It is important to our Local community to have the access to leisure and exercise facilities within a 2 mile radius of our local area, which are inclusive and there for all ages enjoyment and public use without the fear of any exclusion. It is essential that these facilities are on a public transport route, with the bus stop within close proximity of the amenities as not all families and older people are privileged enough to own a vehicle to access the baths. This facility is there for the use of at least five villages and a town and must remain open to support and provide much needed recreation for ALL ages, in a place where there are very little amenities already to entertain and promote a Healthy Lifestyle. The Closure and subsequent relocation of the facilities to Campsmount Academy is unsuitable. It makes very little sense to install new facilities in an unsuitable location, when the funds could be spent on improving and modernising the existing facility.

Glyphosate-based herbicides such as Round Up and Touch down pose a real risk to the public, our environment and horticultural workers. Calderdale’s Wildflower areas have all been treated with glyphosate to prepare for new seeds. This is irresponsible towards our people and insects. Roundup kills beneficial insects, it has been proven to cause mortality of live beneficial species including bees, thrichgramma, predatory mites, lacewings, ladybugs, and predatory beetles. Glyphosate in soil takes 140 days to break down to half its toxicity and will continue to be taken up by plants from the soil for 2 years and longer. It’s toxic to earthworms and inhibits mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizal fungi are essential for tree health, collecting nutrients and water to feed their host plant and protecting tree roots from harmful fungi and root rot diseases. Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that it was “probably carcinogenic”. Recently a break through court case against Monsanto was won by a man who developed cancer after using Roundup. He was awarded $289 million in damages. We know that in Hebden Bridge, Calderdale Council have sprayed Glyphosate each year on the following sites: Calder Holmes Park - wildflowers lawn Stubbings wharf – Heptonstall Turning circle wildflowers microsite Oldgate – wildflowers lawns In 2016 Calderdale Council announced a plan to reduce the use of glyphosate by 15% year, however figures show that in 2017 the amount used increased. Other councils now use the eco-friendly alternatives such as non-toxic Foamstream.

The Events of Culloden and the events that followed not only changed the face of Scotland to this day they changed the lives of thousands of people living around the world who are descended from Scots fleeing the events of Culloden and the events that followed. Culloden is hugely significant not only was it the last battle fought on the British Isles. Its deep and lasting impact can be felt by thousands of people who may well have been Scots had their ancestors Not fled or were subject to persecution for sedition

Great Western Railway (GWR) has started the roll out of its new Intercity Express Trains servicing various routes including long distance ones such London to Penzance and London to South Wales. Despite GWR’s claims that the new trains provide passengers with ‘more space, more comfort’, its actions tell a different story. With a total disregard for the passenger experience, GWR has removed the buffet car from its new trains. On-train buffets provide passengers (who often travelling long journeys) with a proper catering service that has the option of hot meals and can be accessed at their convenience. When the trains were in design, the RMT consistently warned the Government and GWR that the removal of the buffet car would lead to a deterioration in the service for passengers. Despite this, GWR has ploughed ahead and replaced it with a trolley service, which of course can only provide passengers with a much more limited choice. Coupled with passenger concerns about the lack of comfort in the new trains , it is clear that GWR has chosen profit over the passenger experience. This is despite the fact that rail passengers in the UK pay the highest rail fares in Europe. The publically owned LNER franchise, which operates the East Coast mainline, is also introducing a new fleet of the same Intercity Express Trains – however, a key difference is that all of the new LNER trains retain the buffet car. This makes it clear that the lack of a buffet service in the GWR trains is purely down to a lack of will on the part of GWR. The dedicated GWR catering staff rightly recognise that their passengers deserve a proper catering service on the new trains and therefore the RMT is demanding that GWR reinstates the buffet car in all of its Intercity Express Trains without delay. Furthermore, to safeguard the provision of the buffet service on the Greater Western route, the Department for Transport (DfT) must ensure that future franchise contracts specify a requirement for the buffet car. Please sign this petition and share it widely as part of the campaign to #BringBackTheBuffet

The importance of Stoke Lodge to the local community is strongly-felt, widespread and enduring: ● Two applications for Town or Village Green status show the strength of feeling about this space. The Inspector at the first TVG concluded that all tests for TVG status were met apart from one (‘as of right’ access) which is not relevant to the test for LGS. ● Our community has raised substantial funds and committed significant time over a sustained period to maintain access as of right. ● Over 4,100 Bristolians signed a petition calling on the Council to protect open access. ● Stoke Lodge has not one but two supporters’ groups, with over 1,800 members in aggregate who devote significant amounts of time not just to campaigning but also to gardening and other voluntary projects to protect and improve this amazing space. Please revise your assessment of Stoke Lodge. It is the epicentre of a community and is unique and irreplaceable – it fulfils all the criteria for Local Green Space and we strongly believe it should be given the higher level of protection.

