Our core motivation is leaving the world a better place than we found it and if we to stand any chance of doing that we have to fight. We cannot sit back and expect others to make the changes we need to see. That's why we put the environment and biodiversity first.
We are fighting biodiversity loss, working with planners, ecologists and developers to find creative and effective solutions to minimise the impact on local wildlife wherever we can, including bee bricks and swift boxes in new buildings, promoting tree-planting and protecting hedgerows and other natural habitats.
We want to tackle pollution, littering and fly-tipping, which is not only an environmental hazard, but an eyesore.
During their time in office, Somerset Conservatives worked hard to encourage recycling and as a result, Somerset is the top performing County Council in the country for recycling rates. The Recycle More scheme dramatically increased the amount of kerbside recycling collected - 99% of which stays in Britain. More can be done and Graham and Jeff want to see recycling schemes expanded still further, as well as finding a new, more efficient local location for the Cheddar Recycling Centre (while also protecting the centre from closure, as suggested by the Council in 2024).
And in order to meet the county's Net Zero ambitions, we want developers to include renewable energy solutions in all new homes, while encouraging better insulation in existing ones - as well as deliver more electric car charging points.
Heavy traffic isn't just an inconvenience - it's bad for the environment, so we have a clear plan to tackle congestion, as well as improving and extending walking and cycling routes.
Read about our plans to tackle congestion in the Cheddar Valley
Under the Conservatives, both Somerset County Council and Sedgemoor District Council delivered environmentally-friendly and animal-friendly policies and Graham and Jeff want the new Somerset Council to develop bold, ambitious plans for more.
Graham and Jeff fought Somerset Council to secure a brand new woodland near Cheddar, to form part of the Queen’s Green Canopy for the Platinum Jubilee Year: unfortunately they canned the project completely. If elected, Graham and Jeff will be back on the case for a new woodland, as well as promote habitat restoration - not just trees, but grasslands too.
It seems to be a fad for every political party to talk the talk, but in Graham Godwin-Pearson and Jeff Savage you have a team committed to improving the environment, tackling climate change and pollution and improving biodiversity.
