Policies

Our immediate policy priorities for the Stratford-on-Avon District Council are:

1. Require the Council to preserve and increase biodiversity in open spaces, and support a net-increase of a variety of natural habitats: e.g. by making more land available to natural wilding, reducing herbicide and pesticide use, changing mowing schedules in towns, planting more trees and shrubs, actively creating more habitats, encouraging more orchards.
2. New houses must be required to be fully insulated and built to the highest energy performance standards with solar panels and heat pumps where appropriate.
3. The Council must support the ongoing local initiatives on water monitoring (including financially), and use the voice of the Council to press central government on the issue of water pollution.

Upon achieving those, we will move on to:

1. Require that the District Council institute a plan to achieve a 55% reduction in carbon emissions within the District by 2030, with a secondary target of 75% by 2050, compared to 2017. The plan must include all the necessary support local communities will need to achieve their own reductions.
2. Support a hospital with inpatient beds as part of the redevelopment of the Ellen Badger hospital in Shipston.
3. Develop a plan to fully insulate existing homes, and retrofit heat pumps where appropriate.
4. Require carbon and biodiversity impact statements to be provided in advance of council decisions at meetings and with regards to purchasing decisions and contracts.

Longer term policy goals also include:

1. To encourage and support the growing of more local food, e.g. market gardens, community supported agriculture, increased availability of allotments.
2. Promote pedestrianisation of town centres around the District.
3. Improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.
4. Expand the amount of green spaces and access to these spaces in and around human environments: plant more trees and shrubs along our roads and streets, introduce vertical gardens in urban areas, expand access to rivers.
5. Restore services at Stratford Hospital.
6. Require that health issues are considered in their full environmental context in all District policy – e.g. factors such as poor housing, air pollution and higher UK temperatures all damage health.
7. Reinstate the Stratford to Honeybourne rail link.

These policies were developed and agreed on in an open, democratic process among our members, and will be updated periodically through a similar process.