Ellie Chowns told Sky News “What we need is the provision of safe and managed routes for those seeking asylum. The issue of asylum seekers staying in hotels is the result of policy choices fundamentally made by the Conservatives over the previous 14 years.

Now, Labour is not dealing with the problem fast enough. We need safe and managed routes, much faster processing of asylum applications, and, specifically, fast-tracking of applications from countries where … the vast, vast majority of applications are already granted. Those measures will ensure that the backlog is dealt with far, far quicker that we can get people out of hotels as quickly as possible. And of course, you know, enable refugees and asylum seekers to contribute to the community.

If asylum seekers were allowed to work while they were waiting for their applications to be processed, then they could be contributing to society. And I think that would be something that should be widely welcomed across the spectrum.”  

Shameful farage whipping up hate

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer MP told The Mirror Reform UK leader: “Nigel Farage’s role in whipping up unrest around asylum hotels is absolutely shameful. He is a millionaire preying on people’s anger, fear and desperation to divide communities, stoke tensions and put people’s safety at risk.”

Carla accused the Reform leader of “creating a terrifying environment of hostility” and said politicians have a “moral duty” to stand up to him. 

The post ‘THIS IS THE LEGACY OF YEARS OF MISMANAGEMENT!’ GREEN MP ELLIE CHOWNS ON THE AYSLUM SEEKER CRISIS appeared first on Thanet Green Party.

A documentary about Minster Marshes its importance and its wildlife will be released in the autumn. Click here to watch video trailer

campaign to stop sealink destroying the marshes

The National Grid Sealink will be the largest electricity converter station in Europe. They propose to site it on the Minster Marshes close to the Minster Stream and River Stour devastating a unique and irreplaceable natural habitat.

The development will be 28 meters tall (the height of a 10 storey building) covering a huge 9 hectares (22 acres), within meters of Hackling Marshes Site of Special Scientific interest, known for its Nightingales and red listed species.

Learn more about the Save Minster Marshes campaign go the website here.

The campaign now has the support of both of Thanet’s MPs, Roger gale and Polly Billington. And Ms Billington has made a joint statement with Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, the MP for Suffolk coastal the northern end of the Sealink project, calling for the National Grid to think again about the environmental consequences of the scheme.

get involved

If you believe that Minster Marshes should be saved, that nature matters, that unique and sensitive habitats should be preserved make sure that you have registered so that your voice can be heard.

Relevant representations can be made using the online form which will be available on the website – minstermarshes.com – or by requesting a hard copy form via our project email address southeastanglialink@planninginspectorate.gov.uk or by calling 0303 444 5000.

But please note. This is ONLY if you haven’t already submitted a ‘relevant representation’. If you’ve already sent in your comments, they’ll be considered and you can’t add to them at this stage.

All completed registration forms must be received by the Planning Inspectorate before the close of the deadline at 23.59 on 18th August 2025.

Please note that if you wish to provide any attachments to your online relevant representation registration form, these must be sent to the above email address before the above deadline.

If you have any questions, please contact the Sea Link Case Team at the email address or contact number above.

The post SAVE MINSTER MARSHES: LAST CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR SAY! CONSULTATION CLOSES MONDAY 18TH AUGUST. appeared first on Thanet Green Party.

***CONSULTATION DEADLINE EXTENDED***

Today the Planning Inspectorate reopened the opportunity for people to register as Interested Parties for the Sea Link project because there was an error in the application.

The link will go live from Friday 18 July 2025 and closes at 23:59pm Monday 18 August 2025.

***IMPORTANT***

This is ONLY if you haven’t already submitted a ‘relevant representation’. If you’ve already sent in your comments, they’ll be considered and you can’t add to them at this stage.

Relevant representations can be made using the online form which will be available on the website – minstermarshes.com – from Friday 18 July 2025, or by requesting a hard copy form via our project email address southeastanglialink@planninginspectorate.gov.uk or by calling 0303 444 5000.

All completed registration forms must be received by the Planning Inspectorate before the close of the deadline.

Please note that if you wish to provide any attachments to your online relevant representation registration form, these must be sent to the above email address before the above deadline.

If you have any questions, please contact the Sea Link Case Team at the email address or contact number above.

The post SAVE MINSTER MARSHES: CONSULTATION DEADLINE EXTENDED appeared first on Thanet Green Party.

rain=polluted sea

On Friday 13^th June , for the first time in weeks, heavy rain fell on Thanet.  And once again it overwhelmed Southern Water’s waste water system and sewage was discharged into the sea. 

The following day visitors to the local beaches, from West Bay in Westgate to Western Undercliff in Ramsgate, were greeted by signs placed by Thanet District Council (TDC) warning against entering the water.  The sea was contaminated and unsafe to swim in.

Of course this is not unusual. In 2024 Southern Water discharged sewage into waterways 29,355 times. 4832 of the spills were into ‘designated bathing waters’ like those off Thanet’s beaches!  These numbers are staggering but, although Southern Water continues to promise investment and improvements, there is still no sign of any real plan for change. 

