May - Southwell on the Campaign Trail
I love May. Three out of the four of us in my immediate family have our birthdays in May. This combined with the only month in the year with two bank holidays hence long weekends combined with longer evenings make it a very special month and I intend to make the most of it !
There is a certain change in the air as well in Southwell at the moment– the campaign trail is definitely on the move in the town and the environs. Are we seeing a greater backlash to affronts to common sense; greater appreciation of green issues and realisation of the needs of residents and the tourist trade which bring revenue into the town?
On the green front, a new campaign has been launched against plastic bags in Southwell. They are taken so much for granted it can be difficult to imagine life without them but we can all make a start to reduce usage with green bags even if plastic bags are not yet eliminated. If you think back even a couple of years or so, who would think that bottle banks would become such a normal part of our lives? Somehow dropping off all those empty wine bottles for recycling certainly has a feelgood factor on the environmental front! There are definitely more green bags on the streets of Southwell now already – the more the better.
The campaign against parking charges at Church Street and King Street car parks which will affect residents and visitors is also gaining momentum. One of the increasingly unusual features of Southwell is the free parking. Parking charges in Nottingham and the lack of parking in Newark has had a definate impact on trade. Does Southwell really want to head the same way?
The campaign against the siting of the 02 mast continues and is being quoted now by other campaign groups across the country fighting similar cases. For those of you not familiar with the campaign, the premise is not against masts and mobile phones in principle as they are a fundemental part of our lives but against the siting of the mast in a residential area near schools and the lack of consultation with residents and schools. The views of local residents was not taken into consideration. A new on – line petition is planned which shall be presented to Parliament – Patrick Mercer is already fully supportive of the campaign. Many other schools and communities across the UK are in a similar situation. For an update of what is happening, please log on to www.nomastsinsouthwell.co.uk . Every signature counts.
On the campaign front, therefore, if you care about our community, make your views known and make a difference to your life and to others! Big Brother creep will just continue unless we make a stand and make changes happen.
Awen Little |
