The Problems

The Popular Alliance welcomes the long-term challenges for the improvement in the quality of our air, inland waterways and seaboard.

We have initiated a robust cost effective and forward thinking energy policy to, not only clean our environment, but also supply unlimited cheap energy and generate revenue for the public purse.

However, while there is a case for international co-operation regarding land, air and sea pollution as well as the effects of global warming, local environmental legislation for the island of Great Britain should be a British concern and not be interfered with by the un-elected bureaucrats in Brussels.

Nevertheless, the EU has produced large numbers of directives on industrial pollution, waste disposal and other matters. In its typical fashion, local conditions and the cost plus practical difficulties of implementation have often been ignored. It is often noted that the UK is often one of only a few trying to comply, whilst Eastern Europeans continue as before, we are still way behind Denmark.

We also have the new direct tax and stealth tax raising directives of the ill thought out carbon trading scheme plus direct taxes on a multitude of "green" proposals that do "NOTHING" to reduce carbon, but will considerably reduce the money in your bank accounts.

The continuing consequences in the case of waste disposal include stock-piling of waste awaiting treatment, long distance transport of certain classes of waste, and widespread fly-tipping to avoid landfill charges – which defeats the point of the legislation.

Environmental problems are also sometimes home-made, such as the continuing destruction of ‘green belt’ to accommodate the questionable need for large numbers of new houses, particularly in the South East and whilst some green belt could be used with proper management, the Popular Alliance would prefer to recycle old run down housing stock and where safe and non-intrusive, use brown belt sites for the construction of any new housing.

The Solutions

To reduce traffic and the resulting carbon emissions, all companies will be encouraged ( through incentives ) to get employees, where possible, to work from home.

We will enact the law and impose heavy fines of £30K plus for fly tipping with repeat offenders receiving a custodial sentence - also see our notes regarding travellers

The Popular Alliance is strongly in favour of measures imposed and enforced by our own government and local authorities that minimises the production of waste and maximises the amount that is recycled, with un-recyclable waste being burned for energy as per our Energy policy-where safe to do so.

We aim to eradicate landfill over the coming decades

We will put the Environment on the national curriculum as stated by our Education policy

We will reduce fossil fuel consumption to a negligible amount using the Hydrogen economy proposed in our Energy policy, there will be no longer any need to “trade carbon” with any EU nation as the UK will be virtually a “man made carbon free” zone within 50 years, therefore we will have no need of any carbon trading scheme.

We will provide tax incentives for specialist companies that recycle thermoplastics from a local area and use regrind technology that then sell the regrind product for re-use in injection moulding, plus we would provide additional support to companies that can recycle thermoform.

We also strongly support ‘green’ farming methods, local farmers markets, local produce and organic methods of production we also support the protection of our parklands and wildlife habitats.

Finally, the importation of genetically modified food and the planting of GM crops is another matter over which the EU has assumed control, The Popular Alliance believes much more research is required before GM food stuffs should be introduced to either live stock or the human food chain, we do however believe that crops modified for clean burn fuel, or lubricant should be planted if it is deemed safe to do so, or the risk of pollen attacks, and cross pollination are reduced through a sealed and covered eco systems.

However we would be able to respect the widespread public concern over these matters and we would prohibit the planting of GM crops should any new concerns or data be presented that shows us there is a risk to our environment.

We will encourage public debate on GM crops, as well as a balanced scientific view before we make further policy changes on the subject of GM crops.

PLANNING - LOCAL GOVERNMENT & ENVIRONMENT

We live on a small island with an already very high population density and yet have one of the lowest indigenous reproduction rates in the world, therefore balancing housing & industry growth with the preservation of countryside should be quite simple, however in many areas, this is not the case.

There are both good and bad moves in planning at present in the UK. On the positive side, the re-development of Brownfield land such as old coal industry, quarries and other industrial sites into both new residential and business estates has been excellent.

On negative side, the ever-growing need for more housing is partly caused by the immigration / migration free-for-all that the UK presently operates. Many families are moving away from where they grew up, not just to follow employment, but also because many urban areas have fallen into disrepair and/or become multi-cultural ghettos. There is also a huge increase in couples splitting up thus requiring two homes and the UK has the highest number of teenage pregnancies, with many demanding that local councils provide homes and income support.

There is also an ever increasing problem of urban property prices rising faster than the salaries of workers, forcing many to move further away from their place of work, therefore needing to travel more.  

