing £000s in additional property payments.

REALITY : Negotiations have been blocked time and again by the Conservative ex-Vice chair (in 2013) of WalmerPC, the landlady of the unsatisfactory premises at 8 The Strand, to such an extent that the landlady may well be in breach of the lease, and WTC would be justified in ceasing to make any further payments. All negotiations have been undertaken by the council’s staff competently and it is unacceptable for Cllr Jull to pretend otherwise.  

A potential new tenant, who passed all the due diligence tests, was identified but the landlady of the property delayed progress so long that the potential tenants withdrew.

On the suggestion of Conservative Cllr Peter Jull, the Council engaged Tersons to find a new tenant, which they did. Again the landlady and her lawyers have put this transfer of the lease at risk through their repeated delaying of the matter.

Quote : Attempted to pass the blame onto the Conservative councillors with vexatious disciplinary action in excess of their legal powers even though the responsible Monitoring Officer found there was no wrongdoing, risking £0,000s of public money on futile judicial review costs.

REALITY: The original lease was entered into in 2013 and was agreed between the then Conservative Chairman of the Council and his Conservative Vice-Chairman, who was and is the landlady of the property, 8 The Strand. Legal advice on the terms of the lease were sought by the Council. When provided and paid for, the advice was ignored by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

Apart from the rent of £6,000 per year, some £26,000 was spent by the Conservative controlled council on refurbishing the property owned by Conservative Vice-chair/ landlady plus another £18,000 to put in heating. All the details of this dubious arrangement have been published on the Council’s website following a vote in full council, Feb 2022.

The Monitoring Officer at Conservative controlled DDC took the view that the dodgy deal had taken place so long ago that it was outside his remit. The Nolan principles on behaviour in public life says “They [holders of public office] should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends.” The public-spirited 2019-2023 Walmer Council and all 3 persons who have chaired it (cllr Lechevalier, cllr Murray, cllr Eddy) have all sought to uphold the Nolan principles, and substitute a publicly-owned asset, for a lease that would never become an asset except for the landlady, one of the Conservative leaders of council in 2013.

The only truthful statement in this Jull fiction is that public money was put at risk by a futile judicial review, which was brought by Conservative Cllr Pat Heath, the 2013 Chairman of the Council against the 2019-2023 Council.

Quote: Created toxic relationships which have seen 2/3 of staff and over ½ of councillors resign so they could co-opt their cronies onto the council.

REALITY: In 2019 there were 3 part-time staff. One moved to take up the post of Town Clerk at a council in Thanet and the other moved to job with a legal practice in Canterbury, career reasons not reasons of toxicity. The third is still with the council. Of the councillors, 3 resigned during lockdown as they were working in the NHS or the care sector. A Green Party councillor resigned to take up a job in Bristol, and an independent councillor resigned because he moved out of Walmer. Understandable reasons. 

Co-options were dealt through a rigorous recruitment process which required CVs and interviews undertaken by a panel of 3 councillors – and independent, a former Conservative and a Green, markedly less one-party domination than prior to 2019. The Conservatives have called two by-elections at a cost of some £7,000.

Quote: Increased the staff wage bill from £48,000 to £100,000 per year.

REALITY : The wage bill has increased, as the council has become more of a can-do council maintaining the busy schedule of events and bringing in new services for residents, and standing up to DDC planning dept, (recommending to DDC the protection of Walmer from overdevelopment) as we went through Local Plan consultation, and pressing KCC for road safety measures.  There used to be 3 part-time staff servicing the council’s committees, and the wage bill was less than the sum paid to Dover District Council for cleaning the public toilets in the town.

There is now the equivalent of 3 full-time staff dedicated to delivering services for residents, and the bill for the toilets has been reduced through tough negotiations, so that some new staffing costs are offset using this saving.

Quote: Tried to throw the rugby club off the Drill Field which would lead to houses being built there.

REALITY: This is untrue. The Council and the rugby club have recently concluded a Heads of Agreement for a new 30-year lease for the club and both sides have instructed lawyers to finalise the lease. The only members of the council to speak of building on the land have been two Conservative councillors.

Quote : Can you afford to allow these people back onto your local Council? Vote to restore Walmer to the exemplar (sic) council it was before 201

REALITY: Can Walmer residents afford cllrs who think insider deals/ leases for friends, that are in breach of the Nolan principles, are acceptable, cllrs who claim their party needs full control of a local council? Variety and multi-party collaboration seems a lot healthier, allowing for the prevention of one-party domination and insider deals.  

