By Martin Coule, Twyford candidate for the Green Party
1. CLIMATE ACTION AND GREEN SPACE: Doubling Wokingham’s tree cover, zero carbon, and protecting our wildlife will protect our green spaces and environment.
2. OUR COMMUNITY: Greater support for residents organising community initiatives like the Big Lunch and Play Streets in their roads will bring neighbourhoods together.
3. LOCAL TRANSPORT: Boosting walking and cycling with 20mph zones and car-free school streets will cut congestion and air pollution. Cycling is popular in Wokingham, we will work with cycling groups and residents to ensure safe and effective cycle routes are installed across the borough.
4. PROTECTING PUBLIC SERVICES: Libraries, swimming pools, arts venues and children’s play areas are vital to the physical and mental health of the town. We will campaign to ensure the Council becomes an Accredited Living Wage employer. All organisations should pay at least a Living Wage.
5. AFFORDABLE HOUSING: More council housing, funding for tackling rough sleeping, licensing all landlords and a mass insulation scheme will mean a safe, warm home
for all.
6. GREAT SCHOOLS: Putting local authorities back in control of school place planning and ending the free-school experiment will start to provide great local schools for all. Mandatory changes to Academies and cuts to budgets will be fought.
7. BETTER CARE: Improved terms for carers will improve care. We will work with UNISON’s Ethical Care Charter in Wokingham to ensure that carers get a Living Wage, that zero-hour contracts are ended, and rushed 15-minute care visits are lengthened.
8. LOCAL BUSINESS: Investment in local shopping areas will encourage variety in our local shops and support locally sourced, affordable food.
9. WOKINGHAM’S CULTURE: Support for local artists and our Conservation Areas will strengthen our culture and protect our heritage for future generations.
10. HEALTH: ensuring our public health with a great local track-and-trace system, and increased support for mental health wellbeing across the borough.
11. CLEANING UP WOKINGHAM: Kerbside glass collection and support for reuse groups will mean less waste, more reuse and better recycling.
Also standing in Twyford are Lindsay Ferris, Lib Dem, Caroline Hill, Labour and Grant Woolner, Conservative
