GREEN GATHERING ON SUNDAY 23RD JULY
Join us for our Green Gathering from 3 pm on Sunday 23 rd July at Fairlight, Torridge View, Torrington, EX38 8DN. A chance to meet your Green Parish, Town and District Councillors. Cream tea and vegan and veggie nibbles.
Sale table to raise some cash for the next election. If you have any items such as plants, books, CDs do bring them along.
Partners and children welcome.
Car parking in road and five minutes walk away at the Bowling Green on the Commons on the opposite side of New Road. If you need a lift ring 07522 528175 and we will endeavour to arrange it. If you have trouble walking there is room for a few cars in front of the house – again ring me to book a space.
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OUR TORRIDGE COUNCILLORS
As you know, we now have four Green District Councillors, Peter Hames and Wendy LoVel in Northam, Peter Christie in Bideford North and Huw Thomas in East the Water.
Peter H and Wendy are also Northam Town Councillors and Peter C is a Bideford Town Councillor.
Rosemary Gent is on Littleham and Landcross PC and Colin Jones is newly on Dolton PC.
Peter Hames has been made Mayor of Northam for which many congratulations. He is also Vice Chair of TDC Planning and Peter Christie is a member. They will both represent Torridge on the joint North Devon and Torridge Local Plan group along with Ricky Knight and Mark Haworth-Booth given very strong Green representation there.?
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WATER POLLUTION HERE IN TORRIDGE
The poor ecological health of North Devon’s rivers and streams was highlighted by Wendy LoVel, our Northam Councillor at the latest full meeting of Torridge District Council.
Date from the Environment Agency reveals that almost 80% of streams and water bodies across the region are classed as not having good ecological status.
Go to the Torridge Green Party Facebook Page to read more details about this. The figures are shocking in a rural area with a low population and give cause for great concern about our wildlife and the near death of some rivers and streams.
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XLINKS PIPELINE FROM MOROCCO
This pipeline is beginning to hit the local headlines. It is a proposal to build a giant array of solar panels in the Sahara and lay a cable from Morocco to North Devon to bring the power generated here. The planning application is expected in August and a decision will be reached in Winter 23 with XLinks anticipating the start of construction in 2025.
The choice of North Devon is because the National Grid has capacity here to take the extra load although they will still be building a converter station between Gammaton and. Alverdiscott. Xlinks have already started the required archaeological surveys which are required by law. There seem to be a lot of unanswered questions.
For example, why lay around 2,000 miles of cable under the seabed at considerable cost and disturbance to the sea bed rather than bringing the power ashore in Spain or across land to North Africa. We will keep you updated as news develops.
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GLOBAL TEMPERATURE HITS RECORD
The global temperature record was broken on 3 rd July, again on 4 th July and again on 6 th July according to the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer Tool. The seven days ending on 5 th July was the hottest week in the date’s 44 year history.
Meanwhile the UK Government’s 2019 pledge to spend £11.6 billion on International Climate Finance between 2021 and 26 seems in serious doubt; a doubt confirmed to a large extent by Zac Goldsmith’s resignation last week. This money is vital to mitigate the flood, droughts and damaging storms which are already hitting the global south and causing population movements as land fails to adequately feed local populations.
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DATE OF NEXT GREEN PARTY MEETING
This will be on SUNDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER at 2.30 pm at the Pannier Pantry on the corner of the Quay and Bridgeland Street in Bideford.
Ruth Funnell