Since 2019, collaboration between mostly Independent and 3 Green councillors has seen, among other things:

The introduction of electric vehicle charging points (with a £4,000 grant from Kent County Council);

The current construction of secure cycle storage at Walmer station (bringing in some £45,000 of investment into the town);

The introduction of a new standing order in 2019 to ensure the chairmanship rotates every 2 years, so that no single person stays in power for so long that they come to regard the council as theirs to command.

And the popular thermal imaging camera service to help residents save money on energy.

9 non-Green and 3 Green cllrs voted on 2^nd Feb 2022, to refer the report on the lease of 8 the Strand to the authorities, to make the report public (it is on the Walmer TC website now under ‘recent posts’) and to seek to recoup costs. This is evidence that most fair-minded Walmer councillors) except for Cllr Jull, did not regard the Walmer council prior to 2019, as exemplary.

These matters were discussed at the Annual public meeting on 19^th April 2023, an informative and pleasant occasion when Cllr Eddy was complemented on his chairing of the meeting; Cllr Jull was not able to attend.  We suggest to Cllr Jull that he might find it useful to re-read the Defamation Act 2013.

The post Councillor Jull’s Wish To ‘Take Back Control’ – Leaflet in Walmer  appeared first on Dover & Deal Green Party.

The new 2019 Walmer council (3 of them Greens) all agreed variety was the spice of local accountable democracy, (with one  exception, the councilor who was the previous long-standing  Conservative chair).

Since 2019, the three chairs of Walmer council have been Cllr Sue Lechevallier, (now an independent cllr) 2019-2020,  Cllr James Murray (Ind) 2020 to May 2022, and Cllr Mike Eddy (Grn) who became chair of Walmer council in May 2022, supported by cllr Beard-Gould (Ind) as vice chair.

Walmer councillors declared a climate emergency unanimously on 3^rd July 2019, with a private motion proposed by cllrs Eddy, Lonsdale and Symons, three Greens on the new council (item 5761). The council committed to becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2025. Work to implement this commitment has been led by the team on Walmer Council’s Climate Emergency Working Group, chaired by Cllr John Lonsdale (Grn).

In addition to lowering the council’s carbon footprint, much work has been done in the community. In the 3 years since 2019 they have leveraged in KCC money to provide EV electric vehicle charging points for visitors and residents who don’t have off-street parking. They compiled and distributed a local advice sheet in 2019 for residents about planning processes and energy efficient homes.  By autumn 2021 they’d set up a service for a Walmer council employee to bring a thermal camera to residents’ homes and help them decide how to make their home more energy efficient.

With energy prices going sky-high in 2022, those who have benefitted from WalmerTC support on energy efficiency are counting their lucky stars!   WTC also leveraged in rail funding so that security cameras and strong cycle lock-ups could be installed at Walmer station. And with ever-increasing congestion on the suburban roads of Walmer and Deal, making cycling easier and safer makes very good sense.

A problem the incoming team of 2019 councillors were determined to tackle was the secretive lease signed in 2013 when Cllr Pat Heath (Conservative) was chair, which awarded a 25 year commercial lease to ex-cllr Mrs Johnson (Conservative), then vice-chair of Walmer Parish Council. (see reply to Freedom of Information request below). Cleaning up this historical problem (the 2013 decision contravened the Nolan principles of public service, the Code of conduct about  ‘cllrs not to make any decision in their own pecuniary (financial) interest’ and the legal advice provided to council) has involved the Walmer council moving to new publicly-owned council premises, resolving the on-going costs of ex-cllr Johnson’s lease and referring the matter to the police authorities (minuted item 6315 of meeting 2^ndFeb 2022; a statement about cllr Heath is on the Walmer TC website).

Cllr Mike Eddy said, “We of Walmer Town council will continue to work together to enable residents to enjoy Walmer’s beautiful environment and facilities and we’ll work to improve them. We will continue to listen to and stand up for residents. We’ll keep trying to get DDC and KCC to take action to protect Walmer, particularly on the issues of road safety, planning and overdevelopment that are affecting our community. This council team are determined to respect the principles of clean, accountable governance”.

