Mick Coats
Green Party
Spotland & Falinge Ward
I am the local candidate for the Spotland and Falinge ward. I live in the ward and have been active in the community for a long time and not just when there is an election. My home is in Meanwood, I support the Dale and go to the local club. I see the problems locally, both large and small, and the failure of all the parties to address them.
I am standing for the Green Party because it represents the way forward for everyone locally and nationally. It is the only party opposed to austerity and cuts.
In the ward we have the continuing issue of the old TBA site. At election time we have candidates making promises to deal with the issue, but they soon disappear as soon as the election is over.
I have been involved for over ten years, from when the site was sold. Both councillors and council officers are still failing to deal with the problem.They are either doing very little or being very secretive. In order to get information I have had to instigate Freedom of Information requests but these have been generally not met with openness. The best solution, and only safe solution, is to turn the area into a country park as this would not disturb the highly contaminated soil, but I fear that the owners and the council will still try to put houses on this site. The ward has other problems too, including the rubbish along Rooley Moor Road, Bridgefold road and elsewhere.
In the town we can spend £50 million on new offices but house the market in garden sheds on a car park. We also have a magnificent Town Hall but the council seems to have no idea of what to do with it. There is also an unreasonable and unfair gap between the lowest paid council workers and the highest paid council officers and this needs addressing.
Locally and nationally the Green Party can make a difference. A living wage and more affordable housing is needed. It is sensible to re-nationalise the railways and to integrate transport. We can start to do this locally by ensuring return tickets can be used on any bus.
We are a wealthy society but the wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few. Policies to redistribute wealth would benefit local economies. On a national level we need a commitment to fight climate change and ban fracking but in the meantime locally we can take actions to benefit the environment. We also need to remove the bedroom tax, protect the NHS and make social care free.
The main parties represent 'business as usual'.
Vote for a real alternative, vote to shake things up. Vote Green for the common good.
