Nick Batt - Westmoreland

The Green Party are standing a record number of candidates in this year’s local elections, with a full slate of 59 in BaNES for the first time, so people across the country will have the chance to vote for a fairer, greener community. Stephanie Boxall and I are standing in Westmoreland ward; let me introduce myself. I was born and brought up in Bath, from Walcot to Park Street via Beechen Cliff School, and settled in Oldfield Park in 1997.

I have a background in music production and my day job is running a small, independent internet publishing and broadcast company focussed on music technology.

Following the birth of my daughter, who is now 19, and listening to the concerns of young people, I feel worried for their future and feel the answer to making a change starts at a local level. I have been interested in Green Party values for some time, and am impressed with how they can influence policy from within.

These would be main priorities for me as your councillor:

• I am very proud of the Oldfield Park area and especially Moorland Road, I want to ensure it continues to be a great place to live for all of us. The Green Party would enable local communities to retain the character and amenity of their shopping streets through the introduction of ‘business conservation areas’ and oppose out of town retail parks and car based stores,
• Transport. Everyone has a right to move around safely, affordably and comfortably. The Green Party has a national policy of ‘One Pound Fare to Get You There’, meaning publicly owned and frequented buses with low fares. I would also champion walking and cycling.
• Energy. Everyone has a right to affordable energy and a warm home. We would promote energy efficiency and free home insulation. This would mean lower bills, warmer homes, and would also be good for our climate.
• University. Oppose any expansion of the universities in Bath where accommodation and areas for development cannot be provided in a sustainable way. If any expansion is proposed we would seek to have this directed to areas that would benefit from additional jobs and have the potential for developing this such as Radstock or midsomer Norton
• Social Care. The crisis in health begins in the failure of our social care system. People have a right to dignity and to live without fear when they can no longer look after themselves. We have always resisted privatisation and we believe that social care should be provided free, funded by taxation, as health care is. We will resist cuts to essential care services to ensure people get the help they need.
• Crime. I support community policing including a more visible police presence and community support

To sum up, I hope in some small way to contribute and help make the changes required to make our lives all more sustainable and plan more intelligently for the rapid changes coming in our future.

Where Green Party councillors have been elected in Bristol, they have risen to the challenge, and Bath must.follow. As councillor I would listen to the views and worries of local residents and be available if you need any help or just wish to discuss any point of concern.