For many years now I
have been thinking on the subject of urban woods. I cannot put a date
as to when this began, but it is at least seven years. I wrote
Wanted: more trees, less tarmac in March 2011.
My initial attempts
to get some traction with this locally were met with some derision.
Whilst I did not receive a cachinnatious response there were many who
questioned my sanity. Nonetheless I persisted.
Eventually my
persuasion paid off as my wish for an urban wood made it into the
local Labour manifesto. It also appeared, to these eyes anyway, that
I was getting a more receptive ear in council meetings. I was
certainly raising the subject whenever I could, and my thoughts on
this subject were becoming well known.
Eventually my idea
for a portable solution seemed to have been put into practise along
the London Road.
Fast-forward to the
present, and imagine my disappointment when I found out that an urban
wood is no longer local Labour Party policy – it has just been
dropped from the local manifesto.
For many of us in
the broad Labour movement the environment is an important issue.
Being dropped is not
an end as far as I am concerned. I shall still campaign for an urban
wood in the Borough of Southend-on-Sea.
