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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Local elections 2023: Greens want housing firms to fund more services | Local elections 2023: Greens want housing firms to fund more services |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Green Party is calling for property developers to provide more funding towards local services, as it launches its local election campaign. | The Green Party is calling for property developers to provide more funding towards local services, as it launches its local election campaign. |
| Co-leader Adrian Ramsay said too many areas, particularly rural ones, had been left without proper infrastructure when large estates are built. | Co-leader Adrian Ramsay said too many areas, particularly rural ones, had been left without proper infrastructure when large estates are built. |
| Property firms, he added, had been allowed to "chase the biggest profits and ignore local needs". | Property firms, he added, had been allowed to "chase the biggest profits and ignore local needs". |
| The party also wants tighter planning rules on the location of new housing. | The party also wants tighter planning rules on the location of new housing. |
| The local elections, to be held on Thursday 4 May, will see 230 local authorities in England choose some or all of their councillors. | The local elections, to be held on Thursday 4 May, will see 230 local authorities in England choose some or all of their councillors. |
| Is there an election in my area? | Is there an election in my area? |
| Green expectations: Is this finally their year? | Green expectations: Is this finally their year? |
| As of May last year, when local elections were last held, the Green Party of England and Wales held roughly 540 councillors. | |
| The party has run councils before, but it is hoping to win outright control of its first major council at the ballot box this time around. | The party has run councils before, but it is hoping to win outright control of its first major council at the ballot box this time around. |
| It wants to make progress in Tory-held rural areas, as well as more traditionally Labour urban seats. | |
| Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Ramsay said the party was hoping to build on its record from the last three sets of council elections, where it had taken seats in "roughly equal numbers" from both main parties. | |
| At an event in Suffolk to officially launch its campaign later, it will showcase its offer on housing, where it wants to boost affordable homes and make new developments more climate-friendly. | |
| The party also says new developments should be designed to reduce the use of cars, including by building near train stations or frequent bus services. | The party also says new developments should be designed to reduce the use of cars, including by building near train stations or frequent bus services. |
| Under its plans for stricter energy efficiency rules, developers would be required to install solar panels and heat pumps in new build homes. | Under its plans for stricter energy efficiency rules, developers would be required to install solar panels and heat pumps in new build homes. |
| What photo ID do you need to vote? | What photo ID do you need to vote? |
| When are elections and who can vote? | When are elections and who can vote? |
| Mr Ramsay said too many villages and towns had seen large developments built without new facilities such as GP surgeries, bus services, cycle lanes and schools. | Mr Ramsay said too many villages and towns had seen large developments built without new facilities such as GP surgeries, bus services, cycle lanes and schools. |
| He said the Green Party was calling for affordable homes to be built on brownfield sites and to high environmental standards to keep people's bills low. | He said the Green Party was calling for affordable homes to be built on brownfield sites and to high environmental standards to keep people's bills low. |
| "I hear from people all the time that they're being priced out of being able to afford to live in the community that they called home. They're seeing luxury homes being developed, often on greenfield sites, often threatening their local green spaces," he told BBC Breakfast. | "I hear from people all the time that they're being priced out of being able to afford to live in the community that they called home. They're seeing luxury homes being developed, often on greenfield sites, often threatening their local green spaces," he told BBC Breakfast. |
| "Too often developers are riding roughshod over the needs of communities and the environment." | "Too often developers are riding roughshod over the needs of communities and the environment." |
| The Greens say they would make infrastructure requirements in local development plans more strict, arguing national guidance gives too much leeway to housing firms. | The Greens say they would make infrastructure requirements in local development plans more strict, arguing national guidance gives too much leeway to housing firms. |
| Under current rules in England, councils can make housing developers contribute towards local infrastructure through a fixed charge levied on the floorspace of new properties. | Under current rules in England, councils can make housing developers contribute towards local infrastructure through a fixed charge levied on the floorspace of new properties. |
| Contributions towards new facilities, as well as new affordable housing, can also be made through deals negotiated with individual local authorities during the planning process. | Contributions towards new facilities, as well as new affordable housing, can also be made through deals negotiated with individual local authorities during the planning process. |
| The government is consulting on replacing these schemes with a new tax linked to the price of new properties when they are sold, to be rolled out in stages over several years. | The government is consulting on replacing these schemes with a new tax linked to the price of new properties when they are sold, to be rolled out in stages over several years. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Adrian Ramsay | Adrian Ramsay |
| Carla Denyer | Carla Denyer |
| Green Party (England and Wales) | Green Party (England and Wales) |
| England local elections 2023 | England local elections 2023 |