Tim Dowson has lived in Jesmond for more than 20 years and been involved with the local Green Party for around 15 years. The reason he got involved in the Green Party is, he says, not just because it is concerned about environmental matters but because it’s also interested in the social issues behind them. We asked him to tell us a little bit more about himself, what he thinks needs fixing in Jesmond and why voters should consider putting an X against his name on Thursday 5th May.

Why run for local election?

“The Green Party is, in essence, about addressing the social, political and environmental issues altogether. If you don’t integrate the solutions, they cease to be solutions. The other bits of the environmental movement do very useful things, but they don’t focus quite so much on the heart of the problem. Green parties in other countries of northern Europe, like Germany, have gotten a lot further in addressing these matters. Things like solar panels are much more common, as is increased bicycle use, which has benefits in terms of lowering car use, greater health and lowering social problems.”

What are the main issues that you would tackle in Jesmond?

“Local issues need to be addressed by a mixture of local and national solutions. You need to have a national framework that allows you address things locally. Car use in Jesmond is a big issue, not just in terms of local transport but in terms of pollution, noise, danger and exercise. There have been a lot of discussions about schemes to reduce neighbourhood car use, which I feel is a crucial thing to try and do, whether it’s for children to have space to play or for parents to feel safe about those children playing out.

“Air quality and house insulation are two more issues. Nationally, we have a crisis regarding the cost of domestic fuel bills, but solutions haven’t been as focused as they should be.”

What is your opinion of the Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme?

“The Green Party is in favour of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. It’s not just about car use – it’s about the localisation agenda which is an important part of Green policy and outlook. The more you can do things locally, the less that you need cars, roads for cars, or space devoted to car parking. And the more you can walk down the street, the more you will get to know your neighbours.”

How would you combat anti-social behaviour?

“One of the big factors in anti-social behaviour in Jesmond is to do with nightlife, particularly on Osborne Road. It’s a major issue for people living two or three streets away from there particularly. The means of tackling the problem is through licence regulations and enforcement of acceptable levels of behaviour. We should increase the number of community support officers and improve the response to complaints, whether they’re about general levels of noise, disruption or individual acts of violence.

“One of the other issues is the concentration of students in particular areas. I would love to see a move towards viewing students as members of the community, rather than some external alien force that is primarily seen as a disruptive force. It is key for communities to have students, and it’s important to avoid separating communities into different factions in their cubby holes.”

How would you bridge the gap between local and student residents?

“There are big issues about the registration of HMOs (homes of multiple occupancy). There’s nothing wrong with HMOs, it’s more a question of how many do you have next to each other and how many are for people once they’ve graduated, as people in work tend to have a different focus to students still studying for a degree. Mixing groups of people up is important, not just to reduce problems but to increase understandings, outlooks and possibilities.

“I would encourage greater diversity, advertising a wider variety of areas where people can rent and trying to enforce the law on HMOs, because quality renting is important.”

What would you do to improve the environment in Jesmond?

“The Low Traffic Neighbourhood initiative is key. I would love to see the majority of children walking to school or getting themselves way to school, rather than being driven. The school run is something that has multiplied enormously in the last 20 years ago, following national changes to how school places are allocated.

“I would put more emphasis on litter collection as well, though I think it’s less of a problem here than in some other parts of town. In the Green Party, we often feel that the Labour-led council focuses resources on the marginal wards, in order to boost chances for Labour candidates in elections.”

JesmondLocal will be hosting its local election hustings on Tuesday 3rd of May at Jesmond Library from 7:45pm-9:45pm. Submit your questions for the candidates via the event Facebook page. The event is open to all, so come along to find out more about the candidates, their priorities, policies and plans – and get a chance to have your say.