York Greens have welcomed the report produced for the Council's Strategy Advisory Panel on the idea of a 'tram train' between York and Harrogate.

But the Greens believe that this could form part of a much more radical plan to beat congestion in York. Andy Chase, the Green parliamentary candidate for York Central, said, "We believe that a tram system could be at the centre of a traffic-busting overhaul for the transport system for York that is a far better option than environmentally-damaging dualling of the Outer Ring Road. The proposals in the report to York City Council are far less expensive that the minimum £150m that dualling would cost. With a frequent shuttle service instead of just the hourly train to Scarborough, the new line would attract far more people and fully justify the investment in new station facilities."

The Greens have also produced a map showing possible future extensions to the tram system that could tackle congestion elsewhere in York. Andy said, "We hope to persuade the Council that this is the sort of thing they should be thinking about when putting in their submission to the Regional Transport Board this autumn."

In Nottingham, the recently constructed tram scheme with 9 miles of track cost around £200 million - a scheme from York station to Haxby and Strensall would be much cheaper, because there is no on-street running and much of the infrastructure is already in place.

The proposals for the site involve building several large new office blocks, between 4 and 6 storeys high, on the land between the original factory and Campleshon Road. Also proposed are a residential development, hotel, shops, a health centre and two care homes. The listed buildings that form the core of the factory, including the iconic clock tower, are protected.

Anticipated traffic levels will increase hugely on roads around the site. The proposals involve installing traffic lights at the junction of Bishopthorpe Road and Campleshon Road with filter lanes and yellow lining, and also at the Knavesmire Road/Mount Vale junction. The Moor Lane roundabout on Tadcaster Road is to me modified to funnel more traffic through the junction, in an attempt to avoid people cutting through Bishopthorpe village to avoid rush-hour queues.

The plan is likely to go to the city council's main planning committee on 24th July. York Greens are calling on them to reject the application.

Andy said, "The fundamental problem is that the scale of the development is too great for the site. This is combined with a huge underground car park and nothing more than a perfunctory nod towards sustainable travel plans. As a result, there is a huge and unacceptable impact on local residents from the traffic."

He continued: "We need a genuinely visionary plan for the site - a low car development, with outstanding architecture that respects the splendour of the existing factory, rather than faceless office blocks."

The developers will run a peak-hours only shuttle bus between Terry's, the railway station and Askham Bar, but improvements to the No.11 and No.21 services on South Bank have not been promised.

The July 4th rally, addressed by Green MEP Caroline Lucas, was a regular event demanding Independence FROM America. It was held at the US spybase Menwith Hill near Harrogate in Yorkshire to call for the urgent need to achieve full independence from the US on matters where national security and sovereignty are being undermined.

Cllr D'Agorne has condemned North Yorkshire Police actions as overt intimidation. Those planning the protest have been subjected to surveillance ny local police and all participants in the peaceful protest were repeatedly photographed by about half a dozen 'Evidence gathering' along the walk around part of the perimeter of base.

At the demonstration, Dr Lucas MEP said:
"In 2007, the Government secretively passed through Parliament a decision to base communications for the US Missile 'Defence' System at the Menwith Hill site, on the day that MPs were leaving Westminster for the summer holiday.

Hosting the American Missile 'Defence' System makes Britain complicit in the US military agenda and places us on the front line of any future US war. It seriously undermines our national security.

Let it be clear that there is nothing 'defensive' about this missile system. It is simply another part of the US strategy to achieve 'Full Spectrum Dominance' - in other words, full military control of land, sea, air and space."

The decision to allow the US to base communications at Menwith Hill has never been subject to a vote in Parliament - in Dr. Lucas's words " an outrageous betrayal of public confidence given the huge importance and potential consequences of the missile system." "It will enable the US to attack countries without fear of retaliation. Its development has attracted international controversy, inevitably carrying with it the potential to provoke a brand new global arms race and thus increasing the danger of nuclear weapon use.

The British people deserve to know the truth about covert US military activity on UK soil and concerns must be heeded by our political leaders. Yet, under this Government's Counter Terrorism Bill, crucial civil liberties - such as the right to hold a peaceful protest - are being gradually eroded."

The Council's West and Central Area Planning Committee voted unanimously to reject the bid to demolish the "Knavesmire Glass" warehouse in South Bank Avenue, after a campign by local people and over 150 objections. York Greens also supported the campaign, writing in to oppose the proposals and helping to deliver leaflets to local residents.

Andy Chase, Green Parliamentary candidate, said: "This is a great victory for the community and it's excellent news that the planning committee has listened to local people. This building should be sensitively converted for other uses instead of becoming yet another landmark lost to future generations."

The applicants had failed to carry out a bat survey demonstrating that the habitat of bats living in the existing building would be maintained as part of the new development, and also that any future use of the building for employment purposes, such as offices, could not be sustained.

