28th February 2007

The Green Party will be putting forward its ideas on how the Council should manage its money at the Special Budget Full Council on Friday. The Greens? amendment to the Council?s proposed budget urges the Council to cut its own energy bills and help both private and Council householders do the same through more advice and grants.

Sheffield City Council is proud that the city has recently hosted an international climate change conference and claims to take green issues seriously. So let?s see it putting its money where its mouth is?, said Cllr Jillian Creasy. ?Putting aside part of the budget for energy-saving measures will save money in the long run as well as cutting carbon emissions and helping to tackle climate change.

"To cut pollution and improve the quality of people's lives, we also need a decent bus service. The Greens would promise to replace any further routes withdrawn by private operators using the mechanism of Minimum Cost Tendering. This would maintain the network while we wait for re-regulation."

A truly green Council would also help citizens to reduce, re-use and recycle their waste. The Council could start by cutting down its own waste, and encourage projects which repair and reuse household articles, give grants for real nappies to reduce the use of disposable ones, and introduce doorstep collections for food and drink cans as well as paper and card.?

The Greens are also calling for more Pelican crossings, especially near schools so children can walk there safely; help for small businesses, especially those displaced by large new developments; and for more money form central government to cover the rises in energy prices and the ever growing demand for essential welfare and care services

For more information, contact Kathy Aston

Work: (0114) 222 1795
Home: (0114) 231 1548