The Popular Alliance will look at root causes and society problems through several other policies and not just these symptoms created by successive government’s mismanagement. We favour giving more power back to established local government.

Industry - Many new distribution parks are being built on green belt land, whilst there is ample Brownfield land standing unused and creating an eyesore nearby. This should not happen and the Popular Alliance would ensure that all Brownfield land is used before green belt land is even considered.

Sustainable Growth - It is come to our attention that some towns are growing in size at the rate of a new town every two years, yet new facilities and infrastructure are not being added as local funding is over-stretched and unable to cope.

Peterborough & Inverness are two examples where mass new housing schemes are being rushed through, with input from local consultation being thrown out on almost every occasion.

Figures recently published in The Birmingham Mail show that 1.8 million people have applied for National Insurance numbers in order to work within the County of West Midlands since 2001. Considering that the county only had an official 2.3 million population at the turn of the millennium, this suggests the influx has become completely unmanageable and at the same time, several hospitals are being grouped and having to share specialist departments.

The Popular Alliance stands against such unbalanced initiatives and would look to address the root causes of the problem (mass migration, immigration, urban communities splitting up, over-borrowing, etc) and not just the symptoms.

Neighbourhoods - The supposed labelling of long gardens as “Brownfield” land and therefore open to build additional housing is also becoming an issue that is upsetting local communities. The Popular Alliance supports communities making majority decisions regarding their own neighbourhoods and therefore should an application to build in such a way be made, then our policy would be to allow the local neighbourhood a say in the decision making and not to be simply pushed aside by remote “teflon-coated” Planning Directorate officers.

We will listen to the concerns of the homeowner as some of us have suffered similar problems and know how frustrating it all can feel.

Housing Finance - The matter of over-borrowing (sometimes up to 5 times a salary for a mortgage) is typical of the example being encouraged and practiced by our government as they plunder our pensions and even run their own political parties that are deeply in debt themselves.

Energy Conservation - We are in favour of dropping VAT on some approved energy saving products that make a building more economical to run. Cavity and loft insulation and double glazing should be installed on all new houses, however energy saving apparatus such as solar panels, miniature wind turbines and water collection systems (eg : for watering gardens, etc) would be encouraged and therefore more readily affordable.

Many public and commercial buildings keep lights on throughout the night. This is both wasteful and creates a false sense of safety. The Popular Alliance is in favour of all such buildings utilising sensor lighting systems which save vast amounts of energy and also indicate the presence of intruders more effectively.

It is also noted that many public and commercial buildings waste vast amounts of energy (and therefore funding) through poor and often unplanned ventilation and heating apparatus maintenance. The Popular Alliance sees this as an enormous drain on the UK’s energy resources and also a strain upon company and council finances. Specialist knowledge and action to improve apparatus and maintenance is a top priority of the Popular Alliance, to end this needless wastefulness.

Design - It has been noted on many occasions from those within the maintenance and civil engineering industry, that the UK has a fixation on constant new designs, especially concerning large new public buildings such as libraries, courts, schools and hospitals, as well as new social housing regarding both their interior and exterior mechanical design.

The Popular Alliance also supports the standardisation of building materials and manufactured components. Items such as electrical and plumbing fittings and basic hardware should, in an ideal world, have the same basic fitting practices.

(eg) : having to buy a whole new door to replace a door handle is simply wasteful and unacceptable in both public and private buildings.

We support customer choice in a variety of designs and appearances, however we would look to industry to implement uniformity and standardisation of fittings to encourage an end to wastefulness.

Regional Government and EU Sectors –

It has come to the party’s attention that the European Union has already drawn up plans to divide the United Kingdom to coincide with three European Sectors. Scotland, The North East and Eastern England will all be grouped with Holland, North Germany and Poland, whilst Southern English Counties will be grouped with France. The rest of England and Wales will then be grouped with Ireland. This is utterly preposterous and the Popular Alliance questions whether our MPs & MEPs are serving in the interests of our nation by not divulging such information to those who voted for them.

Like many EU initiatives, the general public are deliberately not being made aware of such issues and the Popular Alliance is in favour of a referendum on the subject, with ALL the facts on the table. We favour repealing the UK’s EU membership.

The recent squashed attempt by our government to introduce a North East Regional Assembly and the spiralling bills run up by Welsh and Scottish Assemblies have simply drained funds that should have been spent on improving the lives of those paying tax to support such wastage.

Whilst the Popular Alliance support local government, it opposes Regional and Sector initiatives.

Popular Alliance – A Fresh Light On Politics