News / Politics
Greens target 1000 affordable homes per year
Bristol’s Green Party has pledged to increase the city’s target of affordable homes from the current 600 per year to 1000 per year.
Their manifesto for the local elections on May 2 also includes investing in walking and cycling infrastructure, creating more low traffic neighbourhoods, setting up a council-owned company alongside Goram Homes to rent out social homes and getting empty buildings back into use as homes.
The Green Party currently has more councillors at City Hall than Labour but remain in opposition under the mayoral model.
is needed now More than ever
Bristol’s Green group leader Emma Edwards said that when the committee system is introduced, “Bristol has the opportunity to put Green policy at the heart of all decision making, and we are ready”.
Edwards added: “Bristol Green Party is committed to a new type of politics for Bristol, one of openness and transparency. With this open and complete policy agenda, this starts now.”
Other policies in the manifesto include push for bus franchising and full public control, introducing a Workplace Parking Levy to tackle congestion and fund alternative travel options, campaigning for councils to be given the power to introduce rent controls, and insulating the Bristol’s existing council homes.
Green Party candidates and campaigners at the launch of their manifesto – photo: Martin Booth
Edwards, who is standing for re-election in Bishopston & Ashley Down ward, said that transport is the issue that she and her colleagues are hearing needs to be fixed the most in the city, with their ‘vision zero’ approach aiming to achieve zero deaths or serious injuries on Bristol’s roads by 2030.
“That is a motion that we got passed. We haven’t seen any action on it yet but that is about saving lives, reclaiming the streets for children to play in and allowing people to get around the city safely.”
Edwards told Bristol24/7: “Looking at some of the other parties’ manifestos, I think we have got more in common than we think.
“That is something that I have been surprised. How we achieve those things will be quite different but any candidate that is running in this election knows they are going into a committee system and has to be prepared for cooperation, maybe collaboration, and if people want to get their policies through, they are going to have to learn to work with one another.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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