it’s your views which matter !

Upon hearing the breaking news story in the Hampshire Chronicle referring to the LibDem Council led deal with Southampton University to redevelop the River Park Leisure Centre falling through, within 24 hours, led by Lorraine Estelle, we arranged a Stall outside the Leisure Centre informing residents about the news and for their views on alternative uses for the site.

The hours spent there were most beneficial. Here’s a list of  Here’s a list of all comments made on our post-it note ‘Have your Say’ board…

our ‘yes – no – don’t know’ board

Click image to view full size

Again, this shows just how much our residents care about the future of our beautiful city, also a good panoramic view from all ages.

We’d like to thank all those who took participated and rest assured all these points will be raised with the relevant committees of our City Council.

IT’S YOUR VIEWS THAT COUNT !

See also the Hampshire Chronicle ”Winchester Greens on the
River Park Leisure Centre’ article here >>

The post we asked local residents for views on the river park leisure centre’s future appeared first on Winchester Green Party.

Cllr Malcolm Wallace, who supported the call for the ban, said, ‘Disposable vapes are an unsustainable product, so an outright ban is the best solution to the problem. They are very difficult to recycle without special treatment and so can end up littering our streets or going to landfill.’ A report by Material Focus in 2022 states that: 1.3 million single use vapes are thrown away every week or 5.4 million per month. While each vape contains just 0.15g of lithium, the scale of the waste means about 10 tonnes of the metal, equivalent to the batteries inside 1,200 electric vehicles, is ending up in landfills. As well as this, the vapes can be hazardous for waste collections as the lithium batteries can become flammable when crushed and cause bin lorry fires. Whilst the Council acknowledged the role vapes play in aiding adults to stop smoking, vapes are not risk free, especially to those who have never smoked. Cllr Danny Lee has been raising awareness about the effect vaping is having on children and young people. He states, ‘Several local parents have approached me with concerns about the health implications of vaping on their children. Many vapes are designed and marketed to appeal to children and we will continue to call for more regulation on the display and marketing of vaping products.’

The post Winchester City Council pass motion to call for ban on disposable vapes appeared first on Winchester Green Party.

Whilst walking through Winchester City Centre, Green Party Campaigner Richard Needham noticed that some council workers were using a well known weed killer which contains Glyphosates, banned by some councils across the country for harming human health and as a potential carcinogenic.

Our co-chair Kate Needham instantly questioned the council about this stating there are far safer options for the control of weeds.

A spokesperson for Winchester City Council said: “Our contractors idverde recently carried out some limited weed spraying activity to clear hard surfaces at St George’s Street, ensuring they remain safe and fit for use. The work was undertaken to coincide with dry weather to make sure only the targeted area was affected….

“Products containing glyphosate are currently only used by the council in two per cent of the district grounds where impacts on the local environment are minimal and its use is restricted to twice a year.” A spokesperson for Winchester City Council said: “Our contractors idverde recently carried out some limited weed spraying activity to clear hard surfaces at St George’s Street, ensuring they remain safe and fit for use. The work was undertaken to coincide with dry weather to make sure only the targeted area was affected.
“Products containing glyphosate are currently only used by the council in two per cent of the district grounds where impacts on the local environment are minimal and its use is restricted to twice a year.”

Central Meon Valley Green Party Councillor Danny Lee comments..
“I am seeking a review of all relevant policies to limit and ban the use of such chemicals for managing weeds especially Glyphosates.

“Safer non-chemical methods are available including mechanical techniques to manage and remove weeds. Urgent action is needed as no other herbicide is so non-selective. Glyphosate works against all plant species, can potentially kill large trees, and easily destroy wider habitats.

“According to Pesticide Action Network UK many councils have turned to chemical-free options so why not our local authorities? It is essential we strive for a more hospitable environment for communities, our nature and animals. A review could usefully be undertaken with Hampshire County Council for wider co-ordinated risk prevention to people and our environment.”

