Exeter Green Party has challenged the Labour Council’s claims that Exeter, already the second fastest growing city in the country, must continue to grow. The assertion is based on a report ‘Outlook 2018’ [1] was produced by the Centre for Cities.
Green Party Councillor, Cllr Chris Musgrave said:
“There is much to be proud of about Exeter but the Labour Council’s boasts of a booming economy conveniently glosses over how the other half live.”
“The cherry-picked figures from the report ignore the fact that Exeter has a low employment rate and low wages, Exeter recorded the largest fall in wages of £35 per week, of any of the cities in the report in 2015-2016.”
“With the average house price 11 times the average salary owning a home is unaffordable for many.”
“As, for carbon emissions, we are puzzled why Labour are claiming a reduction – as the figures on the Exeter Data Mill, backed by Exeter City Council, show Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2015/16 rose by 1.34% on 2014/15.” Green Party Candidate for St David’s, Diana Moore, said:
“The City’s ‘booming’ economy relies on continued expansion – which is now planned to go well beyond the city’s boundaries to sustain it. Exeter’s economy is based on a conventional ‘make, use and dispose’ model needing on increasing external and unstable corporate investment.”
“Working with the City’s innovative businesses and partnerships, Exeter could be a leading example of a green circular economy, so that design, maintenance, repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and recycling become the norm and bring positive society-wide and environmental benefits. Such a system encourages small businesses to flourish and creates a greater number of higher quality jobs.”Notes1. http://www.centreforcities.org/reader/cities-outlook-2018/city-monitor/