Building a green local economy

Green Party Candidate for St Clements, Dr Hazel Dawe, is leading a challenge to the City Council to revise its development policies to ensure they are actually sustainable. Oxfordshire Green Party has a track record of supporting sustainable economic options for the City, only to see them blocked by the Labour administration.

Dr Hazel Dawe comments:

“Our City Council, even in these times of financial restrictions, could be doing a much better job as an enabling organisation for a Green and sustainable local economy. Oxfordshire Green Party supports:

• A strong emphasis on the formation of new cooperatives, including a no-fees letting agency launched with City Council support;
• Re-examination of future development in and around the City to ensure each proposal is accompanied by measures to protect against flooding;
• Protection of diversity and small and medium sized enterprises in all locations, notably the Covered Market, by using all available means to keep rents and business rates down;
• Green Fairs each year, giving participating local businesses the opportunity to attract new customers;
• The Oxford Breakfast scheme to encourage overnight tourists to shop at local retailers;
• The Oxford Green Card to encourage tourists to use sustainable businesses;
• The Oxford Pound to support the local economy, to be launched in summer 2014;
• Energy co-operatives being run by both the City and County councils to help increase the use of safe and clean renewable energy.”