Meanwhile the discharges have not only serious Implications for public health but also for the well-being of the area’s all-important tourist economy.  After all who wants a trip to the seaside when you can’t go in the sea.

Local businesses suffer

Green councillors on Broadstairs and St Peters Town council have been approached by concerned local businesses who are asking for greater transparency from Southern Water. They want improved communication and warning systems of beach closures.  Green councillor Steve Roberts is currently also looking at how the contacts between the businesses and Thanet town councils can be improved and Broadstairs Green mayor, Mike Garner, has called for the water companies to be brought back into public ownership.

Pollution and continual water company scandals are fuelling public anger.  A recent poll showed that 83% of Britons in favour of renationalising the water industry. Surfers against Sewage (SAS), the environmental charity supported by local Greens, is coordinating a summer long series of protests in various locations demanding reform of the broken water industry. 

paddle out

In Thanet the first event took place on Saturday 15^th May, apparently the official opening day of the bathing season, with a “Paddle Out” in Broadstairs.

The protesters marched through the town and on to the beach at Viking Bay accompanied by Ramsgate’s Samba Ya  Wantsum community band.  After a speech from mayor Mike Garner and a quick photo op many of them, undeterred by the choppy conditions, took to their paddle boards in the bay.

As part of the campaign Surfers Against Sewage are encouraging member, supporters and frustrated bathers to contact their MPs to vent their feelings and disgust at the state of our seas. The campaign webpage for the public to email their MP can be found here

The post Every time it rains, it rains sewage from Southern!  Southern Water Sewage discharges close Thanet Beaches again! appeared first on Thanet Green Party.

Following Thursday’s elections we’ve reached a new record number of councillors across the country with 859 councillors on 1812 councils! We doubled our number of seats in Devon and broke through in Leicestershire, Staffordshire and Cambridgeshire amongst others.

Leaders Carla Denyer, Adrian Ramsey and Zack Polanski thanked voters for putting their faith in Green candidates and putting the Green agenda to work in their communities.

The Green party is the only party offering a real alternative to the tired old parties.

a big thank to everyone in thanet

In Thanet we nearly made it. Mike Garner came a close second in Broadstairs and in Ramsgate Becky and Thea were third and fourth, in both cases soundly beating both Labour and the Tories. Greens are now clearly a force in Thanet, preparing to battle against Reform and Farage’s stream of misinformation.

However for now we wanted to say thank you to everyone who voted Green and everyone who campaigned with us: you were wonderful!

Sadly we just missed getting Mike, Becky and Thea elected to KCC but we established ourselves as Thanet’s second party. Our group of six on TDC, our seven town parish councillors and our five Green KCC colleagues from Whitstable, Maidstone, Swale, and Tonbridge will still be working hard for residents and holding Reform to account.

A special welcome to all the new members who joined during the campaign: it’s great to have you with us. And if you haven’t joined Thanet’s fastast growing party yet, what are you waiting for?

HELP US BRING REAL HOPE AND REAL CHANGE.

The post LOCAL ELECTIONS 2025: IT’S A RECORD 859 GREEN COUNCILLORS ON 181 COUNCILS appeared first on Thanet Green Party.

Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanksi visited Ramsgate on March 23 to help the Thanet Green Party launch its county council election campaign.

Thanet Green Party, along with representatives from Dover and Deal Green Party, welcomed Zack to their launch at Ellington Park.

An energised positive campaign

“We’re running an energised, positive campaign across Thanet, aiming to get the first Green County Councillors elected in Thanet.

“People we’ve already spoken to on the doorstep are telling us that they’re tired of the old two party system that’s made little difference to their lives over the last few years and they want councillors who work hard all year, who listen to residents and who will prioritise what’s best for their communities.”

The post ELECTIONS: GREENS CAMPAIGNING HARD FOR THANET’S SEATS ON KENT COUNTY COUNCIL appeared first on Thanet Green Party.

Green MPs “rebalance” the economy for cameras outside the Treasury yesterday.

Green Party Co-leaders Adrian Ramsay MP and Carla Denyer MP were joined by Siân Berry MP and Ellie Chowns MP outside the Treasury posing with scales to show the government’s ‘skewed priorities’ in slashing disability benefits while refusing to tax wealth.

Greens are urging the chancellor Rachal Reeves to abandon planned cuts and ‘rebalance’ the economy in favour of ordinary people. 

 In an interview Carla Denyer went on to say “We in the Green Party are saying that the Chancellor should be looking again at her decision and rebalancing the economy by asking the super-rich – the multimillionaires and billionaires – to pay a little bit more in a wealth tax rather than cutting essential services for disabled people. We know the policy of having a fairer tax system… is very broadly popular among the population in general.” 

The post GREEN LEADERS CALL FOR WEALTH TAX TO REBALANCE THE ECONOMY appeared first on Thanet Green Party.

Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski (right) with Thanet Green Party councillor and KCC candidate Mike Garner

In an interview on BBC 5 Live, ahead of the Spring statement tomorrow, Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski said: “The government are looking to cut £5-6bn from disability benefits… they’re also talking today about taking infant school meals off the table.”

