Viewers could listen directly to the Greater Manchester Mayoral candidates as they discussed their views on the environment and their plans for the region. Five main questions were asked by the Chair, which came from pre-submitted questions sent in by GM residents and other environmental NGOs.
Topics included planning and development, wildlife, water, clean air and nature/wellbeing. Questions from live viewers were also asked towards the end of the hustings. You can watch the stream below.
Hannah Spencer, the Green party candidate, was unable to attend, but sent the following statement:
“'I’m really sad to have missed this hustings, as I wasn’t able to finish work early enough to join this evening. As well as working full time as a plumber, I am also a local councillor in Hale, in Trafford.
I am all too aware of the desperate need for more housing across the whole region, but this absolutely cannot be at the expense of the limited natural environment around us. I’m proud that a core principal of the Green Party is ‘right homes, right place, right price’ and it is is underpinned by the acknowledgment that for so long, developers have been allowed to to ride roughshod over the needs of communities and the environment.
Our plans would change this and put power back in to the hands of communities.
As a Green mayor, I would incentivise renovation and improvement of existing buildings to reduce the environmental impact of new construction, I'd incentivise local authorities to spread small developments across their areas, where appropriate, rather than building huge new estates, and I would protect valuable green space for communities.
We have a strong track record of speaking out in Trafford on development, and I voted against the adoption of Places for Everyone earlier this year. I wholly support creating new homes for people to live in, but the current proposals are incredibly disappointing and they let down communities all across the region.
A Green mayor would be a louder and clearer voice, if elected I would prioritise protecting our precious green spaces and the nature sustained within them.”
