TO help you before polling day on May 7, we have asked the political parties to explain why you should vote for them at the Tendring Council elections.

Green – Chris Southall

THE Tendring Green Party has candidates standing in the district election in St John’s, Burrsville, Lawford and Mistley, Manningtree, Tendring and Little Bentley.

The Green Party is fighting huge cuts to council funding, which will get worse if the current government gets it way.

Social care for our old, disabled and vulnerable people is already underfunded and would be cut further.

New government rules increase local council responsibilities without providing enough funding to do the work.

Tendring Green Party is fighting the downgrading of Clacton’s maternity unit and defending our need for a local hospital.

We also want the cuts to adult education and evening classes reversed.

The Green Party wants to influence planning policy to see more affordable homes and council housing to rent.

Energy-saving standards in new buildings should be reinstated instead of watered down.

New building should be on brownfield sites like the Oxford Road Co-Op site, not pristine green fields. Greens would extend recycling to include all plastics instead of only bottles; useful items taken to recycling centres should be sold instead of dumped.

Improving train and bus services would make Tendring more attractive to tourists and businesses.

The council needs to work with Colchester Institute to provide more local vocational training in subjects like building skills, catering and hairdressing.

Our teenagers shouldn’t have to go to Colchester to find courses.

Our local councils care for our environment. Tendring needs Green voices in its district council.