Read the full article in the HAMPSHIRE CHRONICLE >>>

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Stan Evans writes

On a recent visit to Winchester I was lucky enough to stumble across Earthian – Zero Waste Shop, right in the centre of the city on Parchment Street.

With a passion for all things eco I had go inside to check out what this attractive shop has to offer.

I was lucky enough to visit when Katie, the manager and owner of Earthian, was there, and she was more than happy to answer my questions.

Earthian is not just another retail business in the heart of the city, it’s a passion, and in fact part, and the start, of something much bigger, as Katie explains :

Q: Katie, what is Earthian and what made you think about starting this business?

Earthian offers a more eco-friendly way to shop for your essentials. We have food and cleaning products in bulk that customers can fill their own tubs with, negating the need for new packaging each time they shop. We also stock an ever-growing range of plastic free homeware and personal care products. I started this business because I wanted to reduce my own harmful impact and I was trying to live a low waste lifestyle at home. After a while, I set about trying to find a way that I could offer others a place to shop this way more easily.

Q: Are the public ready to purchase and shop ecologically? What are the differences, challenges, and advantages of this new way of shopping?

I believe that people are ready and they’re willing to make it part of their habits. There is growing concern around plastic pollution, not just for those that study nature but everyone has some awareness now and would like to do their bit. The two main advantages of shopping with us is reduced plastic and food waste of course, but we are also comparable to the supermarket in terms of pricing. The challenge can be taking the first step, but fortunately this is often a lot easier than people imagine it to be.

Katie chatting over a product with Winchester Green Party Joint Co-ordinator, Kate Needham

Q: How do you see the future of your business and eco-shopping?

Improving the ethical and sustainable standards of our business is our immediate goal. This year and beyond we aim to become carbon neutral and zero waste to landfill. We would like to grow in size to be able to offer more variety, at the moment we are limited by space but these things will come in time. Beyond our own shop, I’d like to see eco-friendly shopping become normal practice rather than something niche. It needs to be more accessible, but that should also come with higher standards that prevent greenwashing.

Q: What do you think local or national government should be doing to help environmentally focused retailers such as yourselves?

We are all trying to do the best we can, as community groups, small businesses and as individuals but this is independent of our governments actions. We need a more joined up approach to sustainability and a willingness from leadership to make bigger, more actionable change. In terms of supporting eco-focused retailers, we struggle with the same issues that all independent businesses do. In recent years there have been a huge number of challenges to overcome, and the support has been noticeably lacking, even though SMEs make up 99% of the GDP!

Earthian is at 9a Parchment St. Winchester – Visit their website HERE

We often hear ecological green product and service reviews from the point of view of the consumer. So it was great to hear an eco-retailers point of view and perspective on bringing more environmentally sound products to our shopping bag, and the challenges and opportunities they face. For sure the way we shop, and the way retailers sell will change, from products, to packaging, to packing avoidance, to purchasing. People like Katie are quietly driving the future of shopping with one eye firmly on our environment and what and how we consume, when in Winchester go and visit Earthian and check it out for yourself. A positive green highlight, shops like this are thankfully leading the way. Thanks Katie.

The post The eco-shopping revolution in the heart of Winchester appeared first on Winchester Green Party.

Winchester Green Party are dedicated to reduce all pollution in Winchester City and the surrounding areas.

Our Green Party Councillor, Malcolm Wallace told the Hampshire Chronicle.. “Traffic is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Winchester, with the latest data showing that transport makes up 57% of all CO2 emissions in the district.
The electric bus trial should be an exciting step towards decarbonising our public transport, not only helping us to reduce our carbon footprint but also improving local air quality”.

“However, a lot more is needed going forward. In their draft Local Transport Plan, Hampshire County Council stated that national policies won’t get us far enough and a 10% reduction in car use is required between 2019 and 2030. Achieving this goal requires a coordinated response across all aspects of local transport (walking, cycling, trains and buses) to ensure that residents have improved options available for getting around. So, electric buses will be a step in the right direction, but there’s a long way to go”.

The Council thanked Stagecoach for their help in obtaining the trial bus from Sweden.

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