A GROUP of like-minded people are looking to establish a local Green Party group in Kingsbridge and the surrounding area.

Donna Ladkin, Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Plymouth Graduate Management School, and her husband Robin are organising a meeting at the Crabshell Inn, Kingsbridge, on Wednesday, July 6, between 7pm and 8.30pm.

Donna said: ‘The idea is that we might meet to discuss issues of local, national and international importance with input from relevant Green Party people; we would raise the profile of the party locally to increase membership and engage in relevant consultations; and we would support the party in local and national elections to register the significance of the party.

‘John Green, chairman of the South Devon Green Party and a District Councillor for South Hams District Council will be there to introduce the Green Party locally as well as discussing the local issues associated with the Tory government plans, currently being implemented, for what they call devolution.’

John Green said: ‘Devolution implies transferring decision-making powers from central government to local governments to achieve more local democracy. This is the sort of Devolution that the Green Part supports, but the Government is proposing something very different and far less democratic.

‘In recent years the Government has taken away from local councils half the money they need to provide basic services and reduced their right to stop developers from building unsuitable, expensive housing.

‘Now the government is offering to give back some of this money, but only if all councils in Devon and Somerset get together to deliver a development plan drawn up by a group of the region’s biggest businesses - the Local Enterprise Partnership or LEP - which does not provide for the kinds of homes and jobs that local people want and need.

‘The proposed ’devolution’ plan is based on one written by the LEP in 2014 and includes proposals for 179,000 new houses and subsidies for nuclear-related businesses supporting the Hinckley C nuclear power station.

‘Local people and small businesses have not been consulted about this plan - which makes no reference to affordable, social, or rented homes. Instead, the Green Party is pushing for genuinely democratic devolution, proper consultation and proposals that provide affordable, warm and well-built homes for local people.’