He continued, “We hear from our Green colleagues elected to Deal and Dover town councils that all too often, it is only recommendations from the majority groups (Labour) that get accepted at full council, while well-researched practical recommendations from our councillors are dropped into the long-grass. At a higher level, on Dover district council, we watch the six man Cabinet (Conservative) brush aside the work of councillors not of their party. This is why the mutual respect for diversity which allows councillors of different backgrounds to work constructively together here in Walmer, is something we think is well worth celebrating.”

The post Congratulations to Walmer; an unusually inclusive town council, cleaning up historic problems. And congrats to its new Green Chairman! appeared first on Dover & Deal Green Party.

A limited number will be available to Walmer residents ready for Spring planting. The Beebombs will come with advice for planting to ensure success.

Order now to make sure you get one – one per household. Walmer Town Council will let you know in the Spring when it’s ready to collect.

Why this matters

British bees love to feast on a wide range of native wildflower species, and our gardens are important habitats for them. As bee populations are in decline we want to do our bit to help reverse that and help our important pollinators thrive again.

This is a Walmer Town Council, Climate Emergency Working Group, initiative and is part of their drive to help mitigate the effects of climate change in our community.

Why BeeBombs and what are they?

97% of natural bee and butterfly habitat has been lost in the UK since WW2. 97%. Ninety seven percent. It’s frightening and critical.

With your help, we can start to restore the lost wildflower habitat and make an important contribution to the biodiversity of Walmer and Great Britain

Hand made in Dorset, Beebombs (https://www.beebombs.com) are a mix of 18 British wildflower seeds, fine, sifted soil and locally sourced clay. The seeds are native species and designated by the Royal Horticultural Society as “Perfect for Pollinators”. Walmer in Bloom member Mr Richard Oram, a local lepidopterist, has looked into the composition of BeeBombs and feels they are a suitable mix to be used in this area without causing an unnatural imbalance in the local fauna. This is important as a sudden change can cause a shock to the insect population.

Beebombs just need to be scattered onto cleared ground to create a wildflower meadow that will #bringthebeesback

In terms of coverage, one pack of Beebombs, covers 21 square foot or 2 square metres.

Bee Bombs can be scattered throughout the year, the clay protects them until they are ready to germinate, though many say spring and autumn are particularly good times to start them growing. Around 20% will start flowering in the first year. Biennials and Perennials in the mix will start blossoming in the 2nd year.

BeeBombs come with no plastic packaging. They are 100% sustainable and recyclable. BeeBombs are sold individually at £7.99 each, but Walmer Town Council will supply them to Walmer residents for FREE.

The post Free BeeBombs: Help Sow Wildflowers In Walmer! appeared first on Dover & Deal Green Party.

Walmer Town Council has purchased a professional Thermal Imaging Camera (model Flir E4) available free to Walmer residents to see where their home is leaking heat and lacking in insulation and draft proofing. Reducing heat loss saves you money, lowers energy use and reduces the carbon emissions responsible for climate change.

How It Works:

The thermal imaging camera shows up ‘hot spots’ where warmth is leaking from your home, usually through the roof, walls, floors, doors and windows. Seeing this visually helps to identify areas that need attention either by adding insulation, draft-proof strips, replacement of failed double glazing units, adding secondary glazing or repairs to masonry work or even simple low cost solutions such as installing thermal blinds and curtains or draft proof strips around doors, windows, and letter boxes.

The best time for taking thermal images is on a cold, dry and dull day when the heating has been on for a few hours – so typically between November and April each year. The greater the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the house the better the images. Rain and sun can give distorted readings so ideally on or at the end of a cold cloudy day is ideal.

How to get an image survey:

Interested households should register their interest at deputyclerk@walmercouncil.co.uk or by calling the Walmer Town Council office on 01304 362363. Photos are available to keep if requested, and will be sent by email.

Community volunteers provide this service for free. The volunteers are given basic training to use the camera and will bring the camera to your home to use on the outside. They will show you the thermal images as you go around the house, discussing any areas where heat appears to be escaping or insulation may be inadequate. Photos are also available to keep if requested, and will be sent by email. The service is available to Walmer residents only. There’s no cost.

Advice

Once hot spots and areas leaking heat have been identified, speak to a qualified heating and insulation specialist about suitable solutions. You can also head to the Centre for Sustainable Energy website or call 0800 082 2234 for some tips, solutions, ideas and links to further support and possible funding. Reducing heat loss from your home will save you money on your heating bills, keep you warmer, reduce pollution and lower your carbon footprint.

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The motion was passed unanimously.

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