We want to safeguard our public spaces and local wildlife for all generations and encourage biodiversity in our environment by eliminating the use of pesticides in the Wychavon District. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over 350,000 people die every year from acute pesticide poisoning. Moreover, this figure does not include deaths from cancer or other chronic diseases caused by pesticide exposure. Glyphosphate has been identified and declared by the WHO to 'probably' cause cancer, but it has also been linked to infertility problems, respiratory issues and birth defects. Whilst Glyphosphate has more publicly been subject to scrutiny, in the most recent UK-wide survey, there were a reported 38 different types of pesticide used in the towns and cities of the UK. Pesticides can also easily contaminate the air, ground and water having a devastating effect on our local wildlife (insects, birds, animals and aquatic life) and the environment. Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are also suffering severe population losses too. There is a wealth of information and research available from other controlled studies to show that it is possible to control unwanted weeds and pests with pesticide-free methods. One of these adopted by other UK councils is the use of Hot Foam. This has been put into place by Lewes District Council, Wadebridge town, Glastonbury council and Hammersmith and Fulham. So, why not Wychavon, too? We want our children, families, pets and visitors to our local parks and public places to be able to live, work and play in these areas safely without the risk of exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. More information can be found on the Pesticide Actions Network UK website: http://www.pan-uk.org

From 15 May 2019 a pensioner whose partner has not reached State Pension age yet will no longer be able to claim Pension Credit and Housing Benefit. This could affect many ‘mixed age couples’ in Hastings and Rye, which has a higher than average older population and, as we know, is also one of the most deprived places in England. Some mixed age couples could lose up to £7000 a year which would push many below the poverty line. We are asking our local MP, and Work and Pensions Secretary, Amber Rudd, to stand up for pensioners in her constituency and protect them from the Age Gap Tax

Stoborough Nursery has served the community of Stoborough and the surrounding areas for over 30 years. However, recently there has been tension between the Nursery and School regarding the rent of the land and buildings. We understand the need to increase the Nursery’s rent, but the proposed amount of £1750 a term (a 400% increase), coming into effect this September, is not reasonable or fair. This sum does not accurately reflect the Nursery’s use of the building and land, or take into account the financial investment the Nursery has made in improving and maintaining the Nursery building and garden over the last 30 years. The Nursery is a not-for-profit charity and paying this unreasonable sum would not be sustainable. The Nursery would have no option other than to shut its doors to the numerous families currently using its services, unfairly disrupting these children’s education.

Hackney Council is trying to force Margaret into a hostel that is not fit for the needs of her family. Margaret's daughter and mother are both disabled and require 24/7 care, but this move will mean Margaret cannot care for them because of practical issues like rooms being far apart in the hostel. She would find it impossible to give them both the constant care they need. Margaret is in extreme distress. The shared kitchen in the hostel would also be dangerous given Margaret's daughters severe allergies. Margaret has been living in temporary accommodation in Homerton, for more than 3 years. The block of flats is due to be demolished and the council wants it cleared by the end of the month. The move would be extremely distressing for Margaret and her family. Hackney Council must promise not to force Margaret out of Marian Court until they can offer her permanent accommodation that meets her family's needs.

Noise from motorcycles and sports cars have increased in London over the last decade. Leaving your window open on a sunny night is no longer an option for people who don't want to be woken up by someone who has intentionally made their motorbike/car noisier than it needs to be. Motorcyclists with loud exhausts wear especially designed ear plugs to protect their hearing from their own exhaust pipes. But pedestrians, cyclists, children and old people simply have to put up with with it. You may know the feeling, as you walk along the street, suddenly the loud bang of a motorbike or sports-car revs up right behind you from nowhere. That feeling is the stress hormone cortisol being released into your blood stream. Research from universities including Oxford and Imperial College has found that that unnecessary stress from traffic noise has become one of the country's most significant urban health threats, increasing the prevalence of heart disease, stroke and even diabetes. This is all the more frustrating because the motorbikes and cars that are making the most noise were built to regulation with mufflers, and then illegally modified to make them as noisy as possible. This is not just an avoidable problem, it's a problem that has been deliberately created just because a few people like it at the expense of everybody else's mental and physical health.

Tonight there has been a bad car crash on this awful junction. The lack of lights on this junction leads to daily near misses on an incredibly busy cross roads and it is only time before somebody is killed. It is essential pressure is put on the City Council to install these lights and also to ensure that they are not able to claim that they were unaware of the problems on this junction. If they fail to deal with the issues on this junction they need to be aware that local voters will hold them responsible for their failure to keep local people safe.

People who have fallen into debt with council tax payments are usually the poorest and most vulnerable in our population. Sometimes these debts are accrued because of the highly confusing benefits system that links housing tax benefit to other benefit payments. These people are not criminals in any 'normal' use of the term. Prison is a costly form of punishment that is out of all proportion to the offence, and England is the only UK country that still uses such custodial sentences. Time it was ended!