Andy said, "Greens in Micklegate ward will continue to oppose any plans to demolish this building, a part of the history of the South Bank."

York Greens have responded to a vital consultation by City of York Council that will shape the future use of land within the city. The "Allocations Development Plan Document" will form part of the new Local Development Framework that will govern planning decisions in the city in years to come.

Amongst other things, the Greens have argued:

• Land around Clifford's Tower should be kept as open space
• Dualling of the Outer Ring Road will not solve York's transport problems
• Land should be safeguarded for the possibility of future light rail or tram systems in York
• Balfour Street play area in Leeman Road should continue to be public open space, as in the existing local plan
• More protection should be given to existing local facilities against redevelopment (e.g. as flats)
• Where possible, existing buildings of character should be retained as part of new developments (e.g. the "York Central" site behind the railway station).

In response, the Post Office have withdrawn the closure plans. One of the key concerns was that the trade could transfer to other post offices in the city centre, including the main post office in Lendal where it can already take 15 minutes to get served at busy times.

Local Green campaigners were amongst those people who knocked on doors, collecting petition signatures and writing letters asking for Micklagete PO to be saved. Andy Chase, Green parliamentary Candidate for York Central, was amongst them. He said, "It's excellent news that the Micklegate branch has been reprieved. However, much more work is needed from the government to ensure that sustainable business plans are put in place, ensuring that trade is brought into post offices and they are not threatened again in the future.

York Greens had written to oppose all four branch closures in the city, but despite a deluge of objections from local people, the other three offices at Clifton, Haxby Road and Fulford were shut down anyway. In March, an opposition motion in the House of Commons that would have granted a moratorium on further closures was defeated by the government. York MP Hugh Bayley was amongst those who refused to support the moratorium, in contrast with the principled stance taken by Selby MP John Grogan who voted to stop the cuts.

Andy Chase commented, "The fact that the other three well-used offices have closed shows that the consultation process is a travesty. It's time the government got back in touch with the concerns of ordinary people and they should start by realizing that people want good quality local services"

The Planning Inspectorate last week overruled the council's decision to refuse permission for demolition of the old St Barnabas School building in Bright Street, Leeman Road, York. The Victorian school building will now be demolished to make way for flats.

Andy Chase, parliamentary candidate for York Central, was one of the original objectors. He commented, "The old school was an attractive building that could have been sensitively re-used. Instead, we are promised yet more blocks of identikit flats on this site. It's time the views of local people were given far more weight, instead of planning decisions being made by those sitting in faraway offices in London or Bristol. On this occasion, our local councillors on the planning committee did speak up on behalf of local people, and deserve credit for doing so. I wonder when the Inspector will be holding a public meeting in to justify his decision to local residents"

"There is more, however, that the council can do to protect the city's heritage for the future - by implementing its existing policy on local listing and making sure that strong protection for the city's historic buildings is built into the new local development framework. It's vital that local councillors now step up to the challenge and ensure that the city we pass on to future generations is as special as the one we have today. York's Green councillors have been in the forefront of pressing for changes in the proposed framework that will reflect this."

The planning application aims to demolish the former "Knavesmire Glass" warehouse in South Bank Avenue, and replace it with a block of twelve single bedroom flats.

Micklegate Ward Green Party member Alan Swain commented, "this building has considerable historic interest and value. It was originally established around the turn of the century as a mission chapel for St Clement's Church on the South Bank, before St Chad's church was built. It's a valued part of the local history of this area."

The building has been proposed for the "local list of buildings of historic interest". This would allow buildings that do not qualify for statutory listing to be given some degree of protection against demolition or redevelopment proposals. The council has established policy to adopt the list, but has so far failed to do so. Green Parliamentary candidate for York Central, Andy Chase, commented: "It's absolutely vital that the council moves to adopt this list as soon as possible, before further buildings are threatened. Green councillors will continue to do everything possible to support this." Andy is also a long-serving member of the Micklegate Planning Panel, a non-political group of residents who comment on planning applications, and who have also objected to the plans.

The building is also home to a colony of bats, a protected species. Alan Swain said, "The developers have failed to demonstrate that the habitat of the bats will be maintained as part of the new development. They seem to have 'bats in the belfry' over this one!"

Greens would like to see the building constructively re-used as offices, a local facility (such as a dental surgery) or sensitively converted to housing. Plans are expected to go before the city's West and Central Planning Committee before the end of May.

If you wish to comment on this planning application, write to Clare Davies, Development Control Officer, City of York Planning Department, 9 St Leonard's Place, York YO1 7ET, or e-mail clare.davies@york.gov.uk, quoting reference number 08/00310/FULM. Please get your letters in as soon as possible.

For more information call the Green Party office on 636239 or e-mail andychase2@yahoo.co.uk.