The Green Party has unveiled radical plans for the future of Exeter. Responding to a City Council consultation on the future development of the city they call for a series of measures to ensure healthy lifestyles, reduce pollution and provide low cost housing.
The proposals by the Greens include:
Creating a ‘Walking City’, promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing pollution;
Turning Exeter into a 20mph city, making it safer and more conducive for all ages to walk and cycle;
Introducing a new parking levy on the city’s largest employers to generate income to fund ambitious new public transport schemes;
A new planning policy to enable genuinely affordable community developed, owned and managed housing, built to the highest possible environmental standards and cheap to run;
The development of low-car housing in the city centre, with consideration given to converting some single story car parks into affordable housing.
The Greens also propose a new quarter on the Bus Station site which would incorporate a new permanent marketplace, leisure facilities, low car housing and a state of the art transport hub.
Prospective Exeter St David’s Green Party candidate, Andrew Bell, said:
“We still seem to be planning a city for yesterday’s world. The developments being planned now will still be with our children and their children in 50 years time so we owe it to them to plan for a truly sustainable future. It’s vital that we think about the kind of city we want to leave them. The Green Party believe that they will want Exeter to be a city no longer dependent on fossil fuels; houses that are cheap to run; air that is clean to breathe and green spaces in which they can safely walk and cycle with their children. And we need to re-localise our economy, championing local businesses and bringing food production back to the city and the South West.”
Greens also challenge the existing Core Strategy, which aims to see over 12,000 new homes built in the city over the next 10 years, many on greenfield sites and in areas with a high risk of flooding. In the response to the consultation, the Green Party reiterate their commitment to protecting parks, open spaces and food growing areas. In particular they highlight the importance of preserving ‘green lung’ sites such as Eastern Fields in Pinhoe and the proposed site of the Alphington Park and Ride, proposed within the protected Alphington Conservation Area and the Alphinbrook Valley Park.
Notes
See full response from Exeter Green Party to Exeter City Council Draft Development Delivery Document, February 2014
Contact: Andrew Bell, Exeter Green Party Policy and Press Officerandrew.bell@exetergreenparty.org.uk 07903 9322220 Follow Andrew on Twitter: @aw_bell