Why Green?
Following council elections in 2022, Exeter Green Party has five councillors on the City Council.
We're working progressively on local issues; constantly challenging our Council to improve its social, economic and environmental impacts. As part of the Green Party of England & Wales, we share a deep concern for social and environmental justice, expressed through our national policies.
We believe a fairer, greener Exeter is worth fighting for.
We rely on people power rather than corporate finance in all that we do. Get involved with us today so that we can achieve so much more for Exeter.
Our Green Councillors' Priorities
Where Green Party councillors are elected, people see hard working individuals who listen to, help and support residents with their concerns. They provide a strong voice for the community and stand up for the local environment. Greens understand that action to address the climate crisis can also tackle the cost of living crisis and reduce inequality.
"Unlike establishment parties, Greens are not subject to a ‘Party whip’ that orders us to vote according to the needs of the party machines and their colleagues in Westminster. We are committed to putting the needs of our communities first, and collaborating without fear or favour on the solutions to make lives and our environment better.”
Councillor Diana Moore
Our priorities:
- Work with communities to fight for more truly affordable and decent homes and better solutions to the housing crisis.
- Create ways for all homes in Exeter to be warm and affordable to heat, and build the skills, jobs and investment to achieve this.
- Backing communities to have a better say in Exeter’s future development - ensuring local people help shape a new local plan that creates low carbon and healthy communities while protecting our heritage and nature.
- Sustain and improve essential Council services to ensure that they are easy to use, are there when they are needed and also help to tackle rising inequality in the city.
- Increase investment in our parks, green and blue spaces so people can enjoy them and nature can thrive - plant more trees, clean up our waterways, and improve public safety.
- Create safe and healthy walking, cycling and wheeling in Exeter. Slow traffic speeds to 20mph in residential streets and make routes and crossings safer.
- Establish frequent, affordable and integrated public transport to provide a realistic and positive alternative to using the car.
- Develop a modern market in the city centre - a great community space for supporting new and small local businesses and to promote local affordable food.
- Recognise the role of social enterprises, voluntary and community organisations in meeting community needs and enhancing the creative, cultural and democratic life of the city. Support and fund grassroots community action.
- Support those who are victims of anti-social behaviour and work to reduce the threat and fear of anti-social behaviour.
We will continue to hold the Labour-dominated Council to account, challenging them on:
- Labour’s inaction on reducing carbon emissions across the city; and, the risk of misleading the public into thinking more significant action is being taken than actually is to tackle carbon emissions in Exeter.
- Planned £9.675m cuts to essential Council services over the next 3 years.
- Plans to profit from a residential property company to let homes at market rates and using Council land to promote unaffordable co-living bedsits.
- Exeter's recycling rates - at 26% they are still the lowest in Devon - back down to 2004 rates.
- The very slow roll out of food waste and no timescale for the whole city and broken promises on glass recycling.
- Lack of action on tackling air pollution.
Green councillors are committed to working together and cooperating with other parties on areas of common ground, including building on the success of the Progressive Group of councillors.
