17 April 2021
St Albans District Green Party’s local policies are summarised here
A major policy we are currently focusing on is the change to the default speed limit from 30mph to 20mph across the district. This proposal was recently brought to the District Council by Green councillor Simon Grover and was passed without objection. The District must now work with the County Council to implement this change.
We have also been pushing the Council to create a network of electric vehicle charging points. Many residents need this before they can consider switching to an electric car, and this change benefits everyone through quieter streets and cleaner air.
We have won commitments from the Council to create a new programme to insulate homes across the district – a vital part of reducing emissions from heating and improving quality of life. This programme has yet to start, so we will be keeping up the pressure on this.
We know that many residents are interested in installing measures like renewable energy, heat pumps and exterior wall insulation. The Council needs to issue clear guidance on how to do this, where it does and doesn’t require permission, and a presumption in favour.
Our Green councillor was instrumental in bringing forward the Wilder St Albans project, which will coordinate biodiversity and rewilding projects across the district, and enable residents to work with others to green our district. Again, we will be pushing for this project to be rolled out as quickly as possible, building on the renewed interest that residents have in these issues.
We have campaigned for years to get improvements on transport, congestion and parking, and will continue to do so. We want to see measures that encourage active travel. For example, exploring the introduction of charges for large workplace car parks in the district, directing the money raised into active travel measures, and developing plans for a low emission zone for city centre.
Many residents have a view on the closure to traffic of High Street and George Street in the city centre. We are keen to explore what aspects of the current arrangements can be made permanent, what measures might be extended, and where other measures might need to be taken to offset any consequences. For example, Catherine Street and Holywell Hill have become even busier since High Street was closed, so we would want to look at what measures could be taken to help with that. Overall, the direction of policy must be towards more low traffic neighbourhoods and priority of active travel over vehicle travel, but this must always be done sensitively, following the evidence, and with the support of local residents.
These policies are all being pursued through our Green district councillor Simon Grover. The more councillors we can get elected, the more weight will be given to these issues in our local authorities.
See our complete list of candidates for the 2021 elections.
Privacy: The local party and Cllr Simon Grover are both registered with the Information Commissioner's Office