“So why are they looking to protect the wealth of multi-millionaires and billionaires at the same time as targeting or cutting money from those people who really desperately need it, or where there’s very clear evidence that this enriches and improves people’s lives?

“This is ultimately about political choices. And at every single possibility, it feels like this Labour government is taking the wrong political choices.” 

Follow Zack on Instagram @greenpartyzack

The post LABOUR’S PLANNED CUTS – MAKING THE POOREST PAY appeared first on Thanet Green Party.

I’m delighted to announce that I will be the Green Party’s candidate in my home town of Broadstairs for the KCC elections on Thursday May 1st.

I’ve been a hard-working District & Town Councillor in Broadstairs since 2019 & this year have also been Chair of the Town Council and the town’s Mayor and believe I’m well placed to best represent my hometown on Kent County Council. 

Among my priorities are:

Education – During the last year, I’ve visited many of the town’s schools and am familiar with many of the issues they face due, in part, to continued cuts in their budgets. I will be campaigning to make sure spending is both protected and increased.

Road Safety – As the number of serious accidents on the streets of Broadstairs increases, improving road safety is also a high priority for me.

Sarah Thorne Theatre – Another key issue for me is to stop KCC’s plans to sell the only theatre in Broadstairs, the Sarah Thorne. It’s a multi-use venue that, as well as attracting touring companies from around the country, enables local theatre and music groups to put on performances and cannot be sold for development.

If you have any questions for me or want to help the campaign your welcome to stop me if you see me in town, drop me an email at greenmikegarner@gmail.com or contact me via messenger. #getgreenselected #broadstairs #kentcountycouncil

I am happy and proud to announce that I will be standing in my Ramsgate, alongside Thea Barrett, as a Green Party candidate for the KCC elections on Thursday May 1st. Together we are a fabulous mix of experience and youth. 

I have already been working hard as a District & Town Councillor since 2019 and so will be a strong ‘voice’ representing residents in Ramsgate and Thanet as we move towards an East Kent unitary authority. 

Key priorities at county level include:

Key Services – Saving and expanding services, we cannot allow children’s, youth, health and care services to be cut. Every effort for example, must be made to keep the Pie Factory Youth Centre open and ensure GP provision increases. 

Road Safety – Making our roads safer, especially for pedestrians. Expanding 20mph zones, increasing safe crossing places and slowing traffic around schools and ‘accident hotspots’ is essential given our high crash data. 

Recycling, waste and rubbish – Improving access to waste and recycling for those without transport as well as the removal of rubbish along our highways. 

Economic Growth – Greater focus on small, medium size businesses and our town centres as they face great change, while increasing opportunities for our young to benefit from employment, further education or training. 

Environment – Seek ways to enhance our open spaces, verges and streets as well as seek and implement alternatives to the use of weedkiller containing glyphosate in our communities. 

If you would like further information or to discuss any issue, then please contact me via: greenbeckywing@gmail.com or via messenger.

The post SAVE THE DAY! KCC ELECTIONS 1ST MAY – OUR CANDIDATES appeared first on Thanet Green Party.

Responding to the “planning overhaul” announced today by government, Green Party Co-Leader, Adrian Ramsay, said:

“This new planning framework from Government fails to tackle the housing crisis head on and instead panders yet further to the interests of private developers whose main interest is lining their pockets.

By pitting what’s happening as a binary battle between builders and blockers, the government has insulted local communities and local government, all of whom desperately want affordable homes and fully understand the importance of balancing that with the need for food, nature and local energy.

Instead, the Government should be going head to head with the developers who are fixated on one thing only – maximising their profits by building yet more executive unaffordable homes at the expense of council homes for social rent and more affordable homes to buy.  That means being tougher with developers over requiring a higher proportion of genuinely affordable and homes to rent and to buy as part of new developments. Equally developers must be made to honour real commitments to invest in local services that housebuilding does put additional pressure on.

This all can be done and still reverse the disastrous decline in biodiversity and protect local democracy. But this has to be done with communities, including through strengthening the role of neighbourhood plans, not imposed onto them by profit driven developers.

And Ministers should be taking this opportunity to look in the round at the housing crisis, and prioritising funds for increasing supply and ending right to buy, alongside building the right homes in the right place and the right price.

As it stands, this planning framework confirms many of the fears of those who not only want to protect this country’s degraded nature. We are not on course to meet most of the legally-binding nature recovery targets we have signed up to and this Planning Framework makes it even less likely we will hit them. This is more than a missed opportunity, it’s a dereliction of duty. We can and we must tackle both the housing crisis and the nature crisis. This new NPPF currently does neither.

The Government isn’t only bringing more and more land into its definition of ‘grey belt’ which can be built on, it is removing any local democratic say in the process. The deputy prime minister’s claim that this will remove “chaos and subjectiveness” from the system doesn’t wash. People have the right to have a say over major changes to their local community. This is local democracy in action.”

12 December 2024 / 12 December 2024 by Green Party

The post Planning Changes: Big developers win again! appeared first on Thanet Green Party.